Our arrival in Montevideo, Uruguay, coincided with the advent of spring, which begins in September and ends in December. The temperatures hover in the low 70’s during the day with no sign of rain for our visit, although we are told that it is almost impossible to forecast the weather here.
Montevideo is Uruguay’s capital city and a bustling business center. About half the Uruguayan residents reside in this city, with a few free-standing homes but mostly high-rise apartments. We saw no sign of homelessness. There may be some, but evidently, they don’t have the problem that the big U.S. cities are experiencing.
The next-to-smallest country in South America has a total population of around three and a half million. Uruguayan historian Eduardo Galeano writes, “We have five times more land than Holland and five times fewer inhabitants; more cultivable land than Japan, with a population forty times smaller". This has presented the country with more opportunities for economic development.
The “old” city held the most interest for us with its open-air markets, museums, and historical buildings. The public parks are large, well groomed, and a favorite place for Uruguayans to spend their relaxing time. The Plazas Independencia and Constitución are old-fashioned city squares found in every city with a Spanish history and are well preserved. The fort at the top of the tallest hill is now a maritime facility, but originally it was there to protect the city from the many prevailing forces in its history, mostly Portugal and Spain. As our guide pointed out, instead of the highest properties in the city being the most expensive real estate, they are the poorest. Ironic, because the view of the city from there is spectacular. I wonder if someday that will change.
Our hotel views the largest city beach, Playa Pocito. It is on the Rio de Plata, not the Atlantic Ocean, but it is an estuary, causing the color of the water to change with the tides from blue to brown. The color didn’t seem to be a problem for the people visiting the beach, but it was definitely a negative for us.
While there are ten major Uruguayan ports, the Port of Montevideo is huge and one of the busiest ports on the eastern South American coast. It functions as a vital maritime gateway for the landlocked countries of Bolivia, Paraguay, parts of Brazil, and Argentina. It is a free port and a major transshipment center that supports many local industries. The processing plants there involve meat packaging, wool, and agro-based products. We were told that the biggest export is Uruguayan beef. More about that later.
Interesting notes would include a definite difference in the colloquial Spanish spoken here. We had to dig out our on-line dictionaries to interpret some of the menu items. However, having a basic knowledge of Spanish was a big help, and you can find English speakers in hotels and restaurants.
It is also important to note that their mealtime is more like Europes’. They may open the restaurants for dinner at 7:00, but usually the locals eat dinner at 9-10:00. It may be hard to find a “meal” between 3:00 and 7:00 p.m. unless it is fast food or a "tea,” which is popular in the afternoon and includes sweet delicacies.
Montevideo was founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military stronghold. It was claimed by Argentina but annexed by Brazil in 1821. After years of attempts at freedom, civilian rule was not restored until 1985. In 2004, the Frente Amplio Coalition won the national elections. Their government is now a presidential republic, and its political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent. The people of Uruguay seem friendly and unassuming, making for a very comfortable travel experience.
Excellent & informative article!