This week finds Meera beach-bound, developing a taste for mate and going sea-lion spotting

The time is flying yet again. I've been travelling around for two weeks exactly when I board the bus from Montevideo, the quirky Uruguayan capital, and head beach-bound for Barra de Valizas, a laidback fishing village on Uruguay's eastern Atlantic coast.

The drive is long and hot and the bus breaks down too, but happily, we are rapidly rescued. The scenery en route is interesting; cows mooching around, grazing and sleeping, wide, open pastures and numerous old yards full of old cars and spare parts. They don't throw anything away here, not even bits of seemingly useless pipe. It reminds me of my dad whose toolbox contains the most random items.

I am travelling with a new friend, an Argentinian from Cordoba, and when we reach Valizas, we decide to rent a cabin for an alternative experience. Valizas is full of ranchitos (beach houses) located right on the beach or in the tiny village itself. We set out to find Teresa who rents out a cute cabañita (little cabin) about five minutes from the beach. When we do, we are instantly charmed by her, her family and gorgeous grandchildren. She and her husband Ridolfo are craftspeople and make beautiful hats and accessories which they sell in Valizas, known for its artisan talents.

The simple life
The wicker and wood cabin is a colourful one-room shack with a raised sleeping area. Daisies and artwork adorns the outside; it was built and decorated by the family and Teresa is justifiably proud of it. It is small, simple and contains few home comforts - no hot water and sometimes no running water, rusting taps and a slightly damp feel due to its natural construction. But it's gorgeous, shaded and atmospheric like no hotel or hostel could ever be. I never realised I could rough it as much as I did in Valizas wandering around with my grubby feet and matted hair!

Valizas is one of the most unspoilt beach 'resorts' I've ever visited. It has several shops and many stalls selling jewellery, crafts and clothes, but the bohemian scene is at least genuine. By night, groups gather on the beach, playing guitar and singing, or selling their wares by candlelight by Valiza's plazecita (little square). The beach itself is long, wide and beautiful. Sand dunes separate it from its neighbouring hippy fishing village Cabo Polonio while to its north, is the town of Aguas Dulces.

My days in Valizas seem timeless. I abandon my phone and all sense of time and spend my days walking along Valiza's windswept shores, snapping photographs at every opportunity, body-surfing on the enormous waves and finding incredible sights like a green bottle washed up at shore and covered in tiny molluscs. One day, we walk for six hours there and back over the looping sand dunes, through dancing flowers and past fields of cows, to Cabo Polonio for its lighthouse, laidback scene and numerous sea lions sunning themselves on the rocks.

We spend the afternoons talking and drinking mate, the national drink, in front of the cabin; I find I am genuinely developing a palate for this bitter herbal tea. I find it's best accompanied by a good Bob Marley tune while the cooler late-afternoon sun beats down. In the evenings, Valizas is still a peaceful place, but live music, candombe (drums) and guitar-strumming are all the rage. The food is excellent - a personal favourite is chivitopez, a twist on chivito al pan, so instead of steak, fish is topped with ham, cheese, egg and salad and served in a bun. One night, we buy empanadas (pasties) and a bottle of beer and sit on the beach under a sky lit with more stars than I have ever seen.

I feel like I could live this life forever. Walking for hours, swimming in the huge Atlantic waves, eating fresh, simple food and hanging out in a great cabin. But the weather has turned and I've spent the last two nights sleeping in my thermals! It's time to say adios once again and although I leave Valizas with a little lump in my throat, I know the best is yet to come. In two days' time, a friend from London arrives for her first trip out of Europe and to celebrate my 32nd birthday so I pack my rucksack with a smile on my face and get on the bus once again.