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Midday at the Thermals is Clerico Time By Sandra Scott |
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Truthfully, we answered, “No.” The question pointed out how few Americans visit this part of Uruguay. They assume that an American guest must be someone other than a tourist. Shortly after we checked into our room, we donned our bathing suits and headed to the pool located on the edge of the lake. We noticed many of the other guests were drinking something served in a carafe that looked very refreshing. “What are they drinking,” we asked Elana, our waitress.
We had another question for Elena, “Where does the water come from? And, why is it so hot?” She explained, “Years ago, in the 1940s, I think, they were drilling for oil and hit hot water.” She went on to explain that that led to the establishment of the several thermal hotels. The thermal area of Uruguay, the largest in
South America, was a wonderful respite during our three-month trip
to South America, a vacation within a vacation. We spent a lot of
time around the
It is easy to love Uruguay. The pace of life is so relaxed and the people so welcoming. Besides the thermals, Uruguay has beaches, colonial cities, guest ranches, and Clerico! . |
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“It’s Clerico. Our guests love it. It is a very
healthy cocktail.” She went on to explain how the Quiroga Hotel
makes it. They peel and dice bananas, apples, oranges, strawberries
and grapes, sprinkle them with sugar, add enough white wine to cover
the fruit - Uruguay wine, of course - and chill the concoction for
at least two hours. Then they pour in the rest of the wine. It is
served chilled in a carafe accompanied with a carafe of iced thermal
water. We tried it and loved it.
The Clerico was especially refreshing because
not only was the weather hot but so was the water in the both the
indoor and outdoor pools. It was a surprise to step in the pool
expecting it to be cool and refreshing but finding it 110 degrees F.
or higher. It took some getting use to. The water is pumped right
out of the ground so it needs no chlorinating. The hot thermal water
is touted as a curative for a variety of ills. People not only bath
in it they also drink it. The bathroom in our accommodation offered
hot thermal water for showering and a special tap for drinking
water. The water is pure water without any minerals as so often
found in other spas. Relaxing with a carafe of Clerico became our
midday tradition during our weeklong stay at the Hotel Horacio
Quiroga.
outdoor pool and when a shower rolled in we enjoyed
the glass-enclosed indoor pool. We spent one afternoon at the water
park adjacent to the hotel. It has water slides, an artificial
tubing river, and a wave pool. We avoided golf, tennis, volleyball,
and other strenuous activities contenting ourselves with sitting
around the pool meeting the people. One guest said, “I run the New
York Marathon every year. I love New York City.” Many had relatives
in the United States. Another studied at Kansas State University.
The people we met seemed to be very familiar with the United States.
We wondered how many Americans could find Uruguay on a map. In the
late afternoon we would take the sailboat out on the lake, returning
in time to watch the sunset while sipping our Clerico.