Happens all the time

Judy. I have no idea why it should come as a surprise that, upon landing in Buenos Aires from Bariloche, we should run into Christina and José Mari at the baggage carousel. We were on different flights—they’d gone on to visit one of her brothers after our bus tour in Bariloche—but I saw a guy dashing around in florescent orange trimmed sneakers and orange florescent sunglasses, and knew it had to be José Mari. Sure enough, when I turned around, there was Christina’s smiling face recognizing me the moment I saw her. Of course we ran into friends. Happens all the time.

Holy cow--it's Christina!

After hugs and laughs, we sat down at a café to catch up before they had to fly on. Christina filled us in on another brother, who had been friends with Ché Guavera (what else did I expect) and the very un-socialist mansion he lives in. Life is funny like that. Before we left, we made plans to see them in Barcelona in October of 2020 before our repositioning cruise back to the US. Just another happy experience for us…

The next day we took the ferry down Rio de la Plata to Montevideo, Uruguay. The trip was pleasant and uneventful, and we disembarked prepared to locate a taxi and head to our hotel.

But when we stepped off the ship, we saw a beautiful young woman holding a handmade sign that read “Ted & Judy.”  Lucia had met us at the ferry to take us to our home for the week!

A fine welcome to Montevideo

 We met Lu and her husband Rafael two years ago on a beach in Malaysia, and swapped email addresses.  “You should come to Uruguay,” Lu had told us, “and look us up!” Between her invitation and the advice we found in a travel guide:  “The best beaches in Argentina are in Uruguay,” we had decided to give the country a try. We’d emailed with Lu to get input on good, reasonable hotels in the country, as well as some suggestions of places to visit, but we never expected to see her waiting for us, welcoming us to her country.

Lu and Rafa both work, and have a nine-month old son, Facu, as well, so their lives are pretty busy. Still, Lu checked on us through WhatsApp daily, suggesting restaurants or places to visit in Montevideo, and which places were safe or unsafe. I can’t begin to tell you how much it means, when you are in a new country, to have a friend making sure all goes well. José-Maria did the same for us in Gran Canaria. We can go about our lives, but have help when we need it.

And then Rafa and Lu invited us to their home for an asado.

This, my friends, is a real treasure. To have a barbecue in a restaurant is fine, but to go to someone’s home to see the way it’s really done is a gift.

Back in Johannesburg, Kobus and his son had made a braai, a South African barbecue, for us, and now we’d get a chance to not only spend time with new friends, but get a Uruguayan cultural immersion as well.

We rode via Uber to a suburb where Lu greeted us and opened the fence surrounding their home. Fences here no longer surprise us, as we see them often in Punta Carretas, the neighborhood where we’re staying. She reinforced that it’s necessary here: “We were broken into twice.” Evidently, the economic stability we thought we understood is not so much. All the other houses were fenced as well. This is how we learn.

A happy welcome from Facu

Lu walked us through their home to the back yard where Rafa has built the Man Cave Ted talked about in his last post. Wow! A huge parilla (grill), a bar, and his beer kegs (he makes his own). There’s a pool table, a full bathroom, a room upstairs (which he says will be for Facu when he’s a teenager). And there’s a tv for futbol, which Rafa tells us is a religion in Uruguay—not so different from SEC football in the southern US!   

The Parilla master at work

Between servings of grilled sausages, morcilla (blood sausage), sweetbreads, grilled provolone cheese, pork, and more kinds of beef than I can ever remember, we sipped on home brew and learned more about Lu and Rafa and about Uruguay. Lu is in marketing for Johnson & Johnson, and Rafa is a software engineer. They’re solidly middle-class. As in so many countries we’ve visited, this group is being economically squeezed. They work hard to maintain their lifestyle and still find time together, as well as finding joy in their family, their work, and their home. Rafa’s family lives nearby, so the tug of home is strong, and thoughts of moving to another country, which they could easily do, get pushed to the background.

While Ted and Rafa shot some pool, Lu and I finished off our dessert of dulce de leche ice cream (dulce de leche is a way of life here) and chatted some more. Periodically they checked on Facu, who was not the least bit interested in sleeping, till he finally fell asleep.

 

Lu and Rafa at home

Eleven o’clock came far too soon, and we headed back to the hotel so they could get some sleep before work the next day.

A couple of days later we took the bus to Punta del Este, the famous seaside city in Uruguay. Thanks to Lu, we had a great hotel. The weather was perfect, and, as she did in Montevideo,  Lu checked on us to make sure all was well.

We’ll be spending the next six weeks in Santiago, Chile, with side trips now and again. We’re both looking forward to settling in for a bit and calling it home. Still, we won’t run into new friends meeting our ferry, giving us travel advice, or helping us understand the culture. Yeah. We’ll miss Lu and Rafa and Facu.  But then, out of nowhere, we ran into José Mari and Christina. Of course we run into friends. Happens all the time.

On to Uruguay

Ted. I called my father this week and he said, “I thought you were in Paraguay!” It is a common mistake for folks from the US. The names are similar and both countries are exotic and far away. Also, virtually nobody in the States knows anything about either country. For Judy and me though, the decision to visit Uruguay was an easy one. We knew we would be coming to Argentina as part of our first tour of South America and Uruguay is right across the river from Buenos Aires. More importantly however, was an invitation that we had received two years ago from a young couple we had met on an island in the South China Sea. “You must come to Uruguay one day!” they urged. So, here we are!

Meeting up with Lucia and Rafa was so cool that it will rate a separate post.

Sneak preview - Rafa's parilla (grill)

Well into our 10-day visit in Uruguay, I will share some initial impressions. Comparisons with Argentina are inevitable as the two countries, on the surface, are very similar. Both peoples share a similar form of Spanish, a passion for yerba mate, fútbol, and beef. With just 3.5 million people and 12 million cattle though, Uruguay reigns supreme in the world with the most cattle per capita.

Mates for sale at street market

The relative size of the countries explains a lot.  Argentina has about 13 times more people. It puts me in mind of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Those two neighbors have much in common but nobody would ever think they were the same.

Uruguay seems to bit a bit more prosperous at the moment and credit seems a bit looser. Credit cards are readily acceptable without showing ID, there are no lines at ATM’s and we haven’t heard any black market moneychangers. The capital city of Montevideo, like any large city has very nice neighborhoods and less nice areas. Surprisingly, we have seen electric fences atop walls around some houses and businesses. The last time we saw that was in South Africa!

Palacio Salvo apartment building

Eclectic mix of buildings

Huh! Winged Victory as architectural element

I would say that Uruguay is a bit more stable politically and economically than Argentina but it is not where the citizens want it to be. Bright, educated young people are tempted to emigrate, which is never a good sign. Generally, the people of Montevideo seem to be busy living their lives and possibly happy that their country is avoiding some of the economic struggles their neighbors in Argentina are currently facing.

The best thing we’ve seen so far in Montevideo is the Rambla, a wide 17-mile long bike trail/walking path that follows the banks of the Rio de la Plata and runs right past our hotel.

Early morning on the Rambla

The people of Buenos Aires turn their backs on the Plata but in Montevideo they embrace it. Frankly, at 140 miles wide here, the river feels like a sea, so the Rambla is reminiscent of similar walks that we have enjoyed in Spain.  And boy – the locals love their Rambla! We’ve seen hundreds of people during the day and thousands at night walking, biking and skating before resting on a bench with more mate.

Punta Carretas light house with Rio de la Plata in background

In Montevideo, we’ve seen the old town and a bit of our hotel’s neighborhood, Punta Carretas. We also took a day trip to Colonia del Sacramento, the first settlement in Uruguay and a UNESCO World Heritage site. As I write this, we are enjoying three days up the coast at the famous Atlantic seaside resort of Punta del Este. Being summertime here, we are right in the middle of the busy tourist season but Judy does love her beach time... 

"Hand in the Sand"

Early morning

Afternoon

There are tons of Uruguayans, Argentinians and Brazilians here but just a scattering of Europeans and North Americans. We happened to cross paths with a very nice Canadian couple who are also exploring Uruguay. Last night we had dinner with Rod and Patricia to compare notes. They have been to South America before and love it so had lots of good tips. In describing their home province of Manitoba, it made us think once more about the many places we still need to visit. It is truly a beautiful world filled with wonderful people.

Rod & Tricia

Quote du Jour

 “One’s destination is never a place, but rather a new way of looking at things.”

- Henry Miller

Safety first!

Judy.  We are blessed with friends who, while not worrying about us, let us know they care about our safety. Last week there was an earthquake near a place we’ll go in Chile in four weeks, and a friend wrote to warn us. When they hear of plane crashes, we might get texts telling us to stay safe. 

We’ve been reassured by planes held on the tarmac till considered ready to fly, trains stopped because a deluge made the tracks unsafe, and drivers who took a different route to return us safely to our hotel. We’ve never been afraid in edgy areas, because we don’t go to areas that are terribly edgy. Well, in the early eighties we took the kids to East Germany and crossed Checkpoint Charlie with contraband in Ted’s backpack, and in the late eighties went into ‘Derry and Belfast in Northern Ireland, but we’ve settled down a bit.

Still, we’ve learned to take the advice of guidebooks and hotel clerks: watch your stuff when you’re out sightseeing.

We’ve all heard stories. When I took a group of students to the recently opened Moscow in the 90’s, one of them got in a hurry and put money and passport in her backpack despite my stern admonition to the group. Yes, they were stolen when we were on the subway—on a Friday afternoon when we were leaving on Sunday. A rushed visit to the American Embassy at 5:30 PM (they close at six), grief from the diplomatic staff, and $250 got her a new passport. It costs a lot more now.

A friend was traveling to Barcelona, and put his backpack (with his money and passport) next to the cab while he loaded his suitcases, and turned to find it gone. He got to visit the American Embassy in Spain, too.

There are just some basic tenets to travel, and I’m going to repeat one:  Leave your valuables at home, and keep your passport and money close at hand.

Maybe you use a money belt, or one of those bags that hang around your neck. Or maybe you just keep your purse close at hand at all times. Or just maybe, once you’re settled in, you can keep your passport in the hotel safe. Don’t leave it in a vulnerable place for thieves. It’s one of the most valuable things you own; people would love to have it (come on, you’ve seen spy movies!), and if you give them a chance, they’ll take it. To be even safer, take a photo of your info page in your passport and keep it hidden in your phone.

And then there’s jewelry. Ted and I have gotten rid of most of what we own, and by now most of our clothes look like we’ve traveled in them for two years. Ted says people look at us and want to give us money. But even back when we worked and traveled and I had some nice gold jewelry, it didn’t make sense to take it on the road. If you’re going somewhere where you want to wear diamonds and such, keep them in the hotel safe until you need them.

We’d been warned about theft in Buenos Aires. And in Barcelona, Marakkech, London, New York, Paris, Rome—basically any popular tourist city. Last week in Buenos Aires we chose to go to the Sunday Market in the barrio of San Telmo. San Telmo Market is well known and attended. It’s a mile of booths running both sides of the street, and is packed with locals and tourists. Lonely Planet warned us to watch for pickpockets, and our hotel clerk reinforced that. I left my purse at the hotel, and Ted wore his travel pants with the secret pockets. It’s just what you do.

Sipping a beer after shopping in the heat, we met a lovely couple from Australia. She was well dressed in a sporty outfit and wore her diamond rings, necklace, and earrings well. As we chatted, her husband warned us to be careful. She had fallen for the ploy of distraction and theft. The thief put his arm around her, and when she looked at him, he snatched her Rolex watch from her arm and ran away. 

What the guy did was wrong, yes. But she was a walking target. While I felt bad for her, I was also frustrated that they would go home and tell everyone how dangerous Buenos Aires is. The theft colored their vacation experience to the point that Buenos Aires became a hotbed of crime.

Yes, I hate it, too, when the signs by street parking back in the US say, “Be sure to hide your valuables.” Yeah, I feel I’m coddling criminals by removing temptation, but it’s the way of the world. On our cruise we met a couple who, when they heard we were from Atlanta, said, “Oh, yes. Our car was broken into there, and all our luggage stolen.”  You guessed it. Their stuff was in full view in the back seat.

Oh, we're not immune. We’ve been caught in scams before. In Athens, Greece, taking our grandson Parker for his dream trip, we fell for a shill and paid over two hundred euros for an “off the menu” meal of fish. Watch for those guys, too.  Stick with the menu or ask what it’ll cost.

So, please. Give cities that depend on tourism a break. Keep your money and passport out of harm’s way, and leave your expensive stuff at home or in the safe in your room.