At the end of the trip the group spent three days visiting Uruguay. One day touring Colonia city, strolling the old colonial part of the city and also exploring its agricultural surroundings. Another day crossing the country’s grasslands and cattle heartland and visiting estancias (“ranches”) like Estancia Rincón of Mr. Rafael Gallinal in the province of Florida. The rest of the time was spent touring Punta del Este, a beautiful oceanic beach resort, and Montevideo, Uruguay’s capital city. 

Several features of Uruguay caught the attention of the group, its landscape of natural grasslands and fresh water, its slow pace and easygoing way of life, and the open friendliness of its people at hotels, restaurants and everywhere on the streets.

There might be several slow pace countries to live on our planet. Uruguay must no doubt be at the top of the list.

Uruguayans share a Spanish linguistic and cultural background, even though about one-quarter of the population is of Italian origin. Its dominant ethnic group is European descendent which makes for 93% of the population, mostly descendents from Italian and Spanish immigrants. There are also many descendents from British and German immigrants. Although Uruguay is among the most secular and religion blind countries in the world, dominant religion is Roman Catholics 52%, Protestant and other Christian 16%, Jewish 2% and non professing 32%. Church and state are officially separated since early 1900’s. 

Montevideo, the capital city, was founded by the Spanish in the early 18th century as a military stronghold; its natural harbor soon developed into a commercial center competing with Argentina's capital, Buenos Aires. Uruguay's early 19th century history was shaped by ongoing conflicts between the British, Spanish, Portuguese, and colonial forces for dominance in the Argentina-Brazil-Uruguay region. In 1811, Jose Gervasio Artigas, who became Uruguay's national hero, launched a successful revolt against Spain.

The vision of Montevideo habitants strolling along the seashore should not give the idea that Uruguayans are not hard working people.. The country’ per capita income is second only to Chile in all Latin America. It is simply a different and peculiar approach to life Uruguayans have. Maybe it is also a different concept of how to value their lifetime. If you feel like inviting a friend or a neighbor to joint you for dinner, or for a Sunday asado (barbecue) there is no need for early invitations and formalities. Plans and scheduled are always open for change if for better. 

Its slow pace shows also regarding its population growth rate which is of only 0,6% per year. United Nations forecasts that in 300 more years Uruguayans will still be the same 3,4 million they are today.

Yet, as slow as Uruguayans may seem to be, they’ve been  worldwide first in a few areas that still make their people feel proud. It was the first country in Latin America to give women the right to vote in national elections. 

It was the first nation in the world to have minimum wage scale for agricultural workers. Slavery was never permitted and the eight hours work day was established 70 years ago. Last but not least, this small country was the first to win the World Football (soccer) Championship back in 1930.

Uruguay has traditionally been better off than many other countries in South America, and is known for its progress in education, its advanced welfare system and its liberal laws governing social issues such as divorce.

On a planet that is running out of fresh water, Uruguay is a fresh water paradise. A dense hydrographic network of rivers, streams and lakes, shapes the landscape. Slightly rolling hills divide the valleys of the larger rivers and their hundreds of tributaries, irrigate a vast natural prairie. To the south is the "Río de la Plata" river, "a river as wide as the sea", as the natives called it. There are hundreds of kilometers of uninterrupted coastline, most of which has beaches of pure-white sand. 

The climate is temperate, rather humid and variable, with no major differences between summer and winter due mainly to sea influence. The average temperatures are 23º C in summer, 18º C in autumn, 11º C in winter and 17º C in spring. Exceptionally, in summer temperature can reach 40º C and in winter it can go down to 3º C.

Due to its attractive natural and social characteristics, a growing number of foreigners are moving to Uruguay or buying properties. Most of them Argentineans, followed by Brazilians and Europeans. 

Argentineans are buying land for grain and soybean agriculture due to favorable price relations and to the convenience of proximity to major agriculture areas in Argentina such as Buenos Aires province and Rosario Ports. Whereas one hectare of land for soybean costs US$ 4,000 in Argentina, it costs US$ 1500 in Uruguay. 

Brazilians are buying land mostly on the East side of the country for rice production and cattle raising.

As prices of land in Brazil increase, farmers are looking for new horizons and supplies sources for their cattle industry. Rice land sale for US$ 800 per hectare and cattle raising land sale between US$ 400 and US$700 per hectare depending on location and quality - Farming Uruguay is a gate to investment opportunities in Uruguay's agriculture -

Europeans first arrive on holidays, attracted by sun and beach. Slowly they discover that there is more than sun and beach as they explore the country side, and the natural beauties of Bañados del Este, a Natural Reserve designated by UNESCO. 

Increasing numbers of nature and ecotourists and bird watchers are coming, mainly from northern Europe to discover miles and miles of lonely oceanic beaches and, as they say, a grasslands “paradise” full of fresh water and pristine nature.