We spent one wonderful week in Uruguay and pretty much had the place to ourselves. The reasons for this is that we are here just before the summer season and Uruguay used to be cheaper than Argentina, but now is more expensive, so the´what were rich Argentinians´ are no longer coming to Uruguay. Its amazing how far reaching the economy on one country can impact those countries nearby. We basically followed the coast from one side of the country to the other. At Punta Del Este, Uruguays premier beach resort we had images of crowded beaches like the Gold Coast in Australia. We drove in to the heart of town with skyscrapers all around us and thought a bomb must have just gone off. We seemed to be the only people around! We found a cute, family run hotel on the beachfront and negotiated the room down from US$40 to US$15 per night and stayed in luxury for 2 nights. We were the only people staying there. There were whole highrise buildings empty with Se Vende (for sale) signs on the balconies everywhere. - The beaches were fantastic, the roads were first class and heaps of street and directional signs, which was really great to know where we were going for a change!! - Uruguay is the smallest country in South America and we found the people really friendly and happy. - There were antique cars everywhere used for everyday use- it was like stepping back in time to the `20s-`50s. - Uruguay has strong connections with Australia, with large immigration in the ´70s. - Current economic problems are similar to Argentina and Brasil with recent temporary aid from the World Bank. - Pat says: `they have the best BBQs in the world!´ - Everyone kisses everyone here- its the way you say hello, even to a complete stranger and even man to man! - Montevideo, the capital, was a quaint, safe city with great Boulevard drives. We then caught the ferry boat to Buenos Aires where we are staying with a `global freeloader` lady called Brigette.