February 2 - Punta del Este, Uruguay

Once again, Drake's Passage had treated us pretty well during the last two days - not quite as calm as on our way to Antarctica, but nowhere near as rough as it can be.

This morning we arrived in Punta del Este, a resort on the Atlantic Coast in the Maldonado Department of southeastern Uruguay.  Although the city has a year-round population of about 9,280, the summer tourist boom adds to this a very large number of non-residents.  Punta del Este is also the name of the municipality to which the city belongs.  It includes Punta del Este proper and Peninsula areas.   The city is referred to as "the Monaco of the South",  "The Pearl of the Atlantic", "The Hamptons of South America", and "The St. Tropez of South America", being also compared to Miami and Cannes.  (Places down here have too many names!).   Punta del Este is well known for organizing the summit in which the WTO was created. The Formula E has hosted several races, broadcast worldwide in the city, based on its "absolutely landmark cityscape".  Music and cinema festivals, whale sightseeing, international education, real estate, and haute cuisine are among the main attractions of the increasingly globalized city, with sights in the area including the La Mano giant sculpture, the Santorini-styled complex Casapueblo, the chic neighborhood of La Barra, the iconic Puente Garzon, Gorriti Island, Arboretum Lussich, and the Museum of the Sea.

We decided to walk the city while sun was shining, just a little breeze - wonderful to be outside.
We did about three miles in all and might have stayed out longer, but the wind whipped up.   The wind together with the sun began to burn our skin, so we hightailed it back to the ship, along the way admiring the gorgeous yachts in the harbor, and marveling at the skills of the fishermen as they filleted their fresh catch of the day, sorted clams and repaired nets.

Lots of locals and tourists taking the beautiful walk along the water.    However, there were so many low cut dresses, or bikini tops that were almost not there, and then the huge bellies of not just the tourists full of good ship's food, but the locals as well - we named the city the Town of Boobs and Bellies!

  


We enjoyed lunch in The Colonnade Restaurant.   Because most stayed ashore during the lunch hour, the dining room was not very busy, which gave us an opportunity to visit with Sunimal, one of two 3-star sommeliers aboard ship.    He is from Sri Lanka, an absolute delight, and I hope to see him again aboard another cruise in future.

Dinner this night at Earth and Ocean on deck - actually, as I write this three days later, realize that I've mixed up last night's dinner and tonight's dinner - oh well - we ate again!!!

On one of these two nights John and I hit the Blackjack Table and did well.  We are both coming home winners - not much, but a win is a win.

And in between everything this last two days, we have packed.  All but our carry-ons must be outside our suite doors this evening by 11:00 p.m. so they can be stored in the hold of the ship, and off loaded as soon as we dock tomorrow morning.   Passengers begin leaving the ship around 8:00 a.m. to collect their luggage and go on to the next destination, either a hotel in Buenos Aires or to the airport for their next destination.

Such a wonderful cruise, all too soon almost over . . .




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