We awoke this morning quite early and did a stretch class in the fitness center at the top of the ship. As we stretched, we were pulling into a gleaming city on a long stretch of peninsula. Punta del Este, with its lovely beaches, white granular sand and large yacht harbor looked beautiful on this sunny morning.
Punta del Este is known as the Monaco of South America. It is like what the Hamptons is for wealthy Manhattanites. With its glitzy high-rise hotels, casinos and expensive shops and restaurants, this is where the glitterati of the world comes to relax and play. It is extremely popular with wealthy Argentinians, Brazilians and Uruguayans.
We tendered in late morning to do a "highlights" tour of the city.
You almost expect to see Robin Leach of "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" filming a segment everywhere you look. It's a very glamorous place.
Our first stop was a beautiful overlook point where the Atlantic Ocean meeting the juncture of three rivers. We can't recall what those three rivers were, but we were told that this point was one at which the rivers were the widest in the world.
Our next stop was the Ralli Museum, home to a large collection of Latin American art. At this time, they had a traveling exhibit of Dali paintings and sculptures.
We then visited a home/museum which was the highlight of the trip for Karen. Casa Pueblo, a very unique house overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. It was home to the Uruguayan artist Carlos Paez Vilaro, who died just last year.
Gleaming white in today's sunshine, this lovely home cascades down several levels hugging a cliff side. It is built in a whimsical and unique style that looks like a cross between Moorish architecture and Dr. Seuss. If you are familiar with the Spanish artist Antoni Gaudi, the style is very similar.
Vilaro's art, pottery and tile work is much like Gaudi's and also resembles the work of Picasso. In fact, there is a large photograph in the house of a young Vilaro with Pablo Picasso. We are not sure if he was a disciple or just an admirer of his work.
After we toured the house, we discovered that there is also a lovely hotel that has been built adjoining the house in the same style. Also a nice restaurant on a terrace atop the property. We would love to come back and stay here sometime!
Just outside the house and across the street, there were several people hang gliding from the cliff (which overlooked a busy beach).
We were pretty tired after a busy sightseeing afternoon in the heat and humidity. We tendered back to the ship for dinner and a show, then off to bed.
Tomorrow we will be in Montevideo, capital city of Uruguay.
Buenos noches everyone with love!
Karen and David
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