Balmoral Montevideo

So this is it. After tomorrow, I´ll be resuming a life back in reality, and re-learning how to tell what day of the week it is.<br><br>It's been a rollercoaster ride of a trip. Highs and lows and everything in between, but I'm pretty sure that I would do everything again the way that I did. Although, going forward, I think it will be a long time (if ever) before I go back to backpacking and staying in ...

... left her. (We left it anyway). Even though the wine wasn´t as impressive as Bouza it was still very good and I would go there 1000 times over. It was really a great experience. Tomorrow we plan on leaving Montevideo. Originally we were going to head up the east coast of Uruguay and hit some little beach towns but it rained today and I think our luck with the good weather has ran out. Usually this time of year its rainy and the temp is around 15C ...

... an apoinment with Ana, whom I had met in La Paloma, and we first went for a big asado in the harbour market: I had to take advantage of the country! After that I let her guide me in the city, up to the fortress, and we ended the day with a nice café at a terrace. All of that was very European, but I needed it so much... My next destination being Brazil, and the bus to Rio being a 40-hour ride, I bought a plane ticket to go there. The morning of the departure, a ...

... was about 3.30pm by the time I got to the top of the road near the funfair we'd been to so I thought it a bit let to be trekking across town on a bus so headed back to the hotel. When I got to the hotel I asked reception for an adaptor as I had bought some hair clippers in Oz but they had an Australian plug on them. Luckily the guy managed to get me one so I gave myself a number one all over, saves finding a hair dressers every two weeks. When Ismael ...

... closest being the port, the Museo del Carnaval, and Mercado del Puerto, a market where you can get tons of meat grilled in front of you...<br><br>Since we have been basically splurging on food ever since we got into Buenos Aires, perhaps it was apt that we scaled down a bit and had fast food for lunch and dinner (of course, still enjoying some ribs at the Mercado as a merienda)...

we're staying with marco's mom in montevideo and honey, talk about a room with a view. she lives on the ninth floor of an apartment building downtown and you can see the whole city from the living room. me encanta. mucho. montevideo is a lovely city quite different from anyplace else i've ever been. during a stroll around town you may see: *lots of trees. montevideo is a very green city. *little carts pulled by horses wearing hats driven by ...

... and more drum banging. Also the few days before New Year all the offices in BA threw out scraps of paper in to the street below like confetti, its a tradition in Argentina to throw all the waste paper away out of the windows at the end of each year, to make a fresh start (can you see that happening in the banking world at home with all the confidentiality laws!!). The hostel we were in held a Christmas Eve and New Year Eve´s party - the New Year eve´s one is very hazy, but I ...

... mate cup is typically passed around to each person after finishing your few sips of hot water that is constantly added after person, until the flavour is all gone. Let me tell ya, when they say it is an acquired taste, they are telling the truth! It tastes oddly like strong bitter Chinese tea and I couldnt help but make a funny face as you all know I like to do... Alejandra took a photo of me drinking it so I will try and find it and post it up as well. Roxy quite ...

... to secure one of these for us - it is a small and cheap hotel called Casa Amor - (loosely translated = Love House. Interesting!!). <br><br>We grab a cab to the hotel which is right in the centre of the city and fortunately it is not the brothel we were semi-expecting but a nice enough place and, after turning down one room because of the smell, we settle into one on the 4th floor which is reached by one of those old, french style cage lifts. <br><br>Early ...

... along as well. After a few hours of walking, I ended up back at Chris, my CS host's house, and rested for a bit waiting for him to come back from work. Then, in the evening, we went to some friends of his' house, who were very friendly, and we had some great, homemade burgers with coke and what not. Went to sleep late, but after a good day. PHOTOS