Having no preconceived idea of what Montevideo would be like, it was a surprise to me that this is such a large, modern city of over 1 million people and seems to be so well hidden. We had booked ourselves on a tour that included a ride on a steam train but it was pretty lame. The train was a restored English train that was quite well done inside. We took a slow ride for about 45 minutes and all we saw were cargo containers, small depots, and low class housing. It was very disappointing.
After the train we got into a bus and toured around the outskirts of the city for 3 more hours, stopping along the way to view the most interesting parts. As we drove through the suburban neighborhood our guide kept saying “this used to be a nice place”. According to her, Montevideo’s heyday was the end of the 19th Century when the economy was booming and life was easier. Now, as in most of the world, they face an economy that is slow and life is more difficult.
We drove by the president’s house. He chose not to live in the Presidential Palace in the city and lives on a quiet suburban street in a small wooden house surrounded by a fence. There is one police car parked outside the fence and that is the only security he has. The President is a practicing oncologist and goes to work as a doctor every day, all the while running the country of Uruguay! His biggest agenda seems to have been an anti-smoking campaign which has been pretty successful because the incidence of lung cancer has dropped during his administration. Now he should concentrate on the “”Ey” campaign like they have in Buenos Aires because there is quite a lot of trash being thrown around the city, although probably not as many cigarette butts as in the past.
After the tour we had some hours to see the city on our own before sailing, so we walked to a touristy area that was bustling with shops, restaurants, and street mimes. We walked and shopped and finally settled into a little café to have a drink. Jan and Karen came by and joined us and we had a hilarious time looking at the things Jan had bought. He is quite the shopper and can find the most unusual things.
Tomorrow we get to Rio which everyone is looking forward to. We’re taking a short morning tour to see the world famous Christ the Redeemer statue and then going out tomorrow night for a Night In Rio for dinner and samba dancing. Should be interesting!! Stay tuned.
After the train we got into a bus and toured around the outskirts of the city for 3 more hours, stopping along the way to view the most interesting parts. As we drove through the suburban neighborhood our guide kept saying “this used to be a nice place”. According to her, Montevideo’s heyday was the end of the 19th Century when the economy was booming and life was easier. Now, as in most of the world, they face an economy that is slow and life is more difficult.
We drove by the president’s house. He chose not to live in the Presidential Palace in the city and lives on a quiet suburban street in a small wooden house surrounded by a fence. There is one police car parked outside the fence and that is the only security he has. The President is a practicing oncologist and goes to work as a doctor every day, all the while running the country of Uruguay! His biggest agenda seems to have been an anti-smoking campaign which has been pretty successful because the incidence of lung cancer has dropped during his administration. Now he should concentrate on the “”Ey” campaign like they have in Buenos Aires because there is quite a lot of trash being thrown around the city, although probably not as many cigarette butts as in the past.
After the tour we had some hours to see the city on our own before sailing, so we walked to a touristy area that was bustling with shops, restaurants, and street mimes. We walked and shopped and finally settled into a little café to have a drink. Jan and Karen came by and joined us and we had a hilarious time looking at the things Jan had bought. He is quite the shopper and can find the most unusual things.
Tomorrow we get to Rio which everyone is looking forward to. We’re taking a short morning tour to see the world famous Christ the Redeemer statue and then going out tomorrow night for a Night In Rio for dinner and samba dancing. Should be interesting!! Stay tuned.
No comments:
Post a Comment