Punta del Este

 

Punta del Este, Uruguay's premier beach resort, has been called the "Monaco of South America", both for attracting the rich and the famous during the summer season, as well as for being the most expensive city on the continent. I can personally confirm that nothing is cheap here. Using the world famous Big Mac Index, I can report that a regular Big Mac meal costs 330 Uruguayan pesos, which translates into £7.18. I believe the equivalent in the UK is just over £4.

I don't quite know what to make of Punta. There is a ridiculous amount of high-rise condos along the beach front, earning it the comparison to Miami. The Florida metropolis is of course a major city in its own right, which can't be said for Punta. Despite the Manhattan-like forest of glass, steel, and concrete, the year-round population is only 9,280 according to Wikipedia. I can only imagine that the real high season here must be heaving with people!

Having said that, I do like to be beside the seaside! Having grown up in a city on the coast, I need to reconnect with the ocean now and again for my inner peace. I've only had sun for one of the three days I've been here, which was quite enough as the combination of searing heat and stifling humidity is a lethal cocktail for yours truly. But yesterday I braved the temperature and took a walk around the peninsula. Today I took a short daytrip to the nearby village of José Ignacio, which they are trying to market as an even more exclusive destination than Punta. In fact, it is a very small village with some seriously overpriced restaurants, and nothing much to write home about. On the way I passed another seaside town, La Barra, which seemed more relaxed than Punta. The bridge that connects the two towns must be seen to be believed! Yes, it really is a mini-rollercoaster!

I have also had some time to plan my next moves, and have booked my hotel in Buenos Aires for next week. I've also booked the journey from Montevideo to Buenos Aires (bus and boat), plus the flight from BA to Patagonia. I will start the adventure in El Calafate, then make my way south toward Ushuaia and Punta Arenas, before finishing my South American mainland tour in Santiago.

I must also pat myself on the back for my still nearly fluent Spanish! Although I struggle with some of the local dialect at times, I'm not afraid to ask people to repeat themselves until I understand what they say. I'm so clearly not a native speaker, and the locals have been nothing but friendly.

Next stop: Montevideo!