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Venezuela
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Suriname
French Guiana
Brazil (Part 1)
Brazil (Part 2)
Paraguay
Argentina
Uruguay
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Peru
Ecuador
Colombia

URUGUAY

JANUARY 2006

Montevideo: A man rides a horse through the city with the treasures he's collected from the trash

Uruguay: seems like it's Argentina's little brother with its noticable European influence and similar economic problems. I was half-expecting it to be, well, more of a disaster area, but the infrastructure is as good as one can ask for in South America. The countryside is filled with rolling hills and cows. It's a perfect side trip from Buenos Aires, since it's only a short boat ride across the Rio de la Plata. Many locals I spoke with seemed disappointed that I wasn't seeing more of their country or staying longer, and they had a valid point. Uruguay is simply a nice place, and it wouldn't be the worst thing to bum around here for a while.

Simpson's Fans: Remember what Homer said when looking at Uruguay on a map? "Hee hee! Look at this country. You are gay!"

To give you an idea of how affordable Uruguay is, here's what I paid to go there:

Round trip on the slow boat (3 hours from Buenos Aires to Colonia)

Bus transfer from Colonia to Montevideo (2 ½ hours each way)

Two nights at a four-star hotel located on the river and a short walk from the old city

Two breakfasts and two dinners

One small cookie left in my room

Grand Total: US$150

Unbelievable, huh? Keep in mind, this was a package deal sold by Buquebus, the boat operator. I could have slummed it by buying the boat tickets and staying in some dump. That would have saved another 50 bucks.

The duty free shop on the boat had some really good prices and some really bad prices. I'm not a shopper at all, in fact, I rarely buy anything, but I can still spot a good deal from a rip off.

Carton of Marlboro Lights: US$15 (GOOD DEAL)

Bottle of Tabasco Sauce: US$12 (BAD DEAL)

Bottle of Absolut Vodka: US$15 (GOOD DEAL)

Small cup of Smarties candy US$7 (BAD DEAL)

The boat ride itself was very comfortable; it was easily on the same level of any in Europe. Immigration controls for exit and entry were done at the same time before embarking. Mr. Argentina and Mr. Uruguay were sitting right next to each other....a brilliant idea, because upon arrival you avoid a stampede of people trying to get through immigration.

When I returned to Argentina from Uruguay, I met a Canadian man who swore the immigration officials tried to "lose" his tourist card, so he would have to pay a fine. I can't confirm this. I don't think anyone would pull that stunt on me, especially when they see every page in my passport filled with stamps. Still, that's something you should always watch out for.

Montevideo: is the very mellow, although not overly attractive capital of Uruguay. It is pronounced "mon-tay-bih-DAY-oh" NOT "mon-tee-VID-ee-oh"

Some Highlights:

There is a large river on the southern end of the city called the Rio de la Plata. This river empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Alongside the river is a road and a path where people jog and ride their bikes for several miles.

Buffet Grand Dragon: An all you can eat Chinese buffet for less that US$4. The quality wasn't great, and there were no soups, but what a deal!

There was a store in the city center called "Bilboard." Their sign looked exactly like the logo of the music industry magazine with the same name. Maybe the missing "L" keeps them out of legal trouble.

At the Dublin Irish Pub, I met a local guy who told me that he was glad to have a conversation with someone about something other than Uruguay. He worked with computers and had his own one bedroom apartment for US$150/month.

I also visited the U.S. embassy, because I needed more pages in my passport. The consular officer was extremely polite, and we both agreed that it would be best if I replace the passport when I return home. If you have a stack of blank pages in the middle of a beaten-up passport, you can sometimes have a lot of explaining to do.

Inexperienced American traveler: At the bus terminal, I tried to help an American woman who was panicked. She didn't even know what city she was in. Montevideo is the only city of any size in the entire country! She also thought she was at the ferry terminal and not the bus terminal. There is no water anywhere near the bus terminal. This is someone who probably should stay at home.

Colonia del Sacramento: known popularly as "Colonia" is a cozy, pleasant town that is very popular with foreign tourists. It's a really nice place, but three hours is all you need.

Montevideo: Looking east toward Plaza Independencia