I’m currently in Punta del Este, which in summer is supposed to be one of the most fashionable and happening beach resorts in the whole of South America. Unfortunately it’s winter here now, so it’s deserted, 10 degrees Celsius, raining and blowing a gale. In fact it feels more like an Easter weekend in Margate!

I got here about 8:30am this morning, after an uncomfortable 2 hour bus ride from Montevideo. I was originally assigned a seat on the bus next to a huge guy who didn’t fit in one seat and kept puffing and wheezing with the exertion of simply sitting still, but I quickly moved to a free double seat at the back of the bus shortly after we set off; thankfully no-one else tried to claim it.

After arriving in Punta del Este and having breakfast in the bus station, I walked around in the driving rain for a while and eventually found an open hotel, the Playa Hotel, which seemed like a bargain since it got me out of the rain and into a bed for only $25 USD. I slept until about 3pm, then got up to explore my surroundings — I had to buy a Uruguayan rugby cagoule to avoid getting soaked through! Still, it was only $15, and at least it’s a functional souvenir of Uruguay.

Well, I think it’s time I started thinking about foraging for dinner. Next stop will be Brazil, where it will hopefully be both warmer and dryer!