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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