The Timaru of Uruguay and Punta del Este

Breakfast of champions, this lasts about one hour until an emergency pastry is required. The jam has been supersceded by dulce de leche [caramel condensed milk]

Our travelling roadshow has continued on its happy way from Montevideo [forever remembered for the discovery of empanadas, whose quality remains unsurpassed to this very day, 3 days later]. Due to impossible time constraints between sleeping and eating, this is reduced to a sensational highlights package.

Highlights include:

1. Empanadas. See above.
2. Cycling through the Timaru of Uruguay. Bustling, busy, and never ending.
3. The sun. Sunny, but not too sunny.
4. A magical town that sounded a bit like Atlantis. It was right where the map said it was, there was a supermarket right at the start followed by a tourist office where a super helpful english speaker pointed us towards a campground. We met another cyclist there. His notable characteristic was his large calves. That will never happen to us as we are too weak to bike large distances.
5. There were no highlights in Piriapolis. No one should ever go there.
6. Swimming in the Atlantic at Punta del Este even though no one else was, it was 10am, and we were all wearing our woollen undies, which got saggy when wet. We are blending in with the locals seamlessly.
7. Anna G tasted mate for the first time.
8. Anna F managing to stay up past 8pm, once. For one night only.

Lowlights include:

1. Mosquito bites all over Anna Gs face.
2. Anna F falling off her bike while completely stationary. It was like a tree falling.
3. Anna G riding 50kms with her front brake on and wondering why it was so damn hard.
4. Anna F being allergic to the grass and breaking out in a rash.
5. Two consecutive lunches of condensed milk and slightly stale/squashed bread. Good at the time, but its a bit tough to look at bread right now. But we´re having again tomorrow!
6. The constant headwind in every direction we ride. This is 6th equal with the first three occasions we tried to stay at a ´beach resort´ it was either windy, raining or the water was mud brown.
7. Possible, yet to be proven caffine and laxative effects from Anna G tasting mate for the first time. Watch this space.
8. Bens refusal to buy jandals, resulting in him walking around on the beach in 24 degrees with woolen socks and shoes on.

The campground at Atlantis*

*not its actual name, but similar.





Ben looking relaxed at Piriapolis, where it rained for the first time.