Lessons on driving in Uruguay
While in Uruguay, we decided to rent a car. We had 3 days and a long stretch of beach to visit. I was the only one who could drive because we rented a low-end car with manual transmission, no air, and windshield wipers that seemed to turn on whenever they pleased.
From Montevideo we hit the dusty trail with the crippled help of our Lonely Planet’s “South America on a Shoestring” guide from 2004 (which seemed to have been written for an Uruguay that was 5 times cheaper and 10 times more boring than what we encountered). There were a couple of rules we were to learn on the trip:
- Even though the sign says “Punta del Este”, it really means.. “this road eventually goes to Punta del Este but you would be way better off staying on the road you are on unless you prefer pot-holed dirt roads winding through nowhere with livestock crossing randomly” This was true for more than a few signs.
- A break in one of the main highways on the map really means.. it ENDS. Its not a misprint on the map. We drove down a deteriorating gravel road until we reached a sign that said “This is the end of the driveable road” with a 1-foot sand path beyond it.
- Nothing is sacred on the freeway! We encountered pedestrians crossing, families of 4 on 1 moped, stoplights without warning, and crazy roundabouts with all different and complicated shapes. Ojo!! And Uruguay driving is tame compared to Brazil.
- Lanes are only suggestions that may be followed (or not) depending on the feeling of each driver.
We only almost got hit once or twice.. and were pulled over only once (for not having the headlights on during the day on the open highway.. ¡what?). We went through varying countryside.. as much as a country smaller than the state of Oklahoma can vary. Near Punta del Diablo we encountered a portion of the road that was full of hitchhikers. Every 100 yards or so there was someone else sticking their thumb out–all on the same side of the highway. At another point we drove through a particularly desolate patch of open fields that were only populated with random groupings and lines of palm trees.
Some photos from the Uruguay coastline:
[...] kilometers of white sandy beaches and beautiful sunsets. While in Uruguay, we rented a car and drove through as many of the quaint beach towns as we could stand. We didn’t find a good [...]