Just Chillin in Uruguay

We were told that Uruguay was a very chill country, and we found ourselves slowing down and 'chilling' more than we had in Buenos Aires. We stayed in the old city of Montevideo, which was much smaller, with a beautiful Rambla (boulevard) along the water. In the mornings, we would head out for a walk along the Rambla, where we would see people walking, running, biking and roller-skating. There were many fishermen along the route, each with extremely long fishing poles. We noticed that one had caught a catfish. People enjoy exercise here, and everyone appears trim and rather fit. Perhaps that is the yerba mate! I think there are even more people drinking yerba mate here than in Argentina. In the evenings, people sat along the Rambla, read books, socialized, fished and of course, drank mate. There are a few exercise parks, a soccer pitch and a roller skate surface. We were surprised not to see any vendors along the route; however, we did notice in the evenings that food trucks appeared selling sweet treats like churros and tortas fritas (fried cakes). Unlike in Buenos Aires, the restaurants close earlier here, so we found ourselves having an early dinner.

The Rambla

We lucked out and were here for the opening night Carnaval parade, which was absolutely spectacular to see. We had opted to avoid Rio during Carnaval as we were a little concerned about the crowds and our safety, so it was a real treat to experience a lower-risk Carnaval event. The colours were beautiful, and the dancers and musicians were so talented. Unlike our parades at home, the parade lasted for hours (7:30 - 1:00), and we did not stay and watch the whole thing. The Carnaval in Uruguay is the longest in the world, lasting 40 days. Along with parades, there is a competition featuring acts performing on tablados in various venues around the city.

 

Carnaval Opening Night Parade

The weather here is gorgeous, and we spent lots of time on our little balcony enjoying our breakfast while Mark worked away on booking and researching our future stays. He thinks we have everything booked as far as accommodation and travel now, but that doesn't stop him from researching everything he can about the places we will visit. We ventured down the Rambla to Pocitos Beach, where we both got a little too much sun. There was a beautiful breeze along the water, and it was deceiving just how strong the sun was.

Our balcony overlooked the Rambla and the beautiful architecture in the Old Town.

Pocitos Beach

As we toured around the Old Town (Ciudad Vieja), we couldn't help but notice the beautiful architecture and details that make Montevideo so special. We truly enjoyed our stay here and are off to Rio, Brazil, next, where it will definitely NOT be chill. We will have to be on alert at all times! Bora! (let's go!)