Housesitting in Uruguay: Two Dogs, Three Cats, and Some Poultry
As I began writing this blog post back in Uruguay, a typical scene surrounded me: two dogs waiting patiently by my side and another three cats circling nearby. A rooster crowing in the distance and a duck wandering past the open patio door. Just another day on the farm.
Our housesit in rural Uruguay strayed from the usual scenerio we’ve grown accustomed to. The recreational farm was home to 22 chickens and 8 ducks, plus the aforementioned pets and an additional stray cat. Three houses sat on a five-hectare property with vegetable gardens and fruit trees aplenty.
Our gardening efforts yielded plums, lemons, oranges, apples, tomatoes, and green beans on a daily basis. Homemade apple crumble and sweet lemonade graced our palates several times throughout our two-week stint. Breakfast was also covered courtesy of the two or three hens dedicated to laying an ongoing supply of eggs.
In between all the farm work we found time to visit several beaches along the Uruguayan coast, all of which are beautiful and in no short supply. The country has over 600 km of sandy shores on offer, drawing beachgoers from neighbouring Argentina and Brazil for the weekend.
Our closest beach was a quick 20-minute drive but we also made our way further over to popular Punta del Este, an affluent city known as the Hamptons/St. Tropez/St. Barth’s of South America, depending where you’re coming from. This shimmering metropolis is a far cry from its surrounding towns, where poverty is apparent and the high cost of Uruguayan living takes its toll.
Protruding from the sand in Punta del Este is a slightly creepy but nonetheless striking cement sculpture of five giant fingers. Constructed by Chilean artist Mario Irarrázabal, it won first prize in a monumental art contest in 1982. Some might say it sticks out like a sore thumb...
During our regular driving excursions we’d often notice a large cross statue on a mountain nearby, seemingly within reasonable hiking distance from bottom to top. We set off one day on what would’ve taken a few hours of strenuous hiking in the scorching heat, only to find that the trail was near closing time. The collective relief was palpable. We wandered instead through a wildlife reserve at the mountain base housing dozens of capybaras, which are akin to an oversized gerbil both in appearance and curiosity.
We spotted many other animals closer to home, including armadillos, parakeets, roadrunners, and massive insects that I’ve chosen to forget rather than list here. Every animal seems to outdo its North American counterpart either in size or distinctive colour.
On the homeowners’ advice, we made our way to a nearby winery one afternoon. Viña Edén is nestled into a rocky mountain slope overlooking its vineyards, scoring itself points in both the wine and view departments. We were living on the edge for the short drive back home thanks to Uruguay’s zero tolerance alcohol policy.
I think we can all agree that our favourite site was Casapueblo, the former summer home and art studio of Uruguayan artist Carlos Páez Vilaró, pal of Picasso and painter of murals around the world. His artistic legacy is spread over five continents and many decades, and yet somehow he found time to personally build the intricately curved walls and peaked roofs of his unusual home (over 30 years and with a bit of help). Having passed away in 2014 at the age of 90, Páez Vilaró’s former home is now a bustling hotel and museum with stunning views from its cliffside peak.
After wrapping up our time in Uruguay, we ended up back in Buenos Aires for two nights before continuing home. I think we can all miss the animals now from a safe distance. It was no small feat rounding up the herd each night.