Colonia Suiza to Montevideo, day 4

Mad Dawg Ready to Roll out of Montevideo

Sunday, 18 Feb. Colonia Suiza to Montevideo;125 km, 11-8pm.

We started late in the day, getting stocked up on provisions: water and fruit and snacks before we finally made it out to Ruta 1, so we knew we had our work cut out for us to try to make it to Montevideo before sunset. Few things are more frustrating and stressful than getting into a strange new city in the dark. The ride itself was not hard -- a few climbs, nothing major -- it was simply long. We arrived in Montevideo at 8 pm, with an hour of daylight left. Ruta 1 unrolled along the river and we followed it into the capital's port and watched the sun fall into it as the sky burned like a match, and watched it go out as night came.

We had no idea where our hostel was -- we only knew that it was on Calle San Jose and that was nowhere near the port. We asked a taxi driver and he gestured and spoke and gestured some more. He searched our faces and, seeing uncomprehension, raised his hand and flicked it in a gesture that seemed to indicate, follow me. So we did. We biked right behind him and he led us left and right and deep into the heart of the city. We were a curious caravan. After 15 minutes, he slowed to a stop on the side of a major thoroughfare. Here, he seemed to be saying, cashay sahn hosay. We looked up and miraculously, there it was, the street. We thanked him. We were effusive. We were floored. And he, this most generous and patient man, our patron saint, laughed and nodded, then wished us well, buen viaje, and he turned around the corner and was gone.

His name was Marcelo, and he would epitomize the heart of all the Uruguayans that we would meet in the 8 days that we were there: friendly, warm, exceedingly, breathtakingly kind.

-- Mad Dawg copyright 2007

Nuts and Bolts of the Ride
Roads 3
Scenery 3
Facilities 2
Bathrooms 2
Traffic 2
Difficulty 2

Nuts and Bolts of Montevideo
Food 3
Shops ?
Cute 2
People 4
Cost 3
Red Hostel: 3 ($34)
Memorable: Exceptional food at Vaca de Asar (sp?) on San Jose, 5 blocks west of Red Hostel