Punta del Este to Montevideo, Latin American Law Program, Day 16

We really managed to sleep it. Possible due to my self created sensory deprivation with earplugs and an eye mask. The hostel had an okay breakfast situation- toast, etc. We had breakfast and then headed for the beach.


We knew we wanted to go to the famous Bikini Beach, but we stopped by La Marea first to get some pics with El Dentos (the fingers). It’s one of those famous statues that you just have to get your pic with. Then, we took a cab to Bikini Beach.

We were pretty disappointed in Bikini Beach.  To be fair, it was a Monday.  But, Ashley, who had been there the week prior, indicated that it was like MTV Spring Break crossed with South Beach.  Mostly, it was us, and the Class of 2012.  Since Uruguay is the land of beautiful men, we didn’t really mind the teenagers playing soccer on the beach.  The surf was really coming in.  When I went to cool off in the water, I ended up getting toppled by the waves.  We decided to head back to La Marea since the sand was less rocky. 

The cab to Bikini Beach was pretty expensive (like US$25), so we (navigated by Rebecca) took the bus back to town.  It was fast, easy, simple, and less than US$1.


We went to a restaurant on the bay side.  It was great to sit outside and watch boats go by, but it wasn't really be best lunch ever.   They did have some good Sangria.  We spent another few hours lounging in the sun, and then headed back to the hostel to get our stuff.


The bus from Punta to Montevideo was pretty uneventful.  The teenager sitting next to me talked on the phone the entire bus ride.  The bus did have Wi-Fi, which was great.  At the bus station, we caught a cab to our holy land… The Holiday Inn.  After weeks of staying in hostels and shared apartments, it was so great to have an actual hotel.  It was the only hot breakfast we had the entire trip.  

After checking in, we were starving.  We tried to go to some place recommended by the hotel, but couldn’t find it, and ended up at The Manchester.  Apparently it’s considered one of those restaurants that are great for tourists.  I was not thrilled with my dinner selection.  I think I wished we were still at the wonderful restaurant in Punta.  I did order “The Manchester” dessert, which was great.  Ice cream, fruit, chocolate, more ice cream, whipped cream… no wonder I gained weight on this trip. 

We headed in for the night, showered off the entire beach, and headed to bed.  Lots of sightseeing to get ready for.