Saturday, 3 February

 Punta Del Este, Uruguay – We were awake in time to see the sunrise from our balcony. A quick breakfast on the top deck and preparations to go ashore. Punta Del Este is an interesting place – variously called the Palm Beach or Paris (or several other options) of South America. Our guide claimed that many of us would return here for a holiday and 20% of those would come a third time to purchase a vacation property. It’s clear that it attracts money. There are many yachts in the harbour and a huge number of lovely condo buildings, to say nothing of the hotels and streets and streets of single houses. One park we visited was formerly a tent city where people lived who could not afford anything else, although they were employed. A development of small, modest but comfortable houses has been provided to them. We did see those houses, and hope that story is true. Part of our tour was a visit to an antique car museum where everyone got nostalgic as they recognized 

cars from their past. There are many beaches, some very rocky and others very sandy. 

Emerging from one of them is 
a famous sculpture of the fingers of a hand. The water seems shallow quite far from shore and we were tendered off and onto the ship. 

Coming back, it was a bit rough, so that step aboard was fun. We sailed just before supper time and will be at sea for a couple of days. Tonight’s entertainment was the history of the tango, from its beginnings in the brothels of Buenos Aires, to the current modern version popular in Japan. A couple of amazing dancers showed us the many styles of how it’s been done. 
Photos of the day