During the long ride in the taxi (the airport isn't in the city center), I found out a fair bit about the city, in addition to getting to ride through a bunch of neighborhoods on the way to my own. For instance, on Sundays (the day I arrived), everything is closed. Also, when it is raining (as on the day I arrived), people do not go to the beach. So, after 22 hours of travel, it didn't seem like a waste of time to take a little nap when I got to my hotel. When I woke up, I decided to go for a walk in the 'hood to see what was around, since I didn't want to spend the entire day cooped up in the room, and in walking around town, I found that what I had already learned was true -- the city really was shut down...all except for the internet cafe, where I stopped by to catch up on real life for a bit, do some blogging, etc. Someone once said that when people write autobiographies, they are never completely accurate because the writer is never capable of reaching the moment in which he/she is actually writing. He/she can come close, but there will always be a gap -- even if slight -- between the moment the writer leaves off and the writer's present. It's always been something interesting to consider...one of those random things I remember learning in college but without the faintest idea of who actually said it. Anyway, after that, I went to get dinner, and in the interest of catching up on the rest of my sleep, I then went back to the hotel.
By the following morning (Monday), I had already decided that I wasn't going to be leaving Montevideo that day as I had originally thought. Since I didn't get to see the ''real'' Montevideo, I figured I would give it its fair shot and stay an extra day, so I extended my stay there by one day. Still keeping in mind the lack of guidance from my
I started the day by walking toward Plaza Independencia, one of the main squares in the city. I then checked out the Teatro Solis (Solis Theater -- Uruguay's oldest theater, built in 1857) from the outside, since it hadn't yet opened for the day. At this point, I saw a bunch of official-looking people congregating outside a nearby building alongside Plaza Independencia, so naturally, I had to go find out what the ruckus was about. I asked a police officer what the deal was and he said there would be a conference there that the president of Uruguay would be attending. Apparently, everyone was waiting around for the other official people to arrive and, of course, for the president, so I waited, too...and waited...and waited...and waited. I waited for maybe 15-20 minutes, watching other officials roll in, before I finally decided that I had other things to do (though I knew not what), so I decided that I would stay until my watch read 9:55am (at this point it was 9:53). Sure enough, somewhere toward the end of 9:54, some guy gets out of his shnazzy car and everyone starts snapping pics (as opposed to when only some of the journalists would be snapping pics), so I did, too. And then a trumpet song played and the guy got escorted into the building, and *finally* I got to go in search of breakfast and continue along my way. Seeing the president of Uruguay before breakfast when I had no idea where I was going? Not a bad start to the morning, I suppose.
After breakfast (think Eggo with honey and fresh squeezed orange juice), I kept walking along the main street and saw that there was really just shopping to be done (but not by me). I kept going until I saw yet another crowd of people in yet another plaza, called Plaza Fabini. Not one to pass a crowd of people without knowing what's going on, I (yes, again) went to see what the fuss was about. It turned out it was a protest by teachers, who were fighting to get a higher salary, better benefits, etc. (I asked.) And once again, I continued on my way. (I took a quick detour to go to the bus station to buy my bus ticket for the following day to go to a town called Colonia del Sacramento but was told that I had to go to the bus station on the other side of town (about two blocks up and twenty blocks over). They seemed astonished when I asked for directions and indicated that it was because I would be walking there. I then went back to where I had left off on that original main street because following this street would eventually take me in the direction of that other bus station anyway, so there was no need to change my course of action.)
Continuing along this street, I saw a big church that looked important (relative to what I had already seen), so I went in, took the obligatory ''church picture'' and left, as there really wasn't much more to see. Then, I was back on the street. A few minutes later, I saw a big building that looked more interesting and more inviting than the church, as people kept going in and out of this one, talking to one another, and I didn't see anyone asking for money right outside (though I'm sure everyone would have gladly accepted an extra peso or two). I crossed the street and as I went in the building, too (if everyone else can, why can't I?), I remembered another tidbit of information I had learned from my taxi driver the previous day: Monday was the first day of school! So I walked into the university, and like every first day at a new school, I proceeded to get lost on the first floor of the building, because, well, hell -- both of those courtyards looked exactly alike! But since it was the first day, no one looked at me any differently than they looked at other new kids (I don't think?), and I was just happy to walk into and out of school in a span of about 15 minutes!
I eventually made it to the bus station and bought my ticket for the following day and then crossed town to have lunch at the Mercado del Puerto, a place that no longer functions as a market but, rather, a place where there are lots of places to, in short, eat meat. So, eat meat I did. Not being an Uruguayan and not knowing what the specialty was, I asked for a recommendation and ended up with a plate of baby beef, which was deeeelicious! While I was sitting there, I met a girl from London named Sophia who has been in Montevideo for the past two months, trying to improve her Spanish. I showed her my map of Montevideo and she confirmed for me that I had basically walked the 'things to do' part of Montevideo, as outside the confines of my map, there is nothing but farmland and residential areas. After lunch, we said goodbye and went our separate ways.
Having done most of what I could think of, I continued along my wandering path, checking out a little bit of the Old City (which I was advised against, as it is "old as in 'old and falling apart' and not old as in 'pretty and maintained,''' Sophia told me), and then eventually passing by Iglesia Matriz, the Cathedral of Montevideo. When I walked out, I walked down a pedestrian street where, about 45 minutes after having left the Mercado del Puerto, I ran into Sophia again. Such is the nature of a small city, she said. She recommended that I return to Plaza Independencia, as it is possible to go down underneath the plaza, where the ashes of José Gervasio Artigas Aznar, one of Montevideo's leaders (sometimes called ''the father of Uruguayan independence''), are kept and guarded. She suggested it not because it was a huge tourist attraction, but because it was something more to do. So I did it.
And so ends the tour of the 'video, a place where four -- count 'em, *four* -- people stopped me throughout the course of the day to ask for directions. It was hard enough to find things to do to keep me busy for two days, and people thought I lived there?! Granted, the people in Montevideo were very nice, but the people's being nice doesn't give you something to do for 24 hours (a la '''sorry' doesn't put the Triscuit crackers in my stomach now, does it, Carl?'' ~''Billy Madison'' reference for those who are unaware).
Anyway, the following day (today -- Tuesday), I went to the bus station and hopped the bus to Colonia, in search of, well, something to do.
One thing before I go that just has me wondering, and maybe some of you can provide some insight. When the Portuguese colonized Montevideo and they said 'Monte vide eu' (''I see a hill''), I wonder why they didn't just keep going?
abrazos,
missy
http://andsmilestogobeforeisleep.blogspot.com
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