Montivideo, Uruguay

As the early morning sunrise woke me in my cabin, I could see the burnt orange sun rising above the horizon to the east.  The beauty took my breath away.

I began my day on the fourteenth floor of the ship having breakfast and then I headed to the top deck to watch the cruise ship guided in by a tug boat to Puerto de Montevideo.

Here I was in South American enjoying another beautiful sunny day.

From the cruise ship, one could see palm trees and the buildings of lovely European-influenced architecture.  This city’s diverse range of art deco and colonial style architecture clearly reflects its multicultural history, drawing on Portuguese, Spanish, British, French and Italian influences.

There were taxis and buses waiting on the dock to take passengers on their excursions.  Kenny and mine’s tour was going to be of the city, the soccer museum and the Legislative Palace.  We were anxious to discover a new city.

Some interesting facts that I learned about Uruguay:

* second smallest country in South America
* located on the southern-most point on the Rio de la Plata’s northern shore.  Rio de la Plata is the widest river in the world.
* situated between Brazil and Argentina
* population of approximately 3 ½ million
* 52% of the population are women
* over 450 species of birds
* 12 million head of cattle/4 head per person

Interesting facts about Montevideo:
* capitol of Uruguay
* Origin of the name, Montevideo. One theory is that it refers to the Hill of Montevideo on the bay of Montevideo’s western side.  “Monte” is Spanish for mountain or hill.
* known for being very literate.  Many established writers are from this city.
* “El Tango Supremo” song originated in Montevideo

The first stop was Plaza Independencia, which divides the Old Town and the newer downtown.  The gateway is all that remains of the wall that once protected the oldest neighborhood in Montevideo.  From the plaza is the main street, Avenida 18 de Julio.  Along the palm street of the Avenue are historical buildings, shops and cafes.  This major street was named in honor of the day that Uruguay obtained independence from Brazil and Argentina.

We then drove to the beautiful Legislative Palace.  This palace is considered one of the three most beautiful legislative buildings in the world.  The guards that stand outside and inside the building are dressed in uniforms that offer the appearance of the time of the French Revolution.  The paintings, stained glass windows and marble structure within the building are so ornate.

From the Palace we then went to the Futbol Museum.  The national futbol stadium, Estadio Centernario, opened in 1930, for the first World Cup.  Uruguay won the World Cup in 1930 and 1950.

One of our last stops was to see the location of the Battle of the River Plate. The wind was blowing and  green parakeets were flying everywhere.  They blended in so well with the trees that you could hardly see them. This site was the first naval battle of WWII between a German ship and two British cruisers.

On our way back to the ship, we saw Punta Del Este, which is South America’s most famous seaside resort. The sandy beaches were all along the shoreline with families enjoying their holiday at the beach.

We dropped some passengers off at the Port Market, where there are vendors grilling meats, selling clothes, crafts and souvenirs, as well as musicians performing.

Even though Uruguay is a very small country, the people are friendly and eager to share and explain about their beautiful land to others.

We boarded the ship and prepared for our 5:30 p.m. departure.  Tomorrow will be a sea day as we sail to Puerto Madryn, Argentina.