Last Monday, my wife and I sold our house in the small city of Atlántida, Uruguay, after having lived there for the last six years. This was wrenching enough, but we then spent a really awful night in the mostly-disused casita of some friends, fighting off mosquito attacks from an infestation that they hadn't been aware of. The next day, we had to drive the 220 or so kilometers to Aguas Dulces on virtually no sleep, arriving in a drenching downpour, in which I nevertheless had to begin unloading our jam-packed car.When I had done all I could, I looked and felt like a drowned rat. A neighbor, who is a good friend, stopped and offered to help, but I told him I was going to continue the job after the rain stopped. He said, "good luck!"
Well, to make a long story a bit shorter, I did have good luck. By the time I got the dripping clothes off, the rain had stopped. Now in dry clothes, I answered the door and it was a couple, also good friends, who insisted I let them finish unloading the car. I was too exhausted to argue. Sandy was in even worse shape than I was.
That was Tuesday. The next day, things looked a lot better, and we began to recover. We were ensconced in our beach house, the last little piece of Uruguay that is ours, with the Atlantic Ocean as our front yard. Having breakfast on the deck lifted our spirits. I saw a couple of dolphins in the water, which I always take as a good omen. A neighbor brought us some freshly-cooked "chucho," which is a kind of seafood, but I couldn't tell you what kind. Anyway, it was delicious. That night, the friend who had offered to help during the downpour dropped in. As I opened the door, I said, "Your timing is excellent: we're pouring Coto de Imaz Rioja." Sandy and I had decided we needed to celebrate. The wine was, of course, absolutely delicious. We went to bed that night feeling welcomed and taken care of in this magical little place.
It is unfortunate that we have to sell this beach house, but it isn't practical for us to keep it. The price, if you're interested, is US $60,000. Believe me, that is cheap.
Thanks to all of you for reading this blog. Wadó. ꮹꮩ.
Sunrise in Aguas Dulces, Uruguay, March 14 2019
Text and image © 2019 by Donald C. Traxler.
