Silversea always has free shuttle buses in each port, so mom and I took advantage of the one in Punta del Este, which dropped us near the shopping area. According to the bus escort, this resort town doesn't really come alive until the late afternoon, but we were sailing at 2 pm, so had to go into town in the morning. It was okay, because we just browsed a little and I snapped some photos of the town's most famous outdoor artwork called "La Mano" (the hand), a huge man's hand buried in the sand, with only the five fingers showing. It's a little creepy, but is a "must do" photo op.
We were back on the ship by about 12:30 and ate lunch outdoors. Mom had the freshly-made pasta and I had a big salad and sushi. While getting ready for our first formal night, we had a nice appetizer in the room of shrimp and crab claws, along with cocktail sauce, all delivered by our butler. Sure made getting "beautified" easier. Went to the bar at about 6:15 to sip a drink (French martinis for us both--vodka, chambourd (blackberry liqueur), and a splash of pineapple juice) and check out the formal wear. This cruise had four formal nights, so more men than usual seemed to have brought their tuxedos along. Not surprisingly, about 75 percent of the women wore black.
The dinner was another good one. We had a melon/smoked salmon/caviar amuse, followed by spring rolls, a strawberry/spinach salad, champagne sorbet, and lobster tail. Love the smallish portions since they don't make me feel as "stuffed" as on some cruises. I had fruit for dessert and mom had nothing. The next day was a quiet day at sea, followed by a visit to Puerto Madryn, Argentina in Patagonia.