February 11, 2015
Punta del Este, Uruguay
Dear Friends,
It was going to be a beach day. I had gone through my guide books and decided the highest and best use of this day would be sitting on the beach with a book and some swimming. With us it’s not always that easy. We got off the boat and there were some fishing boats. Since Eric wanted some pictures of local fishing boats we paused a little. Then there was the lighthouse, of course we had to investigate the lighthouse. From there we found a road that lead to Great Britain Square; well we had to go there. It commemorates the British Victory in the Navel Battle of the Platta in 1939. The beach was littered with thousands of mussel shells. More than I have ever seen in one place. They in effect replaced the sand. No swimming here.
OK English Beach is not far but when we got there the warning flags were up for rough water and undertow. Not to worry there are sheltered beaches on the other side of the peninsula. To get there we had to walk through Punta del Este’s Arts district with a lot of public art that we had to stop and admire. Then it was a walk downtown and we found ourselves close to Bravo Beach. Its claim to fame is a giant hand reaching out of the sand as a memorial to all of those who lost their lives swimming here. We had to see that. So on toward a sheltered beach but wait, there’s a totem pole, a real totem pole, we have no idea. When I got back I googled it and other people have posted a picture of the Punta del Este poll and everyone is a puzzled as we. There is a totem pole in Buenos Aires but that is in Canada Square and is clearly labeled as a gift from the Canadian people. So we wondered over the pole in Punta. Finally, we got to the beach. No time to sit and read, so into the water, a nice swim and then a walk along the boardwalk back to the ship’s tender. So we did have a beach day, kind of.
Take Care,
Rich
