Rio De La Plata (Montevideo – Buenos Aires)

Posted on | January 19, 2010 | 3 Comments

We left Montevideo and reached at night Playa Pascual where we made a breakin a pool-bar.

Break...

This night we slept at the Bomberos of Playa Pascual. The first time in Uruguay, that the bomberos recieved us. And they recieved very friendly, fed us and didn`t even ask for ID.

The next days we had to walk on the ugly highway. No villages and civilisation on the beach of the Rio De La Plata, the huge river which we actually wanted to reach all the time. So we took the route 1, which lead us to the town Libertad. It was 31.12.09. New years eve. We were lucky… The police hosted us this evening and we experienced the most boring New-Years, we ever had. Our celebration: Go out, see a few fireworks for 10 minutes, go back. But I didn`t really care. After such a long time walking, 31.12 is a day, like every other. And 01.01 is like a sunday. An awful sunday in our case. Even the shops with the sign “24 h open” were very closed. The first day of the year 2010 was just a day of hunger.

Me and the Duecks

After a good breakfest we walked on and left the highway. We knew the river (Rio De La Plata) was very far away and kinda difficult to find. We had to go through a labyrinth of paths, fields, farms, … We would have enjoy the nature so much, if it wasn`t 40 degreese. The paths changed the direction several times. Soon I wasn`t sure if I still walk to the coast or back to the countryside.

At last we found an old gym of a football club in the middle of a big grass-field. The window was open, as usual and inside there were cool bottles of Pepsi waiting for us. Again, a house with an open window rescued us.

We waited until 6 pm, so it was “just” 30, instead of 40 degreese. We moved on.

On the way to the beach

After hours and hours we saw water at the horizon. There was a sign at side of the way: “Camping”. And an arrow pointing to another path which was going north. We went there, hoping that the camping is not 15 km away, but maximum 1…. It were six. We arrived at the camp… closed. We were dead and not able to go back. In addition to that mosquitos started to attack as. Many mosquitos. Aggressive mosquitos. Like combat helicopters. We entered the closed camping, running away from the mosquitos. We found a man telling us, that the camping is closed and if we want to camp anyway we have to ask the owner. Eduardo, the owner, was sitting 50 m further and enjoying his dinner with some friends. He was very friendly.

“I guess it`s for a good thing… But if I were you, I would go a bit further, there is a balneario close to here. There you can get some food at least”.

We actually didn`t have any power to walk anymore. But the thought to have dinner this night was motivating. So we walked and walked and stopped again at a kind of bar which served only beer.

“How far is it to the next balneario?”, we asked

“Ow, it`s very close. Not more than 2 km. Go to this direction and walk on the beach”.

Ok, let`s do it. We already walked so much, we can do 2 more. And we continued. We went down and finaly arrived at the Rio De La Plata. It was night. Maybe 11 pm. We walked the first steps on the beach and I looked forward: There was no light, no noise, nothing. If the balneario was 2 km, we would see it. Even 3 km, even 4 km, it would be visible. But there was nothing. We just moved forward. We walked 1 km. My legs were hurting. I needed food, water and sleep. 2 km. It got darker with every step. As if a dark haze appeared in front of my eyes and got darker and darker. 3 km… I was about to collaps. Ju grabbed my arm and pulled me forward. I couldn`t think anymore. I legs moved by themselves and the only thing I could hear were the waves of the river to my left. 4 km. I fell onto the sand, unwilling to move. I needed rest and a cigarette. I took both while Ju took care of me. Half an hour passed. We could see the lights. Maybe 2 more km from where we were lying…

…1 ò clock in the night. We arrived at the balneario. People sitting outside, in the garden of a cozy looking house, talking. A man, a women, 2 daughters of our age. We asked about a place to sleep. “No, there is no camping here”, they said and invited us for dinner instead.

An amazing dinner. French Fries, Pasta, Wine. Of course we forgot their names, but not the time with them. We talked a lot, laughed a lot. They let us camp at their place and we ate together the next day. Thanks a lot to this wonderful people. It`s true: Uruguayos are very hospitable.

In a balneario at Rio De La Plata

The next day started. Our destination for that day: Juan Lacaze, where we had a couchsurf-contact. His name was Juan, like the city, and we were looking forward to meet him. So we walked, finaly on the sand again. It was an awesome day. Sunny. We had a bath in the river and a good, cheap pizza in a beach-bar, where we stayed until 6 pm. From this bar, Juan Lacaze was just 7 km away.

 

Rio De La Plata

We were almost there. Happy we bounced on the beach, already seeing the city in front of us. After 2 other km it got really exotic. Plants and bushes everywhere on the beach. There was hardly place to walk. The more we walked the more nature we found and soon, we were creeping  through the bushe, hoping to find a trail again. But it got worst and worst. There was no beach anymore. Just jungle and a bunch of anoying mosquitos again. We creeped back. The sun was setting. We came back to the part of the river which looked like a beach and not a wilderness. 2 fishermen were sitting there and fishing quietly.

“Excuse me?”

A fisherman stood up and came to us.

“Is there no way to Juan Lacaze?”

“Not alog the river. There is an interruption. And no bridge to the city.”

“How about boats?”

“No… This is a deadend here. You have to go back to the route and walk along the route, there is a bridge. And then,” he pointed to Juan Lacaze, on the other side of the water, “Once you get to the other side, go down to the river again and you reach the city”

“And how long would this lovely journey take us?”

“Well, it`s about 45 km”

We couldn`t believe it. 3 days of walk for nothing. The city was so close. I could see the windows of the buildings. But no chance to reach it. An no chance to swim or cross it walking, like we did some days before. So close and so far at the same time.

The fishermen took us with their Jeep back, where we came from and we stayed on a camping.

On Juans farm

Through thousands of fields and farms we walked on, again along the river, until we reached Santa Ana, a very cozy and nice village. The plan was, to stay there and make the last walk to Colonia the next day. But we felt a bit bored. We walked only 12 km at that day… It felt not enough. But the very next city was Colonia, almost 30 km further and we would reach at midnight. We were crazy enough to say: Ah, doesn`t matter, let`s just keep walking.

It was an awesome walk. Very long, very far. Again we walked along the route 1, which was really pretty at this part.  

We walked and walked… And always, when the energy was over, there was always a place where we could get some new bananas and chocolate.

10 Km before Colonia the street turned to a tunnel out of palms. I called it “the way of glory”, the last 10 km in Uruguay!

Way of Glory (Picture: Google)

The way of glory looked like that for 3 hours. And finaly, with hurting legs of course, we arrived in Colonia Del Sacramento, the last station of Uruguay!

We spent there 3 nice days in Colonia, which is very safe and beautiful, and crossed eventualy the Rio De La Plata, to Argentina, Buenos Aires!

Buquebus to Buenos Aires

Buquebos to Buenos Aires

Buquebus to Buenos Aires

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