Original subtitles

Garra charrua. It's a phrase that is hard to explain.

Roughly translated, it means "grit."

Courage in the face of adversity,

a willingness to rise up for what you believe.

And in Uruguay, a country long overshadowed

and often overlooked,

it conveys the collective spirit of a people

and a place that values individuality

and equality for all.

And it's just what I'm here to find.

Yeah!

All right, hit it!

Here we go! Yeah, baby!

That was crazy!

Uruguay and the Argentine.

On either side of the River Plate,

they both have Spanish ancestry.

But there's something very British about Uruguay.

As Saturday sports-minded as ourselves,

the latest craze is this.

Uruguay.

It's one of those answers you miss

on a high school geography quiz.

And to be honest, I still might not get it right.

But through my travels, I've found

some of the best experiences need no expectations.

Yeah, this is like the South American New Orleans.

Oh, yeah.

It's so clean here.

Hi, puppy.

So, you ready, Freddy?

Oh. Get my hat. Ugh.

I'm ready.

♪ Ahh Ahh

Oh, puppy.

Hey, buddy.

I'm here for one of South America's biggest biker events

Kustom Kulture Motorcycle Weekend.

Joining me is my friend Becky Goebel,

acclaimed journalist and co-founder of the Dream Roll,

an annual women-only motorcycle retreat

in the Pacific Northwest.

How do you say "dog"?

Uh, fuerto.

Farto.

I just made that up.

She's a pioneer of the female motorcycle resurgence,

attracting 8,000 strong at her 2018 event.

♪ Viva!

This little mini bike?

♪ We're coming down, tell me where you're going ♪

Becky's been raving about Custom Weekend

ever since hearing about it on assignment.

So when I found out she was making the trip,

I had to invite myself along for the ride.

Along the way, we were hoping to discover

just what defines the spirit of this unique,

and yet often forgotten, corner of South America.

Look how pretty this is.

Oh, my God.

Yeah, this is not what I was expecting at all.

Yeah. No, this is beautiful.

Following decades of violent uprising and military control,

it wasn't until the mid-'80s

that democracy finally emerged from the rubble.

And today, Uruguay as returned with the progressive ideals

and social equality the country was built on

at the turn of the 20th century,

something its neighboring countries

are still striving to achieve.

It's like a place you... You would move to to, like,

you want to write a book. You know what I mean?

It's, like, artsy?

You drink your mate and write your novel.

Yeah.

Maté is an everyday ritual here in Uruguay,

where we all share Uruguayan tea.

People drink it everywhere.

You go to the shopping, and they are drinking mate.

You go to the gym, and they are drinking mate.

Is this where we get it?

Hi, could we get the... Get the stuff for mate?

Just any of these? Pick one of these.

- Wow. - Yeah, this is the deal.

Oh, did we get the, like, non-authentic one?

We got the tourist version.

This one.

- The big one. - All right.

Well, it'd be, like, less strong, right?

Gracias. Thank you so much.

- Nice to meet you. - Nice to meet you.

- Hello. - Hello.

How's it going? Oh, yeah. They got it.

Cheers.

- Drink mate. - We never tried.

- We haven't tried. - This is our first try.

Ah, okay.

What's up, buddy?

Yeah. How's it going?

Oh, he's...

Yeah. Nice to meet you. Hi.

Hi. Is that... Is that mate, too?

Let me get a drink of mate.

Can you show us how to do the mate?

Can you show us how?

- Tell me when to stop. - Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

More, more, more, more, hasta.

More? More, more, more.

Really? More, more.

- The first water, it's... - Just cold water.

- No, no. Warm. Warm. - Warm water.

I think that she's the boss.

Yeah, she's definitely the boss.

Don't mess this up.

Drink now?

Sí.

You said "no," then she said "yes."

Now you say "yes" again.

You ladies are pressuring me right now.

Do it now? Okay.

Like, tiny?

Good.

Kind of tastes like grass, like freshly-cut grass.

I just go for it?

It's... It's kind of delicious. I like it.

It's strong, yeah. - Ooh.

That's actually good. - Yeah.

I was not expecting it to be good.

I don't know why.

I'm not sure exactly what just went down, but we've got to run.

If those women are any indication of what lies ahead,

Uruguay's gonna be a damn good time.

That was tight, though. That's, like, biker mama style.

- Yeah. - You know?

It's like this is her block.

- Not giving a -For sure.

- That was cool as -Yeah. That was really cool.

And... And everyone's got such good energy here.

So, how did you get a job writing for all these magazines?

When I got into the motorcycle industry,

it was, like, the best way for me

to be able to get paid to travel.

Yeah.

So now, I'm, like, the first woman writer to write for,

like, three of the magazines I write for now.

I pretty much just pull out of my

and then put it on paper and get paid for it.

Welcome to "Ride."

Over the next few days,

we'll hit the streets of Montevideo

before heading east to visit

a seal whisperer in Punta Colorada.

From there, it's a scenic shoreline ride

into the resort town of Punta Del Este,

including a 150-kilometer journey

to Kustom Kulture Motorcycle Weekend.

One of the magazines that I write

for covered this event last year

or the year before, so I kind of know all about it.

What is it? Like, a huge event?

- What's it like? - Yeah, it's, like, pretty big.

It's all custom motorcycles from a-all around the area.

So I think we're gonna see some pretty cool bikes.

Right now, we're on our way

to Mercado del Puerto, an historic market

designed by the architects of the Eiffel Tower,

to share a traditional Uruguayan meal with a local artist.

- 'Sup, buddy? - How are you, friend?

Are you Gaston?

- Hi, I'm Becky. - How are you, Becky?

What's up? Hi, I'm Norman.

- Hi, Norman. - Nice to meet you, man.

Gaston Berger does it all...

Bike builder, painter, tattoo artist.

He's a fixture in the tight-knit biker community in Uruguay.

- You know, kind of sweet. - Oh, I need that.

I need that in there. Whoa.

And he'll be riding with us to tomorrow's main event.

- Cool bike. - This bike has history.

1942 Knucklehead. They were all police bikes here.

We try to keep them alive, yeah?

I like it. All right, where are we going?

To check the place here, the Mercado.

- Nice. - Sweet.

This used to an historic market for food and meat and fish.

We are by the sea.

Wow, this is... This is great here.

Yeah, it's a nice place, yeah. It's very traditional, yeah.

Wow, this is crowded.

- This is crazy. - Yeah.

- Nice to meet you. - Can he take a picture with you?

- Of course. - Can we take a selfie?

Sure.

This is how I tell what my hair looks like.

- Thank you. - What's up? Hi.

How are you? Nice to meet you.

Just run.

Oh, yeah. Nice to meet you.

Okay, we got to go.

So amazing how people know you here.

Yeah.

I thought I was the only one that watched "The Walking Dead."

There you go.

No, here, people are very excited.

They like blood, you know? This country. You can see that.

Right. That makes sense, yeah.

So, you're an artist. Tell me everything you do.

I tattoo for over 25 years.

I'm a tattoo artist and I'm a sculptor and a... too.

Oh, yeah.

I try to do a lot of things. Uruguayan barbecue.

- I don't know. - We'll find out.

The name is molleja.

Is molleja de partes.

Molleja is the glands. Get from right here.

Around...

This part is very tender, this. It's really soft.

It's like meat bubblegum.

Yeah, it's like bubblegum. Yeah.

But in America, eating meat feels so different.

Are the farms all free-range?

The cattle here grow very good.

Yeah, nothing factory.

What is that? Oh, geez.

Uruguayan cheese.

- Do I dip this in here? - Yeah.

- Is that what you do? - That's the way.

Is it too hot right now, or can I...

Na, na, na, na, na, na.

Yum.

Oh, yeah?

That's some good-ass cheese.

Yeah, really good, right?

You have to try the black bean.

Yeah. What is it?

I don't even know what the that means, but what?

Oh, all right. I'll try it.

- Try it. - You got to try, too.

I feel like I'm on "Fear Factor" right now.

You can... You can put chimichurri if you like.

- You were right. It's sweet. - Sweet, sweet.

Yeah. Yeah. It's good.

Travel the world and you'll partake in some unusual cuisine.

That's... That... I didn't know...

But coagulated blood might just be one of the weirdest things

I've ever put in my mouth.

It's, like, stuck in my teeth.

Yeah, it's chewy, sweet, and stuff.

You ready for a murga night?

I'm ready, I think.

This will be on Instagram in 15 minutes.

Yay!

Norman, we got to follow security here.

I can't believe I ate a sausage full of blood.

Ohh.

Never gonna get over that.

You're gonna have some bloody burps.

Yeah, right?

My butt is asleep.

What's right in front of us?

Damn! What is that?

Uh, the tower, it's a...

Used to be the South America's tallest building.

It's called Palacio Salvo.

Are those apartments?

Apartments, yeah.

How old do you think that building is?

1984?

South America is notorious for its insane nightlife.

Spend some time in Rio or Buenos Aires,

you might just catch the sunrise.

But while Brazilians may know how to turn up the heat,

Uruguay has mastered the simmer with their record-setting

50 days and nights of Carnival.

Carnival celebration is the most large carnival in the world.

Carnival is celebrated with a lot of parties

and a lot of music, dancing.

It's a period of the year where you can say whatever you want,

and everything's going to be fine.

And here exists the political underbelly

not seen in Argentina or Brazil.

So tonight, we're hitting the town with a group

that performs a kind of Uruguayan music theater...

It's called "murga"...

To check out their festival performance

and what makes Carnival here so unique.

- Nice ride. - What's up?

Hi. - Hi, I'm Christian.

Nice to meet you. I'm Norman. Thanks for having us.

Well, are you ready for a murga night?

I'm... I'm ready, I think.

Morga is a musical genre and... And a way of performing.

It is dancing, singing, makeup, and comedy.

So, how long has this tradition been going on?

Well, the La Gran Muñeca was founded in 1921.

So it's one of our most traditional groups in Carnival.

When you perform in a murga, you live in...

In murga mode 24/7.

I mean, you... you think murga, you eat murga, you drink murga.

We... We must sing to the things that...

That are happening to us.

There are songs with, uh, a critical view of the system,

of our government... Things that affect us.

Anyone can do it, but when you do it in a murga style

or in a murga way, there is a connection with the people.

This is the place where the murga performers

hang out while waiting...

- Oh, wow. - To do the shows.

So, every weekend, it's, like, kind of the same thing,

or it's always different? - Every day.

La Gran Muñeca, for example, it's murga that...

Uh, each Carnival has, uh, between 90 and 100 shows.

Wow.

I was wondering if you wanted to put some makeup on your face.

- On my face? - Yeah. yeah.

And you... And you...

You become a murga performer for a night.

- Let's do it. - Yeah?

You ready, Gaston? - I'm always game.

He's a local artist.

- Yeah. - Want to do it for you?

Yeah, will you?

I will do a good one for you.

Perfect. And you have to do it as well.

- Yeah, Becky? - Yeah.

Okay. You, too, Becky?

Hell yeah.

So, take... Take your glasses off.

- Okay. - And the cap as well.

Okay.

It will be great because nobody will notice Norman.

Yeah, that's kind of nice.

Oh, that is good, yeah.

He's very popular in Uruguay as well.

I got it, I got it. Yeah.

You're beginning to look like a murga performer.

You... You... You should see yourself.

This will be on Instagram in 15 minutes.

- Yeah. - Yeah.

- Yeah? - Yeah. Looks good.

I feel beautiful.

I feel like I'm about to go just sing my heart out.

Amazing.

- Let's do this. - Let's do it.

During Carnival, murga performers

take over neighborhood streets

in makeshift parades all over Uruguay.

And the top groups, like Christian's,

are invited to perform on festival stages.

So we're joining them as they march

to one of their final shows of the Carnival season.

They may not sound like it to the untrained ear,

but the murga is about as punk as it gets.

Here on the same city streets

that once played stage to political violence,

these performers sing songs questioning societal norms

and the politicians who enforce them.

Through decades of upheaval, the murga has survived,

masking sharp political criticism behind comedy

and providing the spark

that ignited Uruguay's modern progressive way.

It's a powerful reminder that to celebrate with song

and with laughter is the ultimate act of rebellion

and rather than just as an excuse to party.

In Uruguay, Carnival is an opportunity to be heard.

Yay!

How's that for a nightcap?

Wow, wow, wow.

Check that off the bucket list.

Whoo!

I think we're being followed.

We got two carloads of people following us.

See that dent in the car?

That's from the last celebrity they chased.

We begin Day 2 by saying goodbye to Montevideo

and meeting back up with Gaston Berger.

There he is.

Puppies!

He's accompanying us to the Kustom Kulture Convention.

Oh, my God. He's cute.

- Hi. - What's up, buddy?

- Hello. - Good to see you.

Hi. I missed you.

So, you... you work just next door to your house?

That's perfect.

Yeah. Something like that.

This is all your art, everything in here?

Yes.

Cool.

That was when I was abducted by aliens

at an early age, you know? Happened to you, too?

Uh, yeah, I think I'm still there.

- Yeah, it's amazing, yeah? - Yeah.

This is the shop where I build everything.

I-I love going to shops like this

and then noticing all the small details.

- Yeah. - You know?

How's... How's the riding changed in Uruguay?

How I've seen it... I've seen it change a lot.

First, the only thing we had were...

Were old Harleys and old bikes.

I'm not that old, but I started in mid-'80s with Harleys, so...

They were very cheap, and they were in the...

Outside the city, mostly in the areas

were not a lot of people, you know?

Nobody wanted these bikes.

Because you have no spare parts, you cannot make them ride.

We start buying them very cheap.

And then the people realize about Harley and all this thing,

and they became famous.

Now we have a lot of brands and things,

and you can easily go and buy your own Harley.

You don't have build at nighttime.

Yeah.

You have to build and build and build.

And if you just get done going and making 400 kilometers,

you are one of us.

Oh, wow. Look at this poster.

Wow. Where did you get that?

You know the man?

I do, yeah.

Can I take a picture of this?

- Yeah, of course, man. - I want to send it to Pete.

- Well, send it to Pete. - Yeah.

The man that built it for Peter Fonda is...

I can't believe it. - Yeah.

I want to send this to him.

He would love it.

- Well, that's a '56 Pan here. - That's really nice.

Yeah. I'm gonna ride that today.

I rode it through Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia,

and she still looks neat.

I ride it, but I take care. I live for it.

In Uruguay, motorcycle culture

isn't something taken for granted.

For decades, political unrest and strict import laws

made parts and machines difficult to come by.

But a generation of caretakers like Gaston

remain painstakingly dedicated to their craft...

A true lesson in passion and commitment.

This is Ramón. He's a baby seal.

I want you.

Aah!

Zombie boot.

♪ I was riding down the highway ♪

♪ Just trying 99

♪ I had a place I needed to be and I had to be on time ♪

- Okay, open road. - The road.

- Whoo. - Hell yeah.

That's right.

Leaving the capital city, we're heading east

on a 135-kilometer coastline ride

to the resort town of Punta Del Este,

the home of Kustom Kulture Weekend.

Also, be careful in Uruguayan highways, no?

Why's that?

South America, remember. Anything can happen.

♪ Less honkin', more tonkin' blues ♪

Oh, God. You're recognizable

even when your whole head is covered.

Little do they know, I'm Selena Gomez.

Gaston. - Yeah?

Peter Fonda wrote back.

He said, "This is the 50th anniversary of the movie.

I hope there's a chance to make a memorial ride.

Best of life for you and your family.

Love, Pete." - Whoa, man.

Yeah.

♪ Less honkin', more tonkin' blues ♪

This is such a nice place to have a little beachhouse,

you know what I mean?

With over 80% of Uruguayans living at the beach,

it's no wonder they speak so highly

of their pristine coastlines.

We're gonna make a pit stop at a spot I've heard about,

where the locals are practicing what they preach...

preserving the landscape

by protecting the creatures who live there.

Oh, my God!

- Hello. - Oh, hello, baby.

-Nice to meet you. This is Ramón.

He's a baby seal.

Oh, my God. He's cute.

Hi, my name's Igo. I'm a helper here.

Hi, I'm Becky. Nice to meet you.

How old is Ramón?

One month and a half old.

Wow.

He arrived here after a storm.

So we're taking care of him until he's old enough

to actually be able to survive in the sea.

Ramón identified him as his mother.

Oh.

That's why he's like that with him.

Are you saying something in particular,

or are you just making mommy noises?

They have different noises that he has to learn.

Some of them are of alarm,

some of them are just for contact and to calm them.

Beautiful mother, eh?

- Oh, my gosh. - Oh, there he goes. Okay.

How long has this place been here?

28 years now.

- Wow. - Is this a non-profit?

Did you... You work on donations or...

Yes. Everything here is kept like this

because of the goodwill of the people that helps us.

Don't worry, Ramón. It's coming.

Don't worry. I got ya.

Okay. Only for you. Okay.

They like their fish with all the smell.

Hi. - See, look at this.

There's a dragon eating a fish head over there.

Oh.

Everyone comes here for lunch.

Watch Ramón.

- Oh. - Yeah...

Ramón... Ramón wants some fish.

He's... He's kind of, uh... Has no etiquette whatsoever.

It's a little French bulldog.

Here's a fat one.

Wow, that's a lot of food for this little thing.

- Yeah. - Oh, my... Hi.

Can I pet him?

He's not biting.

No. Do they sometimes bite?

When they don't like the people, yeah.

I want you.

Ah-ah-ah-ah.

How did you learn to talk to the seals?

There, they want to talk to him.

Oh, my God, he's so cute.

Oh, look at him go!

So, how long do you keep them before you send them back?

More like 13 or 14 months.

D-Does Richard have, like, major anxiety

when they go back home to the ocean?

It's a very sad and happy moment.

Sad because you're leaving an animal

that you raised up yourself,

but you're happy because you know

that animal was in danger when he arrived here.

He's gonna live a long life,

and you know you're doing the right thing.

It's evident that the connection between us and nature

is a central feature of Uruguayan life.

There's a respect here for the world outside the self,

a duty to preserve that which came before

and that which will continue long after we're gone.

Hi, buddy.

At least for me, it's refreshing to know that,

although the world can sometimes be a dark place...

Really good swimmer.

You're perfect.

Richard's still here talking to the seals.

That's crazy. That's a crazy noise.

That sound is so funny.

Lucky, Ramón, living here, huh?

Yeah. The life.

Is that a city over there?

That's a town.

You can see Punta Del Este from here.

That's where we're headed?

That's where we're headed.

Okay, team, this is it. Welcome to Punta Del Este.

Oh, this is great here.

Wow. Is that it? It's huge.

Yeah.

Kustom Kulture Weekend.

It's Uruguay's premier event, featuring custom bikes,

hot rods, and vintage cars.

It's a rare opportunity for local gearheads

and enthusiasts to come together.

It feels like a big event.

Wow, there's a lot of cars here.

Yeah, right? Wow.

Yeah, this is gonna be a zoo, brother.

Now we just have to find our host, Guillermo Silva.

Hi.

How are you, brother?

You good, man? - You good?

Get inside my tent.

Guillermo Silva is the founder of Kustom Kulture Weekend,

originally started seven years ago

out of his garage.

Today, his event draws 30,000 people each year.

- Wow. - Sorry. It's crazy.

Yeah. It's... It's insane.

It's a lot of people here, eh,

we are working out today.

I feel like you're in charge of everything to do with this.

It should be "Guillermo's Custom Weekend."

- Here's our main man. - Yeah. Hi.

- You're here. - Yeah.

I'm excited to meet you. Hello, Norman.

- Yeah. - Uh, a friend.

- Hi. - My name is Nando.

It's a pleasure to meet you.

I've heard a lot about you.

- Hello, Becky. - Hi. Nice to meet you.

I've heard a lot about you.

The weekend's guest of honor is none other than Nando Parrado,

whose life story is so crazy,

Ethan Hawke once played him in a movie.

In 1972, as a member of the National Rugby Team

flying to a match, his plane crashed in the Andes.

After months of unspeakable horrors,

Nando mustered the courage and strength to search for rescue.

10 days later, he found it,

and his surviving teammates were saved.

So, I want to give you this book.

It's part of my life. - Yeah.

It, uh, explains why I am a biker, in a way.

- Yeah. - Secondly, why I am alive.

Thank you so much.

Yeah, this story is, uh... It's a crazy story.

Have you heard about Uruguay before, about bikers in Uruguay,

about this beautiful,

small country that's a gem in the world?

We live, work, enjoy, ride, love, everything here,

like, than any other place in the world.

- Yeah. - And we love bikes.

So you're like an ambassador now for Uruguay.

Yeah, I love that. Let's go.

Take us out of here! Let's go see stuff!

I can't do one. I'll do...

Yeah, there you go, there you go.

Lean towards me.

I got to do a selfie and turn it around.

I may have landed in Uruguay two days ago,

but I guess Daryl has been here a lot longer than that.

This is...

I didn't realize this was gonna be like this.

Whoa, there's a bike. There's some bikes.

These guys have a 100-year-old motorcycle that works.

Man, it's mint.

We're gonna step on your motorcycles, bro.

Hey, how are you, man?

I love you, too.

We've got to follow security here.

Norman, I'm really sorry, but we've got to go this way.

Bye, guys. Thank you!

I was hoping to see, well, anything at all, really.

Unfortunately, no such luck.

- Gracias. - My pleasure, my pleasure.

I love you, too.

Thanks for having us. You're the best.

You're the best. - Cool car. Cool car.

- Thanks for having us. - Bye. Thank you.

Sorry, we can't do more.

That was crazy.

Those are The Fingers.

Let's do this.

- High five. - I like that hat.

That's my next outfit.

I just want to climb on it.

If you touch the middle finger, you'll be...

- It's good luck? - It's good luck.

Just the middle one, eh?

1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Unh. Get all that good luck.

Is it warm?

Look at those fingernails.

Yep. Fingernails.

I feel lucky.

Yeah, that's it.

We made it to The Fingers.

Feel like a band. I feel like a band right now?

- Band? - Yeah, rock'n'roll.

Yeah, right? All right, cool.

When there were all those people coming up to us,

some guy opened the door of the car

and he said, "I love you. Happy birthday,"

and he handed me four Coronas.

It's true about even the best-laid plans...

And let's face it,

sometimes celebrity is a double-edged sword.

All right, so, let me just do it.

It's humbling to show up thousands of miles from home

and find enthusiastic fans.

But since word's out that I'm in town, we're calling an audible

and heading out in search of a new adventure.

Rolling Stones... Hey! - Hey, guys.

- What's up? How's it going? - How are you doing?

I'm glad you came. - Nice to see you.

- How are you doing? - I'm good.

Guillermo has hooked us up

with one of his good friends, Tavo Rodríguez.

Tavo was born and raised in the countryside,

and he's gonna take us out of the city

to see a new way of life here in Uruguay.

It was good. We rode up the coast,

and then we went to Guillermo's show and it was, uh... Oh.

It was cool. There's a lot of people.

- Yeah. - Yeah.

- And meet you here, guys. - Good, good.

Cheers. - Cheers, guys.

T-Tell us about tomorrow. What are we doing exactly?

So, tomorrow, you're gonna have a really different experience

to have... Have you been doing till now.

You've been in Montevideo and now in Punta Del Este

that they are really good cities,

but they are, like, really big for Uruguay.

It's the wild side of Uruguay, you know?

Um, we're gonna ride to Cabo Polonio.

Cabo Polonio's gonna be amazing.

It is, like, one of the magical places in Uruguay.

It's, like, a tiny town next to the beach.

It's just, like, kind of Bohemia and a hippie place.

It's, like, in the past.

So, yeah, tomorrow, we're gonna be on the road again, guys.

All right, dude. Let's do this tomorrow.

I'm excited. Thank you for taking us around.

See you tomorrow, guys.

On the road again. On the road again.

Hey, man.

♪ You're making sense to me

♪ Feels like I can see

♪ The forest for the trees

♪ And they grow in your vicinity ♪

Three and a half million people make up this modest country.

The beach just goes on forever.

Yeah.

And Day 3 is taking us out to the countryside,

where less than 5% live...

I wanna get air.

Whoo-hoo!

And the cows outnumber the people 4-to-1.

Such lovely weather, huh?

- Oh, yeah. - Lovely.

Due to... a really good view.

A lot of green, a lot of trees.

This is real countryside.

Yeah, it's beautiful.

Like, this kind of looks like Georgia right here, yeah?

Yeah.

Lots of roads like this, cows on the side of the road,

and barely any cars.

At least where I am out there.

Before Tavo takes us too far off the grid,

it's my turn to play tour guide.

I have an old friend who lives out in these parts,

and now that we've thrown the itinerary out the window,

I can't pass up a chance to go say hello.

Heading inland, it's 90 kilometers north

to the rural outpost of Aigua,

then it's a final 120-kilometer push southeast

to the secluded village of Cabo Polonio.

So, we're gonna see your friend Rhona, then?

Yeah, we're gonna meet my friend Rhona.

You'll love her. She's great.

I first met Rhona Mitra back when I lived in Los Angeles.

As an actor, she and I had some of the same friends.

One of those friends told me that Rhona

had moved here to Uruguay.

Raising horses off the grid,

she's living a different kind of adventure.

I can't wait to see her again.

I'm shocked Rhona lives way out here.

What a totally different life.

Yeah.

Ah, there she is.

Yeah.

- Hello. - Hi.

Fancy seeing you all here.

Totally. You look great.

You look like you're in your element.

You like stormtroopers.

Would you care to join us for a mate?

Let's do it. I'll follow you.

Perfect. Perfecto.

Dale. Vamo.

Yeah.

Not only does Rhona look cooler than I ever would

riding a horse, she's also carrying the torch

of Uruguayan tradition that spans centuries.

A citizen of this state is called a gaucho,

and here, over this cornucopia of riches... fertile soil,

ranges, mineral wealth... The colorful gaucho is king.

South America's cowboy, the gaucho,

built his legacy on horseback,

driving cattle from town to town.

And on the open plains today,

harvesting Uruguay's major exports of beef,

leather, and wool, that legacy continues on.

I got to ask you, how did you pick this spot? Like...

- Uruguay? - Yeah.

I was feeling just the way in which America just...

And the world is going, really wanted to carve out

a little, you know, slice of something that... that...

Where I had my own water and my own food

and a place where I could take care of animals

in a really lovely way, you know, have my own horses,

and I've got rescue pit bills.

So I was like, "Okay, I'm gonna go and do the thing

that I wanted to always do in my heart."

The thing that you say you're gonna do,

usually most people don't get to until their retire.

- Was this your first choice? - No.

- What was your first choice? - Argentina.

- Why? - Patagonia.

But it's really tricky. It's quite aggressive.

And here, uh, Uruguay's just much more gentle.

The people, also, uh, are, you know, very welcoming

and, um, sweet. - Yeah, yeah.

I mean, uh... I mean, everyone's super friendly here.

We went to a custom...

The Culture show that we went to yesterday,

and there was probably I don't know how many people,

but it was... we had to leave.

Like, shoves back in the car.

- Needed to leave. - And they got quite excited?

They don't get excited that much out here?

It takes quite a lot to get a rise.

Usually it's sort of...

That's what I mean.

You probably could have maybe caused

one of the biggest tremors that Uruguay may have seen

for a while, I would imagine.

Aw, come on.

- I-I got to give you a hug. - Yeah.

We got to get out of here and get to the next spot.

- All right, darling. - It's so lovely to see you.

Oh, great to see you. You be safe, okay?

I'm excited to see this hippie town.

Yeah. Me, too.

This is the spot. I want to move in. Yeah.

I'm excited to see this hippie town.

Yeah. Me, too.

Cabo Polonio is the locals' close-guarded secret,

where the heart of Uruguay is preserved

against technology and time.

Ooh. Can we sit on the top?

What is this joint?

This takes us to the hippie town,

'cause it's... It's all sand roads.

But to get there, we have to drop the bikes,

then hitch a ride to a place

where two wheels just won't cut it.

This is so "Mad Max-y."

I feel like we're in the middle of nowhere.

- We are, actually. - I guess, like, we are.

Cabo Polonio has a very special energy

because you have to leave technology out of the life.

Really calm, quiet, no cars,

a place where you can really disconnect from the whole world.

This is cool.

So cool.

I like this.

So, none of these houses have electricity or running water?

No, not these ones.

Wow.

Some of them have, like, generators, uh, for electricity.

But they stop, like, for a few hours.

Cabo Polonio.

A local legend says it's named for one of the many ships

that perished here along its rocky coast.

But after the lighthouse was built in the 19th century,

it became the safe port in a rough sea.

Today, the lighthouse serves as a spiritual beacon,

calling us back to a simpler time.

So, how many people live here?

- 50. - 50?

The whole year, just 50 people.

A lot of restaurants, a lot of handcrafted stuff.

And the food here is really good, also.

It's very fresh.

But there's solar panels.

Yeah, the house... They use solar panels.

They have, like, some generators or, like, some engines

to fit them with electricity.

What a cool spot.

Like, I could come here and live for a month.

- It's a good way to live. - Yeah.

This is the place that we are going, La Perla.

Oh, is this the restaurant?

Like hotel. Welcome.

It's like I've been transported to a mythical place

where our cameras don't cause a commotion

and the people don't care who I am.

Oh, wow.

So, you can see the beauty it has here.

- Yeah. - Hi.

- Is this your restaurant? - Hi.

Yeah, hi, my name's Norman.

- Hello. - Yeah.

Nice to meet you. - Hi, I'm Becky.

- Hello. - Nice to meet you.

This, I could get used to.

How long has this been here?

Next year, we have, uh, 50 years.

The first restaurant here in Cabo Polonio,

the family of my wife.

- Wow. - I love it here, yes.

The restaurant...

Everything is handmade. Wow.

How... How do... - Made by... by them.

Yeah. This took forever to build, I guess.

I guess you just always keep building, right?

- Yes. - Yeah.

You like it?

I love it here.

This is my favorite spot that you guys have taken us to.

- Yeah, no doubt. - Yeah, for sure.

This is the coolest thing ever.

It seems like people don't even know who you are.

It's great. Yeah.

Like, this is... Like, this is the spot.

I-I want to move in.

From the beginning to the end,

every single thing we've done on this trip

has been not what I expected.

Just much better.

It also seems like it's not spoiled.

Like, it's... It's still kind of a secret.

Oh, that looks delicious.

It's some... Eh, it's the drink of the house.

Thank you.

- Thank you very much. - Gracias.

Yeah, thank you.

It's a pleasure for me to be riding together

and to show you my country.

So you're more than welcome, whenever you want to come.

So, the pleasure is mine.

- Ah, thank you, brother. - Cheers.

Cheers.

See you again in the near future.

Thank you for doing this.

- Thank you for bringing me. - You're a badass.

I appreciate this so much, dude.

- Cheers, everybody. - Cheers.

I arrived in Uruguay without any preconceived notions.

To me, this place was a blank slate.

And although our trip didn't go exactly as we set out,

in a way, it reflected what I found

in the spirit of this country.

Here is a place and a people who adapt

while never losing sight of that which defines them.

For them, convention isn't followed.

It's often ignored.

And sometimes, surrendering to the flow

makes for the better adventure.