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Travel Uruguay

Riding in a Car the Local Way

Uruguay…

Picture time at La Mano, Punta del Este, Uruguay
Artist behind the sculpture: Mario Irarrázabal

While we stood here, waiting for a moment to take a picture of this famous landmark of Punta del Este without any people in the frame, I saw a little scene play out.

A small car was parked by the road and a large family was coming back from the beach with sand buckets, picnic baskets, towels, teenagers, small children, aunts and uncles.

Everyone went about their business packing the things into the car. In a slow but organised manner, they all got into the tiny car, which was bursting at its seams.

…Everyone, except a teenage girl, who casually walked around the car, opened the trunk and hopped in. She pulled the trunk lid closed. And off they went!

To me, this didn’t seem like a nice or safe place to travel but who am I to judge. I guess I’ve been watching too many crime shows.

Aug 1st: linked this to Sylvain’s challenge
Aug 8: linked this to Reflections on the River’s challenge

91 replies on “Riding in a Car the Local Way”

Sometimes all you need in your frame are people & a Landmark! Landmark on its own is not going to have that much effect!! nice images 🙂 I also think places that are known for not being safe are usually having the friendliest people and warmest cultures!!

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In many places in the world people view safety differently. We’ve seen some things in the world, where we would get fined for at home. Who knows, maybe she had more space in the trunk than squeezing in with the rest of the group.

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That’s pretty cool images – gosh, when I read about you saw a girl who jumped in the trunk – that makes me wonder too, I am sure I will be shocked if I saw it myself and yes, I saw many crime shows too.. 😀

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People don’t realize how unsafe it is to travel like that. It leaves me thinking if they even have regard for the lives they have. But on the other hand, everyone cannot afford big cars and comfort so they tend to make most of what they have. Being raised in India, I have seen so many such visuals on the road where numerous people are stuffed in one car or chunk of people are hanging of the bus. It’s not a pleasant visual at all.

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What a worryingly unsafe way to travel! It makes me claustrophobic just to think about it. Poor child. I suppose she was allocated to the trunk to allow more passengers to be squashed inside the car.That’s a fascinating landmark at Punta del Este and probably gets a lot of people viewing and photographing it. I hope you managed to get a snap without people around. 🙂

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Sometimes, people can add interest to these places (in my opinion). We found that out when we were doing the North Wales castles. Showing tourists mooching about made the castles look more interesting, somehow… more realistic. You can find ‘impersonal’ photos in tourguides and online. Really interesting post.

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Yes, I agree with you about privacy. People are often tiny in ‘scenic’ shots, though. I can’t bring myself to post any with me on, either. I know a lot of people do show themselves enjoying the sights, but I prefer to stay behind the camera.

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Ha ha ha…this used to happen in India too at least 20 years back. When there would be a big group to go for a picnic, then kids would sit in the trunk facing out, and the trunk door would be kept open…and they had fun!! I don’t know if people still do it but I guess yes, in towns and villages.

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Yeah, I’ve seen those types of images from India 😉 With the trunk door open, it seems a bit more humane… But this girl lay down and shut the trunk door, completely shut… so she’s cramped there in the dark and if the lock jammed in an accident or something, she wouldn’t be able to get out. Anyway, Uruguay has a record of being the country in South America with the best quality of life, the highest income levels, etc. It’s just a reminder for us “westerners” (I’m European) to be grateful that we don’t have to do this kind of thing on a daily basis. Then again, I also don’t have such warm relations with my relatives that I would go to the beach with them, which is a shame! 😀 Thanks for reading 😉

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…wuoah – that hand surely is CREEPY!!! Never knew it existed!!! How weird is that? Is it a bigger hand or did the artist just put the fingers there, do you know? Funny story about the girl in the trunk… surely IS weird 😉 !!!
Love your profile picture by the way – what amazing colours!!!

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Thanks! Do you mean the palm tree profile pic? I love taking pics of palm trees, I can snap away happily all day long, haha! I don’t know if more of the hand exists/was originally above the sand, good question! Hmm, now I’m curious about that…

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For reasons I can not explain…your anecdotal story of the gal in the trunk is perfect for the accompanying photograph. Thank you.

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Reminds me of the story my mom told about how my Baba lost her false teeth riding in the rumble seat in the old car when it went over the railway tracks. 😀

Great shots. Mass Media becomes content shaped by new context. The people and their act of photographing & posing become part of the context of the art piece, so that the art becomes a living fluid composition that responds to all natural changes in the environment. The tourists are as much a part of the natural environment as the sand, water, wind and light. 🙂

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Well said! That was something that I was thinking of but could not have put into words as well as you did. Taking the picture, I felt like a spectator and the photograph sessions taking place were the show. The art attracts tourists like honey attracts bees and that scene becomes a natural process. (And that’s not meant as a derogatory comment: I was one of those tourists myself!) Thanks so much for your comment! 🙂

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I’ve only been to Uruguay and Argentina in South America 🙂 Both were great! There’s so much to see in Argentina, it has all the possible climates etc. Would love to explore the rest of the continent one day! Do you have a country there that you’ve been thinking of? Thanks for visiting 🙂

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Oh that must have looked funny, but yes I am like you so unsafe! WOW I love it when you get to just observe little moments like that! I got used to seeing overloaded cars in China. Never in the boot luckily but always so may people jammed into small buses, truck and cars! Madness!

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This would have been a good MM photo. It is something I have never seen before. It reminds me a little of the grandeur of the Men at the Sea in Esbjerg, Denmark. Very imposing and it really makes one think. They story is a bit sad and yet, this is only my interpretation from a Westerners perspective. Perhaps everyone had their ‘turn” in the trunk or being a teenager, she would rather be shut away from the rest of the family. A thought provoking post in more ways than one.

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Thanks! I actually just saw a sort of beach movie oj the TV, from the 60’s (American), and in that movie, a teenage girl rode that way – to my surprise! Maybe it’s a beach thing? But yes, I thought it was a bit sad, too. What if there’s an accident? She has no buffer if someone crashed into them from behind. And if everyone were hurt, how would the paramedics know to look in the trunk for one more person in need of care?

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