A Challenging Day Getting to Piriapolis

The day seemed to start out well enough, warm and sunny with a piercing blue sky. My plan was to rent a car to travel to three nearby places: elegant, high-class Jose Ignacio, the Lussich Arboretum and nearby Piriapolis, which is west from Punta del Este. The rental company brought the car to the Hotel Atlantico, where I was staying while in Punta del Este. I was all set to go except the older model Garmin GPS was not working well, most likely as a result of older software technology. I have a friend who has a Garmin and hers is also tricky to use.

I often use my cell phone back home as a GPS device, so I know how easy a GPS can be to work with, and the Garmin was not approaching this level of efficiency. Why didn’t I purchase a local SIM card for my cell phone while in Punta del Este? For my purposes, it really wasn’t necessary. I finally cancelled the rental car. Driving in unfamiliar territory without a working GPS, for someone like myself who can be directionally challenged didn’t seem like a good idea. If my daughters are reading this, I can almost hear them giving a collective sigh of relief that I didn’t rent the car!

Well no problem, I chose to take a bus to Piriapolis, at least I’d see one destination on the wish list. Luckily I arrived at the bus terminal just in time to purchase a ticket for the 12:00 noon bus.

The first thing I saw as I walked into Piriapolis, the massive Argentino Hotel on the waterfront

About fifty minutes later I arrived in Piriapolis and walked into town looking for tourist information.  Tuesday is the only day they are closed! Oh well, the town is fairly compact, so I found my way to the main street that runs parallel to a boardwalk along the beachfront.  On the other side of town there’s a lovely marina and close to it is a gondola that takes you up the side of the hill. It’s something I had read about and was looking forward to. The top of the hill would give me an aerial view of Piariapolis, the local countryside and an opportunity for some nice photos. Only problem was that the gondola was closed for maintenance! Not my lucky day.

On the way back to the beachfront I passed the Hotel Colon, with an interesting mix of architectural styles.

 

Beautiful beach at Piriapolis

It was a short distance back to the central part of town, so this time I took a relaxing stroll along the beach with the whitest sand I’ve ever seen, had a bite to eat, discovered some tourist shops and purchased a few items. For me, it was a relaxing day with just enough time to get back to bus terminal for my return trip to Punta del Este.

 

Looking back towards the Piriapolis Marina and the hill where the gondola usually operates

A bit about Piriapolis: It is a summer resort town, and was founded in 1890 by Francisco Piria, thus the name Piriapolis. He built a castle as his personal residence and from 1920-1930 he constructed the Argentino Hotel one of the biggest hotels in South America at that time.

Back at the Piriapolis bus terminal awaiting the bus back to Punta del Este, still smiling.

A Stay in Punta del Este, Uruguay

 

This is the Atlantic, or rough side, note that this side of the peninsula is lined with high rises, just like on the Rio de la Plata side

The peninsula of Punta del Este stretches out like a long, narrow finger into the ocean with a purpose, at the end of the peninsula and at its most southerly point is the place that marks, more or less, the divide between the beginning of the Atlantic Ocean on the east side of the peninsula, and the end of the Rio de la Plata River on the west side. The Atlantic side is much rougher, and it’s where you’ll see surfers riding the waves, it is called the Brava side which in Spanish means fierce.

This is the Rio de la Plata side, which is calmer

The west side is defined as the Rio de la Plata side is called the Mansa side, the Spanish word for tame. To be precise, there is no absolute boundary that marks the end of the Rio de la Plata River and the beginning of the South Atlantic Ocean, and in fact the two waters mix at certain points.

 

 

Lovely Mansa Beach

Boardwalk on the Mansa side

Golden sand on Mansa side

At the beginning of the 16^th century, the Spanish were the first Europeans to set foot in Punta del Este. Today it has become a beach resort for Argentineans, other South Americans and even those from Europe. And for good reason, its beaches with lovely golden sand stretch for miles on either side of the peninsula. Activities include sailing, surfing windsurfing and snorkeling. At the end of the peninsula is the famous landmark lighthouse, Faro de Punta del Este. Like the rest of Uruguay, the season is reversed with the Canadian one. In Uruguay, the hottest month is February and the coldest month is July. When I was in Punta del Este from November 23 for six days, temperatures were mostly in the mid-80s F.

Los Dedos de Punta del Este

Punta del Este’s most famous sculpture are the fingers reaching up from the sand on the Atlantic side, called La Mano (the hand)de Punta del Este or Los Dedos (the fingers). Chilean artist, Mario Irarrazabal, created the sculpture in 1982. It is said that the hand represents a warning to swimmers on this Atlantic side of the peninsula where the waters are rougher.  He later made similar sculptures for the city of Madrid, in the Atacama Desert in Chile and in Venice.

Casapueblo at Punta Ballena, built by artist Carlos Paez Vilaro

A high point of my visit to Punta del Este was taking a half-day tour with Novo Turismo (wwwnovaturismor.com.uy). With this tour we visited several points within the city limits of Punta del Este, the last stop was a little up the coast to Punta Ballena to Casapueblo, a house built by Uruguayan painter and sculptor, Carlos Paez Vilaro. He worked on the house for over 36 years starting in 1958. It is a testament to the artist who wanted to share this beautiful spot with visitors.

The author at Casapueblo

When I first saw it, it reminded me of the architecture of the famous Spanish architect, Gaudi whose many buildings are seen in Barcelona. Here, on display, are Vilaro’s works of art including paintings, sculptures and ceramics. The high point of the visit here is to see the sunset. As the sun goes down, there is a recording of Vilaro’s voice talking about life and the beauty of nature. Even though it was in Spanish, one could almost feel what he was describing. His son was one of the survivors of the plane that crashed into the Andes in 1972.

Sunset at Casapueblo

Leonel Viera Bridge

Punta del Este is joined to the La Barra area by a famous “rolling” bridge that rises and falls like a roller coaster or the waves of the ocean, designed by engineer Leonel Viera. I’ve never had so much fun going over a bridge! This bridge is defined as a “stressed ribbon bridge” and was built between 1963-1965.

 

Touristy Shop in La Barra for hippies too..

The La Barra area has many shops, pubs and discos – a great place for the younger set to hang out.

But no marijuana for sale!

 

Some of the great staff at Atlantico Hotel in Punta del Este

While in Punta del Este I stayed at the Atlantico Hotel. And I have to say I had a very pleasant stay there. The hotel has the nicest staff! They are all so helpful, cheerful and offered suggestions of what to see. If there is a problem they fix it very quickly. I highly recommend this hotel to anyone who is planning to visit Punta del Este.

 

Reception area at Atlantico Hotel

It is situated almost at the end of the peninsula, so is in a quiet area, a stone throw’s away from the famous lighthouse, and a ten-minute walk to the beaches or main street for shopping. The harbour and several  restaurants are a few minutes walk away. It’s about a fifteen minute walk to the central bus station; it was from there that I took a bus to go to Piriapolis.

 

I can’t leave out some experiences with food, as humble as they are. I’ll be honest, I did not find great cuisine at Punta del Este. I ordered a tuna salad on one occasion and got big chunks of raw tuna. I ordered a steak on one occasion, and I got what looked like a mini roast, a bit much for my small appetite. Perhaps the summer season wasn’t in full swing yet, so they were still gearing up for the summer crowd. or it just might be that the cuisine in Punta del Este is more traditional

I did however find a great ice cream shop: Gelateria Artecchino

Owners of Cilantro, Santiago and Juan Martin Gomes

A newly opened place for lunch called Cilantro had great sandwiches and quiches. When I arrived at Cilantro they had only been open a couple of days, but the sandwich I ordered was delicious, so I wish them the best of luck. It’s run by two brothers, and I think they are trying to get away from a meat-oriented menu to something that has more choices in the salad and vegetarian department. Based on what I tried, and the nice and friendly service that went along with it, I believe they’re going to be successful.

And there’s nothing more South American than the Empanada. This fellow was selling them on the street — delicious cheese and spinach Empanada.

Chivito Sandwich

I will finish the cuisine section with an Uruguayan delicacy, the famous Chivito sandwich. One sees this sandwich on offer at many restaurants in Uruguay, and it’s one that I just couldn’t bring myself to test out. I just wasn’t up to the challenge! It contains thick slices of beef, and added in are ham, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, fried egg, onion, mayo and olives. A real heart attack on a plate! There is even a Canadian version, a “Chivito Canadiense” that adds in crispy bacon and then there is the “Chivito al Plato” which has all the ingredients, but without the bun.

Let’s end with a beach scene..

A Day Trip to Relaxing Colonia de Sacramento

 

Gateway to the old town of Colonia

A street in Colonia

I decided to revisit Colonia, a charming, colonial town (a UNESCO World Heritage Site which was originally settled by the Portuguese in 1680) as I had very fond memories of having visited it in 2005 from Buenos Aires. Back then myself and a friend, Diane, took a hydrofoil across the Rio de la Plata River from Buenos Aires which took about one hour. This time I took a bus tour from Montevideo, about 160 kilometre trip.

Looking down the street to the harbour

Why is Colonia so charming? It simply exudes its old colonial history with cobble stone streets and old colonial style buildings, no hustle and bustle here. The feel of the town is very laid back where no one is in rush, so I automatically slowed my pace to take in the sites and soak up the history. Because of its UNESCO status, its historic part is maintained as such. You can rent a golf cart to get around the town if you wish!

 

 

 

 

Lots of restaurants and coffee shops in Colonia

Bougainvillea in bloom in Colonia

Colonia has earned its right to a relaxing atmosphere as its past is anything but peaceful. It held a very strategic location as a vital trade route both as a port city on the Rio de la Plata and with close access to the Uruguay River, thus offering easy entry to the interior of the country and Brazil. Colonia often became a disputed territory between Portugal and Spain, where possession of it went back and forth between them many times, accounting for a very tumultuous history.

Can you tell I loved the Bougainvillea?

I remember this old Ford from my visit to Colonia in 2005!

And because of this one sees both Portuguese and Spanish influence in the architecture and roadways of Colonia. Portugal built with stone and Spain built with brick, some buildings have an interesting combination of both stone and brick.

The author with a cappuccino, relaxing

It’s an easy town to see in an afternoon, as its historic centre is quite small, with many shops, coffee shops, lovely restaurants and several museums. There is a lighthouse that you can climb up to get a view of the town and surrounding area. I heard that it was worth at least one stay overnight because of the lovely atmosphere created by the old fashioned street lamps that come on at night. There are many small hotels and hostels to accommodate guests.

It appears that fish drive cars in Colonia!

Main actor and director of the film taking a break

The day I was in Colonia a film was being made of an English General, complete with an old fashioned carriage and horses and costumes. What a thrill to observe a film being made! I even shared a few words with the main actor and wished him well with the film

 

 

Main actor on horseback

More actors in the film, waiting for their part

Old lamps and cobblestone streets of Colonia…

The Great Escape in Montevideo

Every city has its underbelly, its dark secrets, its intrigue. But the story I’m about to tell you is about a daring prison escape through Montevideo’s underground tunnels. I learned about it by joining another walking tour by http://www.curiosofreetour.com.uy, led by George its CEO.

Photo of the entrance to the jail in 1971

 

Back in 1971, in the Punta Carretas area of Montevideo, the Punta Carretas jail held 106 political prisoners which were about to be liberated.

 

 

 

Entrance to Punta Carretas Shopping Centre today

 

Today, the same space the jail occupied has been transformed into the classy Punta Carretas Shopping Centre. The arched entranceway to the Shopping Centre is exactly the same one that led to the prison.

 

 

 

 

 

Serrana Auliso and her house in the background. The room on the right is the one where the prisoners emerged.

Photo taken by Serrana of the hole in her living room floor.

These political prisoners or left –wing revolutionaries, called themselves the Tupamaros National Liberation Movement. They escaped through a tunnel that led underground from the prison to a nearby house owned by Serrana Auliso that she still occupies today.

 

 

Included in that group of prisoners was Jose Mujica, who became the president of Uruguay from 2010 to 2015 . The operation was known as “the Escape” or “The Abuse”, and is one of the biggest ever prison escapes.

Attention was diverted away from the prison escape when Tupamaros organized riots in the same area of the prison, distracting the attention of police. Most of those who had escaped were recaptured and put back in jail during the 12 years of military rule. Mujica himself spent a total of 13 years in prison, mostly during the military dictatorship of Uruguay from 1973 to 1985.

Serrana talking to our tour group

I found this story fascinating, but even more interesting was meeting Serrana Auliso, a gracious and charming individual, who is close to 90 years of age. Our walking tour leader stopped in front of her house and explained that this was the very place where the tunnel came out. Serrana came out to meet our group and show us photos of the hole in her floor from which 106 prisoners emerged into her living room.

Serrana showing us newspaper clippings 

 

She also had newspaper clippings dating about the 1971 episode. One couldn’t get a better history lesson than one like this, truly an example of “living history.” I was told by the tour leader that Serrana comes out regularly to meet the walking tours, hopefully she enjoys sharing her stories as much as we enjoyed listening to them.

Some Favourite Cafes and Restaurants of Montevideo

 

I am always open to culinary experiences and no matter what country you’re visiting it’s always fascinating to explore the local cuisine from the traditional to how it is evolving into more contemporary style eating. And this was certainly the case in Montevideo. I’ve already covered the Mercado del Puerto a huge not-to-be-missed tourist attraction where the “asado” (barbecue) is king. So now I’m going to show you a pictorial of my favourite cafes and restaurants.

Let’s start with my favourite cafes

My cappuccino and crossant at Brasilero

The vintage Cafe Brasilero opened its doors in 1877 in the Old Town of Montevideo. I stopped by one day mid-morning for a cappuccino and a croissant, both were very good. Here, they serve the cappuccino in the traditional way, in a glass see through cup (with handle) and when you get it, you can see the distinct line between the coffee and milk.

 

Cafe Brasilero

Within this cafe you’ll find old style wooden tables and chairs, framed photos on the walls, and a dark wood counter at the back with a giant mirror above – very atmospheric.

 

 

 

The well known Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano frequented this cafe — there is a photo of him at the front of the cafe. He wrote the famous book Open Veins of Latin America published in 1971. In the book he analyses the history of South America, describing the effects of European and US exploitation. It’s a book I look forward to reading.

The waiters were very friendly and very patriotic!

Club Brasileiro

Club Brasileiro is located right next door to the Gaucho and Money Museum on 18 de Julio Avenue, one of the most busy, bustling streets of Montevideo, lined with shops, restaurants and hotels. It is along this street that I observed a good variety of the old style architecture of Montevideo.

Club Brasiliero

To get to Brasileiro on the second floor you have to take a cage elevator, I just knew when I stepped into it that I was going to encounter another atmospheric cafe on the second floor – I wasn’t disappointed.

Montevideo Restaurants

I’ve tried several restaurants for supper and found an interesting mix of styles from Sin Pretensiones (without pretension)which offers Vegan and Vegetarian options, it’s a restaurant that reminded me of the Wild Oat in Ottawa, a restaurant with a laid back atmosphere, very welcoming and featuring an eclectic mix of old style vintage tables and chairs, it’s a restaurant with atmosphere plus. The food is what I would describe as “from scratch” prepared on site as it is ordered with a home-made feel. They offer breakfast, and lunch and early dinners of pizzas, quiche, pastas risotto and fish meat dishes as well. It is located in the Old City, where many of my choices of eateries are found.

Another amazing restaurant not far from my hotel in the Old city was La Petite Cuisine. Unfortunately I didn’t bring my camera with me the evening I ate there, and I wish I had. The service was excellent and attentive, and the risotto that I had as my main course with vegetables was superb. They offered home-made bread as an appetizer with herbed butter and a choice of olive oil. When I passed on dessert (the meal was very substantial), they offered me a small dish of their homemade ice cream.

Bar Tabare

Interior of Bar Tabare

Bar Tabare is what I would call a more traditional restaurant that is found in the Punta Carretas area of Montevideo. This restaurant is located quite a distance from my Hotel Axsur in the Old City and the reason I chose it is because I had just finished a walking tour of the area with http://www.curiosofreetour.com.uy and decided to try a restaurant in the area since I was already there, and it had also been recommended by the friendly waiters at Brasilero (who happened to work at Tabare!).

Bar Tabare

No wonder this restaurant has atmosphere. It was opened in 1919 by Alfredo Gonzalez, and was a typical mix of businesses of that era — a bar, but also a storeroom and meeting place for fishermen. It recreated itself in 1993 as a bar and restaurant and was named one of the top 100 bars in the world. Many artifacts from its past remain as part of the restaurant so it felt like a museum as I wandered around taking many photos before sitting down for dinner.

My dinner at Bar Tabare, grilled salmon and salad

Let’s not forget dessert, flan with Dulce de Leche, very typical for South America

Museums I Visited in Montevideo

A tour of some Montevideo museums

To take you through a tour of Montevideo museums, I thought it would be a neat idea to show you them through photos with little text. After all museums are a visual experience, and these particular ones were a highlight for me. They come with a short description. I experienced a rainy day in Montevideo and what better way to spend this kind of a day than exploring inside venues and learning more history? All museum were within walking distance of each other.

Me at the Museo de los Andes

Sergio Catalan, centre, helps two survivors who had hiked out from the crash site

The Museo de los Andes tells the story of the 1972 Andean plane crash en route from Montevideo to Santiago, Chile. When it crashed, there were 45 people on board, including the Uruguayan Rugby Team. Sixteen people survived 72 days in the most profoundly extreme conditions of the Andean mountains, many had been severely injured, there was little food, little shelter from the elements and little clothing to protect the survivors from the extreme cold.

Newspaper article showing the rescue of survivors

Creator of the museum, Jorg Thomsen, knew many of the family members of those who had been on the plane. He wanted to keep the story alive not only to honour those who had lost their lives and those who had survived, but to pay tribute to the vitality of the human spirit.

I personally met Mr. Thomsen when I was there, and I could feel his commitment and passion for the project.

 

 

 

Letter thrown to Sergio Catalan by survivor of plane crash after 71 days

For someone who was new to the creation of a museum, he has created a most profound experience for anyone who visits it, with its artifacts from the crash site, videos, timeline posters and moving letters. Visitors are compelled to look at their own lives and reflect on what is important in life. I think I got more wordy on this museum than I intended, but it shows the impact that this museum had on me.

A display at the Gaucho Museum showing the hospitality of the gaucho

Typical tack and saddle used by the gaucho

Museo del Gaucho is a small museum dedicated to the gaucho, the equivalent of our Western Canadian cowboy. Gauchos worked on the huge expanses of ranches, herding cattle, training horses and living very frugally, and probably drinking lots of Mate. Unfortunately there was no translation into English regarding the displays, but the sense one got from the museum, and one which I had read about was concerning the temperament of the gaucho, who lived close to the land and who could always be counted on by others.

Very interesting artifacts of tack for the horses, clothing and gourds for mate. The museum is housed in the Palacio Heber constructed at the end of the 19^th century in the French and Italian style; it is in itself worth seeing.

Palacio Heber houses both the gaucho and money museums

I wonder if I could print some Uruguayan money with my face on it??

The Money Museum has artefacts from the National Bank of Uruguay.

A room in the Taranco Palace, the Museum of Decorative Arts

The Museum of Decorative Arts was in  fact the private residence of the Ortiz de Taranco family and is called the Taranco Palace, (construction of the building began in 1908). This private residence was purchased by the state on condition that all the works of art, paintings, sculptures and ornaments would be donated to create a collection of decorative arts. This museum is the result.

Central building is the Palacio Salvo Building

The Palacio Salvo building was finished in 1928 and designed by architect Mario Palanti and stands 100 metres high. It was originally meant to be a hotel but that didn’t work out so it was converted into business offices and apartments. Apparently there are a few apartments in the building that can be rented to tourists related to AirBnB.

Independence Plaza from the top of Palacio Salvo

I took a tour of the building and went to the very top where there were great views of Montevideo. On the way back down we stopped at a floor where our guide told us about a resident ghost.

Montevideo: Alive with Music and Dance

A bit of history of the Tango

Inside the Museum of Tango in Montevideo 

Tango is the most well known South American dance. It’s a dance full of passion, rhythmic movement and sensuality, a dance that also involves much skill. It is said here in Uruguay that the Tango began in both in Uruguay and Argentina at the same time, starting in the working class neighbourhoods near the ports, amongst European immigrants, many of whom were of Italian and Spanish origin, in about the mid to late 1800s. Another early influence on the Tango were the candombe rhythms of Africa and the musical beats of milonga.

Photo from tango museum showing only men at the dance hall

In the early days of the Tango, men danced with men, in bars and dance halls, places where it wasn’t considered “respectful” for women to be attendance. Men practised how to dance with other men so when the opportunity arose, he might impress a sweetheart with his dancing skills and possibly win her heart.

 

 

La Cumparsita

The tango was at first held with much disdain amongst the upper echelons of society and considered to be a dance associated with the “seedy” areas of the city near the brothels. But that changed. The Tango eventually gained popularity with them and spread to Paris, London and New York by 1913 and worldwide in the 1920s and 30s. A very famous classic Tango piece “La Cumparsita” was written by an Uruguayan,  Matos Rodriguez in 1916.  The Tango Museum of Montevideo offers the inside scoop on how the Tango evolved in the dock areas, bars and dance halls of Montevideo. The museum is located in the ground floor of the Salvo Palace, just off Independence Plaza.

The El Milongon Cabaret Experience

The Tango at El Milongon

Candombe at El Milongon

I attended the El Milongon Cabaret show. It was a great show that brought together many of the dance forms of Uruguay from the African candombe, which began 200 years ago when black slaves were brought  to Uruguay from Africa. The candombe rhythm is created with three types of drums with different pitches: piano, chico and repique. It is considered the most representative expression of the Afro-Uruguayan culture.

Included in the show were the folkloric dances of the gaucho.

Dancing on the Streets of Montevideo

If you’re lucky you’ll run into candombe being performed on the streets of Montevideo. This group was performing their music and dance near the Mercado del Puerto. You know you’re near this market when you see the haze of smoke arising from the numerous “asados”—the grilling of steaks, sausages and chicken. Around the exterior of this market are booths of artisan products.

Museo del Carnaval

Carnival costume from Carnival Museum

Close to the Mercado del Puerto is the Museo del Carnaval.  Here, you get a real sense of the colour, vibrancy and music of the Montevideo Carnival, a carnival that runs every year, starts in January and runs into February and lasts about 40 days. After experiencing only in small part the dance and music of Montevideo over my week’s stay I can imagine the carnival to be a mind blowing and exceptional experience!

More on Montevideo

Getting into Montevideo from the airport

When arriving at the Carrasco Montevideo International Airport I highly recommend  B&B Remises Airport Transfers (www.bybremises.com).  For $36 American they will take you into Montevideo, about 17 kilometres to the city centre. Not only did B&B Remises answer all my questions in advance of arriving at the airport, they sent me, by email, a photo of my driver, who was waiting for me with a big smile and holding a sign with my name on it, absolutely no confusion there. If you’re a woman travelling solo, this kind of service offers a real sense of security when you’re arriving at a city you’ve never been to before.

Staying at Axsur Hotel while in Montevideo

Axsur Hotel

When planning a trip, I often go to Trip Advisor for recommendations. It’s noteworthy that Axsur Hotel is highly recommended by both Trip Advisor and Booking.com. It’s located in the “Old City”, where many of the sites, plazas, markets, shopping, restaurants, cafes and museums are located within easy walking distance. However, if you need to get a taxi to go further afield, as I did today to a music festival being held at Park Rodo, all taxis are metered and very reasonable. Looking out from my room I have a lovely view of the Rio de la Plata River. Breakfast is buffet style and offers a huge range of about every food group you could think of, and most important, the coffee is good and in unlimited supply.

View of the Rio de la Plata River from my window

The friendly and helpful receptionist at Axsur Hotel

Sunset from my window

A great blog on Uruguay

Before leaving Ottawa I came upon a wonderful blog written by Karen Higgs, who now lives in Montevideo. The blog has comprehensive information on all of Uruguay and you can find it at www.guruguay.com/blog/. I highly recommend it. Out of the blog she has evolved a book entitled the Guru’guay Guide to Montevideo, available on Amazon.com.  The author calls Uruguay one of South America’s off-the-radar destinations, but I believe it will quickly grow in popularity, as it appears to have much to offer in terms of history, cuisine, artisan products, plus much for the outdoor enthusiast. And by the time I leave, I will have only scratched the surface as my stay in Uruguay centres around Montevideo and Punta del Este. It looks like I’ll have to come back to go further afield to explore the countryside.

More on Mate

Vegan restaurant

While exploring Montevideo today I came upon a Vegan restaurant. My daughter Amanda would be happy to hear about it! The Vegan diet certainly appears to be one that is gaining popularity around the world, and even if it’s just starting to gain ground in Uruguay that’s an accomplishment!

 

Here’s why. The population of Uruguay is 3.3 million and it also has 12 million cattle. Much of the meat is for export, but Uruguayans are reputed to be the leading consumers of beef per capita. In a book entitled “Uruguay”, a travel guide by Tim Burford, he quotes a 2010 survey where it was reported that Uruguayans eat about 58.2 kg of beef per year.

A lesson in preparing mate

Back to the Mate. While having a bite to eat in the Vegan restaurant, I struck up a conversation with Ivana, sitting at the same communal table and drinking Mate. I got a bit of a lesson on the preparation of Mate: first the gourd is completely filled with Mate (no tea bags here), then a small indentation is made so water can be poured into the gourd. The water must not be boiling hot, but hot enough to create an infusion with the Mate. The hot water is kept in and poured from a thermos. The steeped mate is drunk with a metal straw that filters out the mate leaves, when that is done, more water is poured into the gourd. Part of the ritual, for some people, is to share their Mate, so it’s often passed around. But Ivana says she prefers to keep her Mate to herself, and not worry about the spread of germs! There is no question that Uruguayans love their Mate, one hand holds the gourd, and a thermos of hot water to replenish it is never far away.

Did you know that Marijuana is legal in Uruguay?

Music Festival at Rodo Park

The music was for adults, but it was interesting to see a huge number of activities for children including workshops on how to make a drum and many others on using recycled materials for all ages of children. It appeared to be a real family affair. Plus there were many booths offering artisanal products and many varieties of homemade foods. And then there were the clowns…

 

 

Colourful Montevideo

I took this photo from the plane, coming into Montevideo

Arriving by plane at night to Montevideo, I was already charmed by its expanse of sparkling city lights, the large port and the street lamps of La Rambla, like a beautiful necklace, lighting up a promenade that is 22 kilometres and runs alongside the Rio de Plata River. It is supposedly the longest continuous sidewalk in the world!

Plaza Independencia with statue of Artigas

One of the first things I like to do is when arriving somewhere new is take a walking tour of the city. This is a great way to get oriented to a place and start to feel comfortable knowing the core of the city. I joined “Curioso Free Tour” or Montevideo by foot (www.curiosofreetour.com.uy). This tour started at Plaza Independencia at 3:30 pm and I was lucky to be the only one taking the tour at that time.

Plaza Independencia is where the famous statue of Artigas dominates the plaza. Jose Gervasio Artigas is the national hero of Uruguay and is called the father of Uruguayan nationhood.

My guide Santiago and me

The guide mentioned that on the same day in the morning he had 20 people on the tour. The idea behind the tour is that it is free, but at the end of the tour you offer a “tip” as payment in the amount you want to pay. It turned out that my guide for the day was Santiago, a local history teacher who, like me, has a great passion for history. Through one of these tours one learns some of the history of Uruguay and the main points of interest in the historical part of Montevideo.

So let’s go and get an intro to Montevideo!

 

Teatro Solis

Teatro Solis, for Jazz, Opera, orchestra, and screening performances through satellite from New York and Moscow

Mercado del Puerto

Mercado del Puerto, Experience the “Asado” or the typical Uruguay barbecue of all kinds of meats:  beef steaks, sausage, chicken. As you walk through the market, smoke arises from the many grills, people seated at the bar or at the many tables are truly enjoying the experience and their meal. It’s a hub of  activity and if you’re vegetarian you won’t find much to eat here, but you’ll always find a great glass of wine! There are many very good wineries in Uruguay.

All kinds of meat grilling at Mercado del Puerto

Musician at Mercado del Puerto

Drinking Mate

Drinking Mate. Mate is the national drink of Uruguay and Argentina. Mate comes from the plant “Yerba Mate”.  Often you see people drinking their mate from a gourd with a metal straw; they pour the mate into the gourd from a flask that carries the prepared mate.

 

 

 

 

Walking along La Rambla in the early evening.