Which way is home?

We stopped in this country to visit my cousin Rodrigo, his wife Diana plus all the family and friends. And after two weeks here we´ve come to the conclusion that those three things are what life is about in this little South American country.
Everybody (no exceptions) talks, lives and breathes football here. As a result we went to see Uruguay draw against Chile in the legendary Estadio Centenario and Rodrigo even took me with his cousin to see the clasico, too. In particular at the clasico the fans were outstanding, never ceasing to sing, shout and swear with the teams run onto the pitch being a particular highlight. The match itself didn´t convince, but it did have all the things a good South American match should have: Goals, red cards and a beat-up.... Now you might be getting bored of my football comment...so was Monica!
But therewas something in this country for her, too: The food! After months of fruitless search in Asia & Pacific, we finally got something resembling a proper pizza between our teeth, and of course the meat here blew us away! We went to various places, the market (Mercado del Puerto), local restaurants and at home (Rodrigo´s aunty, whose sons Guagui and Caito took us out fro drinks on various occasions... :-) Muchas gracias boludos!! ) and everywhere the meat we had was mindblowingly good! We have a few meat-loving friends (Fat-boys in Lux & Rupi in Munich) who will have to come here and taste for themselves!
But we also threw in a bit of sightseeing between all that eating. Colonia del Sacramento to the West of Montevideo, right across Buenos Aires (which we will have to visit another time) on the Rio de Plata, is a nice colonial town and the only Unesco heritage sight here. And Punta del Este, the point where the Rio de Plata meets the Atlantic. We really enjoyed the beaches there. Our first sight of the Atlantic since we´ve come round the world... Anyway, to conclude my little gastronomical swerve here Colonia and Punta del Este are also known for their milk and therefore sweet-produce. Dulce de leche, loved by Uruguayans and Argentinians alike is everywhere and in everything! In an ice-cream parlour yesterday we counted 6 flavours that contained dulce de leche... out of maybe 20. The stuff is obviously delicious and addictive, so that Monica is keeping an eye on my belly so I don´t put on all the weight I´ve lost in the past few months... ;-)
Tomorrow we´re off to Chile (unfortunately only for a week), that should finish my little affair with the dangerous sweet...
Finally a big GRACIAS to Rodri & Diana for letting us squat in their place and showing us all the fantastic places we saw and people we met. And of course to Rodri´s family who went out of their way for making it all possible! MIL GRACIAS A TODOS!!!

Montevideo

Palacio Salvo (where Rodri and Diana are staying)

Tango demonstrations


Eric & Rodri at the CLASICO

The lighthouse at Colonia del Sacramento

Sealions at Punta del Este

We thought anything after Tahiti would be a bit of a downturn, but we were wrong. Well, the weather was cooler, rainier and a fair bit windier, but Easter Island hides a lot of mistery in the ruins of its once dominant megalythical culture and its hypnotising isolation. The island is home to only about 3000 inhabitants and it is so small that even as a tourist it is hard to get lost. As a result you quickly feel at home and as if you knew everyone on the island. Our camping site was set at a beautiful location, right at the edge of the rocky coast between Hanga Roa´s harbour and its tiny fishing port to the South. That meant that we had access to freshly fished tuna, mahy-mahy, etc. within 5 minutes walk from our tent. Our fellow Japanese campers couldn´t believe their luck and went to buy fresh (and cheap) tuna practically every day to eat as sushi, grilled, cooked, etc. We were easily convinced and followed their example by buying and sharing a small 4kg mahy-mahy with 3 French campers and grilling it at our campsite. It was obvisouly delicious. I even received some sushi-chopping classes by a Japanese camper. I can´t say I´m an expert, but what looked more more like minced fish actually tasted nice.
On another day we took a guided tour with an anthropologist who has lived on the island for years. He introduced us to the mysteries of the island´s history, the ancient culture and some of the more interesting and photogenic spots. Fascinating stuff.
Another really amazing fact about Easter Island due to its isolation is the purity and clarity of the air and water there. Nearly every night the sky would clear up and show more stars than we have ever seen... We were even able to clearly make out satellites travelling across the sky. On calm (less windy) days we went for a swim (the water here is relatively cool, so Monica didn´t spend much time in it) and one could easily see under water for more than 30 meters...for me that was absolutely amazing, and although the marine fauna around the island isn´t so rich, the little coral that has grown is in absolutely marvelous state. Some of the most beautiful I´ve seen.
Very few animals live on and around the island, but there is one kind that blew is away: sea turtles. Very big ones, too! They live around the island and swim seemingly oblivious to tourists and resident beachgoers around the harbour. Monica sat there for hours watching them, while I tried to swim with them....Magic!
Our next stop is Montevideo in Uruguay, where we will meet up with my cousin Rodrigo and his wife Diana to get to know town and country and get some meat between our teeth again... Meanwhile some Easter Island pics: