It's still Sunday and we are still sailing toward Punta Arenas, but I am catching up on the days after sailing from Buenos Aires.

Wednesday, 5 December 2018

Montevideo, Uruguay 

We enjoy a quiet overnight sail as we traverse the Rio de la Plata,  only a short distance from BA to Montevideo.  Although the guidebooks claim this capital of Uruguay is the most European and cosmopolitan of all So American cities, it seems rather boring and pedestrian to this short-time visitor.  Uruguay has the highest literacy rate and the smallest differential between rich and poor on the continent, but its equality leads to a kind of blandness, reflected in the architecture and street life as well.  

Our “panoramic” coach tour begins with a stop at Plaza de Independencia, the most important public space in the city.  In the center a monumental statue to the national hero stands over the  Mauseleo Artigas, underground resting place of the country’s elite.  Behind the statue, at one end of the plaza is a small remnant of the city wall that has mostly been demolished.  At the opposite end of the plaza is a truly unique architectural oddity, in the form of an apartment building for retired artists.  Also behind the hero’s statue stands what everyone agrees is the ugliest building in the country.

Plaza Independencia

Mauseleo Artigas

Artigas Statue in Front of Ugliest Building In Montevideo

Portion of the Old City Wall

Residence for Retired Artists

From here we take a long and leisurely drive along the shoreside promenade that stretches out from the city into the south and eastern suburbs.  This is probably the finest feature of Montevideo and is lined with apartments and condos facing the very wide Rio de la Plata, reflecting the wealthy citizens of the country.  Before returning to the city center, we stop at a riverfront memorial dedicated to rescue divers.

Views Along Rio de Plata (above and below)

Rescue Divers Memorial

As we drive through lower-middle class sections of the city, we arrive at two other iconic monuments—the first of which is the national soccer stadium.  Uruguay was the site of the first FIFA tournament, which they won, and the national team went on to win one other World Cup as well.  By international standards this is a small stadium, but Uruguayans are fiercely loyal to their teams.  Nearby is the second, Monumenta La Carreta, dedicated to the struggles of the founding of the nation.  You will notice the emaciated figures of animals and humans as they try to control their wagon as it crosses the rough terrain and raging rivers.

From here we head to a city market, full of food stalls and souvenir shops.  The building has some lovely detail work, both inside and out.  As we drive back to the pier, we make one last photo stop at the Legislative Government Building, with strange and ornate sculptural figures on its roof.

We have lunch on board the Zaandam and then I go back ashore for a look at the Graf Spee monument, with remnants of the WWII German battleship sunk by the British as it emerged from repairs in neutral Montevideo (check out the fine British 1950s film, Pursuit of the Graf Spee).  Across the street is another public market, comprised mostly of places to eat and touts trying to get you into each establishment.  Since I have already eaten, I head for the outdoor booths with a wide selection of local crafts, and some very fine shops with more upscale and expensive artists’ work.

I begin a short walking tour through the old section of the city, but don't get very far after all the day's activities.  I do spend some time in the Museum of Pre-Columbian and Native Arts, a sparse collection housed in a very fine building.

Back on board, we get ready for two relaxing (hopefully) days at sea and then, if the weather holds, an anchoring off the Falkland Islands, a penguin heaven.