Rusty Rest Day

 

Camping El Sauce, Paso de Los Toros, Uruguay

I wore Rusty out and the way I knew it was that my dog  took a prolonged lie-in yesterday not getting up until 2:15. I got up at eight and  I left him on the bed while I  went to  check out the shower block reputed to offer hot showers. They looked promising.

When you see a bench placed like this you take the hint and  don’t use those stalls. Just because there’s not a sign doesn’t mean you can use them…

I then walked across this vast campground to the admin building, remembering to take my passport to check but inconveniently forgetting to take cash. The admin building is the yellow block near the orange used car lot on the horizon. 

So then I turned around after I filled in the camping form, my vehicle is a RAM 3500 motorhome and never mind the Promaster. It’s easier to just use the numbers as across Latin America the concept of a truck labeled 1500, 2500 etc is very familiar. So I got my camping tag on a promise to return with cash. 

I got back to GANNET2 and Rusty  hadn’t moved so I picked up my wallet, turned around shrugged back across the campground to pay the 400 pesos for the night, $10. 

Picnic tables and barbecue grills are practically a requirement in municipal campgrounds in Argentina and Uruguay. The light poles have electrical outlets too but afternoon sunshine recharged the batteries just fine without 220 volt intervention.

I’m guessing the place is around 30 acres as it goes under the bridge and around the corner as well. 

One more trudge up to the admin building also brought me in sight of the bull at the entrance to the city at the end of the bridge over the Rio Negro Black River.

El Sauce in Spanish is pronounced “sow-say” and means willow tree. Also, Nogales means walnut to remind us that not everything was named by the Spanish for a saint on the Catholic calendar.

Across the street is the namesake of the town Paso de Los Toros, Bulls’ Crossing.

In the summer months I imagine the day use park and campground must be hopping as there are food trucks a convenience store and a restaurant on the premises.

And I did spot on my walks a cyclist about to get eaten by a triffid. 

I saw a couple of local dogs probably not strays wandering through as usual so I gave them some lunch much to Rusty’s disgust. They weren’t very hungry but I always carry extra food for street dogs and I knew we would meet some in the more impoverished northern part of Paraguay. 

And so we passed a quiet rest day on the sauce as it were.