November 19, 2012
“On our first day in Montevideo, we walked…and walked. It’s the only way to get to know a new place and feel more a part of it.
Our lack of Spanish is a bit of a problem. It seems like the few words we know are never used or are spoken too fast. We pantomime. A few people are impatient, but most are understanding. Most seem glad when we at least try to speak Spanish.
Eating street food. So far, no problems. Empanadas are cheap and sold everywhere.
Heard about a farmer’s market nearby. Looking forward to buying the local produce from the local people.”
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“OK……this is awesome!!! Every day, this older guy with tanned skin, long hair flowing back in the wind, and an incredible physique goes flying down the street standing in his horse-drawn cart……….he is the garbage collector!!
Heading south from our apartment. You can see the water.
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We have found that the best way to get a feel of a new place is to just walk. Talking to locals is great too, but it is still a challenge for us. We intended to learn, so we bought Rosetta Stone for Latin American Spanish before we left home. The program is a bit confusing since it teaches Spanish, not Castilian. Castilian is a variation of Spanish spoken in Uruguay and Argentina. In these two countries, you will be asked if you speak “Castellano”, not Spanish. Rosetta Stone is probably an excellent way to learn a language….if you are disciplined. In retrospect, it would have been better for us to enroll in a class down here.
On our walk, we saw this great vintage car driving past another graffiti wall
During our walks, we looked for restaurants that might interest us. Eating out is such a treat when traveling. We are fairly open to trying new things; perhaps not on the level of Andrew Zimmern, but we try to keep an open mind. If the locals eat it and they look healthy and happy….why not take a taste. We were eating street food within a few days. Overall, most street food is safe to eat in South America. We did tend to stick to things that have been cooked. I did have one bout of diarrhea about one year into our trip. Luckily, we had brought an antibiotic, so I was back to normal within a few days.
While walking, we came across this VERY old building propped up with sticks . It was walled off and still stands in the middle of downtown.
Wish I had a picture of the garbage collector!!