Recently we took two family outings with our friends. One was a day trip by train to the outskirts of Montevideo to a small community called Progreso. First we piled into the Campbell mobile with Aaron, Emily, Victoria, Emma, Madelena, Elijah, and Ike to meet Suki, Kai and Lucia at the station near the Port of Montevideo...
Despite its older appearance, this VolksWagen bus was built in Brazil in the 90's, and couldn't be cooler to bounce around town in...
The former train yard is a shell of it's past glory, when Montevideo had British-built rails extending all over the country. But, a few commuter lines still run from a rebuilt station which was restored with all due historical appreciation when Uruguay's proudest modern skyscraper, the Antel telecommunications tower and office, was built adjacent...
A football field's worth of weeds fills the space between the new station and the old. And, after a fun ride trundling down the tracks through Montevideo's poorer neighborhoods, we found ourselves sticking out like strangers at the Progreso station. We spent an hour picnicking in the small plaza before heading back...
Posing for posterity at the depot...
A passing dog lounged on some outdated equipment, as we pulled back into the station in Montevideo...
A week later Uruguayos were celebrating Dia de Patrimonio, a day of heritage, and the Mendiondo's--Javier, Monica, Milena, and Mateo--took us to several sites: a classic grocery store, to the top of the Antel building, and down to the port to get aboard the navy ships that were docked and ready for visitors...Although it still operates and is open daily, La Giraldita, according to Javier, is a historic landmark in Montevideo that is recognized for it's age and authentic antiquity. It still has the hardwood appeal of a turn-of-the-century mercantile, which includes ice powered coolers, countless cupboards and jars, and walls plastered with ads that have far outlived there wares...
After learning a bit about the famous tango singer who's hand drawn and autographed portrait adorns one corner of the store, we headed across town to climb Uruguay's most modern edifice--the Antel building. Representing Uruguay's entry into of the Age of Communication, the architect designed the complex to resemble ships at sea. As the tallest structure in the country, it's viewing deck is over one hundred meters high and provides one of the only panoramic views of Montevideo...
Rising next to the train station, it's height dwarfs this forgotten smoke stack...
As artfully done as any other in the world, the sleek curves and glass make the mind wander in its own imagination...
An amphitheater, courtyard, sculptures and fountains make the campus one of the few places in Montevideo where you can escape the time-warp that wraps the city in its days-gone-by feel...
After passing murga bands and candombe drummers, snaking through the crowds of families toting wide-eyed toddlers, we entered the lobby and found all sorts of displays: artifacts of the telecommunications industry, mock-ups of early telegraph lines being built, interactive history lessons, and halls lined with local art and sculpture...
Leandra, Monica and the kids giggle for the camera...
One interesting re-creation was the Medio Mundo, complete with actors and musicians in appropriate attire. We learned that Montevideo used to have a colorful barrio where blacks primarily clustered.
Unfortunately, in 1978, the government ordered the heavily populated apartments to be emptied and destroyed, forever dispersing another of Uruguay's unique cultures among the dominant European influences we see today--much like the native Charrua culture that was virtually exterminated for lack of submission to the Spanish and Portugese...
Eventually, we wound our way to the top and gazed out on the clear skies and flat horizons in all directions...
Looking west, Cerro, or the hill, in the distance was the site of a Spanish fort which is now the museum we visited months before. The natural harbor here is what initially inspired Montevideo's chosen location...
Turning south we see Ciudad Vieja, the Old City, where the remnants of the walls that fortified young Montevideo still stand. To the left you can see the tip of Palacio Salvo, which was once the tallest building in South America. To the right, freighters and ferries bring people and supplies to and from Buenos Aires...
To the east, somewhere, is where we live in Punta Carretas. If you take a close look at the water behind the cityscape, you can distinguish between the silty flow of Rio de la Plata and the cool blue of the Atlantic--a feature that is even more visible if you care to search for a satellite photo...
After Antel, we rolled down to the port to get a closer look at Uruguay's naval history. Their ships are not impressive modern marvels, but rather, mostly hand-me-downs from other countries that have upgraded their fleets. But, perhaps it is more impressive that Uruguay maintains peaceful relations to the point where a military spending is minimal. But even so, Uruguay has played important roles in world history, as the watchdogs of the Rio de la Plata, most notably in its role with the German pocket battleship, the Graf Spee, which was scuttled in 1939 to avoid capture in the river...
An actual wood-burning small-gauge steam train still runs through the port, giving rides to gleeful families...
After posing by this anchor--nearby rests the decapitated top of the Graf Spee's tower--we walked down the wharf to get aboard some of Uruguay's ships...
Some specialist sailors were happily showing off their high speed zodiac, spinning in circles in muddy water to the joy of passersby...
After strolling through the decks, Javier and family headed home, and Leandra and I crossed the street to enjoy lunch at Montevideo's famous Mercado Puerto--the place where we met Javier those first early days in Uruguay...
With asado smoke filling the air around the old clock tower, we had a wonderful lunch...
After a hug, we grabbed a taxi home, before Justo arrived to shuttle us to Carrasco Airport--Leandra was headed home for a month, courtesy of her colleagues and some conferences in the Pacific Northwest...
Ahh Uruguay...nobody in the migration office to stamp Leandra's exit visa, followed several minutes later by a serious lecture on laws and extra fees, only to get a stamp and a backhanded wave of "don't worry about it" smirk from the employee...Blink, blink. We all smiled, turned and took Leandra to her gate...
As we drove back, the kite-surfers along the beaches of Malvin were out in force, as gales grabbed there sales and sent them skimming across Montevideo's shores...
