Montevideo.....

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It was last Saturday...and we've done so many thing since that week-end...I thing this kind of comment can summarize properly our new lifestyle in Argentina...



So we made it easy on the 2 hours and half to Montevideo on the Saturday afternoon. The bus ride is smooth, and the scenery is looking pretty much like any country side scenery in Luxembourg where I grew up...just with a pretty low density of population.



For two days in Uruguay, we took boats...we took the bus ride between Colonia and Montevideo...and we walked...a lot...



I never actually went to Montevideo! I went 6 years ago for Christmas to Punta del Este...landed in Montevideo airport, rented a car and drove to Punta del Este....bear in mind, I wasn't very impressed by the place...it has the reputation to be a hip place...well...not for me, even during the high summer season of Christmas.



So today, we were going to explore Montevideo...my expectations weren't high...and I can confirm, there is not much to see in Montevideo. Our Sheraton was just half the price of the one in Colonia, and we had to spend two days in the country...for few ATM visits...so why not add Montevideo to the itinery.



The city is pretty small...and the general architecture is really not that impressive. But the shopping is way better than in Colonia...Saturday hunt mission...finding a mixer for the kitchen at a reasonnable price...done in less than an hour, in the first supermarket...result...half price from Buenos Aires...no kidding! So yes, we can say...we are going to Uruguay...to shop for kitchen appliances! Hey, I don't speak always and only about food....big smile!



We did enjoy few places in the city...the Plaza Independencia is pretty nice. At one corner sit the Palacio Slavo...the building, built in the 20' was at the time the tallest of the continent.



Ciudad Vieja is the "old town" of Montevideo...not really a place you want to walk around after dark on a Saturday, so we kept it for our Sunday morning. I like the way the hotel manager advised us that Montevideo is a pretty safe city...not really like some other big cities in South America...like..with a big smile on his face...Buenos Aires! Still, you can see that the level of poverity is pretty high around downtown Montevideo.



We spent our sunny Sunday walking around Ciudad Vieja...the place was basically...empty...we had it for ourselves...went to see the water front, the little plazas...and the best, the Mercado del Puerto.



Yes, this must have been the best place of Montevideo...and yes, one more time, it's all about food!! The old Mercado, aka market has been renovated...no shopping here...it's a serie of parillas under the same roof...and the place is gorgeous! Had our usual chorizo y provoleta....plus a little streak...and yes, the tannat of Uruguay is pretty nice. Tannat is a red wine grape grown in the South Est of France, but that you find also all over Uruguay. One rule...in Uruguay...you drink wine from Uruguay...in Chile from Chile...in Argentina from Argentina...in Brazil...forget the wine...and in Peru, they have a decent white...and amazing fish to match...after few pisco sour, but I'm disgressing here!



It was soon already time to make our way back home....2 hours and a half bus to Colonia, and the connection the the fast boat to home...Tiffany and Leslie were in bed by 10.30pm!



Not much blogging for me in the coming weeks....even if over the 11 next weeks...I'm going to travel a lot over 4 continents...but hey, have to make sure I work a little more from time to time. So this sunday, it's time for me to fly to Africa for two weeks.



Next blog...well...I would love to do one of Kinshasa, but not that easy to get my camera out in the RDC capital...we'll see...



If not, just wait around three weeks...I'm preparing a fun little trip...and few too many hours of long distance bus in Argentina!



With love from Argentina...well...and Uruguay last week-end!

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Comments

[liliram]

That empty?
Incredible. I can't imagine a town being THAT empty! Good thing you guys visited. And shopped for a mixer. Lol

[Donna and Neil]

Not a visa run but a kitchen mixer run!
Ha, made us laugh that you went to Uruguay to buy a kitchen mixer...we end up doing things like that too! Seems like you are all having fun seeing the sights and eating, eating and more eating! Hope you are all well and Leslie and Tiffany are enjoying school.