Calm Before the Storm

Calm Before the Storm

22nd October 2012

After a long, teeth chattering winter in Uruguay, summer was finally on its way, bypassing spring. The sun was shining and thermometer’s mercury started to head north. Holiday makers and locals flocked to the beach to soak up every single ray of sunshine. Reports and warnings of bad weather were coming in, but after the weather we’ve been experiencing, there had to be some kind of mistake, surely?

Looking out the window in the morning, the sky was grey, sea mist and dark clouds were rolling in, turning the usually picturesque town of Punta del Este into scene fit for a horror film. It drizzled and the wind picked up a little. It wasn’t enough to deter me from going for a jog along the beach.

I love jogging along the beach, especially on cold, drizzly days. After jogging approximately 2.5km, a little further than the Dedos de Punta del Este (Punta del Este Hand/Fingers), I decided to turn back and head home.

Out of nowhere the rain began lashing down, each drop hitting my face felt like a needle pricking into my skin. For a second I honestly thought it was hail stones. The winds which were relatively strong before we becoming menacingly fierce and the tides were rapidly invading the beach. Trying to run, a gust of strong wind nearly knocked me off my feet. It really was taking “sweeping a girl off her feet” to a whole new level! The slow journey back home, soon became one long struggle; trudging through the wet, water logged sand, flooding streets and walking against a barricade gale force winds.

Walking through the door, at a snap of your fingers, the rain stopped. Grey clouds parted, winds dropped and the sun smiled its way through the dark, lighting up the land and sky.

The calm before the storm…