Wednesday 5th August 2026 – Montevideo
Getting the Colonia Express high speed catamaran ferry that crosses the Río de la Plata between Buenos Aires (Argentina) and Colonia del Sacramento (Uruguay). The crossing takes approximately 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Their catamarans cruise at high speeds ranging from 30 to 40 knots (approx. 35 to 46 mph / 55 to 74 km/h).
Lucky with the weather in Buenos Aires. Some thunderstorms but we didn’t even get wet. Very grey and cloudy though.
Having crossed to Colonia del Sacramento we then get a bus to Montevideo, around 2 hours.
Thursday 6th August 2026 – Montevideo
Went to the immigration office to get a Certificado de Llegada (that certifies you are a foreigner!). That took only 20 minutes. Then to the local shipping agent’s office. They made arrangements to open the container tomorrow. We met the German couple there so we are all set to get George back tomorrow.
Our luck ran out on the weather. There are now thunderstorms and heavy rain. We have made arrangements with a Dutch campsite owner to get a local gas bottle as we couldn’t ship ours. Tomorrow the weather should be better!
Montevideo is slightly disappointing (although we are staying in the port area). I perhaps has a romanticised idea of exotic far flung Montevideo! We found somewhere to eat last night after some searching as many places close early. There is a big covered market (Mercado del Puerto) nearby with traditional open-fire barbecue restaurants (parrillas) where we will probably get lunch.
Lots of people were ordering a mixed grill with blood sausage. Huge amounts of meat! An ice cream was included in the price and I must say the banana ice cream was just exceptional.
In the market they were selling Mates (traditional South American hollowed-out gourds or cups used for drinking mate) along with their corresponding metal straws called bombillas. You see people with them everywhere. Sometimes with a basket with a central handle, one side for the Mates, the other for a thermos of hot water.
Went to the Museo del Gaucho y la Moneda (Museum of the Gaucho and Currency) housed in the stunning Casa Matriz del Banco de la República Oriental del Uruguay.
It still has the metal cages and marble counters for the bank clerks of the original 1930s bank. It has absolutely huge marble columns. We got repeatedly soaked in the rain.
Friday 7th August 2026 – Montevideo
We will meet at the shipping office at 1:30pm to liberate Georgefrom the container! It should take around an hour. We then go to Customs at the ferry port for clearance and to get a TIP (Temporary Import Permit). We will need to get this (and cancel the previous one) on each border. In the past we havd used a Carnet de passage but they don’t use them here.
Weather better today, thankfully. GoMoWorld travel eSim proving really good for data. Just buy a plan for each country and activate when you need it (or even schedule it). Buying a different one for Brazil though because its much cheaper. Can tether with these plans (not all allow it) so can use 2 phones with one SIM for Google map/Waze navigation.
Went for a wander around Montevideo. Some interesting buildings. This is the Palacio Salvo completed in 1928 by an Italian architect Mario Palanti. Some workmen were about to abseil down it!
The Torre Ejecutiva (Executive Tower) serves as the official workplace of the President of Uruguay and the seat of the executive branch of government.
The Edificio Ciudadela (Ciudadela Building is a stark 1960s building on another side of the square.
The Edificio Pablo Ferrando (Pablo Ferrando Building), an eclectic Belle Époque style combining Neoclassical and Art Nouveau details houses an excellent bookshop.
There is too much graffiti in Montevideo. Mostly unsightly tags but sometimes not. It says “I love my neighborhood”
Our first South American Land Rover sighting!
Empanadas originated in Spain (with deeper historical roots tied to medieval Moorish and Middle Eastern pastry traditions). While Spain introduced the foundational idea, South American countries (especially Argentina, Chile, and Colombia) developed distinct local styles, doughs, and fillings that made the empanada an iconic staple of Latin American cuisine. We have been sampling different kinds!
Bronze public art sculptures mounted on a balcony along Sarandí Street in the historic Old City (Ciudad Vieja):
All the formalities done and George is safely out of the container. A relief to be honest. One of the ground handlers in Hamburg broke a cable to the battery meter when he disconnected the battery terminals but otherwise all ok. The local agents were brilliant and the cost was what was indicated. We are staying at a campsite run by a Dutch guy and his wife near Atlantida. The owner says there was 110mm of rain here yesterday so we are pleased we weren’t here then! The shipping agent said a weather red alert had been declared and public transport was shut.
Saturday 8th August 2026 – Atlantida
Really cold in the night. Thankfully the campsite had a kitchen and sitting area. It also has a table tennis table, pool table and a Dart board (I got 5 bullseyes this morning!). Went into town and left the gas bottle to be refilled (sold to us by the helpful campsite owner who gave us a free regulator). They gravity fill the bottles so we will collect it in the evening. Google translate worked well with the shop owner.
Intermittent sun but quite windy. We are staying 2 nights to get the gas sorted and wash some clothes. Visited the Disco supermarket for supplies. Everything is so expensive here.
Sunday 9th August 2026 – Cabo Polonia
We are planning to go up the coast easterly to a place near Cabo Polonia with a sea lion colony. We will stay on an farm there. We were going to stay somewhere else but the owners said it was flooded but we could still stay there but we thought it was best avoided. The campsite is beautiful, we have hopefully found a sheltered spot. The Italian owner has kindly opened especially for us. There are lots of horses here and a very friendly dog who wants my peanuts! (He can’t have them).
We will get a 4×4 truck (or walk 10 miles) tomorrow to visit the sea lions (you are not allowed to drive there). Scooby wants our dinner!:
We saw some flamingos today on a lagoon (driving so no photos). This evening we saw a humming bird in our campsite. The route today was amazing, so few cars, houses or people. But so many cattle and sheep (looked like a Downland breed). The pasture looked really good although quite marshy in a lot of places and quite waterlogged in patches after the recent rain.
There are huge numbers of Eucalyptus trees here. Also you often see the Sydney Golden Wattle (Acacia longifolia), an evergreen shrub or small tree native to southeastern Australia.
Monday 10th August 2026 – Cabo Polonia
Uruguay has only 3 million people yet cattle outnumber people 4 to 1! It is seen as progressive and was one of the first countries in Latin America to allow women to vote and has some of the most progressive laws regarding same-sex marriage, adoption, and transgender rights in the Americas.
We walked to the Lighthouse (around 10 mile round trip).
On the way we saw Nutria (Coypu) in a lagoon with young.
At the Lighthouse there were a colony of seals on the rocks.
Further away there were rocks covered in Sea Lions. However even on maximum zoom they are difficult to capture.
The flora here is interesting with lots of Lichen.This is golden hair-lichen (Teloschistes flavicans).
This plant is an ice plant (genus Carpobrotus, likely Carpobrotus edulis), commonly known as sour fig, hottentot-fig, or pigface!
There was an old Land Rover Series I abandoned on the way to the Lighthouse. Quite rare and valuable even in that condition. Can’t see anyone rescuing it though sadly.
Sawfly larvae on the coastal path.
A dog followed us all 5 miles from the Lighthouse. Sometimeshe chose which sandy path to take! We felt very mean leaving him at the car park. He had a collar so he belonged to someone but he wasn’t in great condition. He kept limping but not on the same foot. One of the staff tried to persuade him to stay at the entrance barrier but he wanted to come with us!
Tuesday 11th August 2026 – Parque de Santa Teresa
Spending the day in the park. Oddly operated by the military. There is a hot house with interesting plants and a lake with lots of lilies and vegetation. There are many birds and lots of Capybara, which is the largest living rodent, native to all countries in South America except Chile. It is a semiaquatic herbivore that inhabits savannas and dense forests, living near and in bodies of freshwater and feeding mainly on grasses and aquatic plants. Bird of Paradise flower (Strelitzia), Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum) and Pink Ball Tree (Dombeya wallichii:
Capybara
We saw 2 Turkey vultures and a Crested Caracara (falcon family) on a seal carcass on the beach.
We are so lucky to have the park to ourselves, maybe 10 people here. In peak season there can be 10,000 people camping here!
We are heading to Brazil tomorrow. The weather forecast tomorrow is for torrential rain so we have booked an apartment. We have been lucky with the weather so far when camping although it has been cold, even with morning frosts! There are limits to our resilience to adverse weather when camping! We have really liked Uruguay. Great landscapes, friendly people and really safe.
Next country: Brazil