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

Ten Things That I Want To Do In Uruguay

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Ten Things I Want To Do In Uruguay

“When you’re traveling, ask the traveler for advice, not someone whose lameness keeps him in one place.” Rumi

Punta De Este is the “Hamptons Of South America.” Relax at a beautiful hotel and visit the beaches.

See Casapueblo. It is an art museum in a nine story white washed hillside building owned by artist Carlos Paez Vilaro, in Punta Del Este.

Eat at La Huella in the trendy fishing village of Jose Ignacio with its interesting shops, lighthouse and beautiful beaches.

Take a street art tour in Montevideo.

Since I won’t be there for Carnaval, there is a Carnaval Museum in Montevideo.

Visit the Mercado de los Artesanos, packed with local handicrafts, or Sunday’s sprawling Feria de Tristán Narvaja in Montevideo.

Walk La Rambla in Montevideo which is the longest sidewalk in the world that runs the full length of Montevide’s coastline (13.5 miles – so maybe half and uber back) Stop at the Mercado Del Puerto.

Have some good asado ( barbecued meats), yerba mate and dulce de leche (similar to Argentina).

Visit a vineyard and do some wine tasting. Uruguay is known for the red Tannat.

Drive along the coast and stop and different fishing villages and beaches.

Fly safe,

JAZ

Natural Health Products From Different Countries That I Can’t Live Without

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Natural Health Products From Different Countries That I Can’t Live Without

“We are healthy only to the extent that our ideas are humane.” Kurt Vonnegut, Breakfast Of Champions

Manuka Honey is made by bees that feed the Manuka trees in New Zealand. It has antibacterial properties and has been used by the Maori in their tonics and remedies for many years. Manuka Honey is graded with UMF rating. A rating of 20 or above will give you the strongest medical benefits. Under that number, it is still expensive and tastes good and acts like other honey. I use it for everything. It is particularly good for colds and wound healing. You can get it on Amazon.

Japan is a country of specific etiquette. Correct manners are very important to the Japanese. It’s very easy to embarrass yourself in Japan as an American. Japan is a society of cleanliness. It is a culture of bath houses and onsens. You have never seen so many people brushing their teeth and gargling in public restrooms. Japanese are obsessed with Gargling With Salt as a cure for everything. My Japanese friends carry salt when they travel. According to my doctor, it’s a home remedy that really works. They also carry handkerchiefs in case there is nothing to dry their hands with in a public restroom.

I stumbled upon Twenty Per Cent Arnica (ours is five percent) in Israel when I hurt my knee in Tel Aviv. Your bruise can be gone in two days. I found it at a homeopathic pharmacy on Ben Yehuda Street. I use it very sparingly till I get more.

Coca Tea is used in the Andes to help with altitude sickness- which it does. I drank it every day in Peru. It also gives you an energy boost without the caffeine spikes. I usually drink it as my second cup of coffee. It is also good if you have an upset stomach.

Olive Oil in Spain cures everything. If you are sick, it will make you well. If you are fat it will make you thin. If you are short, it will make you tall. I also use it as a make up remover.

Be physically and mentally prepared to shop in the Spice Market in Istanbul, Turkey. Be in a good mood. You will have many best friends and marriage proposals. Years ago, a man working there told me of the health benefits of Turmeric. Though the market is known for saffron, I had also heard turmeric was good for illnesses. I’ve been taking it ever since and most recently bought some at the Arab Market in Jerusalem.

At Ver A Paso market in Belem, Brazil I got some Brazilian Ginseng from the Amazon. It is used to build your immune system and give energy. They had a lot of interesting health products including many kinds of natural Viagra (seemed to be a big seller) but that was the only one I knew.

I came back from Argentina with Yerba Mate and a Yerba Mate cup and straw. Yerba Mate is the national drink of Argentina. Besides being a stimulant with less caffeine the coffee, it is packed with nutrients. It can boost the immune system, burn fat, increase bone density and help with digestive problems.

Marula Oil is a highly anti-inflammatory plant oil from South Africa and is known for it’s very high antioxidant count and light texture. It is naturally soothing, fast-absorbing and suitable for all skin types including reactive and sensitive. ( that would be me). My daughter gave a small bottle to her wedding guests in South Africa. I loved it. I get it on Amazon now as well.

Fly safe,

JAZ

Things I Have Learned In Misiones, Argentina (Iguazu Falls)

Posted on August 28, 2013 by jaynezak

“They say that people who live near waterfalls, don’t hear the water.”

Jonathan Safran Foer

Misiones is a province in Northeast Argentina. It is surrounded by Paraguay, Brazil and Corrientes Province. It was part of Paraguay in the 1800’s.

The land is mostly covered in a subtropical forest. (Emilio White – photographer)

The rocks and soil have a high iron content giving the ground a red color.

Paraguay is the largest producer of marijuana in the world. (no it is not, it is yerba maté which is also grown here)

Yerba Mate is grown in Misiones and Corrientes provinces of Northeast Argentina. It was originally cultivated by the Guarani people. it called mate after the gourd it is drunk from. It is a stimulant but has less caffeine than coffee or tea.

You can get to Paraguay in ten minutes by rowboat.

San Ignacio Mission was one of the many missions founded in 1632 by the Jesuits in what the Spanish called the Province of Paraguay in the Americas during the Spanish Colonial Period.

This is an odd admission fee price breakdown.

The history of these ruins will be familiar to anyone who has seen the movie “The Mission” with Robert De Niro and Jeremy Irons. It is one of the most beautiful musical scores by Ennio Morricone from a movie and the themes go around in my head as I walk through the ruins. (Play music)

It was designated a world heritage site by Unesco and World Monument site.San Ignacio Miní was included in the inaugural 1996 Monuments Watch by the World Monuments Fund.

The impressive well-preserved ruins are “ Guarani Baroque style” . The mission guides explain how the missions were maintained and run. Originally the Guarani joined the missions to escape slavery by Paraquay and Brazil. Eventually the Spaniards got rid of the Jesuits to enslave the Guarani themselves,

The Guarani are a group of indigenous people who live in Paraguay, Brazil and Misiones.(Guarani selling orchids on the side of the road)

There is 1 per cent left of the Atlantic Rainforest in Missiones. Conservationists are working very hard to save what is left. There are many endangered animals birds and fish and amphibians – including the giant otter, anteater, jaguar and tiger, Brazilian merganser and harpy eagle and crocodiles. (Emilio White- photographer)

Iguazu Falls are the waterfalls of the Iguazu River located on the border of the Brazilian state of Parana and the Argentine province of Misiones. The falls divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu.

The waterfall system consists of 275 falls along 1.67 miles of the Iguazu River. (Emilio White photographer)

Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca (head of cow) was the first European to find the falls in 1541. One of the falls on the Argentine side is named after him. The falls were rediscovered by Boselli at the end of the nineteenth century and another Argentine fall is named after him. (Emilio White -photographer)

No, I am not on this boat. Yes, that is a real rainbow.

Iguazu Falls has the greatest annual flow of any waterfall in the world. The water falling over Iguazu in peak rainy season has a surface of about 40 hectare (1.3 million ft.). They are taller and twice as wide as Niagara Falls.

Do not feed the Coati. The photos will explain.

The Devil’s Throat (Gargantuan Del Diablo), a U-shaped, 82 meter high (269 feet), 150 meter wide and 700 meter long (490 by 2300 ft) cataract, is the most impressive of all marking the border between Argentina and Brazil.

Two thirds of the falls are in Argentine territory.

The water from the lower Iguazu collects in a canyon that drains the Parana River in Argentina, shortly downstream form the Itaipu Dam.

How is the water?

Iguazu Falls are the result of a volcanic eruption which left a large crack in the earth.

The best time to see the falls are in Spring and Autumn. Summer is intensely hot and humid and in winter the water level is much lower.

Seeing Iguazu Falls, I stand in awed wonder. They are my first important waterfalls. You know that man can never create anything this perfect. It will always be a favorite place for me. They will be my reminder of beauty and power in nature and life,

Special thanks to my guide, wildlife photographer Emilio White, for sharing Misiones and the rainforest with me. It is always best to see something for the first time with someone who is as passionate about the rainforest as Emilio is. He is currently working on a book about the Atlantic Rainforest and Iguazu Falls, I can’t wait to see it.

Buen Dia and Fly Safe,

JAZ

Things I Have Learned In Argentina

Posted on June 16, 2013 by jaynezak

Things I Have Learned In Argentina

“I am not sure that I exist, actually. I am all the writers that I have read, all the people that I have met, all the women that I have loved; all the cities I have visited.”

―Jorges Luis Borges (Argentine writer)

An asado in Argentina is every carnivore’s dream. Gather your friends, drink wine and coca cola and stuff yourself with meat.

Futbol (soccer) is a passion of the Argentine people. Every pueblo has at least one soccer field. When you fly into Buenos Aires you will see many.

Carlos Gardel is to tango what Elvis Presley is to rock and roll.

Art Graffiti is not exactly illegal in Argentina. You can paint on street walls in broad daylight. Graffiti artists from all over the world come here to paint.

Cristina Kirchner (Presidente of Argentina) takes a helicopter to work everyday from her house in the suburbs of Buenos Aires. You can see the Argentine tax dollars at work.

Argentina is considered to be the most literate country in South America. They were the first to publish Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years Of Solitude when others turned him down. (It is one of my favorite books so I thought I would mention it)

In Peru, I learned about what the Spanish did to the Incas. In Argentina I learned about what the Incas did to the tribes living there. Conquerors are never all that innocent. (Pucara of Tilcara- pre Inca fortification)

Driving on unpaved roads for hours in Jujuy-not so much fun; seeing the salt flats in Salinas Grandes -priceless.

A mechanical saint will come out of a door in the town hall of Humahuaca at 12:00 pm. He will wave his arms, music will play and you will be blessed. Sometimes religion is that easy.

Birds eat the parasites off animals. When you see a bird on a horse, he is working.

There are at least twenty-four legal holidays in Argentina. There is Flag Day.. There is the day to celebrate the person who made the flag. There is Friend’s Day. There is the day to celebrate the moon landing. I get the feeling Argentines’ don’t like to work so much.

Ruta 40 goes throughout Argentina like Route 66 goes through the United States.

Chile and Argentina have their problems but things are better in the last few years. It is usually about borders and waters.

Most of the tobacco grown here. Is for export to the US and China.

Argentina charges an entry fee of one hundred and sixty dollars to all visitors from the U.S. It must be paid online before the date of entry or they may not let you in when you get there. According to Argentines, this is because of all the Argentines who have paid visa fees and been denied visas. i don’t know if this is true but it sounded good.

Argentina is the largest producer and consumer of Yerba Mate. (mate cups – number one Argentine souvenir)

Eating kidneys (rimones),intestines (chinchulines), ribs, testicles, black sausage, any glands and sweetbreads is delicious to someone other than me. (intestines, etc)

It is mandatory to vote in Argentina.

Many Argentines did not like Eva Peron.

Argentines have an amazing ability to mobilize a protest. They will stand up for what they think is right or wrong and let it be heard. Late November to early January is protest high season where many of the unions will demand raises due to the out of hand inflation that takes place here every year. Drop by Plaza de Mayo or Plaza Congreso. I was there on May 25th Argentine Independence Day. They were protesting.

Paraguay is the largest producer of Marijuana. Canada is the largest exporter to the United States.

Argentine Polo players are among the best in the world. Serious polo tournaments are held here. From September to December the best polo players play in Argentina.

An altitude of 4170 meters means 13,682 feet above sea level and a headache.

An estancia is a ranch or farm with a big hacienda. They are usually many hectares. We visited many estancias for lunch. They all served asado.

Anything can be made from salt. (like this table)

Llamas and alpacas are domestic animals. Vicunas and guanacos are wild and usually cannot mate in activity. ( wild vicunas)

There are exceptions. (Coquenos, el refugio de las vicunas )

Vicunas are the Princes and Princesses of the Andes.

The Argentine government has a list of names for new babies. If the name you choose is not on the list, you cannot legally use it. Today, people can petition the government to add more names.

Gay marriage has been legal here for about year. Recently they have had their first gay divorce.

The new Pope is from Argentina.

Argentina has close affection for cinema. They have the highest rates of movie viewing in the world. They like watching both locally made movies and Hollywood flicks.

For all those who love animated films – The world’s first animated films were created and released in Argentina, by a person named Quirino Cristiani in 1917.

Argentines pronounce the LL as a soft G. They say Ja-ma for llama and pa–ree-ja for Parilla. In Salta they sometimes pronounce their R as a soft G and say peh-jo for perro. It sounds a littler Portuguese sometimes.

Argentines can smoke and own Marijuana but they cannot buy it or sell it.

Argentines can chew and posess Coca Leaves but it is illegal to buy and sell them. (Look for the Bolivian women in the square in Humahuaca, the leaves help with altitude sickness).

Condors mate in the air and mate for life. if the female dies, the male commits suicide. If the male dies, the female takes another mate for the procreation of the species. There is a lesson here. I am not sure what it is.

If a person in Argentina is carrying an iPad or IPhone, he probably bought it on the black market or he is not an Argentine.

Argentines have a coffee and a sweet around 6:00pm. Dulce De Leche is always a good choice. As I have gained a few kilos on this trip , I wish I had chosen it less.

Restaurants do not open for dinner until nine o clock. Most people eat dinner after ten. I did not understand that until I had been here for a week and eaten that huge lunch every day around two o clock. I did not get hungry till ten. You can be like the Argentines and eat meat again or be like the Americans and have soup, bread and cheese. I also completely now understand the need for the siesta till five. Having wine, meat and potatoes at lunch makes you sleepy in the afternoon.

Most public schools go from eight to twelve or one to five. They have less hours of school than we do. Their literacy rate is 97.5 per cent. Some people feel it is ok and others feel that it is too little and save for private school. Their school uniform is a white lab coat.

A dog’s best friend is his llama (pronounced jama).

Police in Argentina are known to be corrupt.

In Argentina you can dry your own red chilies in the sun.

They say that Argentina got the Iguazu Falls and Brazil got the view. I don’t know about that. They are pretty spectacular in Argentina. (complete with a real rainbow)

It takes ten minutes by rowboat to get to Paraguay from Misiones, Argentina. (view of Paraguay across the Parana River from our house)

Argentina is one of the largest producers of wines since the 16th century and has around 1800 wineries. Malbec is their most planted grape. The irrigation system was started centuries ago by Indians. It is the fifth largest wine-producing country.

Studies have shown that red wines are much better than white wines in preventing heart disease. Scientists believe that the polyphenols in red wine seeds and skins are the reason for this. High altitude wines are particularly rich in polyphenols. This is because UV radiation increases at higher elevations and results in a greater concentration of polyphenols in these wines. We visited many high altitude vineyards in Salta province.(Colome)

Torrontes is a white Argentine wine grape which produces a wine with moderate acidity and a smooth texture. I like it.

Cars have the right of way on the road. (from front of van – goats running to the side of the road – big deal for the city kid.)

Cows move slower.

Everything can be made out of cactus.

If you are planning to change pesos back into dollars at the Argentine airport as I was, don’t. Christina doesn’t allow you to give back pesos at the airport. What you change in Argentina, stays in Argentina.

Buen Dia and Fly Safe

Jayne

Travel Well, Fly Safe

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Tag Archives: Yerba Mate

Things That I Have Learned in Montevideo, Uruguay

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Ten Things That I Want To Do In Uruguay

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Natural Health Products From Different Countries That I Can’t Live Without

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Things I Have Learned In Misiones, Argentina (Iguazu Falls)

Things I Have Learned In Argentina