First we had to get out of Brazil and into Uruguay....Chui (Brazil) or Chuy (Uruguay) is a very interesting concept if not a rather underwhelming location. The city is a duty free haven, part Brazilian, part Uruguayan. A central road running East to West through the centre divides the city and forms the border of the countries. Banks and prices on one side are in Brazilian Reals and Portugese, whilst across the street the bank distributes Uruguayan Pesos in Spanish.
The most lax border crossing we've yet to experience as you can easily enter the adjacent country without realising just to visit the shop over the road. Immigration formalities are 2km outside of town in their respective countries so we needed to jump off the bus at the end and beginning of our trip in and out of Chui/Chuy.
After getting everything stamped it was onwards to the Uruguayan Coastal village of Punta Del Diablo, 'The Devils Edge'. Diablo has a small permanent residency of a few hundred which can swell to 25,000 in the January summer. So best to check in a few weeks earlier for the still off season prices and a bit of R&R.
The eastern stretch of the Uruguay coast is home to hundreds of beaches (or playa's in Spanish) and from Diablo we got to see a handful. We also visited the Parque Nacional Santa Teresa which turned into a very enjoyable but tiring 12km hike in the sun through the park and along the aptly named 'Playa Grande'. In the park there were some nice botanical gardens, a small zoo with monkeys in some very small cages, plenty of parrots, a huge fort, and an underwhelmingly small 'waterfall'.
In Diablo we met another two couples and all ended up staying longer than first anticipated. Our days in Diablo consisted mostly of enjoying the weather courtesy of the swimming pool and beach, and gorging ourselves on empanadas (South American Cornish pasties). In the evening we took it in turns to cook for the group in a scoreless non-competitive Uruguayan Come Dine With Me. Whilst after dinner activities were dominated by slightly more competitive card games and waning away into the early hours with the 1lt beers and imported Argentinian wine. Four nights in Diablo flew by but with the clock ticking for a Buenos Aires Christmas we had to keep moving....
Several hours further down the coast we arrived at the even more remote village of Cabo Polonio. Cabo is home to less than 100 Uruguayans and is so remote it can only be reached by special 4x4 jeeps that take you 7km over the sand dunes, or alternatively by a 10km hike along the beach from the next nearest town. Due to summer sun and 15kg rucksacks we opted for the former.
Cabo is a small peninsular obtruding from the mainland into the Atlantic Ocean. A small patch of rock and grass near the point of the outreach provides foundations for the few permanent structures. An almost square shape is surrounded on two sides by deserted sprawling sand dunes, another two sides Atlantic Ocean beach, with a rocky outcrop dividing the beaches.
The rocky peninsula of Cabo is home to a colony of sea lions which is so vast it means Cabo has a greater population of sea lions than humans. The sea lions sprawl out on the rocks just yards from the lighthouse and provide great entertainment as they haul themselves out of the water and climb there way up the rocks!
Due to Cabo's remoteness the village has no electricity, but a nights stroll along the beach is just well enough lit by the moonlight and circling beam from the lighthouse. Cabo is also home to the best beach we've seen so far, and along with Diablo it's easy to understand why the Uruguayan coast is starting to get so much attention from Argentinian holiday makers!
With tans stocked up our tour of the beaches is coming to an end as we make our way to the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo....
