Uruguay

Cities Visited: Montevideo, Carmelo, and Colonial Del Sacramento

Overall Impression: Uruguay’s capital, Montevideo, is rated as the best city to live in South America by some poll. I wonder, however, who was interviewed and how much they got paid. A 3 hour boat ride away, Montevideo is a smaller and quieter version of Buenos Aires. Many beautiful buildings are dilapidated and it seems as if the city just survived WWII. I still prefer Phnom Penh, Cambodia over Montevideo.

Look for school children dressed in little lab coats--school uniforms that symbolize intelligence and education. Old folks here are also really well dressed. Bravo!

Cheap v.s. Crack Cheap:
Again, not crack cheap; only slightly cheaper for hotels and snacks than in the U.S. I’ve experienced better meal deals in SF, NYC and Chicago! I think eating out is still a luxury so they charge more. There’s also the irritating meal linen fee (usually US $2-3 to pay for the linens and dish use).

A crack cheap deal is staying at the Four Seasons Resort in Carmelo, Uruguay. Think of it as a destination in itself since when can you stay at a Four Seasons for only US $190 (that’s about $100 per person per night)! Within one night we made friends with half the staff including Claudia, her husband, Norm, Mike, Sally, Bob, Pedro, and Steve. The bungalows are huge with an outdoor shower! Yes, I took an outdoor shower! You can also tour their Estancion for free.

We took a mate lesson (the national drink of Uruguay) before learning about the various birds and veggies that grow on the ranch. Later on that night, I ate Uruguay’s national bird, the nandu. It was spicy and delicious! Look for the rack rate on their website valid for stays between Sunday-Thursday. Carmelo is a town about 4 hours north from Montevideo by bus. Since the resort is rurally located, the hotel makes its money by gauging you at their restaurants. We also took in some spa services and rode horses through eucalyptus forests and along the Rio Del La Plata.

Exchange Rate: Take away the single digit numerator and divide the remainder by 2.

Gastronomy:
A total miss. The national dish of Uruguay is called the Chivitas which is steak and eggs on a bed of salad and fries.

Neighborhoods, Towns & Culture Spots:
The highlight here was biking along the riverfront and hitting up all the beaches. We rented bikes from Bicileteria Sur located at Aquiles Lanza 1100 (tel: 901-07-92) for about US $1-2 an hour. Visit the Old town, adjacent to a bad part of town, for some cobblestone roads and boutique gift stores.

You can also visit the underground tomb of some war hero in the Independence Plaza. Located nearby is a building which was once the tallest in all of South America! On the day we decided to hit up some museums, there was a national strike. We ended up visiting the Gurvich Museum showcasing the work of famed Lithuanian-Uruguayan artist Jose Gurvich. http://www.museogurvich.org/.
A quick ride away from Buenos Aires on the Buquebus is the small town of Colonial Del Sacramento. I visited this place twice, once with Nick when it was rainy and once with Jamie when it was sunny. The weather makes all the difference, so make sure you go when it’s sunny. Although touristy, this small historic town was once built by the Portuguese and then taken over by the Spaniards so a lot of history remains.

One day museums pass costs US $2 and can get you in to whatever museums they decide to open. The museums are lacking, but can give you a brief introduction to the history. Climb up to the lighthouse tower and eat at all the cute, but expensive cafes and restaurants!