We went to bed with the sound of the waves crashing against the shore.  Our own personal noise machine.  We were then woken by the sound of a bird walking on our roof.  It was so nice to open our back door and  take in the view of the ocean.  We made coffee and breakfast and then went to the beach for a cold dip.  We decided it was time for some exercise.  We drove about 6 miles to Reserva de Fauna Autóctona.  We generally skip all zoo type places for ethical reasons, but it was free and we are on a budget.  We felt bad for some of the animals, especially those in the feline family.  Others seemed to be happy to bathe in the sun and be fed every meal.  This was also the entrance to Cerro Pan de Azucar, which was the hike we decided to do.  It surprised us how out of shape we were from the 2 months back home.  It was a nice technical hike and there was a huge cross at the top where we hiked into to get to the top.  When we got back to the truck we decided to head down the coast to Punta del Este, which is a huge party city during peak season.  Lucky for us it is low tourist season so the place was pretty quiet.  We are learning that many Uruguayans are very well off.  Many families have multiple homes.  The roads are well maintained and the tolls to drive the roads are very expensive.   It feels almost like we are in the US at times.  This is definitely a country where it is cheaper for us to cook rather than go out to eat.  We found a place to park at the end of the peninsula and set up camp.  We made some tasty lentils, carrots and beans for dinner.  We are finding that it is easiest to team up while making meals and doing dishes.  One person is the sous chef and one mans the gas grill.  We siphon gas out of our gas tank for this-it's pretty ridiculous.  I read for a while and Bart fished.

When we woke up, Bart made coffee and breakfast.  We then packed up for a day at the beach.  It was very nice, but very windy.  We fished and explored the sand dunes.  Then we packed up and went into town.  We got hot dogs and fries at a local restaurant.  After walking around town for a bit we decided to hit the road instead of staying another night.  We drove to Punta Colorada.  We fished and explored the coast.  Then we found a great spot overlooking the ocean.  After a wash up in the cold ocean, Bart made some spicy rice and beans for dinner.  We relaxed and enjoyed the view the rest of the afternoon.  Traveling in a vehicle has its pros and cons.  Getting to sleep in the most beautiful places is a big pro and the lack of shower/bathroom is the big con.  Oh, and dishes suck too ;)

It felt amazing to sleep in!  We woke to a light rain and decided to go right back to bed guilt free.  When we woke at 10 AM Bart made some yummy scrambled eggs with red pepper for breakfast.  Then we went for a walk to the beach.  We decided to pack up the truck and head down the coast toward Montevideo.  Along the way we stopped at a couple small shops selling mostly cheese, dulce de leche, and honey.  We are very happy to finally be in a country with good cheese.  A nice lady let us sample a couple kinds and they were so good.  We had lunch at a small restaurant in Colonia de Valdense.  We both ordered the local favorite Chivito.  It’s a sandwich with grilled steak, ham, lettuce, tomato, egg, cheese, and mayo.  It was really good.  Then we drove to Montevideo.  At 1.3 million, the population deterred us.  We stopped at a grocery store and stocked up and then went on our way.  We found a great spot to park near a beautiful white sand beach.  It is on a river that connects to the Atlantic.  So far I would explain Uruguay as a mix between Wisconsin and Florida.  Inland is the Wisconsin type farmland, while the beaches resemble Florida with palm trees and cacti.  We walked the beach, made dinner, walked the beach with wine at sunset, and finally enjoyed a martini in bed.  We met a dog that looked like it belonged on The Walking Dead.  It is the first dog we haven’t even wanted to pet.  It literally had dreadlocks and devilish eyes.  There were many people kite boarding in the river as it was crazy windy out.  Another great day in our new home!

After being back in the states for 2 months we are excited to get back on the road!  My Dad brought us to my brother Danny’s house in Hudson last night so we could ride to work with him this morning.    We woke up around 5:30 to get ready and then headed to the VA.  We then took the tram to the airport.  We ate breakfast at Ike’s and then got Dunkin Donuts.  We had no problem getting on our flight to Miami, but we were unsure if we would get on the flight from Miami to Buenos Aires.  Luck was on our side and we got on!  It was a long 8 1/2 hour overnight flight, but the flight attendant hooked us up big time with bloody marys!  We arrived around 6 AM and then proceeded to get ripped off by the taxi man.  We typically try to avoid using them, but we were so crazy tired we slipped up.  It was an hour ride to get to the Buquebus ferry port.  We sat and waited for the old owners of the truck to arrive.  Delirium from no sleep was setting in and we couldn't wait to sleep.  We checked in and went through migration for Argentina and Uruguay.  At 11:45 the four of us boarded the 1980’s decorated ferry along with about 100 other people.  It took just over an hour to get to the port in Colonia del Sacramento.  It was a bit of a cluster when we arrived.  We couldn’t drive the truck out of the port until we had proof of Uruguayan insurance.  We walked to three different insurance companies before we found one in our price range.  It was $30 for the month.  Then we walked back and all got into the truck and headed out for some much needed food.  We ordered milanesa chicken sandwiches, chorizo, and fries from a local food truck run by a local family.  It was delicious!  Then we went to a restaurant for a beer so we could use their WiFi and transfer the money to them for the truck.  After that we went our separate ways.  We headed out of town to find our first camping spot using the iOverlander app.  We found a beautiful place on a lake and made ourselves at home.  We washed in the lake(I’m going to miss those daily hot showers) and then walked to the beach on the Atlantic Ocean.  We went to bed fairly early as we were absolutely exhausted.