Only Bikini on the Beach

After all the stories I heard of Punta del Este, I expected to see models and movie stars gracing the sand in their barely visible bikinis with the overly buff men ogling at them. Instead, I might have been the only bikini on Bikini Beach and even that was well hidden under layers of warm clothing. Arriving in Autumn at Punta del Este ensures a tranquil, chilly, and bikini free experience. Good thing, I don't like cold water anyway.

My couple days of rest and relaxation involved living large at a 5 star hotel casino resort in an executive suite. I finally cashed in all my Hilton Honor points to stay at the Conrad. After over 11 months of slumming it in bunk bed dorms, I relished in the luxury that I would never personally pay for on my own. I took advantage of the spa and all the free fruit next to the jacuzzi, free breakfast buffet, sunset and ocean views and the chance to lay horizontal on a king size bed.


The most famous signature of Punta besides all the bikinis is the hand emerging from the sand on the beach. I, of course, took my gratuitous photo next to it in another picture.

While wandering around the port, I made friends with the sunbathing fur seals (or are they sea lions?) waiting for the local fisherman to throw them more fish remains



On what ended up becoming a rainy day, I visited Casapueblo, the villa of Uruguay artist, Carlos Paez Vilaro. While hiking the mile up to his house, I tried to hitchhike along the way as the rain nearly washed me over. Sadly, the Uruguayans don't seem to be as keen on the idea of picking up strangers as the people of Bolivia. I arrived drenched. I dried up while listening to Carlos speak in one of his films in the most poetic terms about his passion for the people of Africa and desire to paint them. I left wanting to have the same talent at expressing myself in words as he does.

After reading a flyer to see a dolphin fetus, I jumped on a bus to hit the most extensive, quirky and highly entertaining sea museum I have ever visited, Museo del Mar. I learned how Punta del Este became the place to be after a local finally built the first bar to accommodate a socialite and her friends frequent gatherings in the 1930s. And if you didn't know already, the male octopus is an amazing lover because he caresses his mate seductively until she glows signaling that he can then put his sperm packet inside her. Interestingly, the original regulations of beach rules include that single men can not be within 100 ft of women in the sea. The museum continues with one unusual item or fact after another.