On our epic 2015 roadtrip from our then home in Rio to Patagonia we spent a tasty week in Uruguay. “Aqui solo corre el viento”, hectic souls were reminded on a wooden sign in Northern Uruguay. Weed is legal. The little country is two at once: The coolest and most relaxed country on earth and my cardiologist’s horror show: Eating not fat was a challenge. Just to see the sizzling fat at Montevideo’s famous Mercado del Puerto dripping from sirloin, pork chop, lamb, from all kinds of birds and from a mosaic of sausages was a promising feast for my eyes. I felt like taking part in the greatest festival of meat.

In José Ignacio or a bit further inland in the foodie sleepover town of Garzon – wherever we went, there were free souls, great vibes, great food and fantastic Uruguayan red wine, Tannat. I’ve always had a thing for edible and drinkable souvenirs, so after a wonderful lunch and extensive wine tasting, “Almacen de la Capilla” became my paradise. Its Tannat bottles from now on filled a tremendous part of our trunk. Be it the classic Colonia del Sacramento with its knockdown sunset views over Rio de la la Plata to Buenos Aires, be it the once lonesome fishing village of José Ignacio which had morphed into a kind of “I have seen the world and now want to get away from it for a while” place – I know no better place just to leave the world and eat well ( thanks to Francis Mallmann, one of my favorite BBQ masters worldwide).

But nothing beats the hippy-goes-easy-vibes of Punta del Diablo and Cabo Polonio. We could reach Cabo only on a dirt trank with our 4WD and fell instantly in love with its skew-whiff houses nestled in sand dunes, quirky bars and bookshops. In the absence of an electric grid there were just candles and street lamps lighting the sandy streets after sunset. It felt like life would be easier than anywhere else in South America. Even without trying the local delicacy: early morning beer.