So I'm doing a review/my thoughts on Uruguay in four equal installments (we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all installments were created equal):
Montevideo is a cool little city in the southwestish area of Uruguay. It's on the water (the west side still kind of touches the river stemming from up near Buenos Aires) and the south touches the Atlantic ocean and has a very busy port (allegedly. I don't know how to determine if a port is actually busy, but the port is certainly in use.) With I think 1.something million people (remember, Uruguay in total has 3 millionish people), it's pretty relaxed, especially compared to a Buenos Aires with 15 million people. That's not to say the people are lazy, but life loves a little more slowly there. It's nice and cute and usually quiet. The buildings are absolutely beautiful as the city still has a great deal of 18th and 19th century colonial architecture. The city is well-lit at night, but not as well-lit as Buenos Aires. Combined with the relative scarcity of people, the town can feel like a ghosttown at night, all spooky like, especially when there's a chill in the air and the wind is up. It's all "Where is everyboddyyyy?" and then you see the sign "Don't Open Dead Inside".
Montevideo is also very nice because, as I said, it's on the water, and when things are the water, what else are there bound to be? Beaches. That's right, betch. Beaches. There's plenty of 'em. And it's nice. And people go. And I get burnt. Also, when I was there, mid-November until beginning of December, it was hot. I mean, it did rain some, but, well, you didn't come here for a weather report, now did you? I saw a little volleyball, a little bit more futbol.
I'll take a minute to talk about a couple neighborhoods in Montevideo. First, Cuidad Vieja (Old City for you gringos and gringas). Cuidad Vieja is a nice part of town during the day, but watch yourself. People may try to rob you here. There is very, very little violent crime in Montevideo, so your odds of someone trying to rob you with a weapon are pretty slim, but don't take any chances. Watch your shit. And, just, don't go there at night. Just don't. Second, Pocitos. Pocitos, to me, is about the nicest neighborhood in Montevideo. Plenty of money, but people aren't flashy. But all around there, on the water, people are running on the sidewalks. People are like, superactive here. It's interesting because I heard Uruguay has the second highest rate of obesity or diabetes or something in the world, just after, you guessed it, the US. It's weird because when you're in Montevideo, it seems like everybody is trying to out fit each other.
Montevideo has some very nice parks. If you're there, go visit Parque Rodo. Pretty sweet. Also, around the city there are plenty of hamburger (hamburguesa) and hotdog (pancho) stands. Get a hambuger. You won't regret it. Seriously, these things are good. Put some peppers and shit on it.
Well, this post is getting long enough, but I wanna talk about one more pretty thing in Montevideo...the trees. Not kidding. Along the street and in the parks, the city has done a GREAT job with pretty trees.
When you walk down lots and lots and lots of the streets in Montevideo, they are lined with trees. In perfect formation. That is probably what makes you notice it more than anything. They are evenly spaced and for each tree that is on one side of the street, there is one that matches it on the other. There is, what I like to call, symmetry. And the the trees are large and strong and beautiful and many, if not all, have been cut or naturally made to bend so they angle themselves over the street. As they do such, since every tree on one side has a one-for-one match on the other, the trees meet in the middle and the all form a canopy down the road. It's magical.
It's quite impressive, really, because I don't think this is as easy as it looks, mainly because of the scale of the undertaking. Montevideo has what I call "half-blocks". That means that for every 1000 numbers in the addresses, it takes two blocks to cover that many numbers. A block, then, only covers 500 numbers. I am used to blocks covering either 100 or 1000 in numbers. But not in Montevideo. The point is, Montevideo has a LOT of blocks. And this is what I mean by scale. Montevideo, in the city, has lots of blocks and lots of streets. So to line every street with trees, and then to maintain them, is a massive undertaking. I'm not sure why they did this, but if nothing it certainly made the city very pretty.
And that's it. I doubt you want to read about trees any more. I just wanted to point out the fact that Montevideo has done something marvelous for its city with the trees and praise it as such. For whatever else they are doing, right or wrong, they got the trees right.
So that's it about Montevideo. Think I missed something? Want me to add something? Well, there's about 4700 different ways you can contact me via social media or whatnot, so have at it.
Update 1 (2013-12-18)
Oh, by the way, at some of the beaches, it looks like there are gold flecks in the water. I'm not kidding. The water is dirty but swimmable there so this additional detail doesn't deter me as well but I swear it's like you're wading into a bottle of Goldschlager. It's really weird. I didn't find what I was looking for when I didn't find it on the first page of my Google search results (which indicates the information exists nowhere in the world) so I gave up there. I also mentioned this to several people in Montevideo and they had no idea what I'm talking about so either I'm the only who can see the fortune/pollution (one man's trash, right?) in the sea or I've had a stroke. Anyways, if you DO know what I'm talking about and/or have any idea what it's about, let me know. Comment on this post, Facebook me, e-mail, tweet at me. Hell, Snapchat me. Whatevs. Outskees.
- Uruguay - an overall review and my thoughts on what they're doing right or wrong as a country
- Montevideo - thoughts on the capital city
- Colonia - one word: chivitos
- Punta del Este - best beaches in South America (so far)
Montevideo is a cool little city in the southwestish area of Uruguay. It's on the water (the west side still kind of touches the river stemming from up near Buenos Aires) and the south touches the Atlantic ocean and has a very busy port (allegedly. I don't know how to determine if a port is actually busy, but the port is certainly in use.) With I think 1.something million people (remember, Uruguay in total has 3 millionish people), it's pretty relaxed, especially compared to a Buenos Aires with 15 million people. That's not to say the people are lazy, but life loves a little more slowly there. It's nice and cute and usually quiet. The buildings are absolutely beautiful as the city still has a great deal of 18th and 19th century colonial architecture. The city is well-lit at night, but not as well-lit as Buenos Aires. Combined with the relative scarcity of people, the town can feel like a ghosttown at night, all spooky like, especially when there's a chill in the air and the wind is up. It's all "Where is everyboddyyyy?" and then you see the sign "Don't Open Dead Inside".
Montevideo is also very nice because, as I said, it's on the water, and when things are the water, what else are there bound to be? Beaches. That's right, betch. Beaches. There's plenty of 'em. And it's nice. And people go. And I get burnt. Also, when I was there, mid-November until beginning of December, it was hot. I mean, it did rain some, but, well, you didn't come here for a weather report, now did you? I saw a little volleyball, a little bit more futbol.
I'll take a minute to talk about a couple neighborhoods in Montevideo. First, Cuidad Vieja (Old City for you gringos and gringas). Cuidad Vieja is a nice part of town during the day, but watch yourself. People may try to rob you here. There is very, very little violent crime in Montevideo, so your odds of someone trying to rob you with a weapon are pretty slim, but don't take any chances. Watch your shit. And, just, don't go there at night. Just don't. Second, Pocitos. Pocitos, to me, is about the nicest neighborhood in Montevideo. Plenty of money, but people aren't flashy. But all around there, on the water, people are running on the sidewalks. People are like, superactive here. It's interesting because I heard Uruguay has the second highest rate of obesity or diabetes or something in the world, just after, you guessed it, the US. It's weird because when you're in Montevideo, it seems like everybody is trying to out fit each other.
Montevideo has some very nice parks. If you're there, go visit Parque Rodo. Pretty sweet. Also, around the city there are plenty of hamburger (hamburguesa) and hotdog (pancho) stands. Get a hambuger. You won't regret it. Seriously, these things are good. Put some peppers and shit on it.
Well, this post is getting long enough, but I wanna talk about one more pretty thing in Montevideo...the trees. Not kidding. Along the street and in the parks, the city has done a GREAT job with pretty trees.
When you walk down lots and lots and lots of the streets in Montevideo, they are lined with trees. In perfect formation. That is probably what makes you notice it more than anything. They are evenly spaced and for each tree that is on one side of the street, there is one that matches it on the other. There is, what I like to call, symmetry. And the the trees are large and strong and beautiful and many, if not all, have been cut or naturally made to bend so they angle themselves over the street. As they do such, since every tree on one side has a one-for-one match on the other, the trees meet in the middle and the all form a canopy down the road. It's magical.
It's quite impressive, really, because I don't think this is as easy as it looks, mainly because of the scale of the undertaking. Montevideo has what I call "half-blocks". That means that for every 1000 numbers in the addresses, it takes two blocks to cover that many numbers. A block, then, only covers 500 numbers. I am used to blocks covering either 100 or 1000 in numbers. But not in Montevideo. The point is, Montevideo has a LOT of blocks. And this is what I mean by scale. Montevideo, in the city, has lots of blocks and lots of streets. So to line every street with trees, and then to maintain them, is a massive undertaking. I'm not sure why they did this, but if nothing it certainly made the city very pretty.
And that's it. I doubt you want to read about trees any more. I just wanted to point out the fact that Montevideo has done something marvelous for its city with the trees and praise it as such. For whatever else they are doing, right or wrong, they got the trees right.
So that's it about Montevideo. Think I missed something? Want me to add something? Well, there's about 4700 different ways you can contact me via social media or whatnot, so have at it.
Update 1 (2013-12-18)
Oh, by the way, at some of the beaches, it looks like there are gold flecks in the water. I'm not kidding. The water is dirty but swimmable there so this additional detail doesn't deter me as well but I swear it's like you're wading into a bottle of Goldschlager. It's really weird. I didn't find what I was looking for when I didn't find it on the first page of my Google search results (which indicates the information exists nowhere in the world) so I gave up there. I also mentioned this to several people in Montevideo and they had no idea what I'm talking about so either I'm the only who can see the fortune/pollution (one man's trash, right?) in the sea or I've had a stroke. Anyways, if you DO know what I'm talking about and/or have any idea what it's about, let me know. Comment on this post, Facebook me, e-mail, tweet at me. Hell, Snapchat me. Whatevs. Outskees.
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