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Only three hours from Buenos Aires, the capital of the neighboring country is very welcoming, complete with its historic sights and that typical Uruguayan charm.
Our trip begins on Friday. It’s not necessary to take the first morning flight from Buenos Aires, but it is worth it. There is also an option to take the Buquebus ferry service that leaves from Puerto Madero at 8am and arrives at 11am.
From the Montevideo airport to most hotels is a twenty minute cab ride. Pass through the residential neighborhood of Carrasco which has a great nightlife and a shopping center. By taxi, you can go to the Buceo and the Damaso Antonio Larranaga Oceanography Museum.
At the hotel, they greet us with the typical cordial Uruguayan greeting. The quiet morning calms any nerves that we may have had from the short trip. There are many sightseeing alternatives at this point, but we decide to relax first. We rest, shower, dress, and go out to lunch at the market at the port. There we browse the stands, the art galleries, and chat with the local artisans. We go back to the hotel.
Later in the day, we go out again. The sun sets. We drink tea at the Zorrilla Museum overlooking the river. The sky is blue, almost transparent. Walking on the boardwalk gives you the feel for the wonderful, positive spirit that is Uruguay. The breeze, the fresh scent of the sea, the seagulls diving in and out of the waves, the people coming and going in their work out gear, the people relaxing on the benches, and almost everyone drinking mate with their thermos’. What is not to like?
After a stroll, I do a bit of reading. At 8:45pm, I leave the book behind. We get dressed to go out again. She looks stunning. The night is always beautiful. We will walk to La Lupita or Tabare. Tabare is an old restaurant from the past century. Carlos Gardel passed by this place on occasion. Caetano Veloso, among other famous guests, sang in the garden. The garden is open Tuesday to Fridays where live acts sing while the people eat sushi. We leave Tabare for another night, and we go directly to Luis de la Torre Street to La Lupita.
At times there would be a light sprinkle, but we still preferred to walk instead of hailing a taxi. Montevideo is a city of short distances. On the way, we are reminded that we could have gone to La Perdiz, but the informal atmosphere of La Lupita is more inviting and they have fantastic spicy Mexican food.
After a short walk, we take a taxi to the Old City. We walk along Bartolome Mitre Street. The tranquility follows us. The Old City with its colonial architecture is the home to a slew of clubs and restaurants. It’s an area preferred by locals and tourists. We have a few drinks, and we have finally settled into the Estada behind the Solis Theatre. It is difficult to get a table. The majority of the people are young. In Montevideo, the generations mix together all over the place. Musicians, both known and unknown, keep the music going. A woman of about 80 years old smiles as she sees her 50 year old son go up front to play. She has no where to sit, so we invite her to our table. She drinks some tequila with us. Then, Gonzalo Farrugia appears -- the drummer from that 1970’s band Crucis. They tell me that a few months ago Lou Reed stopped by. The night has been long. Now, its time to sleep. We take a taxi back to the hotel.
Maybe tomorrow we will go to the Cabildo Museum or to the Bellas Artes Art Museum or to Torres Garcia. Or perhaps we will go to the Azulejo Museum and its small collection of 2000 Spanish and Portuguese colonial pieces. We will eat lunch in one of the many restaurants on the beach. It looks to be a perfect world. The beaches in Montevideo are pollution-free and you can take a dip in the ocean.
Saturday is an intense day. We go to Los Yuyos with its seventy type of grappas and then pass by Bar 62. On Sunday, we walk around the Tristan Narvaja Fair, a giant flea market with virtually everything. We say goodbye to the city with a plan to return after we take a tour of other Uruguayan points of interest.
Prices and Directions:
Exchange: $25 uruguayan=US$1
Hotels: between US$80 -100 per night (double)
Taxi: Taxis are expensive. From the airport to Punta Carretas its about $500 uruguayan. A short trip is $100. Regardless the best way to get to know Montevideo is on foot
Renting a car: US$30 per day
La Lupita: Luis de la Torre 565
Bar Tabaré: Zorilla de San Martín 152
La Estada: Ciudadela 1250
Bar 25: Barreiro 3301
Los Yuyos: Luis a.Herrera 4297
La Perdiz: Guipúzcoa 350
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