A thin bar of sand separates the sea from a long circuit of shallow lagoons which serve as a sanctuary for marine life and birds along Uruguay’s eastern shore. Today we drove from Jose Ignacio north to Laguna Rocha, a 72 square kilometer body of water that appears as an endless sheen of blue glass stretching across the horizon. With an average depth of only 3 feet, this UNESCO Biosphere [...]
We traveled from Uruguay’s capital, Montevideo, east toward the Atlantic Ocean. As we left the city and passed through suburbs and then smaller outlying towns, one thing struck me: there are no fences. There are no concrete walls shielding the houses from the street, there is no razor wire or broken glass trimming the perimeter of shops and homes – which if you’re familiar with South American cities, these accoutrements [...]
Heading west on Ruta 7, we drove out of the pampas and vineyards of Mendoza and into the mountains. We passed the last vineyard and then entered a stunning red, orange and yellow limestone canyon. The Rio Mendoza, nearly completely dry at this time of year, snakes it’s way through the narrow valley. We first stopped to see the “Arenas Amarillos”, or Yellow Sands, a strange deposit of Bentonite, the [...]
