Hotel Aramaya Montevideo

We´d heard Montevideo went off for Carnivale without the touristy feel of Rio, but weren´t quite sure what to expect. There were two sides to Carnivale, the more Äfro-Caribbean¨ influenced street parties, and the highly professional stage based competitions, the finals of which were the weekend we were there (bit of judgement, but more luck than anything!) After asking around, we found out where the main arena for the ...

... their shiny fancy costumes. Incredible music was blasting from the dozens of drummers walking along in their costumes. All the drums had their final preps done on the street which meant little fires here and there as the drummers stretched and tuned to their drums to the heat. Right downtown. AWESOME! Our bus to BA was leaving at 7, so wake up was needed at 6 am. We got back to the hotel around 2, quite happy with what we got out of Montevideo in such a short time.

Today was quite different than we expected. We were scheduled to have the day in port at Montevideo, Uruguay today. Instead, we were awakened early by the captain announcing that we were at anchor in the water off the coast of Uruguay. We were at the convergence of the Rio de la Plata and the Southern Atlantic Ocean. The captain advised that due to level 9 (??) gale force winds, our ship was unable to enter the ...

... day, we headed out to explore the city. Majestic, authentic and sleepy, Montevideo seems to be a city on permanent siesta. Free of most multinational chains (except McDonalds of course) and the hastily built modern architecture that goes with it, the unique blend of classic European and Latin design gives the city center a flavor that is truly all its own. As one walks further down Avenida 18 De Julio, you reach a main square which borders the Ciudad Vieja, where ...

... ratio of people to tourist police was about 2:1. Amazing contrasts in the old town, many crumbling buildings with windows bricked up, waiting for someone to snatch it up and realise it´s potential, others have already taken advantage of an influx of EU funds and are restored to their former glory. We made it all the way down to the water and discovered where all the people had been hiding. Hundreds of fishing poles bobbing in and out of the ...

... downtown for lunch and the 2 pm performance at the Teatro Solis. About 12:15, we were amazed to see a very long line (over 50) of people waiting at a bank. Surely not for the ATM! It was a mystery. (Per Pedro, this is the day that people get their Social Security checks and want to cash them.) We shared a veggie pattie (fried, and Philip thinks it gave him indigestion) and ¨smashed pumpkin¨(mashed butternut squash) - both excellent. Philip ...

... that a rich man had built as his residence. It was not<br>furnished original furniture, but it was period furniture. Then in Piriapolis we had a typical Uruguayan meal which was lots of fun as we had Claudia and Pablo join us. We all had a relaxing, good time together. They helped us order and Claudia explained things about what<br>we were having which made it even more enjoyable.<br><br>We ate at a bar-b-que restaurant, La Rotonda. We sat at a table outside, but when we went in to see how ...

... and is basically just a massively expensive tourist trap. We arrived in their quiet winter season and the place was deserted. A cold wind was blowing in from the Atlantic, and the water was far from inviting, its brown, polluted and cold. There are a number of beaches, a few with decent surfing waves but all were crowded with surfers making the most of the cold, windy, chopped up conditions. This place would be absolutely mad in Summer but ...