Summertime in Uruguay

The bus ride from Iguazu Falls to Montevideo was even longer than I had thought.  It started with an overnight bus to Concordia, then a taxi to the border (and a lengthy immigration line), then another bus from Salto to Montevideo (with a four hour wait at the bus station), and finally a city bus from the terminal to ciudad vieja, old town.  Altogether, this turned out to be our longest bus ride at 27.5 hrs, and we were extremely happy to check in to our hostel, Posada al Sur, in the heart of Montevideo’s historic old town. Dilirious from not eating any “real” food in the last day and a half, we devoured our meal at the first cafe we found; which happily turned out to be delicious, on the corner of our street, and cheap!  It was so good actually, we ate there both evenings we were in town.

Typical Parilla in Puerto Mercado, Montevideo

Summertime Produce Abounds in the Streets of Montevideo

Amazing Peaches and Tomato Sandwiches

Pineapple Pizza and Grill at Perez 25 in Ciudad Vieja (25 de Mayo and Castellano)

The only real tourist attraction we saw in Uruguay’s capital city was the Museum of Carnival.  Carnival is apparently a huge celebration in Montevideo, though not as well known as the ones in Brazil.  I didn’t realize that the origin of the word Carnival comes from the Christian calendar. In Latin Carnival means “take off meat” or “good bye meet” a practice that is typically performed prior to Holy Week. Carnival is basically a “meat party” that has evolved into a period of licentious behavior not just and all you can eat buffet.  Other than this one quick museum stop, we just tooled around the city on bikes and enjoyed the feeling of summer.

Costumes from Past Carnival Festivities

A Selection of Carnival Masks

Montevideo's Jogging & Biking Path (The Rambla) Stretches for 18 km!

Plaza Independencia Near Centro Montevideo

We learned a lot about Uruguayans from walking around the city.  The first thing I noticed is the amount of mate they drink.  Now Argentines love mate too, but their northern neighbors bring mate drinking to a national obsession.  From my informal sampling techniques, I’d venture that 7 out of every 10 Uruguayans are drinking mate at any given time of the day, wherever they happen to be.  Unless they’re on the bus, in which case they’re not supposed to (see photo below).   I tried mate when we first came to Argentina, about three months ago, and really tried to like it.  But to be totally honest; I’m afraid it tastes like grass to me.  And this is coming from someone who LOVES tea, even green tea.  I have found one great use for the bombillas (straws) that locals typically drink mate with– it’s great for drinking infused water, like the one I made with mint, lemon grass and lime below.

I had to chuckle that drinking mate an the bus was on offense right up there with smoking or spitting.

These Two Men Are Sharing a Mate While They Cool Off at the Beach

Sipping a Chilled Infusion of Mint, Lemon Grass, and Lime Water With a Bombilla

The next think I learned about Uruguayans is that their beaches are a source of national pride.  They are also a magnet for their two big neighbors, Brazil and Argentina, and are completely full of foreigners in January.  We went to a particularly large sandy beach, Pocitos, in Montevideo, and spent a lovely afternoon keeping cool with the thousands of others at the beach.  This is where we also learned that Uruguayans (or at least the people who frequent Uruguayan beaches) like to wear teeny tiny bikinis.  And not just the genetically gifted super model types.  Everyone goes to the beach to enjoy the day, from babies to grandparents, and everyone sports a bikini.  Just ask Garret, who has been taking “cultural notes” on the difference between north american and south american bikinis.

The Popular and Crowded Pocitos Beach in Montevideo

Hanging Out (Literally) at Bikini Beach (source: unknown)

They Sure Look Uncomfortable to Me!

Relaxing on Bikini Beach

The last thing I’ve noticed about Uruguayans is their friendliness and generosity.  A new friend whom we met through our blog, Glynn, invited us to stay at his beach bungalow in Manantiales, near Punta del Este.  We have had a marvelous time relaxing at his home, soaking in the sun and surf at his beach, bikini beach, and cooking gourmet food together in the evenings.  He took us to a local organic farm just a mile or two from his house where we picked up a selection of the freshest herbs and vegetables for dinner. Because Glynn knows the couple running the farm, they dropped what they were doing and walked all over picking out fresh oregano, thyme, basil, mint, lemon grass, parsley, chives, arugula, zucchinis, and kale.  They didn’t even want to let us pay for it, but we insisted.  Then we proceeded to cook up an Italian feast for dinner that wasn’t over until nearly midnight.  We’re becoming good South Americans, just in time to come home in less than a week.

Famous Hand Sculpture in Punta del Este

Hanging out with Glynn

Tagged as: Montevideo, Uruguay