Sleeping Under the Stars

Alright, i have done some stuff. dont get too excited, it has still been quite relaxed, but a little more active than before. so i got to montevideo (a fun word to say) and soon found out from the tourist information at the bus station that the bus station--which is also a shopping mall and grocery store, with a McDonalds thrown in (i found that interesting)--is a good 45 minute walk from where my hostel is located. with a backpack the size of mine, that was enough for me to decide to bite the bullet and take a cab. it was in my 10 minute or so cab ride that i found out just how friendly Uruguayans can be. the cabbie started asking me questions and telling me about his life, and when there was a lull in the converstation he would think of something to ask or say. i learned that the man had travelled extensively throughout europe, part of the east coast, and argentina. this tempted the question from me, "why the hell are you driving a taxi in montevideo then?" but i refreigned, possibly saving the man an embarassing and long winded tale of lost love and alcoholism--but i can only guess.

Luise was the man working behind the desk of the hostel i had reservations for. he was very energetic and friendly, making me actually ask myself if maybe he had taken something. and let me say this: the hostels website made it look like the place to be. it was not so. there were two other english speaking guys who i fould quite soon. apart from that it was all spanish or portugese speaking clientele. which is fine. also, the hostel didnt sell booze, which i guess is good because it means they let you bring in your own. so i enjoyed gin and tonics with a canadian guy the first day. i headed out to check out the town later, which only took about an hour, maybe two. and i had booked 4 nights...hmmm...it was so hot the first night that without the air conditioner it would have been impossible to sleep. but it rained on and off the next three days, cooling the weather down. i didnt do much those days. my last day i met a friend of my dads who lives about an hour east of the city. we chatted and i got free lunch and promised to call him when i was in his town the next day. our last night the canadian and the irish bloke and i had a BBQ.

i got to Piriapolis (the town of my dads friend, who´s name is Merlin, which i like) and found a camp ground. threw my stuff i some bushes and set off for the beach. relaxed, got lunch with Merlin again, he showed me around, and i was off after 2 nights of sleeping under the stars, since i have no tent. which is quite nice, although without a sleeping pad even grass can be unconfortable. i got to La Paloma, my next beach town destination, and found a cheap hostel--my body needed a bed. they had the best breakfast i have had at a hostel, homemade bread and jam, cheese, ham, fresh fruit juice, fresh fruit, cereal, it was wonderful. i stayed there a couple nights, and headed into the woods with my hammock for the third night to save a little money. it all went well, except when i woke up my beloved sandals that i paid a dollar for back home were gone. i had hid everything else, so i dont know if someone stole them, or if a dog ran off or what, but i am sandaless, and its not good. i also had my towel stolen at the previous campground while it was drying. damn. i now use a shirt to dry off.

ok, got to a place called punta del diablo, a place described by some good friends i met as the most beautiful place in south america, although i have yet to understand why. im here for 4 days, so we´ll see what the future brings.