South America - part 3

Tuesday 13^th January Montevideo

We arrived about 8am, earlier than scheduled. Up on deck I saw lots of old wrecked ships around us – for breaking up or relics of a past era?

 

We had breakfast in the Lido before going to the cabin to get ready. We had planned to DIY in Montevideo. The weather was not looking too bright but the forecast was only for showers and since it was still hot, we felt t-shirts would suffice. We set off ashore to the end of dock but there was no information on what to do or where to go.

 

There was a minibus offering a free transfer to a leather shop so we took that to get into the centre. By then it was beginning to rain ... and rain and rain! It did not take long before we were soaked through. Then it began to thunder as well!! We walked up and down what appeared to be the main street –  fortunately every other shop was punctuated with an arcade running off at right angles. I bought a pretty natural stone and silver pendant for $7.

 

We really wanted to take the Ho-Ho bus but couldn’t find where to pick it up. Eventually we got fed up trying to find anything of interest and after a few more purchases of souvenirs gave up and asked the same shuttle to take us back to the ship. There we found a Ho-Ho bus stop across the road but by the time the traffic lights allowed us to cross, it drove off – the next one was an hour away!! I gave up, showered, washed my hair and dried off. Meanwhile, after lunch, the weather improved slightly so my friend set off again on foot in a different direction. I stayed on board, explored the ship and generally relaxed. At sailaway, we watched as we passed RCI Splendour of the Seas.

 

 

At dinner there were no tables available and we were sent away with a pager for about half an hour. Not keen on this open dining but thought, given the huge amount of scenic cruising and long daylight hours, we might need the flexibility.