My first stop was the Plaza Independencia, which is the point that connects la Ciudad Vieja (Old City) with modern downtown. In the middle of this plaza is a large monument to General Atrias (Uruguay's liberator) and a mausoleum underneath. Perhpas it sounds odd, but the mausoleum was quite beautiful, with guards keeping 24 hour watch over the urn and soft lights just barely illuminating the room. The plaza is also home to the Palacio Salvo, which was the tallest building in South America when it was built in the 1920's. This neo-gothic beauty kept me staring in awe for a long time. Next door is the Palacio Estevez, which was the governmental house until 1985.
Plaza Independencia
Next I went wandering down a pedestrian avenue filled with shops and restaraunts until I stumbled upon Plaza Constitución in la Ciudad Vieja. This plaza is lined by La Catedral and el Cabildo (old town hall). Saturdays this shady plaza converts into a busy marketplace with local vendors selling antiques and jewelry. I sat and had a delicious ice cream while watching some local boys playing the drums. Their catchy rhythms made me want to get up and dance!
For lunch I decided to check out el Mercado del Puerto, which I'd read was a lively place on Saturdays. When I found out it was only nine blocks away, I decided to walk to see more of the city. Wandering through the quiet streets, I found that Montevideo is an architecual dream. Walking through Ciudad Vieja, I found myself stopping every few minutes to take a picture of an ordinary house or building; but thats the thing, there weren't ordinary at all. Uruguayan architecture seems to be a mixture of classic French design with hints of British gothic. Although some buildings have cracks that tell their age, they mostly exude time-less character and understated sophistication. I reached the Mercado del Puerto and realized that the rest of the city was pretty quiet because everyone was there! Tons of restaraunts fill the old city's port. I ate at Cafe Roldo's, which was recommended in several guide books. Their choripan was ok (Argentina's choripan is better) but I did enjoy their famous medio y medio, which is half wine and half champage, which equals pure pleasure :)
An example of the typical architecture in Ciudad Vieja
After lunch, I headed back to Plaza Independencia to take a tour of Teatro Solis, which is a pretty well-known theater. After seeing the theater and learning its histoy, I sauntered down la Avenida 18 de Julio, which is Montevideo's main aveunue. I always happen to pick travel dates that seem to coincide with a date of importance in other countries, and this trip was no different. I was met by a parade. I asked a man what they were celebrating, and he said diversity. Uruguay is more diverse than Argentina - claiming Italian, Spanish, indigenous and African roots. The parade livened up the otherwise quiet downtown, drawing crowds with its latin music and dancing. And of course, I couldn't go to Montevideo without visitng its world-famous beaches. After a day of wandering, I took a late afternoon break to relax and read on Pocitos beach.
Playa de los Pocitos
That night I went back to Teatro Solis to see a play. Teatro Solis is Uruguay's counterpart to BsAs' Teatro Colón, which is renowned for having outstanding accounstics. I was devastated when I learned that the Colón would be closed for reconstruction until 2010, but decided that what the Solis offered would be the next best thing. After living in Argentina for the past couple of months, I was happy to find that I actually understood some of the jokes - it's hard to understand jokes in a different language and culture sometimes.
Teatro Solis
After dinner, I went to my hostel and met the other girls I was sharing a room with - Brazilian girls, who spoke no Spanish. And no English. Considering the only word I know in Portuguese is "obrigado" (hello), we had to make due. Surprisingly, we had pretty good conversation, with me speaking in Spanish and them in Portuguese. It's realitively easy for Portuguese speakers to understand Spanish, but is more difficult for Spanish speakers to understand Portuguese. After getting used to their accents, I started picking up similar words and "understanding" Portuguese!
The next morning I woke up to a rainy Montevideo. I was sad to leave, but opted to change travel plans and spend time in sunny Colonia del Sacramento. This was Uruguay's first city, and it exudes colonial charm. Think of it as the Uruguayan version of Jamestown or Williamsburg. I walked the cobblestoned streets and admired the buildings which were so different from Montevideo's. I saw the city's notable sights and then relaxed over lunch in an outdoor cafe, located on the corner of La Calle de los Suspiros (the street of sighs...how romantic, I know). After a lovely afternoon in Colonia I decided against spending the night since I was so close to home.
Colonia
After this trip - the gorgeous cities, architecture and beaches - I have to say, I absolutely adore Uruguay.
Besitos, B.
No comments:
Post a Comment