Take a look at this crazy bridge!

El Puente de la Barra

I took this picture while in Maldonado, Uruguay in February 2010. My Sister and I were on a tour of Punta del Este, the main resort city in Uruguay. This was the last port call of our cruise to Antarctica. The next day we docked in Buenos Aires and made our way to the airport for the flight home.

The bridge is a stressed ribbon bridge and was designed by Leonel Viera. When you look at this bridge you can only wonder why it is sagging. Will it actually hold up to all the traffic? The wonders of engineering.

The name of the bridge is El Puente de la Barra and connects Maldonado to La Barra. It was quite interesting to ride across the bridge on the tour bus. A bit like a roller coaster.

Standing in the same spot I turned to the left and took a picture down the Arroya Maldonado toward the Atlantic Ocean.

Peaceful View of Arroya Maldonada

I love this picture, and it has been the wallpaper on my home computer for almost two years. It is nice to come home from work and see this peaceful scene. In the distance you can see the waves of the Atlantic breaking as they meet the waters of the river. I also love the shadows of both the trees and clouds in the peaceful waters.

I have a student from Uruguay in the class that I am currently teaching. When I visited Punta del Este I met up with him for a nice walk along the harbor during a short break we had from our tour.

I hope everyone has had a great start to their weekend.

Steven