We spent a few spectacularly hot days camping in Parque Nacional El Palmar, a protected area housing the world’s oldest palm tree forest on the Argentine side of Rio Uruguay. One morning we woke up and decided to pop over to Uruguay for a spell. At what other point in our lives can we explore a new country on a whim?

We thought we were done with a country total of fourteen but Uruguay makes fifteen and Logan’s passport is now officially full. The border crossing, a drive-thru, no wait, affair was a total cinch. We set up camp not far from the border at the Termas de Guaviyú, a natural hot-springs hot spot.

The riverside campground had no less than 1000 sites and could easily accommodate a small army, like Uruguay’s for example. There were specific sections for youth, students, and families (brilliant). The wifi was fast and the weather was fair. We couldn’t help but stick around for the better part of a week.

The little we saw of the Uruguayan life, we liked. They do things much like Argentines but just a little different. Grilling is strictly wood fired, no coal to be found. Camping tends to be more of a permanent lifestyle. And where Argentines are typically relaxed, Uruguayans are totally mellow.