Our camp last night was under trees on a small piece of dirt but the night was cooler and we were out like a light by 9pm. Neighbours were still chatting away quite close to us at 1.30am. Saturday nights are a lottery regarding peaceful camping but families chatting and enjoying themselves in harmony are welcome.
After breakfasting and packing up, Jen was determind that we take a hike up into the hills to see a cave and stunning views of the countryside. It’s your fault Lilian & Rob…:). Anyway, it was only an hours climb, there and back.
The cave stank of urine and the view was mediocre. The countryside is slightly hilly and we must have been at an elevation of 90m at the highest point. Hardly Andean. What was important though, was the exercise. Apart from some personal calesthenics, we are not exerting ourselves anywhere near enough.
A little about Uruguay.
With a population of 3.4million. After Suriname, Uruguay is the second smallest country of South America with 176,000+sq K’m. It’s living standards are the second highest in S.A. Surprising exceeded only by Guyana. There are many very wealthy, judging by the housing in and around Montevideo and Punta del Este.
Portuguese were first to arrive in the region now known as Uruguay, but the Spanish established a fortification in what is now Montevideo, in the 1600’s. For the next 200 years the two countries battled for control and it wasn’t till 1828 and the efforts of Britain’s Viscount John Ponsonby at the signing of the Treaty of Montevideo, that settlement was reached and full independence granted in 1830.
Both Argentina and Brazil continued to interfere in Uruguayan affairs for many years in the 1800’s. From 1973’s to 1986 CIA backed terror groups were responsible for the deaths or disappearance of approximately 180 people. Uruguay was said to have the highest number of political prisoners per capita, during that period. It also contributes the highest number of soldiers per capita to the United Nations peace keeping forces. Was the first country to legalise marijuana.
The recent past and present
We have seen the massive contribution to feeding the Allied armies in WW1 and beyond, from the meat processing plant in Fray Bentos. Animal farming makes the biggest contribution to the economy at around US$!bn. Interestingly we have seen little wealth displayed in the countryside. Uruguay is self sufficient in energy generation. Uruguay has a well developed welfare state that requires participants to contribute to the country’s upkeep. We have passed many logging trucks so forestry is also an export earner. Forests we have seen, have been eucalyptus.
The climate is temperate, which is conducive to agriculture. We have yet to see any significant horticulture, though have tasted Uruguayan red wine.
The road network is generally first class, though there is a lot of sub standard roading in the process of being replaced and there is deterioration the further away from the populated southern coastal areas. Uruquyan’s have been friendly and hospitable.
The main telecommunications company Antel is government owned… as is the petroleum company, ANCAP.
It’s a small country, internationally but like New Zealand, punches above it’s weight. Unlike New Zealand it is not squanding it’s financial, intellectual, political and emotional capital on contrived racial issues and trying to renegotiate the past.
Finding a camp!
Taking on diesel and refilling the 10L petrol for the cooker jerry can in Treinta y Tres, we decided to investigate a large park with a view to camping for the night. iOverlander had several entries suggesting it was very noisy and unpleasant. Stopping to inquire about camping at small dilapidated Tourist kiosk, Jen came away shaking her head. “The lady say’s it’s not a safe place to camp”. The problem is, there is very little other camping in the interior. It’s 3pm and we decide to press on, but still 300k’s from the nights intended destination, and it would mean driving on the dark.
Scanning options, we found a couple of camps 23 k’s off the main road, and the road is unsealed.
Without getting into too much detail, we are now encamped in a sloping field in a small private camp. The government run camp 3k’s away is closed from Sunday to Wednesday!!!
Again tonight, it’s cooler and the only other camper, a single older male, will not disturb us. Wifi signal wafting in and out!
While the distances are much shorter than the other South American countries we don’t seem to have made much headway on getting to Brazil.
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