Uruguay
Campo
March 2023 • The Uruguayan countryside has good roads but minimal bus service and no passenger trains, so exploring is by car. At first the vibe is Minnesota because Uruguayans drive glacially slow. Then it becomes Texas because of the big sky and sprawling ranchland. And just when you've settled on the word “indistinct” to describe it, along comes Fiesta de la Patria Gaucha—part rodeo, part state fair, part cultural heritage celebration. Tacuarembó is the country's self-proclaimed Capital of Traditionalism and host of the annual event. Hotels book up months in advance, so a last-minute cancellation is the only hope for getting a decent room. It was 100 degrees the entire time, but what a sight for jaundiced eyes—nowhere close to being indistinct.
