Punta del Este ain't for sissies

After a bit of hobgobling around Buenos Aires, stuffing our faces despite the heat, and knocking back Cinzanos without shame, we decide that its time to make a move. And thanks to SunTime travel, in a day we were on our way across the Rio Plata to visit the friendly neighbor to the North, Uruguay. A country, as I've been told, that exists only to act as a buffer between the mega-powers that are Argentina and Brazil.

I've also been told that Uruguay, in this intermediary position, gets the good fortune of being neglected in the world's political/social forum, thus leaving it to its own devices. Which are in no way significant.









Now, don't get me wrong, I'm sure Uruguay has something good to offer the world. After all, Punta del Este, a city located on the coast, sprawling with beaches and yacht clubs, has been called the Monaco of South America. But still, a harbinger of culture it most certainly is not. And if i can be frank, the only things of significance in Punt del Este are the beaches, which are reminiscent of the Mediterranean, and the boys, which are exceptionally nice. And young. And show off their sinewy limbs while walking shirtless in the streets. That's worth a trip to Uruguay.

You see, Punte del Este's biggest import is Argentineans. And not just your regular, run of the mill Argentines with their mulletesque haircuts. Oh no my friends, these folk are the upper crust of Argentina, who obviously come from the right side of the tracks. Blonde and blue eyed, with really great bone structure, and smokin' hot bodies.

But more than just the nyph-like appeal of these vacationing Argentines, what interests me is the fact that these argies are aesthetically different from the other argies. Mar del Plata, Argentina's big resort town, for instance, brings a more down-home kind of crowd. And I'm not just talking about the family Campinelli and some of their friends. No, I'm talking about an evacuation of 60% of the city of Buenos Aires in January alone. So, imagine if you will, hordes of dark skinned and dark haired Argentines. All sad eyes and sly smiles, bustling about with their "catarra-catarra", playing fútbol on the beach, no less than two feet from "prima Milli" and her girlfriends from secondary school. Blankets and towels practically on top of each other. And then compare that with the lackadaisical world of the buxom Punta del Este crowd.

I think what's going on here is work in tandem. For instance, money and good looks went up to Uruguay, where a little more dough can buy you the peace and tranquility of pi-pi-cou-cou Punta del Este. While the working class folk and the cabezitas negras went four hours South to the rocky shores of Mar del Plata, where space is tight but nice all the same. After all, every Argentinean deserves a vacation carajo!

Which is not to say that Mar del Plata is a shite town. Not at all. Its a beautiful city, with great jagged cliffs that jutt up against the sea. And indeed, while the people are darker, they are also ridiculously hot (Argentina is a genetic phenomenon). And they like to eat and drink and stay out late. And really, in the end, it doesn't make much difference. After all, Mar del Plata like Punta del Este, is the kind of place where it ain't summertime until you've drank maté on the beach at dusk, had yourself a meal on the dock, and witnessed a pack of 8 year olds reaking havoc in the streets at midnight, drunk with sleep deprivation.