Montevideo

We spent the past two days in Uruguay. We started in Colonia de Sacramento (see photo left)– a small, charming seaside village just an hour by boat from Buenos Aires. Colonia is composed of an old walled city that runs along the water, remnants of the cannons, lighthouse and guard towers remind tourists of the days when it was constantly bombarded by different countries trying to get a precious foothold for commerce in South America. It was also used as a smugglers port for commerce to and from Buenos Aires. As a visitor, one can really appreciate how little seems to have changed over the years within the walled part of the city. One can easily imagine the days when the streets were lined with pirates, fisherman, and navy seamen hustling around the small central square and dwarf. It was a really nice place to spend the morning. The other part of the city is livelier and more modern where the true residents eat, sleep and work. The main thoroughfare is lined with cafes, restaurants, hotels and a few nice public spaces not to mention quite a few stray dogs. It’s not quite as charming as the old city but also has a lot of character and more energy. All inall, Colonia is a great place to spend an afternoon away from Buenos Aires.

Next, we took a two hour bus ride along the coast to Montevideo – the capital of Uruguay. The bus ride was enjoyable – being in the rural parts of the country revealed juts how poor Uruguay is. The country has continually struggled to stabilize its economy which has been beaten down by inflation, high taxes, and a very chaotic government. Montevideo is similar to Buenos Aires except very rundown. La Ciudad Vieja, where we stayed, is laden with old European styled buildings – most of which are crumbling around the edges if not on the brink of collapse. We found Montevideo to be very sleepy, boring and were almost immediately craving Buenos Aires. We ended up departing Montevideo the next day much sooner than originally planned.

Highlights of Montevideo include visiting La Puerta Mercado (the port market - see photo) where you can sample almost any cut of grilled meat, sausage or fish imaginable at one of the many huge parillas serving up huge portions at great prices with counter top service. We were told at lunchtime, the market is jam-packed with locals from the dock and all over the city who come to assuage their carnivorous desires and return to work well-satiated (pictures below). We also ate dinner one night at an average restaurant where we ordered a mixed-grill consisting of Ostrich, Rabbit and nutria. We weren’t sure what Nutria was until after we had taken a few bites and were told it was a type of “river wolf with big teeth.” Upon further inquiry, we were shown a picture of a beaver. It is absolutely disgusting. It was also funny to later learn that in Argentina nutria is slang for the male genitalia – quite ironic.
A few observations about MonteVideo (note I was only there for 24 hours):
1. It seemed like everyone was carrying around a thermos of hot water and a mate (type of South American tea) gourd – taking a minute to fix up a warm cup ever so often.

2. Uruguayan culture is very similar to that of Argentinean but maybe just less “sophisticated” and less pretentious too.

3. The city is much poorer and less lively than BA. We were approached by many beggars late at night. We did not feel nearly as safe there. Apparently there is also a drug problem.

4. If you have an afternoon, visit Colonia but skip out on MV.

5. The economy is in shambles and it is readily apparent. Trash is collected by men using horse-drawn carts. Many of the vehicles lining the streets are from the 50s, 60s, and 70s.

6. We did however see quite a few attractive women.