Unauthorized excavation

We returned from an afternoon in Punta del Este to find a new pile of sand (which, here, starts at a depth of 5 cm). I added the concrete top later to halt further work until proper permits were obtained.

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The hole was surprisingly large, and the proud culprit was quick to demonstrate it. I thought he would start digging more. Instead, he disappeared underground before re-emerging.

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The message seemed to be, See, human? This is how you get out of the heat.

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And when you hunker down, no one can see you. Understand now, human? 

 

Quincho

quincho

For six years, I’ve walked past this house whose past-prime quincho roof has reminded me of a mangy dog. It’s finally getting groomed, to stretch a simile. It appears the back half is nearing completion, and the facing side is being torn off.

What’s the deal with quincho? Glad you asked. Denise (“day-NEE-say”)  has answered your question exhaustively (and perhaps exhaustingly; we have different styles) here.

Ebay and China to the rescue

A few years ago, I bought a bath/back brush at Tienda Inglesa. By now, it was showing its age, so I went to check on getting another. 650 pesos, or over $20 US even with the “strong” dollar. The nice lady said it was Italian, and yes, expensive, but it would last forever. Properly explaining what I thought next seemed a little beyond my vocabulary at the moment.

Three weeks, and $4.02 US later (shipping included!), I have a replacement:

bathbrushes

Better still, it was delivered to my door. No summons to the Customs office in Montevideo.