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Beaches Of Uruguay

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Beaches Of Uruguay

“Hello sun, once again you come and visit us unannounced. Once again in your long walk since the beginning of life…….” Carlos Paez Vilaro, Uruguayan artist

Two months out of the year (mid December to February) the beaches of Punta Del Este, Jose Ignacio and Barra are where the South American rich and famous go to party. This is where the beautiful young people come to show off their beach bodies, get a tan, eat and drink well, and then hit an all-night club or casino.

The rest of the year the beaches are quiet and most of the boutiques and restaurants are closed. If the weather is good, like it was for us, this was not a problem.

I grew up on the beach in Brooklyn. I spent my summers from eighteen to twenty five years old on the islands of Greece. I live in Venice, California. I was ready for the wide empty beaches and quiet roads of Uruguay in October.

Driving from Montevideo, we stop in Piriapolis which is Uruguay’s oldest resort town.

Located on the sparkling banks of the Rio de la Plata, it has smooth waters making it the perfect setting for those who desire long swims in the sea

With many seafront restaurants and shops, it’s also an ideal spot for a family vacation. A hike up the hill offers beautiful views of the coastline and town and Punta Del Este can be seen in the distance on a clear day.

I loved this town.

Our next stop is Casapueblo. it is a hotel, museum, and art gallery.

It was built by Uruguayan artist, sculptor, architect, writer, and composer Carlos Paez Vilaro.

One of Mr. Páez Vilaró’s most difficult times came in the winter of 1972, when a plane carrying his son Carlitos and other members of his Uruguayan rugby team crashed high in the Chilean Andes. Authorities eventually abandoned the search, but Mr. Páez Vilaró never gave his son up for dead. Finally, after 72 days, the painter’s son was found among the 16 survivors whose ordeal was retold in the book and movie ‘‘Alive.’’

He built the house by hand out of wood, white cement and stucco. The building is an enormous, bright, white labyrinth formed along the side of a cliff.

It has no straight lines, as the artist wanted it to have a natural, human feel, and to resemble the mud nests of Uruguay’s hornero birds.

Inside Casapueblo, Paez Vilaro’s art work and sculpture are displayed.

Punta del Este is Uruguay’s biggest tourist destination. It’s over-developed in parts with hundreds of tower block apartments and holiday homes, and it certainly caters towards the wealthy local summer holiday crowd. It is also incredibly popular with Argentinians and Brazilians. I see Trump is building a hotel here.

Outside of this area, though, the coastal communities remain just that, communities.

Famous beaches include La Playa De Los Dedos (The Finger Beach), famous for a giant hand emerging from the sand that’s not nearly as creepy as it sounds. The hand was supposedly put there for swimmers to pay attention to the undertow but it’s more of a photo op now.

We have lunch at Imarangatu Beach Club.

The fish was super fresh and perfectly cooked. For those of you who have traveled with me, you know when I’m hungry I forget to take photos. The ambience is great and it’s located on a beautiful beach.

The BF went in the kitchen to learn how they cooked the fish. Even with a language barrier, they couldn’t have been more helpful!!!

La Barra (Bikini Beach) is known for attracting models, and is lined with seaside mansions and many all night clubs .

Jose Ignacio with its relaxed beautiful beaches has become even more trendy in high season.

Between La Barra and Jose Ignacio is Mantiales another relaxed beach town.

We stayed at the wonderful Faisano Hotel in Punta De Este. It’s not on the coast but it is an incredibly beautiful setting with lovely rooms and a great spa.

it so relaxing, The staff is impressively helpful and you feel well taken care of. It is great to come back there after exploring the beaches.

Fly safe,

JAZ

Things That I Have Learned in Montevideo, Uruguay

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Things I Have Learned in Montevideo, Uruguay

“Montevideo is like Buenos Aires without the LA vibe.” Anthony Bourdain

Over half of the country’s 3.3 million people live in the capital, Montevideo.

Montevideo is not a city for vegetarians. Salads are few and far between. (translation-Did we make a barbecue today?)

The chivito is Uruguay’s classic sandwich. Chivo means “goat” in Spanish so it means baby goat but the sandwich is made with steak, ham, cheese, and sometimes other ingredients, like lettuce, tomato, and fried egg. We had a scaled down version.

Walk past any small eatery in Montevideo you’ll see two, three, even four people sharing a single sandwich.

Jacinto, open since 2012, is a much talked-about eatery led by Lucía Soria, an Argentine chef who trained under renowned chef and restaurateur Francis Mallmann before moving to Uruguay. Her restaurant is just off Plaza Zabala (near our hotel) in the historic heart of the city, She invents fresh and modern versions of old Uruguayan classic dishes,

The Carnaval Museum is located in the Old Town. it was free on the Sunday that I was there.

I loved the display of old carnaval photos, the music and especially the amazing costumes.

Uruguayans hold the democratic process very highly. They remember the years of dictatorship and the upcoming election is very important.

Everyone is out supporting their candidates and trying to get your vote. It is inspiring to see.

.La Rambla is the longest continuous sidewalk in the world on the banks of the Rio De La Plata. Joggers, cyclists and families are out enjoying the view.

One of the popular tourist attractions in Montevideo is the classic sign on La Rambla.

We stayed in the Ciudad Vieja or the Old Town at the Alma Historica Boutique Hotel. All the rooms are different.

We were in the Torres Garcia room which of course led us to his museum. The hotel is cool and staff is very helpful.

Joaquin Torres Garcia is perhaps Uruguay’s most famous artist, despite spending most of his life abroad in France and Spain.

García created curious portraits of historical icons such as Beethoven, Da Vinci and Dostoyevsky as well as cubist paintings similar to those of Picasso. The gift store is a good place for souvenirs.,

Jose Gurevich was born in Lithuania 1927 and moved to Uruguay when he was four years old. He was a well-renowned painter, muralist and sculptor who died at the very young age of forty seven. His museum features drawings from his life in Lithuania as well as Uruguay.

The main area of the Ciudad Vieja is the Plaza Independencia. General Artigas lead Uruguay to independence. His mausoleum is built under the square and directly below a huge iron statue of him riding a horse. It’s a really cool, unexpected mausoleum. Uruguayans know how to commemorate their independence struggle and heroes.

Architectural landmarks include the stunning Palacio Salvo, a towering masterpiece by the Italian architect Mario Palanti. The Art Deco facade may look vaguely familiar if you’ve done any sightseeing in Buenos Aires. That’s because Palacio Salvo is the graceful sister of Palacio Barolo, his other best-known work,

The Teatro Solis, yet another impressive example of Montevideo’s architecture. Built in 1856, the theater was renovated from 1998-2004, when it was reopened to the public. The theater is recognized globally for its phenomenal acoustics,

The Palacio Legislativo (the Parliament) is a huge imposing neoclassical building overlooking the city.

Mercado Agricultura de Montevideo (MAM) is a working market in a beautiful early twentieth century building.

There is plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and beef.

One thing you notice in Montevideo is that people are obsessively drinking yerba mate.They all have thermoses or that beautiful mate cup with a silver straw (bombilla) which is sold all over Uruguay. You can find bags of many varieties of yerba mate in the market. Finding yerba mate to try in a cafe is difficult. Yerba mate is bitter and an acquired taste. I had already had it in Argentina and bought the mate cup and yerba mate there. It seemed like if I wanted some in Montevideo, I was going to have to get someone to share theirs with me.

Soledad was our wonderful guide in Uruguay. She is knowledgeable, smart, funny and can change plans when needed. She was also very helpful with getting the necessary bandages for my finger and she was right. It was exactly what the doctor told me when I got home.and have to do for the next few months.

Fly safe,

JAZ

Things That I Have Learned In Uruguay

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Things That I Have Learned In Uruguay

“History never really says goodbye. History says see you later.” Eduardo Galeano, Uruguayan author

Uruguay is the second smallest country is South America.

Uruguay became the first country to supply a laptop for free to every school child. Uruguay has one of the highest literacy rates in the world with 98.1% for adults. This is largely thanks to Uruguayans’ access to free and compulsory education.

The national anthem of the country named the “Himno Nacional de Uruguay” is the world’s longest national anthem .

In Uruguay, state and religion are separate. The country does not have any official religion. It is one of the least religious countries in Latin America.

In December 2013, Uruguay became the first country in the world to legalize the production, sale and use of marijuana.

Uruguay claims to be the birthplace of the tango (as does Argentina).

Almost 95% of electricity in Uruguay is from renewable energy resources.

Uruguay contributes more troops to the UN peace keeping missions than any other country of the world.

Uruguay is the only country in Latin America which is entirely outside of the tropics.

Football is the most popular sport in Uruguay, The first-ever FIFA World Cup was held in Uruguay in 1930. Uruguay defeated Argentina 4–2 and won the FIFA World Cup in the same year.

The name Uruguay comes from the Uruguay River which means ‘river of the painted birds’ in the Guarani language. The river starts in Brazil and ends in the Rio de la Plata Basin which forms the water border between Uruguay and Argentina.

In Uruguay, cows and sheep outnumber people four to one. It is a nation of 12 million cattle but just three million people.

In 2012, a bill was approved by its Senate to legalize abortions during first-trimester pregnancies. This bill attracted a lot of attention among other countries in Latin America. The only other country in Latin America where abortion is legal is Cuba.

It is one of the few countries in South America to have access to clean water for its entire population.

Jose Mujica, who served as Uruguay’s President from 2010 to 2015, is known for his humble lifestyle. He lived on a simple farm with his wife on the outskirts of Montevideo and donated about 90% of his monthly salary to charity. Mujica set an example for politicians all over the world.

Uruguay is now the least corrupt country in Latin America. It is ranked first in the region for democracy, peace, lack of corruption, quality of life, freedom of the press, size of the middle class, prosperity and security. (getting out the vote)

This is all the more impressive considering the country was ruled by a military dictatorship until 1985. In 2009, General Gregorio Conrado Álvarez, the country’s final dictator, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for 37 counts of murder and human rights violations.

Fly safe,

JAZ