Interior Profundo

Time to leave Tigre and all the fun I had with Violeta and her super friends. For a change I have the good fortune that the ferry from Tigre to Carmelo, in Uruguay, and the follow on coach to Montevideo is the most cost effective way to get to Mvd.

20160321_104705 — Getting into Carmelo, back in Uruguay

The sail is rather easy and, on the whole, comfortable. The weather is not great but drying and I hope that it will overtake me leaving me a dry run to my next destination. I planned not to cycle anymore but it turns out I am out of luck on this one. When I get to the terminal in Mvd I discover that the bus I was planning to take is not running all the way to my final destination so I end up cycling the last 4 miles to Interior Profundo.

20160321_150459 — Was planning not to unfold the bike but I ended up cycling a few miles.

20160321_150734 — Wondering if tis fine lady is going the same way as me?

Interior Profundo is an experimental project/community built around cycling, vegetarianism, sustainable life and good weed. I get there and get settled before I meet most of the rest of the people I’ll be sharing my next week or so with. It looks like a rather chilled place and the first thing I get involved in is going down to the beach with a guitar and sit chatting, playing and looking at the stars. It cannot be bad.

20160321_180023 — Arrived and camped in no time.

20160321_194702 — First night down by the sea/river with guitar and various other entertainments.

20160321_182944 — Aaah! that’s where it came from.

20160321_182959 — With me in front, just for scale.

Now, I don’t want you to get the wrong impression, all that goes on at Interior Profundo is totally legal, so much so that the people from the ministry came to do a spot check and the only thing they had to complain about was that big mama, that’s the name of that beauty up above, was a bit too visible by the neighbour, which incidentally does not mind at all.

Life at Interior Profundo goes on in a rather bohemian way, we do some work, building a great big hole in the ground where the plants will be grown all year round, and the tables to be used for the hydroponic culture. The work is not however taxing and there is time for personal pursuit, in the shape of art, computer work or just exploration of the inner self.

20160322_084558 — Alejandro, resident musician.

20160324_115702 — A different take on an old theme.

20160324_115745 — And something else that appears very cool to me.

The rest of the crew is made up of a rather eclectic mix. Mike and Sofie are bike tourists, Philip from Luxemburg and his beautiful wife from Montana (of whom my Alzheimer prevents me from remembering the name) had their new baby there after reaching for a more civilised spot of the world under advice from their Tongan doctor. Alejandro and Hernan are Uruguajan and I’m not really sure why they are there, but they are, then there is Gabriela and her kids, Fernanda and Gianluca.

Gabriela cooks really well and is a very kind host.

20160322_125359 — General sitting around

20160324_114907 — Sitting around outside Alejandro penthouse

20160322_140458 — Drying, homemade pasta.

20160322_182547 — Get them hooked young!

20160322_195949 — Some of us don’t camp.

The third night of staying and I’m on the bike again, this time is an event: the Masa Critica on the full moon. This is a night ride through the centre of Montevideo where more than 500 cyclist and roll-bladers join and go riding and making loud noise, partly to raise awareness of the rights of cyclists on the road, but also as a great opportunity to get together and have some fun.

20160323_213421 — Masa critica about to start.

20160323_214625 — As always the Brompton gets amazing looks.

20160323_215719 — Apparently there were 600 people.

20160323_215733 — Wow, the phone camera is crap at night.

20160323_230644 — Then we get to the park, time for a smoke.

20160323_233519 — Which is what everybody else is doing too.

20160323_233556 — And after the siesta, all back.

As I said it is not all weed and laughters in Interior Profundo, there are some project going on too.

20160323_090559 — While the untrained eye might think we were just having fun…

20160325_120049 — There was hard work going on.

Well not really all of the time.

20160326_135254 — But like Batman (the cat)….

20160326_135310 — We all, also took the siesta very seriously.

Talking with Gabriela I discover that the chacra of Pepe Mujica is ten minutes walk and 3 minutes ride from Interior Profundo so, fighting a bit the aversion for the groupie syndrome, Mike and I go to see if we can meet the president. We are there for a bit more than an hour chatting away with his security guard when he cames out. In the end we have a rather quick chat about us cyclists and the work he needs to do to fix a tanker that leaks, but it is good to meet him none the less. I leave with the firm belief that a few more presidents like him would result in a few less wars around the world.

20160329_103122 — Could I leave Uruguay without going to say hallo?

It is time to leave, I’m going to Montevideo for a day and then to Punta Ballena before leaving the country, Interior Profundo is fun and the people I meet here, while a tad crazy they are “good crazy.”