Though the parties in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil maybe bigger, Uruguay boasts of the longest Carnival in the world. This past Thursday was the kick off of Carnival celebrations, with a 5 hour long parade on 18 de Julio in downtown Montevideo.
We arrived around 9:00pm and we're able to rent seats to watch the show. The parade opened with the Queen of Carnival and the Queen of the Llamadas on a large float. (They had been crowned on Tuesday, and I believe they are chosen based on how good they can dance. More on "Llamadas" in a couple weeks). Following were various candombe groups (drummers), ladies in sequence and feathery costumes, a few more floats, and many, many advertisements for local large companies. The entertainment itself was enjoyable, but there was about a 10 minute lag time between each group. We ended up leaving around 12:00 midnight, though the performers and floats went on for a few more hours. I am glad we went and saw it, but truthfully...I think I am still a sucker for those parades at Disneyland. Come on, you know you like them too.
28 January 2007
Carnival in Uruguay
27 January 2007
Imports
Or exports, depending on what side you are looking from. =)
Any food items imported to Uruguay are relatively more expensive than the local goods, as is the case I would imagine in most countries. Lucky for me, I was able to make a few requests and have some flavors sent from home to my kitchen.
I was missing peanut butter which is not part of the Uruguayan palate. There is one kind you can buy here, which has been imported from Germany and is terribly expensive. Worse offense is that it contains hydrogenated oils, which as you all know by now, I am not a fan of.
I have been experimenting with making homemade chicken stock, but really...can you expect a girl to do that every week?
"Better than Bouillion" has made it's entry into my fridge and my dishes are more tasty and savory because of it. (Both items are from TJ's in the states)
Finally, the large bag of MASA. (Thanks, mom.) Ahhh.... corn tortillas. I may even be tempted to try tamales. Hey, maybe with my spare time I should put up a little Mexican food stand at the Farmers' Markets!!! ;)
26 January 2007
Higos
I haven't mentioned the farmer's markets in a while, but it is worth noting that they are in full bloom with all the fruits of summer. Berries, plums, peaches, nectarines, melons, and grapes. I can't get enough! One of the best finds has been the higos (figs). ET and I love them. Pictured above are green figs. You may be more familiar with the dark ones, which when dried are mashed up and used as part of the filling of the ubiquitous fig newton.
Check out the link, it is good for some interesting facts about the good Newton. Who knew there was a dance move called the "fig newton pose"!? Stop reading when you get to the part that reads "Regional Regulation." I dare say, it may ruin it for you.
As for the fresh figs, I am wondering if any of my foodie friends have some interesting recipes to pass along???
Cheers,
-GG
23 January 2007
The last about our beach vacation - Cabo Polonio
Cabo Polonio was the last stop on our little tour of Uruguayan beaches. It is a special place, attracting more of a bohemian or "hippy" (description from the locals, not me!) crowd. It is true, you should prefer the rustic life if you are staying in Cabo Polonio, as there is no electricity and in most cases no running hot water.
I got a big kick out of seeing the cows grazing on the grass alongside the houses while just yards away was the beach. The houses were all unique, some very new and kept up while others were more rustic and underdeveloped. A few decades ago, infrastructure on this land did not exist. Slowly people started discovering this special spot and started building small summer residences. Soon the government caught on and made people pay for the land. That did not stop people from coming and soon more houses, cafés, and little mini grocery stores were built. But as an effort to hinder more construction, the government has not permitted electricity.
To get to Cabo Polonio beach side from the road, you must leave your car and either catch a ride ( about US$5 ) in the back of a large truck, walk, or hire a 4X4. Though we did see people walking the 8 km across the sand dunes, we decided to take the more common route and go in by truck. The only downside was that it started raining the moment the truck started off. For a good 15 minutes we were in a the midst of a pretty substantial wind and rain storm, whereas just moments before it had been bright and sunny. We arrived to the beach freezing, wet, and windblown, but ET and I kept up sunny dispositions and laughed it off as adventure.
Here are some picture that sets the scene a little a more.....
Rain clouds approaching as we set off....
Stuck in a storm as we drive across the sand dunes!
El Faro (Lighthouse)
Cool shot from the inside of the light house. Can you see ET???
Sea lions chilling out regardless of the strong waves.
Art shack in the little beach town.
Picturesque restaurant in Cabo.
Heading back across the dunes...will this truck make it another summer?
22 January 2007
La Pedrera
The Saturday before we left the La Aguada, we took car trip to a nearby beach called Cabo Polonio. Along the way we also stopped at La Pedrera which is pictured above. La Pedrera reminded me a little of Isla Vista, the college town attached to U.C.S.B. Mostly young people come here and camp or rent houses, as it is significantly less expensive then the neighboring beaches. There are many little cafés and restaurants scattered among the houses and along the coast. At the edge of this little community, you come to a cliff, marked off by the simple white and brown fence (left photo). You can walk down some make shift steps and enjoy the water, either sitting on the shore or on one of the giant rocks.
This last picture was specially taken for a certain friend of mine in California. You should know who you are!!
19 January 2007
Tigers in Punta del Este?
I had heard of the models on the beach wearing gold bikinis and trendy cowboy hats, but I did not know I would see tigers in the streets of Punta del Este. Turns out there was a circus in town, and these felines were being carted along the main road in this small cage. We drove up right next to them, and it was a little odd to know that they were just a foot away! Sorry the picture is a little blurry, but it is hard to ask a tiger to say "cheese."
We didn't spend too much time in the famous Punta del Este - a beach well known for its gorgeous occupants, trendy restaurants, million dollar homes, and of course...high prices. It was just an evening trip, and in that time we drove to the downtown, which reminded me of Third Street Promenade in L.A., looked around an artisan fair, and dined at a beach side restaurant. We did not go to the beach there, but what I could see from the road it was absolutely packed with people. You would of thought they were all waiting for someone to emerge from the water handing out dollar bills. Ok, maybe I am exaggerating, but it was PACKED.
We did take a interesting route to Punta del Este from La Aguada. We had been driving close to the coast for quite a while with the beach on our left. It was pretty deserted land, with no housing development on it. Just as we were wondering why there were no beach houses or apartments, we came up to a body of water on our right side as well. Our host, J, slowed our 9 seater van down to a crawl as we approached what would be our "lift" across the water. We were little speechless at first, as we silently wondered if the water taxi would support our car, a second car that arrived before us, and all the passengers. Well, the Titanic was not relived, and we all made it safely across. We then realized the reason there was not any development in the area we just passed. All materials would have to be brought in they we had just crossed - Mark Twain style.
After we crossed we did enjoy the scenery, not only of the beach, but the large million dollar homes in José Ignacio ( a private beach and gated community inhabited primarily by Argentines), and in Punta del Este. The other highlight of the trip was tasting my first scoop of ice cream from Popi. Mmmm....banana split helado.
It is probably unfair of me to say this, because I did not experience much of Punta del Este, but I think it is a little overrated. I prefer the less populated spots, the affordable snack shops, and the smaller beach side homes.
17 January 2007
La Aguada
We stayed in La Aguada, near La Paloma and Costa Azul. This is a picture of the view from our room. J had a beautifully decorated house. I loved our futon with it's "elegant" mosquito net!!
Can you find me? I was lovin' this hammock.
Another couple views from the house...
Friendly snack shack just at the foot of the shore. Who needs popcorn when you have roasted fresh corn slathered with butter and salt? This is going to be a new snack.
Turns out two of the guys in the back are doctors. While vacationing for the summer they decided to open a little shop selling corn, sandwiches, empanadas, and drinks. They asked me take a picture and email it to them.
Most people take a vacation from 2 weeks to 2 months during Jan and Feb. The first 15 days are the busiest. Some people rent houses, others own their own. We found out later that Sunday, Jan 15th, was a high traffic day going back into Montevideo. We were really glad we decided to stay an extra night and go home on Monday.
Something that is really popular with the young people are the Boliches. I didn't manage to get a picture of one, but imagine some building from Frontier Land at Disneyland, stuck off the road about a 1/4 of a mile up from the beach. They serve beer, have live bands, and provide a place for teens and young adults to find their summer fling. Oh, did I mention they don't open until 2:00am? The next morning, anywhere between 8:00 and 10:00 am you will see dozens of couples trudging back from their night out only to collapse on the beach for an early morning nap. The one main road along the beach is full of traffic, as cops are checking for early morning drunk driving! We did not hear about any incidents, and from our Uruguayan friends they said the concerts were a good time.
Family
The reason we were able to experience four days at the beautiful Uruguayan beaches was the family connections we have through "A" (an uruguaya living in the states) who happened to seek my mom out for childcare services the same week we came to Uruguay. From there, contact information was exchanged, emails went shooting off back and forth, and ET and I have had the pleasure of feeling like a part of their Uruguayan-American family. Suffice to say, we are also eternally grateful for Mom, whose love of people and exceptional personality have led her to meet such "buena gente."
On that note, I must say a few things I have learned and observed about the Uruguayan family.
I speak from my experience, from what I have heard, and from generalities and thus I do not doubt that there are multiple exceptions.
To the Uruguayos, family is very important. Christmas, New Year's, King's Day, and birthdays are all reasons for families to get together, eat BBQ, drink a bit, and share each other's company. But it doesn't stop there. Sundays are huge family days, and from what I can tell, the majority of people have a large lunch each Sunday at the house of their parents or grandparents. The thing that is impressive to me, is none of this seems forced. Rather, it is natural that they meet on these days, and they genuinely enjoy each other's company.
I went to get my hair trimmed the other day and was talking with the stylist who had traveled to the U.S. a few years back. I asked her if she would ever consider working in the U.S., as we were both aware how much more salary her profession would earn there. She said she would never go, because she could never get used to the mentality. She felt that here in Uruguay, time with family is given much more importance and more attention. She did not like the idea of children moving away, families being separated, and family vacations only lasting a week. It is true that here families often vacation together for a month or two in the summer, nephews will live with uncles while they are attending school, daughters and sons with live with their parents until they are married and often work for the family business. While we all may pass our own judgments on these situations based on our own beliefs and experiences, I have to say that there is something beautiful about the feeling of the Uruguayan family. There is an importance placed on time spent with family, as well as a feeling of helping one another, be it giving a grandson a job, renting an apartment at a low cost to a niece, or taking the time to make a large meal for 10-20 family and friends.
During our time at the La Aguada, a beach near La Paloma and Costa Azul, we stayed with "A's" brother "J" and we were treated as part of the family. People started saying.. "Oh, you must be the daughter of so and so." We replied..."nope, just visitors!" Our eating habits turned Uruguayan, eating bizcochos and café con leche in the morning, going to Popi for artisan ice cream, savoring buttery corn on the cob from stands on the beach, , and of course eating dinner with 15 or so family members at 12:30 AM.
I have more to tell, including pictures...but for now I must sign off. Till then...lots of love, and cheers to family and friends both near and far.
-GG
16 January 2007
We're back....
Hey everyone, ET and I had a little vacation to the beaches of Rocha, a couple hours away from the city. It was lovely to come back to emails and phone messages. We will write more soon about our wonderful time at la playa!
10 January 2007
Sunbathing
One of our friends here in Uruguay came over for a visit and the first thing she said was how pale I was! I glanced at her gorgeous bronzed skin and noted the difference. It is true, though the sun is out and I am too, I have maintained my light skin. ET and I have found the sun to be particularly strong here in Uruguay, due the fact of where we are in relation to the hole in the ozone layer.
On this side of the equator, the sun is forceful and beats down for most of the day. But no matter where you live, I encourage everyone to lather up with protective sun creams. We did some research and found that hands down everyone is recommending La Roche-Posay In fact, New York Times recently published an article called "The Cosmetics Restriction Diet", encouraging consumers to limit their number of skin care treatments to three products, one of them being this skin cream. Until recently, you could not buy it in the U.S., as the FDA was dragging their heels on approving it. The ingredient "Mexoryl" that the product contains, is said to fight against harmful UVA rays, while most sunscreens only fight UVB. It is a little pricey, about 25-30 dollars depending on where you buy it. But as a fight against the more serious skin cancer and and the more vain avoidance of wrinkles, I think it is worth it.
