New ways of seeing

Judy. As Ted has wisely pointed out, things are different here. Admittedly, we’ve only been in South America for a few weeks, but we’ve noted some things that struck us as interesting.

First of all, in Argentina and Uruguay everyone seems to LOVE sweets! Believe me, we enjoy a little treat with coffee a couple of afternoons a week, and a piece of dark chocolate after dinner, but most of the pastries we’ve seen here are piled high with whipped cream and sugar. And those that aren’t seem to always contain dulce de leche. Now, I like dulce de leche, which is a caramelized sweetened milk, but a little goes a long way with me.  Here, you can buy jars of it, like Nutella. Often, the medialunas, or little croissants, are lightly glazed with sugar—delicioso, and not unlike eating a Krispy Kreme doughnut. But we couldn’t handle all that much sugar, and the good news is that we kept our sweet tooth at bay, saving our teeth and helping our waistlines.

Yerba mate is truly a way of life here! The drink was a gift from the natives to the Spanish, who embraced the tradition. It really is tasty—at least it was when the kids in Bariloche gave us a taste—and in Uruguay, even more than Argentina, you see people with the thermos tucked under one arm and the mate and bombilla in the other as they go about their daily business. We saw people sipping as they walked or sat on the Rambla (the 17-mile walk along the Rio del Plata in Montevideo), as they rode the bus to Colonia or to Punta del Este, on the beach, and everywhere else. The yerba has less caffeine than coffee, but more than tea, and is said to have health properties as well as the ability to “pump you up” during the day. It’s very much a social drink—the yerba is packed into the little cup, or mate, and sipped through a silver straw, the bombilla. The herb stays in the cup, and hot water from the thermos is filled for each person. I think it’s a really interesting phenomenon, and I love the sharing aspect. In fact, Rafa told us that it was banned at his job, because it was interfering with work, and Lu said she stopped drinking it for pretty much the same reason. “You can have a cup of coffee at your desk, but you don’t drink yerba mate alone.” 

Even at the beach they carry yerba mate!

In Argentina, we were very aware of people with Indian ancestry, especially in Bariloche, where some of the Mapuche live. They also live in parts of Chile where we see a lovely mix of ancestry. In Uruguay, Rafa tells us, all the Indians died or were killed by the Spanish, so you see virtually no evidence of native DNA. It’s a very European country, in looks and in customs. Argentina and Chile are, too, but not as strongly as in Uruguay. Years ago a friend who grew up in Montevideo told me I should visit Uruguay, as it’s much more European than surrounding countries. Now I see what she means. Rafa, in explaining, told us, “We are not Latin. You’re not going to hear salsa or other Latin music.” When I mentioned I’d heard it on the radio of an Uber driver, he said, “Economic refugees from Venezuela. Or Cuba.” Interestingly, while both Argentinians and Uruguayans speak Spanish, both countries were settled by Italians, Russians, Basques, French and Portuguese -- in almost equal measure.

So far, all three countries have some mighty nice wines. This surprised us in Uruguay—we’d never heard of Uruguayan wines. But the Tannat wines from that country are delicious, as are the Sauvignon Blancs. Ted asked about the Tannat grape: “Is this grown up in the hills of Uruguay?” The waiter looked at him like he was crazy. “Sir, we have no hills. This is one tough grape.”

We’re also very aware of people taking advantage of being outside. Maybe it’s because it’s summer, or because we’re often in big cities, but in the evening, you could barely walk on the Rambla, because everyone else was! People strolled with their families (and yerba mate) or ran with their iPods, or biked between people. In Bariloche (as expected in a mountain tourist town), people were outside every evening, by the lake, or walking the town, or lounging on the grass (with their yerba mate). We saw joggers and loungers in the parks of Buenos Aires, and here in Santiago, we see bikers and folks on electric scooters all the time, even in 90+ degree heat. 

Homelessness is definitely an issue. While we didn’t see it so much in Bariloche or Punta del Este, both touristy towns, Buenos Aires and Montevideo, as well as Santiago have their share of homeless people. It may not be more true than what we’ve seen in the US or Canada, but we’re definitely aware of it.

In Buenos Aires and Bariloche, there were police everywhere walking in twos wearing Kevlar vests and carrying weapons. We saw a few police, particularly in the Old City of Montevideo, but usually without weapons and wearing florescent orange or yellow vests, and often dealing with parking or traffic. There may have been others, but we were not aware, certainly not like in Argentina. I took no photos. In Santiago I saw two policemen one day.

Another thing we’ve noticed is the dignity with which so many people, particularly in menial jobs, go about their work. Rudolfo, the older gentleman who took our bags to our room in Buenos Aires, wore a suit and tie, and welcomed us each day. In the bus terminal in Montevideo, the rest room attendant cleaned each stall as the person left. You didn’t step in until she said, “Adelante!” Waiters handle themselves professionally and don’t try to be your best friend. The concierge in our apartment in Santiago wears a tie and jumps up to open the door for us. Even the people who sweep the streets with a broom and dustpan do so with a sense of pride. Maybe we’re oversimplifying, but what we see is impressive.

The intercity buses in Uruguay are comfortable! The seats have covered headrests, sometimes have plugs for your electronics, and a clean bathroom in the back. You reserve your seat, but do so ahead of time, or you may end up standing for the whole way. The bus terminal is pretty amazing, too, and the waiters in the restaurant work quickly, politely, and efficiently.

In Argentina, using a credit card is a chore. You have to show documentation and write your document number under your signature on the receipt. Many places only take cash. In Uruguay, we got cash from the ATM the first day, but had problems locating one that would take our card. We were told that there had been some fraud, so it was more difficult to get cash from an ATM. However, there was seldom a problem with using a credit card, so we wound up with too much cash! In Santiago, we find our American Express card widely accepted. In all three countries, a hefty withdrawal fee is charged when you use the automatic teller.

In grocery stores, there seems to be a real move toward less packaging. Milk, juice, mayonnaise, mustard, cocoa powder, and other products come in bags or boxes rather than jars or bottles. It was a surprise at first, but now seems common. And don't look for a logical arrangement of products in the stores, at least not according to US ways of shopping. There is a logic all its own here. I just need to figure it out.

Hellman's seems to be the mayo of choice

In Montevideo, we were very aware of advertisements in unusual places. I thought there was a bank behind our hotel; turns out it was a restaurant with a huge bank sign over it. Even street signs had the names of various products. And I thought naming stadiums was crazy. Still, it's probably a good way to help fund public services--and private restaurants and shops.

Ads on street signs

On so many of the buildings and houses we’ve seen, there have been permanent plaques stating the architect and the builder. There seems to be a great deal of pride in their work. Bravo to them!

Architect and Builder