Uruguay - Restoring my Faith in The World

The beach front in Montevideo

Setting off across the Rio de Plato through a blanket of thick fog (on a very expensive one hour ferry) we should have heeded the bad omen and perhaps have held off on a visit to Uruguay for another trip.  Five days later having experienced solid wind and rain caused by a huge storm out to sea we were a little tired of the weather which unfortunately spoilt our attempts to visit the South American Riviera.  Despite the washout, our overriding memories of Uruguay will be of some of the friendliest and most welcoming people we have met this year.  We were instantly recognisable as tourists as we were not carrying around all the paraphernalia for te de mate.  A flask of water, herbs and your cup are an essential for any Uruguayan whether it be to simply walk along the waterfront in Montevideo or drive a bus to the public hot springs in Salto.   Regardless of our poor Spanish everybody we met was kind and helpful and made an effort to talk to us with genuine friendliness rather than a false necessity that sometimes comes from locals feeling obliged to welcome foreigners.  It is somewhere we will definitely come back to so that we can explore more of the country but in the warmth of the summer.

The cobbles of Colonia

We knew we had reached Uruguay as soon as we stepped off the ferry at Colonia Del Sacramento and into the customs area as we were greeted with the smell of marijuana (legalised but tightly controlled) wafting through the terminal.  Having arrived late due to the fog we settled down in front of the fire in our hostel to watch Wimbledon and the Euro’s sheltering from the rain.  Colonia was originally a seventeenth century Portuguese smuggling port and when we did eventually get out the following morning to explore we found a picturesque old quarter (a UNESCO site) with cobbled streets full of boutique shops and restaurants nestling up to the Rio de Plato.  The old town had lots of quaint coves with small sandy beaches and it was easy to imagine it as the perfect place for smugglers.  We meandered around the streets looking at the restored colonial buildings and small plazas throughout the town enjoying the fresh air.  As the morning drew to a close the black clouds finally delivered on their promise and as the rain started to fall we quickly headed towards the bus station to travel a few hours east to Montevideo.

Colonia

Plaza Independencia

Unfortunately our hunt for the sun ended in abject failure as we stepped off of the bus into more driving rain and we headed through a deserted city despite nearly half the population of the country living there (1.6 million).  Thankfully the weather was a little brighter in the morning and we walked through town past the grand Plaza Independencia which commemorates Uruguay becoming a sovereign nation with a huge statue of Jose Artigas who started the campaign against Spanish and Portuguese occupation.  The old town had a lot of crumbling colonial buildings unsurprisingly as the city was founded to fend off the Portuguese by the Spanish.  Due to its excellent position for trading it began to grow and has seen many immigrants arriving from Italy and Spain giving it a European feel much like Buenos Aries.  The old town south of the plaza was again strangely deserted and we roamed the narrow streets down to the port.  With the rain still holding off we set out on a long walk by the waterfront gazing into the mist . There were an eclectic mix of people from a pair of 60 year old men fishing whilst smoking a joint to teenagers skateboarding along the malecon through the gloom.  Unfortunately this was as much as we saw of Montevideo as the following day was a total wash out – thankfully Wimbledon again saved the day.

Former President Jose Mujica (Google images)

One of the reasons we were keen to visit the country was due to the international plaudits it has received for its progressive society built under former President Jose Mujica.  He became a global icon when he began by donating 90% of his wages to charity and refusing to live in the Presidential palace during his term in office.   ‘I have a way of life that I don’t need to change just because I am President.  I earn more than I need… for me it is no sacrifice, it is a duty’.  The former guerrilla fighter spent 13 years in jail for his part in fighting against dictatorships having been inspired by the Cuban Revolution.  During his presidency the socialist leader saw that renewable energy provide 95% of the country’selectricity, introduce liberal marijuana policies, pioneer stringent tobacco control and legalise abortion and gay marriage.  Despite its more illustrious neighbours Uruguay is ranked first in Latin America for democracy, peace, lack of corruption and press freedom – not bad for a country that was under a military dictatorship only 30 years ago.  It was named country of the year by ‘TheEconomist’ in 2013 for its innovative policies and due to its growing economy and unemployment.   With investment in education, infrastructure and socially conscious citizens it seems things will continue to improve under the recently re-elected Tabare Vazquez, the first left wing leader of Uruguay who originally served as President from 2004 – 2009.  It may not be perfect and their is certainly controversy around the contamination of the rivers but Uruguay certainly seems to be moving in a positive direction.  After such a turbulent time for the UK and European politics with more radical political parties and record levels of financial inequality it was refreshing to see a government and a people trying to do things differently.

You cannot go anywhere without your Mate!

The baths at Salto

With a bleak forecast for the rest of the week we changed plans and headed north to the city of Salto (the home of Luis Suarez) on the Argentinian border where we hoped to find Uruguay’s famous thermal baths and a little warmth.  The six hour drive through the countries interior revealed green rolling hills as we peered out through the rain that was streaming down the bus windows. It reminded us of home but unfortunately it meant we saw very little of the countryside and Uruguay’s famous gauchos (cowboys).  Arriving 6km away to the thermal baths at Dayman, a series of large pools ranged in temperature up to 40ᵒc.  As we were there early we shared the pools with Uruguayan pensioners who of course sat about drinking mate and quizzing us about the recent referendum.  We were even treated to some sun but as my face grew steadily redder I finally had to be led out of the pools before I collapsed from the heat.  Waiting for the bus back the town was full of people walking around in dressing gowns with their mate cups and water flasks, much to my amusement!  As we crossed the border later that afternoon the sun finally broke through the clouds and we left Uruguay feeling that we had unfinished business with it and with nothing but respect and admiration for the country.