The sky hangs heavy, an anthracite tarpaulin ready to collapse with the weight of the water it’s holding. It’s a long weekend, and I’m on my way to the Valle del Lunarejo, 300 miles north of Montevideo, where I plan to break my journey to northeastern Argentina.

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I’m booked in to the Posada del Lunarejo, which was just the shell of a 120-year-old schoolhouse when I was last here a few months ago (see http://www.internationalliving.com/uruguay/free/05-03-07-lunarejo.html).

Just as I leave the main road to turn towards the newly-painted light ochre Posada, the sky rumbles, crashes, flashes and opens to release its cargo of torrential rain.

Patricio welcomes me and shows me round.

‘You know, this house belonged to both sides of my family at various times. Then it was sold, and eventually it was left to go to ruin. It was my dream to buy it and make it into an inn.’

I look around at the terracotta floor tiles, the simple white walls, the solid beams across the roof, the blazing log fire, the comfortable furniture. Every detail has been thought out, and the result is rustic, peaceful and practical. The kitchen is bright and huge, and there are three double rooms, simply but tastefully decorated, and two six-bed dorms, each with its own shower room.

I ask Patricio if he had hired an architect. ‘Oh no, it’s just all my own ideas. My sister is an accountant, and my brother’s a vet. I left school at fourteen and went into farming, but I think this is where my real vocation lies. I just imagine what I’d like and hire local carpenters and artisans to do the work.’

A local couple, Sandra and Nuñez, look after the Posada while Patricio is working on his land. Sandra prepares us a delicious a delicious dinner of the best Uruguayan beef, pasta, and salad from the kitchen garden, followed by home-preserved fruit.

Patricio tells me that he runs courses for local people at the weekends, in cooking, hotel management, and tourism. He plans to open a small shop in the Posada where artisans can sell their products.

‘People up here have few opportunities. They’ve never had anything like this before.’

And neither has the tourist. The nearest hotel is fifty miles away.

‘Come and see my latest acquisition.’ Under huge umbrellas, we go outside and round to the back of the Posada, where a huge Russian army truck is parked. On it about eighteen old bus seats have been installed.

‘We use it to take the tourists around,’ he tells me. ‘Nuñez loves driving it. Remember the river you swam in last time? And the waterfalls? We go there. Or we take people to a farm a few miles along the track, where a young farmer has horses and organizes rides.’

I retire early, and am up at the crack of dawn, ready for the long drive to Argentina. But the rain, which has fallen steadily all night, is still falling, and I can’t face heading into unknown territory in poor visibility with a small car, so I decide to stay. Three more nights.

It’s not such an ordeal to relax by the fire with a good book, and once the rain clears, I go for walks, and rides in the truck and on horseback. The birdlife is spectacular: oven-birds, bare-faced ibises, and my favorites, the dazzling white widow-birds. But perhaps the most spectacular are the flamingo-pink roseate spoonbills.

Before every meal I go to choose the vegetables I’d like, from the ground, and once or twice I join Sandra in the kitchen and we exchange recipes.

The Posada del Lunarejo is a five-hour drive north of Montevideo, and about an hour from each of the northern towns of Artigas, Rivera and Tacuarembó. Rivera has a small airport, and a bus service links the Posada with Montevideo.

The Posada del Lunarejo is about as peaceful as it gets. For photos of the area, have a look at www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=25425&l=42c9d&id=664241054

For photos of my wet weekend at the Posada, see www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=25421&l=a0ac7&id=664241054

If this is the sort of holiday you like, have a look at
http://www.posadalunarejo.com. The website is in Spanish, and fairly basic, but it will give you an idea of the sort of place it is.

Note that the prices are in Uruguayan pesos, not dollars! A night at the Posada, with breakfast included, costs £12.00 per person. Dinner, which is copious, costs £4.00