La Barra – Rocha – 91 km
The Uruguayan lifestyle of going to bed late and rising late was very suitable to
Ernest’s lifestyle. So, the time was around 12h00 before he was finally ready.
Unfortunately, our late start meant Rocha was reached into a stiff headwind.
Rocha’s smallish town came as a pleasant surprise. Established in 1793, the
settlement featured cobblestone streets and rows of old, semi-detached houses where
people still used horse carts. Apparently, not a considerable amount had changed
since 1793. We were offered accommodation in one of these old semis (at quite a
steep price – it was a carnival holiday, after all). The tiny, low-ceiling cottage had two
bedrooms, a lounge, a bathroom and a kitchen, as well as a courtyard for stashing
the bikes. The quaint setup made me want to read “The House of Paper”, a novel by
Carlos Maria Dominquez. By the time we’d finished our beer and scoffed the pasta
Ernest cooked, the time was 01h30 and way past my bedtime.