As we leave Floripa's bridge behind we get stuck in a long queue of cars so that our average speed drops dramatically down to 20 kms/hr and we fry under the boiling sun.
Luckily the traffic jam is caused by some road works and soon we pick up speed again which really helps in cooling down our gear.
There are no huge dramas for a good 500 kms except when we get hit by a wave of very angry insects (wasps?).
I have to say that in the instance we were absolutely grateful to be wearing our protecting gear and to have our visors down.
It could have ended in tears. The feeling was like being showered with gravel.
The wave of insects was so dense that a couple, somehow even managed to get into the helmet and sting me on my upper lip and nose.
We pass Puerto Alegre and then we pass Pelotas.
Between Pelotas and the border at Jaguarao is 170 kms of fields and nothing else, and in fact i warn any biker out there to fill up at Pelotas as there isn't a single petrol station until the border.
Eventually we stop at a Shell station at the outskirt of Jaguarao where we meet another biker, a nice Uruguaian chap called Paulo.
Paulo must be very familiar with this border as he knows every person working here and takes us through the brazilian and the uruguaian offices in no time.
While we get our stamps on the passport I mention to Paulo my wish to ride another 130 kms in the dark.
Paulo's expression changes into a mask of fear.
"I would never drive at night in the Uruguayan darkness with my bike" he says. "it's extremely dangerous".
At that point of the conversation we begin to think about robbery, rape, murder!
COWS, they might be in the middle of the road.
We thank Paulo for the warning and we decide to take our chances with the cows. It is already 8.30pm when we say goodbye to Paulo and leave.
As we ride into Uruguay memories take me back to 1999 when I entered the Lithuanian border at night.
Not a sound, not a light, no incoming cars and (luckily) no cows in the middle of the road.
Just a piercing smell of grass in the air and an open dark road in front of us.
We reach the small town of Trenta y Tres in just before 10pm where we find accomodation in the town's hotel "Trenta y Tres".
For the first time in 6 months travelling we don't even unpack the bike! We park it in the hotel's garage exactly as it is, and head to bed.
The following morning, as we don't need to pack the bike, we leave earlier than usual.
Uruguay counts 3M people and the country is as big as England and Wales put together.
One third of the population leaves in Montevideo and the rest probably on the coast.
This countryside is absolutely DESERTED.
From time to time we spot a gaucho, riding his horse, heading his herds of cows in the vast fields.
Time has truly stopped here.
The air is absolutely clear, there is no pollution in this place where cars can be counted on your fingers and there is no industry whatsoever.
It appears that our last day on the bike will be a wet one.
Dark clouds are ahead of us so we ride in the rain for a good couple of hrs.
Finally, we reach Minas where we stop at a petrol station in the city centre.
It's Sunday in the village and we are by far the biggest news of the day.
People gather around. Nobody speaks but they are all looking at us and the bike.
Finally a man finds the courage and ask us where we come from.
As we mention Italy they all explode in amazement. "what a monderful trip". they say.
I am sure we are the first Italians on a bike that reach Minas in Uruguay.
As we turn right on ruta 11 heading towards Colonia we certainly enter into a more populated area of the country.
We now drive through small towns on a much busier road.
The road eventually turn into a 2 lines motorway.
We will learn later on that this road (over 100 kms of it) used to be flanked entirely by Palms.
All palms from Montevideo to here have now been cut to make room for the 2nd line on the motorway with the exception to the last 10 kms before Colonia.
We reach Colonia at 4pm and we spend 2.5 hrs visiting its beautiful colonial centre.
We jump on the Buquebus at 7pm and we cross the Rio de la Plata in 3 hrs.
A bright red sun is setting marking the profile of Buenos Ayres in the distance.
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