If yesterday’s private tour of the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo, was heads on the excursion coin, I would have to state that today’s excursion was definitely tails.
It wasn’t looking good to begin with when, last night, Alicia let it be known that she needed a down day to recuperate. She wore herself out getting into and out of the van that ferried us around town and didn’t feel that she had the strength in her knees to negotiate steps and stairways for another day. As it would turn out, it was a good thing that she declared “no mas” before the tour started. In contrast with our first two days aboard the Marina, today we were anchored out in the bay (Our Port dejour is Punta del Este), which means that, in order to go ashore, one first had to negotiate a gangway and landing pad, then step onto a moving boat, one which was not only moving towards
, then away from the landing but, simultaneously shifting vertically. The water was choppier than it had been in previous days so the motion was exaggerated and somewhat less predictable. To help with that step, several crew members were there to augment the metal hand railing bar. Once aboard the “tender” (the moniker attached to the small craft, carried by the Marina to each port for the purpose of transporting their guests to the pier area) one had only a step or two to gain their footing before being directed to their seat. This required climbing down two rather steep steps without the aide of crew or railing. It is my guess that this final maneuver would have been the final straw that upset Alicia’s applecart.
You enter from the side (in this case from the right), then turn and step off into the open space next to the man in the green hat. Two steps and nothing to hold onto while dropping about three feet.
My issue with today’s excursion was the description promoting the outing: “Highlights and Classic Car Museum.” With a description like that, what would you expect to occur during a four hour excursion?
I’ve toured several fine Classic Car Museums in my day, so I was expecting we would ride maybe 15-30 minutes to a large museum, with a tour guide pointing out points of interest along the way, and perhaps even an additional stop or two for photo opportunities.
We rode in a bus for 2 1/2 hours before a car museum was even mentioned. The “highlights” included a few works of art and points of interest, only one of which we stopped at or even slowed down at for pictures. That one was the undulating bridge.
When we arrived we were told that we had been allotted 45 minutes to look at cars, but if everyone was back on the bus in half an hour we would leave early. Having still no idea what there was to be seen inside we were asked if we, as a group, thought the half hour was the preferable option. Because no one knew what we would see inside, no one responded.
The museum consisted of two relatively small rooms behind the initial even smaller room. The first chamber housed, I believe, six cars. The two rooms in the back each held, perhaps, 10-12 cars. The cars were all behind a rope and sitting quite close to each other so that an in-depth inspection was not possible. The cars had not been restored, for the most part, and the inclusion of these vehicles under the umbrella of “classic” would be fodder for discussion in many locations.
I hesitate to cast aspersions at the collection, but do take issue (as I said before) with the way it was promoted and dealt with.
After 1/2 hour everyone returned to the bus… except one. The tour guide counted heads but never made an attempt to find the one individual who was absent until the 45 minutes had expired. So everyone else sat on the bus for 15 minutes and waited.
On the way back to the pier we made a stop at an open air art exhibit where a now famous, I’m told, “Masterpiece” was located near the beach. I’m just glad that the artist decided to include all four fingers and the thumb in their masterpiece.
Tomorrow, which is now today, is “at sea” day. No excursions and the duty free shops will be open. The following day we will enter Brazilian waters where all purchases are subject to a 25% tax.
Question: Is it a bargain if you still pay full price but save 25% on the tax?
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