Just a quick note to say...

We finally got home safely. 10:45am on Saturday we landed at LAX airport and were greeted with happy smiles and warm hugs. The weather was gorgeous and sunny. Off to eat sushi and miso soup and then off to bed. It's nice to be home.

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May Doom and June Gloom

Other possible titles of this post:

My luck ran out a while ago….

I must have broken a mirror or a glass sometime late April. I am sure I have been granted 7 weeks bad luck.

Why the past month has been the hardest.


As the half of the world was welcoming Spring, we in the Southern Hemisphere were starting to bundle up to guard against the cold. Unfortunately, I had to stay bundled both outside and inside the house. The heating in our building was turned on later than most apartment dwellers I knew. When it finally did heat up other apartments, ours was the only one left without heat. Something wrong with the pipes that held the hot water, or whatever…I never got a concrete answer, because even after a week of calls from the owner, the architect of the building, and ourselves, no one ever came to fix the heat. Thank God, our dear friend Gaby lent us a space heater, but we still woke up every morning not wanting to get out of bed due to the freezing cold floor and air.

Around this same time, ET went to Buenos Aires. It was a decision we both made, that he would go for two weeks while I stayed in Montevideo in order that we could go home in June. Unfortunately, that same week our internet service ended, and it was super challenging to communicate with ET via our house phone. The connection was bad and the calling cards were expensive. Antel, the internet company, refused to renew our contract for one month more with out making us start an entire new contract complete with the inscription fee. Funny thing about contracts in Uruguay, they don’t seem to always hold water. Our provisional contract had an explicit renewable feature, contrary to company “standard practices,” and those “practices” won over the contract.

So those things were hard – no ET, no internet, and no heat.

A trip to Salto soon after ET came home was a welcome treat. However, it was slightly peppered with disappointment, as our favorite onsite restaurant was closed half the time we were there. Food being one of our most enjoyed comforts, we were obviously disappointed in having to eat at the near by “tenedor libre” or all you can eat buffet.

Then came June.

June 2nd was a Saturday. Five days before we were due to fly home. Our realtor called on Saturday and requested to stop by to drop our deposit. Well, she wanted to drop most of all deposit and keep $400. To us this did not make sense, as $200 was more than sufficient to cover all of our bills to date. To make a long story short, this Saturday afternoon visit turned into four days of hell – arguing over the phone and in person, consulting with escribanas (paralegals or notaries), friends, other real estate agents, friends of friends, etc. Our priority became winning this war, and getting out of the apartment as soon as we could with our security deposit that was due to us. The results:
We had to leave a day early than we expected, as the realtor claimed the contract ended on the 5th rather than the 6th
We ended up having to represent ourselves, as we could not find an escribana (notary) to come at the last minute. The defensor de consumidores turned out to be very hard to get a hold of and once contacted, rather unhelpful. I get the impression that if you had A LOT OF TIME to wait-for-them-to-get-back-to-you, they may be of some service.
We had to pay for some things that we didn’t agree upon such as an extra month of “gastos communes,” cleaning of all the window curtains, and an 8 hour cleaning of the house. (None of which will probably actually be done but were used to “extort” money from us. Apparently someone moved in the next day.)
We paid no more than $200 for the bills and all listed above, just as we had originally suggested. Thus, she did not walk away with $400, and everything was settled that day.

The good thing that came out it? A reminder that we had such good friends that were more than willing to lend a hand, offer advice, and support us as much as they could. It was also a great reminder to GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING, and that in writing should be DEFINED (for example, cortinas sano? Sano could mean intact. In the end it meant, “just like new”) Second, if you are renting in Uruguay: 1. Have an escribana present while doing in the inventory when you move in and sign the contract. Have that same escribana present when you move out. 2. Do not leave your deposit in the hands of the owner or the immobilaria, but open an account and deposit it. Anyone can do it, and it costs about 4 pesos.

Then came June 6th.

I woke up and it was blue skies, but by early afternoon the fog had rolled in. I didn’t give it too much thought until the same blanket of thick fog was present on June 7th – my birthday and the day of our departure. We left Montevideo without a hitch. We were completely on-time and air bound for only a half hour. When we landed our pilot mentioned there would be a slight delay. So we waited….and waited….


And waited….


And, well, we are still waiting.

I am writing from the “Red Carpet” (trust me, not very glamorous) business class waiting room in the Buenos Aires International airport. It is 3:00 am. I'm going to curl up and try to sleep...I'll be back to tell the rest.

10AM 8 June 2007 -- The fog effectively shut down the airport last night. We were unloaded from the plane after waiting aboard 4.5 hours with little but water and pretzels.

Once off the plane, we arrived to immigration and customs to find no one able to answer any of our questions about what we were to do. We finally decided to enter Argentina to try to get in touch with a United representative because the American Airlines reps were thoroughly unhelpful telling everyone that they had to travel into Buenos Aires (about 30 min away from the airport) without luggage and pay for all expenses themselves because carriers cover nothing if flights are cancelled for climate issues.

United stepped up to help us when we located them by offering their Red Carpet Club room to sleep in and by providing snacks for us to eat. (Dinner: mixed nuts, apples, and crackers. The staff, some of whom were off duty, went the extra mile making “pizzas” out off cracker-toast, cheese, dried oregano, and a microwave.) They also found the key to the potent potables cabinet. =)

We have slept about intermittently for about 4 hours and are using the free wireless to communicate with you and check the weather forecast. We hope that we will be on a plane tonight granted the fog lifts. (For the record, they tell us this fog is unprecedented for its effect on Argentine aviation. Que suerte)

Honestly, this has been more of an epic than an adventure with all the ups and downs of this past month. Needless to say we are more than ready to be home. Perhaps I wanted to be home too much. Perhaps I jinxed us both. Who knows. I remember when our friend left us in mid- April, thinking it would have been nice to be on that plane with her. But lessons have been learned, friendships have grown deeper, and memories (good and bad) have been made.

Don’t get me wrong…I am still looking towards our next trips. Mexico, Hawaii, Australia, and Spain are all calling out to me. And those are just in the near future. I have big plans for us to travel the world for the rest of our lives.

And to repeat, the kindness of our friends has been more than amazing. People invited me over to use their internet, someone brought me a heater and offered a better functioning phone. Several friends offered their apartments for the two days we had no place to sleep. We were treated to dinners, given going away presents, and received kind words. Friends alone would be a good reason to visit Uruguay in the future. But perhaps we will go during the South American summer….and crash on couches rather than try to rent.

The blog will end soon now. Thank you to all our readers, we have enjoyed keeping in contact.

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121

I have mentioned the 121 bus before, and it is my trusty method of transportation El Centro y Ciudad Vieja. I usually only take it Monday thru Friday, but as ET was not coming home from BA until Sat night, I decided to do a little shopping downtown.

I have written about the ferias, where you can find clothes, leather goods, and antiques. Then there is the shopping malls which are identical to something you would find in the states. The other alternative is the Galerias on 18 de Julio. Here you can find affordable every day wear from shoes, tops, pants, and scarves. I picked up a beautiful pashmina scarf in black and grey.





I also took a quick tour of the Casino downtown. I was a great place to stop and use the bathroom!



I also ran into a new health food store - El Naranjo A great place on 18 de Julio to find somethings you can't quite get at the local large Super. Grains, spices, tea, dried beans, granola, healthy snacks. I don't have the address with me at the moment (I'm at a cyber) but I will post it as a comment the next time I have a chance.



This weekend I also made the rounds at two of the best Ferias to pick up a couple things to bring home. It was a gorgeous weekend for the ferias...the sun was shinning so bright and it was pleasant enough to leave the coats at home. ET and I both picked up handsome leather wallets. We also bought a large jar of delicious organic Uruguayan honey. Our bags are going to be heavy!

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Permanent Interruption in Internet Service

Sorry folks, but we lost our battle with Antel, the main internet service provider in Uruguay, to extend our provisional service for another month without having to pay an extra month and a half "connection" charge on top of the already extraordinarily monthly charge.


Uruguayan communications companies (Antel, TelMex, and Dedicado) are horrible for the short-term visitors not staying for a year or more and don't have internet already provided at their apartment. (Brings to mind a song from Nirvana's last album) Antel likes to gloat of its power over mere residents by playing Sinatra's "My Way" while you wait, and wait, and wait on hold. At least that's how it feels to me. These are the same people that take a week to set up service and cut it off about a week early.

Here's a post from an Uruguayan's perspective on Uruguayan services.

Calling from Uruguay using a calling card, both internet based (Nobelcom.com or any other) and what you buy off the street, costs 6x what it would for someone to call from the United States.

We are greatly disappointed to say the least. We'll keep in touch the best we can, we are creative people, though it will probably be a little less frequent.

Suffice it to say, we love you all very much; we've enjoyed keeping in touch; and we'll be ecstatic back in "the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave" (Fdo's favorite taunt to travelers calling him) soon!

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Interruption in Service

Unfortunately our internet service is not working. We're working on getting it reestablished so that we can keep you all updated.

Type Rest of Post Here

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One month and three days.....

and we will be home! We are looking forward to repeating the above picture with large crashing waves, hot sand, and bathing suits instead of shoes and sweaters.


ET and I are doing well. Both continuing to be very busy. But we are looking forward to seeing all of you in the beginning of June. Have a good Cinco de Mayo!

P.S. Speaking of which....next trip MEXICO

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Potty Talk

Uruguayan bathrooms do not have toilet seat covers - something that us North Americans are not always used to. However my recent house guest was able to find travel size ones that she could keep in her purse! Got to love Target.


There are some name brands that just crack us up.

Example # 1. Snob toilet paper:



Example #2.
TITS clothing store for women. And no, they don't even sell lingerie!!

Oh, I am sure there are more...much much more!

For more on "potty talk" go here.

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Gastos Comunes

Besides our monthly rent bill, ET and I pay a monthly "gastos comunes" which basically translates as shared or common costs. Every apartment receives one, and they are adjusted according to how much you use certain utilities during the month. However, the cost of the 24 hour security, aka the portero (or doorman), cleaning expenses of the downstairs lobby and elevator, and heat throughout the building are all fixed prices for everyone.

I like central heating. I like feeling the warmth on the floor under my feet and the sense that the heat is distributed throughout the rooms evenly. When I lived in London the radiator would take a long time to heat up the room, and even then some parts of the house stayed chilly.

But there is one small piece the equation that is missing in order to enjoy the luxury of central heating.
It only works if it is on!! At first we thought the Portero just didn't know how to turn the heat on. But it turns out that the building is going through a heating change and currently does not have functioning heat.

Lovely.

Somehow that little radiator that I used to huddle around while the rest of the room was chilly isn't looking so bad.

The hot water heater is another story. That is part of our electricity bill which is separate. 15 minutes of a hot shower and that is it. Poor ET...I just used up 14 minutes of that water and he is going in next.....

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Doesn't this look like Sunset Blvd in LA?

But it's not!

Colonia del Sacramento, one of the oldest cities in Uruguay, was founded by the Portuguese in the 1680. Today, tourists and locals alike are intrigued by the cobblestone streets, small artisan shops, and antique heritage of this UNESCO World Heritage Site.


We had been meaning to get out to Colonia, just two hours west of Montevideo, for sometime. On our way home from Salto we took a detour and drove to the old city and stayed the night. At just $30 US a night, we booked a room for the three of us which included a breakfast of pastries, fresh squeezed o.j., tea and coffee served in a sunny room by a friendly staff. The room had no frills, but was quiet and clean. I would recommend Hotel Romi for an easy, affordable stay in Colonia.



Besides almost getting eaten alive by mosquitoes at sunset, we did enjoy our meander through the cobblestone streets of Colonia. It was quite a bit more touristy than Salto, but provided us with a good transition to the activity of Montevideo.

This is a picture of the Buquebus leaving the port of Colonia del Sacramento to Buenos Aires. (Though a little longer, it is a more affordable route to take the bus to Colonia, and the Buquebus (water taxi) to BA.




Colonia was formerly a walled city. You can see some of the old wall in this picture:



Other picturesque shots of Colonia...

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Yo salto por Salto

So now I have a debate going with my recent visitor and my husband. What is it? I am almost convinced I could live in the country. It's true. Perhaps I am more gaucha then I thought. Well....to be honest, let me define "the country" as hot thermal spring waters, lush green trees and plants, gorgeous country food, and a nearby afffordable spa. I have just defined Salto, Uruguay.

One of the highlights of the last couple weeks was renting a car and taking a 6.5 hour road trip up to the northwest of the country. We passed nothing more than fields of happy cows grazing, small towns, the random gaucho riding along the road. We loved the silence, the open air, and the release from the city. As mentioned, our destination was Salto, Uruguay - a small town of 112,000 people and known for its thermal hot springs.

The town of Salto itself was small, but very well kept. It lies on the Rio Uruguay, where Argentina is just a mile or two across the water. There are trees everywhere, nice parks, and friendly people. The town closed down at midday, reminding me of the siestas in Spain.








Then there were the hot springs. Three days of soaking in hot mineral pools, dry and wet saunas, massages, facials, and delicious country cooking. (See Amargo y Dulce for more details)



















Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of me screaming my way down the 40 foot wet slide. But that was fun too. In short, I loved Salto. I think I could live there. I just need to work on transporting all my family and friends there as well.....

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Gaucha Yoga

Wahoo...I am teaching yoga in Uruguay. As you recall back in early October I was keen on teaching here in Montevideo. This Weds I will be starting a six week course at friend's house in Punta Carretas. The space is perfect, includes mirrors, and is quiet and tranquil. There is space for four more students, so please email me if you are interested.

Second, I have started teaching privately twice a week at the home of a foreign diplomat. I love teaching private classes, and this couple is grateful and appreciative of their personal yoga sessions.

On the other side of exercise matters, my Pilates Mat Training is coming to a close, and this week I will start performing as a "teacher" for my instructor as she acts as the "student". I am looking forward to this method of learning.

More soon!!!

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Tango in Buenos Aires

Since Tuesday I have been in beautiful Buenos Aires, enjoying the sunny weather, great museums, good eats, and most importantly the company of my good friend and former Santa Barbara roomate. I visited some locations I had previously seen, and also had the opportunity to explore some new barrios, restaurants, and shops.

When ET and I went to BA back in November, we did not take the time see a Tango show. So on this trip, my friend and I decided to take in a show at Café Tortoni. Shows run at 9:00pm and 11:00pm, and we saw the later of the two. It was a good show for the full tango experience, combing music, song, and dance. For us, we would have preferred more dancing and less singing, but we enjoyed the show nonetheless.

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GG on TV

If you happened to be tuned in to Canal 5, Televisión Nacional, at 7:30p.m. You would have seen a program segment on Pássaro Pilates featuring GG as a model pilates practitioner!

The segment was an interview with Monica Pássaro, gym owner and instructor extraordinare. Monica introduced her studio and exercise philosophy to the interviewer while GG was folding, stretching, bending, posing, and practicing Pilates with grace and elegance. We were able to take a video using my camera and will keep our eyes and ears open for a clearer version. Until then, enjoy our feature presentation!

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Gusano? Oruga?

More often than not as I walk up Avenida Brazil I see caterpillars. I have seen quite a few smooshed on the ground, but was fortunate to see a live one the other day. ET recommends that I don't touch them (he says they are poisonous!) Nonetheless, I love the way the move...me fascina!

I looked up the translation of caterpillar on a dictionary online, and found two words. As with many Spanish words, I am sure one is more common than the other here in Uruguay. Any hints on which one it is?

On that note, and per a conversation I had at lunch with a Columbian and an Uruguayan, I HOPE I am not accidentally saying any bad words!!!!!

Here are some more shots of the little guy.

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Uruguay in the early 1900's

When I post less frequently it is either because I have been busy with daily life or I am at a loss of what to post about. Lately, it has been both reasons!

The pictures above are shots taken in 1918 and 1917, respectively. To give you an idea of how much things have changed - below is a picture another main street in Montevideo taken a few months ago.




ET studies the migration of Uruguayans in the Rio de la Plata during the late 1800s to about 1930. With the pictures above I have a picture of what Uruguay looked like during this period.

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The Three Bs

So I went to my local carnicería today and had a nice long chat with my butcher. He first asked me if I saw my President while he was here. I said no, that he failed to drop me a visit. Then the butcher continued to tell me that just a few days before Bush's visit there was another well-known American here. It took me a while to understand the jist of what me was trying to tell me, there were some pertinent words that do not frequent my conversations, and so at first I did not understand.


The first word was filmó and then three "Bs" - barba, barbacoa, and Brouun.
I finally made out that a man with a big barba (beard) came to my butcher shop (ok, their butcher shop) and filmó (filmed) for his tv show on barbacoa (BBQ - I know, I should have known that one) to air on U.S. public television within a years time. The last B word was the name of said man - Rick Browne. Though I am Food TV fan, I had never heard of the big-bearded-bbq-Browne. A quick Google search later, and I found www.barbecueamerica.com.

Sweet.

Check out the baseball grill. That cracks me up.

This means a trip to the local cyber cafe for me, as I promised the butcher that if I found anything online I would print it out and show them. I think they will get a kick out it. After reading a short article on www.uruguaydailynews.com, I learned that Browne also prized Montevideo's Mercado del Puerto as the best place to eat asado in the world.

Wow. I must say I was feeling like a local today. I was able to give someone an explanation (in Spanish) about the two different 121 buses that head downtown, went to see an exhibit in Cuidad Vieja, and had my nice chat with the butcher. Oh, I also found out that they have fresh Milanesas ready for me in just about hour. For more on this very typical Uruguayan food check out...

BitterSweet

Enjoy!

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Time Change, Rainbows, and Other Random Things...

Hello friends and family! Pardon my lack of interesting posts lately, but I have been somewhat busy. Here is a quick update from ET and me.

Today marks the beginning of fall in Uruguay. Last night the time changed, just as it did in the states. However we fall back and the states spring forward. This is good news! There is now only a four hour time difference between Uruguay and California!

On March 8th it rained all day. It left us with a beautiful rainbow that we could see from our apartment.






Each Saturday in Plaza Matriz there is an "antique" market. Sometime ago we spotted a few copper pieces for the kitchen. ET is always eying copper products at William Sonoma back at home. I would look at the price tag and pull him away. But for a FRACTION of the price at the market we picked up a large copper casserole pan. Any tips for cooking with copper?




The seasons are confusing me. Though we are entering fall, it is MARCH. The cool weather reminds me of Thanksgiving, hot chocolate, Christmas, and winter break. But wait, we already had that here. Don't tease me if I come home wearing scarves in June.

ET is doing well. Still working and researching. But he is keeping balanced by taking breaks and hanging out with friends. He started a "guys night out" at a local parilla on Thursdays. Lots of meat, sausage, and beer. I started a similar gathering with the lady-folk. (subtract the meat, sausage, and beer and replace it with coffee, tea, and cake). Lots of fun is had for both parties.

We LOVE jazz music and we often have it playing on our laptop. Last night we saw the Memphis Jazz Band, a local Jazz group here in Montevideo. They played some dixieland, swing, and even some Chopin. The instrumentals were amazing. The singing however...well, let's just say that the instruments are their strong point. They are playing again on the 14th of April at a beautiful venue called La Colmena, Espacio de Arte. It's worth a visit.

Lastly, we love hearing from you! Thank you to everyone who has sent cards, emails, and blog posts. Drop us a line anytime!

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Feliz Día de la Mujer!

Today is Woman´s Day in Uruguay. Qué Aproveche!

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Fall is Upon Us!!

There has been a notable shift in Montevideo from last week to this week. Streets are crowded, stores are filled, and traffic has increased. School starts this week, and I see many young people with backpacks jumping on the bus to register for classes. I realize how much I missed the movement of the city. Less exciting is the weather change! The first days of March have brought cold, wind, and rain. It seems we are moving rapidly into otoño.

Seasons are always a time of change, and for us this means saying good bye to some good friends who will be heading back home this week. We will miss you two so much!

Last night I had a glimpse of Ciudad Vieja at night. Though it was cold and somewhat rainy, people were out enjoying the nightlife at bars, restaurants, and in the street. Many young people wrapped around the streets in a long line awaiting the night clubs to open at 2:oo am. We chose a quieter night - checking out a new restaurant on Bartolome Mitre, then stopping in at the goodbye party for our friends. I was exhausted by the end of the evening, and slept like a log as the rain poured down against our bedroom window.

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Las Cosas de España en Montevideo

This past Saturday was a gorgeous 75 degrees or so with little humidity. Too nice to stay inside, I called a friend and we headed downtown. Originally, the intent was to get some good coffee and masas at Oro del Rhin, but like so many other businesses downtown, they were closed for the weekend. We opted for ice cream in Plaza Matriz, and stumbled upon a great show. Flamenco dancers, formed by a local Uruguayan dance troupe, had flooded the Plaza.


Having lived in Spain, and having tripped over a few Sevillanas, I can't help but be entranced by the dramatic music, the layers of skirts swirling and turning, the crisp clapping, and of course the dance steps. We put our ice cream craving temporarily on back burner, and instead digested all the sights, sounds, and emotions of the dancers. Between performances, they invited the crowd to get up and dance with them. Annie I needed you there as a partner!

Check this out!

Fortunately for us, our Spanish immersion did not stop there. Still craving a good caffeine buzz, we traced our steps back to El Centro Cultural de España, Montevideo, which we had passed on our way to the Plaza. Our curiosity of the second floor café, which we could see from street, lured us in, and we were extremely content with our find. Stepping into large, air conditioned room, the bottom floor houses the current exposition of the Cultural Center. Though many of the surrounding buildings are still not renovated, this location has been modernly restored. We took the stairs to the second floor. Glancing to the right, I noticed a children´s library, an adult library complete with computers, and a help desk. From above you could see the exhibit with a bird´s eye view.

But we were looking for coffee. To the left of the steps we entered the café, and made our way to a little table on the balcony. Perfect. On the wall next to us a crafty bookshelf stored dozens of Spanish magazines on dance, architecture, design, and politics, giving coffee goers an extra reason to linger. I enjoyed a bit of "people watching" from the small pool of visitors.

I will let the rest of the pictures and the website link do the talking. But as a final note, we enjoyed our café con leche and cortado, and vowed to visit the café again.

-GG







El Centro Cultural de España, Montevideo
Rincón 629
9152250

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La Moda

Last night I met two lovely girls, both named Veronica and both hair stylists here in Montevideo. I am sure I overwhelmed them - as soon as their professions were revealed I started my plea to them to fix my hair.

It's not BAD, but it ain't good either. Uruguayans seem to like a certain style of hair cut for women which leaves long layers on the bottom and lots of hair on the top, cutting right in at the ear line. Yes, I know what you are thinking...MULLET! Or, with shorter hair (ehem, like mine) I like to refer to it as a helmet.

"Can you fix this?" I pleaded as I forced one of the Veronicas to get a sense of my thick hair.

"Yes, yes. We have to thin some of your hair off. "

Yikes that sounds dangerous....

"We have special scissors. We make the volume less."

Ok....I can give that a try. I'll let you all know how it goes...next week.

As for another fashion statement that I can't quite figure out - the tapered sweat pants.

Here is a visual.




Sure it looks good on her. But not all of use can carry this look well. I have a sneaking suspicion that these pantalones derived from Bombachas, which are Gaucho pants worn in the pampas (the plains) of Uruguay and other parts of South America. Who would have thought they would have caught on as "la moda?"

For a look at some fashion trends, hand made clothes, shoes and art, check out the small stretch of 25 de Mayo near the Puerto del Mercado. Local designers are starting to open shops making and selling their creations. I'm an actually on the search for a "modista" or seamstress, so if any locals can recommend one, please pass their number my way.

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Uruguay "The Location for Vacation"

Once I asked an Uruguayo if he made up for "lost time" starting in March once the vacations had come to a close. He laughed at me, and sincerely replied, "Lost time? Vacation? That is the most important time! We would say that working is "lost time!"

I have come to observe that this is a very common mentality. Uruguay is unlike any other country I have visited when it come to enjoying the summer, taking vacation, and getting off work for holidays. Sure the Spaniards and the Italians enjoy their siesta during the year, and usually take a month off in August, but they have nothing on the Uruguayans.

It all starts in December....
First school ends for the year, which brings with it all the end of the year parties and goodbyes.
Then comes Christmas Eve, followed of course by Christmas
NEXT is New Year's Eve and of course New Year's Day
....followed by Three King's Day.
Now we are in January. Everyone is off school (there is no summer school in Montevideo, by the way) many stores close down, and businesses limit their hours. Anyone who can afford to leaves Montevideo for the beach for the month.
So that is where I thought it ended.

I was wrong.

At the end of January Montevideanos start slowly getting back in to their work schedule. February comes around and we are in full swing for "Carnival." Evenings are filled with Tablados, Las Llamadas, and other desfiles.

Then comes the OFFICIAL Carnival week. More parades? More murgas? Nope. Businesses close again, stores limit their hours, and everyone is off to the beach AGAIN from Feb 19th to the 21st, (or to 25th...depending on your means and work limitations.)

Over yet?

No.

We may have not mentioned it until now, but Uruguay is a very secular, non religious country. That does not mean they do not have their own way of recognizing Easter. "Semana del Tursimo" (aka Semana Santa) starts April 2, and makes for another week of vacations.

Whew. That is nearly four months of limited or no work!

There of course are positives and negatives to all of this. For someone who works hard during the whole year, and has a job which will give them paid time off, the months are enjoyed with pleasure. For others who work independently, the months are painfully long, and they must budget to pay their bills from their earnings during the other months of the year.

Among us foreigners I think I can safely say that we have had our share of frustrations with getting things accomplished around this time, getting involved in different activities, or even frequenting our favorite cafes and restaurants. I guess those of us that feel this way have not completely become "Uruguayo." If so, we would all be at Punta del Este right now, rather than writing or reading this blog!!!!

=)

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Ta-da! Introducing...

A new blog by Gaucha Guapa strictly on food in Uruguay. It's called Amargo y Dulce, or Bitter and Sweet in honor of two of Uruguay's most classic "palate pleasers"... Mate-a bitter tea that happens to be green- and Dulce de Leche.

Enjoy the new offering from Gaucha Guapa!

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Happy Valentine's Day!!

We wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day. Tell someone close to you that you love them, and eat some good chocolate.



Hearts in my favourite plaza in Buenos Aires. Enjoy!!!

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Suprise! We're In Our Second Trimester!!

Gotcha!

No, no ....you will definitely not see any posts about babies on this blog!

However, the analogy is to some extent appropriate. We have decided to stay in Montevideo exactly 9 months, putting us not only in our "second trimester" but also half-way home.

Yippee! Party time June 8th! And if you don't know another reason to celebrate around that date, I suggest you ask E.T. and clear your schedule for the following weekend!

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