General

Since 20th October 2014 i hitchhiked more than 36968,2 km. I had more than 405 Lifts, had to wait in average 23 minutes and 34 seconds and waited in total 182 hours and 39 minutes (which is about 7,5 days). I don´t wanna miss any of those minutes.

The Best

Is…Tenerife. 21 lifts i catched together with Hanna on this beautiful island. 8 minutes and 12 seconds we had to wait in average. I think Lanzarote was even better, but it was before i started with my documentation.
For South America the country with the best statistics is Ecudaor. 14 minutes and 30 seconds in average, till a car stopped and picked me up. 21 lifts in total and nearly 1000 km might not be that representative. But anyway.

The Positive Suprise

Brazil felt like Spain and Italy together. Totally shit. But the numbers speak another message. 15 minutes and 15 seconds average waiting time are close to the values of Ecuador. I catched 44 Lifts and did 6550 km through Brazil, which has definitely a higher represantation than Ecuador. Feelings might be wrong, numbers aren´t in this case. I don´t know how this can be so good, but during my Brazil crossing i felt like i had to walk at least one hour for every lift. Seems like i didn´t.

Mistaken

Totally overrated was Argentina on the other hand. For me one of the best country for hitchhiking in South America. Probably because of the Free WiFi in the gas stations and the comftable mix of warm roads, acceptable food, long ways and Internet. But the numbers are quite sobering. 34 minutes and 50 seconds average waiting time is the second worst for all my countries so far. I have to add, that i did alot of night hitchhiking in Argentina and this might have affected this value. With 8045 km it is also the country which i hitchhiked the biggest distance in. Also 84 lifts represent a big part of my catched cars so far.

The Worst

Definitely Colombia. Not even in the stats, but also how it felt. Don´t get me wrong, Colombia is a beautiful country, nice people, stunning landscape but moving here is just a pain in the ass. 48 minutes average waiting time. Can´t get worser. Allthough i had only in Venezuela less lifts than in Colombia. 943 km is the least distance i did from all countries in South America. But honestly, i doubt that this stast would get better if i make more distance here. Just a feeling. The reasons for this „hitchhiking-disaster“ im going to discuss in my „Hitchhiking in… – Colombia“ article.

My Secret Favourite…

…for hitchhiking in South America is not Chile…..but Uruguay. 88 Lifts: Its the country where i had the most cars and with 2689 km we find it in the upper midfield of the distances. The average waiting time was with 19 minutes and 42 seconds quite good. Even better if we take in account, that most of the time i was with Ralf together as a men/men team. Fucking good time, good job buddy. Also the country where i hitchhiked my first Cargo Train (hitchhiked and not hopped) and beside Syria the place where i got the most of my lovely Pick-Up rides. Unfortunately riding with Pick-Ups is freshly banned by the government, but let´s hope, that the Uruguayans take this law with the same „We don´t give a shit“-attitude as they take the rest of their lifes and still stop to pick up hitchhikers. Just so much fun there.

This table is fucking nice, isnt it?

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Der Beitrag Hitchhiking in South America – Statistically conclusions of my South America crossing erschien zuerst auf Warm Roads.

Uruguay, this small and unimpressive country between Brazil and Argentina, which branded by meat and rich water reserves. Very expensive and at the same time self-proclaimed developing country. No problems but also no demands. But especially one thing: „Tranquilo“. A little bit like Belgium but worser. I was asked by a driver how long i have been in Uruguay? „Six weeks!“, i answered. „Six weeks and yur not bored?“ Legit question.

Stats

Hitchhiked distance: 2689 kilometer

Number of lifts: 88

Average waiting time: 19 minutes 42 seconds

Waiting time total: 28 hours 54 minutes

The log you can download as always here: Log Uruguay

My Route

Okay, there was no real route, but we really run riot in Uruguay in case of hitchhiking. We hitchted up the east coast once to all the Hippie-Tourist-Places. Another time we did a complete round through Mercedes, Bella Union, Artegas and the interior of the country. And of course i went once from the north all the way through Uruguay till the Argentinien border. In total we did alot of kilometres.

People

Libertad o Muerte. Freedome or Exitus is the official Motto of the country Uruguay. It includes something anarchistic and someone told me once, that the Uruguayans are a mixture of bourgeois and anarchists, Pretty funny description, but somehow true. I had often the feeling the people don´t give a shit in Uruguay. Whereat the border between serenity and casualness pretty small was. While hitchhiking we met most of the time interested, friendly and helpful people. Aalso the whole coastline is flooded with toruists from Argentina in the beginning of the year. They like to stop.

In the east i met more hitchhikers than in any other place in the world. Nice experiences. We had most of the time a good drive, especially if you go as two, there is always a Pick-up-Truck that still has some space in their platform. Soince Syria i hadn´t been in so many Pick-Ups and i loved this. Pick-Ups are the best for hitchhiking. Moving with fresh air.

But Uruguay has also another face, which i dont really understand. Hitchhiking was easy most of the time, but then there appeared some days, where nothing worked. Waiting for 4-5 hours at the main road with alot of traffic and no one stops. Still dont get this. In Brazil i knew it is shit and i could set my mind for it. But in Uruguay you think youre in hitchhikers heaven and then suddenly you experience total casuality and die a slow dead beside the street. And nobody understands why.

Roads

Traffic rather slow. Street quality is good. In the north is Ruta 30 which is absolutely marvelous. Endless grasslands, some cattles who take their lunch. Only few people. Some mines. Apart from that more grassland, cattles, Gauchos. I really liked that.

Through Uruguay lead some Highways, all are most of the time one-lined and you can hitchhike directly at the side of the road. Only in direction Montevideo the road gets faster and bigger. Especially in the suburbs it is very difficult to make some distance. Much, fast traffic.

A problem is definitely, that some of the main roads lead directly through the cities, often directly through the market square. Ring road? Never heard in Uruguay. It is a bit exhausting, because for hitchhikers it means mainly one thing: walking.

Beside that you have in Uruguay unpectacular, appeasing landscapes. Much fields, warm roads and alot of old cars.

Tactics

Somehow i had the feeling, that you get easier lifts as two in Uruguay. Definitely more Pick-Ups are stoping.

Tactically it is very worth to ask the drivers, if they can bring you to the end of the town, so that you don´t have to walk too much. At the end of towns i did sometimes the same like in Brazil: Walking into the middle of nowhere. Playing the pitful-card. If this works better or worser, can´t really say. I just felt better with it and was also studying more roadkills along the way.

You have alot of roundabouts, but beside that Uruguay has nothing special to give for positioning. Normal streets, normal keeping areas. All in all not very spectacular. Pretty usual…Uruguay. Therefore my standart recommendation: Find a position with good keeping area, enough visibility and the most slow traffic. Standard.

Which should be mentioned: Motorbikes hitchhiking is working pretty well, if you are alone (and sometimes even as two). Many cyclists carry an extra helmet and once i even got the helmet of the driver. Try it, it works!

Photos

Specifics

In Uruguay yu will meet alot of old cars. It is almost impossible to import cars into this country. I don´t know the exact laws, but on the streets are either Cheap Chinese Cars or junkers. You can buy a 2er VW Golf for around 10.000$. Not too bad for a 20-30 year old car. Is somehow funny to hitchhike with those junkers, but definitely not Kuba here.

NOOO! The goverment enacted a law, that prohibites to pick up people on the load area. Propably the most hitchhiker hostile law i ever heard since they prohibited hitchhiking in several US States. Therefore i am very happy to had this extensively Pick-Up-Experience in Uruguay. But probably nobody will give a shit anyway and still hitchhikers will get lifts on the back of a Pick-Up truck.

Chivito. Somehow a deluxe Sandwich. With some nice piece of meat, which is covered with tomato, salad and mayonesa. But as this is a little bit boring you also get on the meat an extra portion ham (finger thick), cheese and on top of that a fried egg. I loved it. We did some culinary excursion and tested all Chivitos in uruguay. The best was in Tranqueras on the market place in some silver fast-food trailer. Completo with fries for sure!

Take care if you cross the street in Uruguay. People will yell at you, if your crazy and wanna kill yourself, cause you enter the street, like you ever did in Europe before, allthough there is a car 50m away coming towards you. Even my friends got infected by this mass hysteria. In uruguay never ever someone stops for pedestrians and youre for sure dead if you cross the street with arriving traffic. Of course it is not like that, but thats not the point. The people have just a big fear crossing streets. Somehow funny.

Alfajores are another culinary sensation. It is a little cake (crispy or soft) filled with a big load dulce de leche. Finding the right Alfajores is almost as difficult as studying the Art of Chivito. But its worth. Energy bombs and a good hitchhiker breakfast.

Between Colonia and Buenos Aires it is possible to hitchhike with boats. I did not do i by myself, but i met two argenitinian hitchhikers who did it.

Der Beitrag Hitchhiking in… (8) Uruguay erschien zuerst auf Warm Roads.