A Day of Reflection

 Yesterday was hot and calm with a high of 32C. This morning it is sunny, windy and 22C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 27C. 

Yesterday grandson had to go to Buenos Aires for 24 hours. His time in Uruguay is almost up and he has to exit the country for 24 hours. People do it on a regular basis here. Daughter-in-law went with him so son and I had a day alone. It was so hot, that we spent the day inside where it was cool. 

We are starting week 6 of our trip and I have been reflecting on it. It has been a lot of fun but 7 weeks away is a long time for me. It was one of my concerns when we decided to come here. 

I am still struggling with the language but can hear more words that I have learned. I can say a few more sentences than when I arrived. The people here speak rapidly and you can get lost trying to translate in your head. More of the middle and upper class people speak English. If they have a family member that has moved to North America, they learn to speak more fluent English. 

I am getting through the hot days but do struggle if the heat lasts for three or more days. If I came back in the summer I would want a place that has air conditioning. I would be more inclined to visit in April/May when they are having fall. I do better in cooler weather. The morning it was 13C (Wednesday), I was ready to be outside and explore. People were complaining how cold it was. 

The food here is very good. The beef is amazing but they do know how to cook chicken to perfection. The food is not spicy. When you go to a restaurant, there is no salt on the table but they do bring it with your meal. When you shop for foods, those foods that are high in salt, sugar, and fats are labeled. There is a good selection of sugar free foods available. Shopping for food is done frequently and the larger the grocery store, the more selection you have. What I like but haven't tried is the selection of prepared foods you can buy for lunch or dinner. You can get both hot and cold. There is always a butcher counter where the butcher will weight out your meat and you can get exactly what piece you want. You can also buy meat in packages but you never see "family packs" here. 

Bread has been a disappointment. The loaves are small and the bread is sliced thinner than what we are use to. The best place to buy rolls, croissants, etc. is at a bakery. They also sell a large selection of sweets in the bakeries along with some savoury items. 

You can get around the city easily. The bus passes are easy to get and you can ride free for an hour. We have gone to get something and paid for our trip to the store and rode home for free. You can get a taxi or an uber driver to take you to your destination. We have used uber drivers a lot. Our favourite car is the BYD electric car from China. It is comfortable and about the size of our cars at home. Some of the uber cars are tiny which has us ordering 2 cars. That gets a bit expensive. 

Food delivery is the best I have seen. Your order on an app and then it is delivered via a motorbike. You can order from restaurants, small shops, and grocery stores and it will be delivered to your door. People use it all the time. I will have to say it is very efficient. 

The apartment we have is large and comfortable. It is an older apartment that has had some updates. We met the owner's daughters who were brought up in it. They and their mom live in the US so it has become an Airbnb. As it has no a/c, we are happy it is close to the water as the winds help keep it cool inside. Most of the windows have metal shutters on them which we close up on hot days. It is very Mediterranean that way. 

I am looking forward to going home though I will remember this trip for a long time. I am not sure where I will go next but I am hoping I can go on one more trip.

Until the next time...........................................................

I Got Lost (Briefly)

 Yesterday was sunny and warm with a high of 27C. This morning it is sunny and 27C. Today is supposed to be sunny and hot with a high of 31C. 

Yesterday morning we did some house cleaning. I picked up all the dishes and did them and then cleaned up more in the kitchen and dining area. Daughter-in-law cleaned bathrooms and washed the floors. We also hung out 2 loads of laundry. 

We decided around noon to go over to the Montevideo Shopping Center for lunch and some snoop shopping. We had lunch at El Club de la Milanesa. It was very busy and after we ordered our food, it took a while to come. Milanesa is a dish of meat that is pounded thin, dredged in flour, eggs, and seasoned bread crumbs before being fried. I ordered a Caesar salad which was one of the best I have had. 

We ordered this plate for us to have as an appetizer and it came with our meal. 

The chicken fingers were the best though it was all good. Then came the Milanese sliders which we all tasted. 

We also had some freshly squeezed lemonade that I enjoyed. We were full and needed to walk off the meal. 

We went into the Montevideo Shopping Center. It was the first shopping mall in Montevideo and it is bigger than you think. When you walk up to it, MacDonald's hides its size on the one side. And you don't pay attention to the mall as you are watching for cars going coming into the drive thru. It goes right in front of the entrance to the mall. 

Our first stop was to have grandson try on some Levi jeans to get his size. We will order them from Amazon as they are very pricey here. You need to be very careful of imported items as some are way more expensive than we can get at home and others are really cheap. 

As we walked around looking for sporting goods stores, we spotted a rabbit's house. 

The one end has a rabbit's head on it. 

I took pictures of the room and some had a lot of glare due to the glass roof. Here are the best ones. 

The bathroom.

The kitchen

The bedroom.

There was a living room and a workroom which has a lot of glare.

We wandered around looking for sporting goods stores as grandson needs practice shirts. We actually found none. I needed to go to the bathroom and I had some excitement. 

I followed the signs showing bathroom and came to an elevator. I went in it and pushed a button. No bathroom. I pushed another button and a man and his mother joined me. He spoke English so we chatted. They got off and I went down one floor and who did I meet but the same man and his mother. I said I was lost and they took me back to the floor I had been on. I texted daughter-in-law and they found me. I now know how to find location on the What's app so if it happens again I can turn it on so family can find me. 

At another spot in the mall we saw the nativity scene. 

Once we were done at the shopping center we went home. It was time to rest as we were going out to the Night Market. 

The night market was really interesting. We wandered around the markets looking for items. This one display had my teacher self emerge. The food is made from felt and the box was included. 

We stopped at a shop that sells wooden items as family wanted to get a large board for a friend. I saw this gnocchi maker. 

You flour the board and roll a pillow of potato dough down it to get the ridges on it. 

These little dishes are very popular. This one had a candle in it but others had nothing. They use them for jewelry holders or for tiny items. 

I bought two small items for gifts. As we wandered looking at the booths, we saw this display on a hillside. 

It is flowers tumbling down the hill with a couple of birds on sticks. It is all made out of foam board and painted. 

It was amazing to look at. 

We continued walking around until it was after 10 pm. This market is huge and runs from 6 pm until 2 am. It is all outdoors with a couple of hundred vendors selling their goods. 

We tried to get an uber car to get home and couldn't as they were so busy. We finally flagged down a taxi. It was cheaper than an uber car and our driver was very good. I have him a tip as he stopped in a busy intersection for us. 

Today is a quiet day as daughter-in-law, grandson and his girlfriend have gone to Buenos Aries. Grandson has to be out of Uruguay for 24 hours due to regulations on foreigners. They will be home sometime tomorrow. As it is going to be very hot, son and I plan on doing very little. I may have a nap this afternoon as I am tired. 

Until the next time..................................................................

A Day Sight Seeing

 Yesterday was cool, windy, and mix of sun and clouds. The high got to 21C. This morning it is sunny and cool. It was 13C at 6 am and 18C at 8 am. Today is going to be sunny and warm with a high of 28C.

Yesterday we rented a car and went exploring outside of Montevideo. We started off challenged trying to get son's phone hooked up to the car so we could punch in our route. After 3 failed cords, we found one that worked. 

We started off going through a part of the city to see son's friend's apartment block. It was on the way out of the city. We took the freeway out as it seems to be the only way out. They get you with tolls this way. 

We were out of the city and roll along looking at things when the screen said there was a police check up ahead. We thought we might get through without being stopped but oh no we didn't. The fun began as son speaks little Spanish and the police officer spoke little English. Thank goodness we had someone with us who could speak Spanish. It was slow as the police officer had never seen a Canadian driver's licence. He asked questions, they were answered. We were on our way laughing our heads off. Son had rented a car twice and both times he has been stopped by the police. 

We drove until we got to a town called Atlantida. We drove to a beach and stopped for a stretch break. 

It was my first look at the Atlantic Ocean as Montevideo is at the mouth of the Rio de Plata. It was the perfect day as the wind was blowing and the waves were coming in. 

After leaving Atlantida, we drove along the coast looking at the water and enjoying the scenery. 

From there we went to Piriapolis. It is a beach town with a hotel built in the 1890's. It looks worn dirty due to the weather but it is being restored. 

We walked along the rambla and looked at the ocean. It was coming up hard enough to spray onto the sidewalk. 

On our way through the town, we came to a traffic circle and saw this Christmas tree. 

We drove on to Esta del Punta. This town is where the rich fly into in their private jets to holiday. We did stop on the way to enjoy the scenery and for daughter-in-law to look for shells. At one spot we could see the sandy beach. 

I am sure the beaches in this area are stunning when the ocean is calm and the tide is out. 

We also saw clumps of cactus and aloe vera plants. They are huge compared to what we see at home. Some of the aloe vera plants are 4 feet wide and 5 feet tall. The cactus are 6-7 feet tall. 

The waves were spectacular all the way along the coast. 

We arrived in Esta del Punta and did walk about on one street. We looked into one of the restaurants and there was cutest grey and white kitten in there. We should have eaten at that place as the restaurant we chose served the worst food we have eaten. We figured out it is a pop up restaurant that opens only during tourist season. We now say we have eaten the best and worst food. 

We left after eating lunch and started our drive back to Montevideo. We decided to go home through the country. On the way out I saw trees that were shedding their bark. A quick google search and they are Eucalyptus trees. 

The drive was interesting as we saw two cows and some horses staked to eat grass along the roadway. No pictures due to surprise and going too fast. The road was two lane and in good shape.  The lines on the roads impressed me as they have a dotted line in white and then yellow lines on each side. 

They seem to be kept well painted. The country is very much like around the Kamloops area except for the type of trees. Take that away and you would think you were there. There are even rock crops which you see in Kamloops. 

We drove around a town called Minas and it was a bustling community. We stopped outside of the town so we could get out and stretch. Everyone was feeling cramped. 

We drove by the area where Salus water is bottled. It is a long standing natural mineral water that is very popular here. You can stop and drink water from a lion's head but it is well off the road. We were running out of time on the car rental so we kept going. 

As we drove, the traffic got busier and soon we were on a 4 lane highway into Montevideo. Son missed our turn off and he earned his Uruguay driver's licence. He crossed 2 lanes of traffic that had not light. The traffic on the rombla was heavy due to rush hour traffic and a main street past us was closed. We got home in good time. Everyone was tired from a long day in the car. 

I did burst into tears when we got in. I had an emotional moment as I knew the Spousal Unit would have loved the drive in the rural area. It was his thing. We did laugh about it when I recovered as he would have said there wasn't enough Hereford cattle, why sheep, and the donkeys. He would have absorbed everything from the landscape to the working facilities and we might have gotten home around midnight. 

I did take Tylenol and went to bed early. I slept for 8 hours straight and then logged another 2 hours after that. I am weary but will be okay. We are going to have a few warmer days as it is that time of year. 

I may join daughter-in-law and grandson and go to the mall this afternoon. It will keep me from falling asleep on the couch and give me some exercise which I will need. 

Until the next time........................................................ 

A Day Of Three Walks

 Yesterday was cooler and sunny with a high of 24C. This morning it is sunny and 19C. Today is supposed to be sunny with some wind and 21C. 

Yesterday was a day of three walks. Our first walk was to the grocery store. On the way we saw this elf/Santa on a balcony. The night before we thought it was a kid falling off the balcony.

When we got to the grocery store, I noticed they had finished decorating the Christmas tree and they had Santa coming down a rope to the top of the tree. 

We got our groceries and came home. I was able to find one more treat for the boys across the street from me. 

Our second walk was down to the lavadero to pick up grandson's clothes. On the way I saw this palm tree that wasn't as tall as some others but it was big around. 

We picked up the laundry and son packed it back for us. Though the lavadero looked like it was unorganized and full, it was empty compared to the day we took the laundry in. They wash, dry, and fold your laundry and put them into sealed bags. 

Considering the clothes were grey coloured due to the horrible washing machine at grandson's apartment, they came back very clean and the whites were pretty white. 

The third walk was in the late afternoon. Son was at a meeting with an IT group so daughter-in-law and went for a walk. We had a small ice cream. She had pistachio and I had strawberry. 

As we walked back we saw this tree that had two different colours of blooms on it. 

We are heading out this morning to Punta del Este. It is a good 2 hour drive from the apartment and is a resort town. We will do some snooping, have lunch and then head home another route through some rural areas. Son got some information from one of the IT people as he lives in that area. 

I got a picture from my neighbour and it has snowed a lot. They were out shovelling my driveway and it looked like 8+" of snow has fallen. 

It looks like they could have a white Christmas; the first in many years. This has been the snowiest December that we know of. 

Until the next time.........................................................................

An Intense Last Game

Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 22C. This morning it is cloudy and 22C. Today is supposed to be cloudy with a high of 23C.

Yesterday was cooler and we relished it like crazy. Daughter-in-law had to go over with an extra back pack to grandson's apartment to help get all his belongings here. They arrived in the early afternoon and we sat and talked for a couple of hours. 

Grandson had to be at the game with his team mates so he and son walked to the stadium. We took an Uber as it's too far for me to walk. I actually went in by myself and it was a bit daunting. Not like at home where you show your ticket, go in and sit down. Here there was lots of security, you can be searched with a wand, and you have to open your bags and purses to show you have no weapons. Once that is done, you can show your ticket to get in. Last night we were not asked for our passport numbers. 

Security was big last night with a lot of security guards and police. It was the last game of the season and a lot of fans were attending. Anything could have happened but it didn't. 

We had drummers on our side of the stadium and I will admit they were good. 

There were 3 drummers and they played almost non stop. They also had some fireworks and smoke flares. 

The official soccer ball and the trophy were displayed in the field before the game started. 

The teams came out and walked with the referees to the center of the field which hasn't happened at the other games we attended. It usually happens at the finals game. The referees are in red. 

The game was intense. They were well matched and both teams played hard. It was a tied game even after overtime. They ended up doing penalty kicks and the other team won by 1 point. That team moves up to division 3 and a division 3 team moves down to division 4. The team moving up has to work hard all year to maintain their spot in that division. 

The weather was the nicest ever. We sat until after 8 pm without a coat on. The sky was clear, the breeze was light and I have to say I enjoyed it immensely. 

I love the trees in this picture. They remind me of the top (emergent) layer of the rainforest. I also liked this tree as it was a different colour to most of the trees we see here. 

We hung around a bit after the game was over and then came back to the apartment. We had a very late dinner and I didn't get to bed until 11:30 pm. 

We are slow this morning and will be going out shortly to grocery shop. This afternoon I will be having a nap as I am tired. Family has things to do with grandson. He has moved in with us as he is done with the team. 

It continues to snow at home in Nova Scotia. I haven't seen any pictures of my place since the first storm but I have seen reports that the roads are not that good due to the amount of snow that has fallen. Highways will be busy but if the snow fall is heavy they can't keep up. We all know that from past years. 

Until the next time...............................................................

A Walk Around A Block

 Yesterday was sunny and hot. The high got to 31C. It cooled off last night and rained about 1 am. This morning it is cloudy, windy, and 25C. Today is supposed to be cloudy with rain starting late this afternoon. The high is to get to 25C.

With yesterday being hot, we closed the apartment earlier than usual. We did laundry which dried in less than 2 hours. Even the clothes we put on the drying rack in the laundry room  dried quickly. 

Family went out in the heat of the afternoon for a walk and went to a new restaurant. I laid down to have a nap as I was tired from the heat. When I got up I looked at the beach and it was busy. 

The beach was busy in the morning but shortly after noon, it was quiet as most people had gone home. By 5 pm it was busy again with many people in the water. 

This morning, the beach is empty and the waves are coming in like surf. No on is on the beach. 

We went out last night when it cooled off. The wind was blowing and was cool. We took advantage of that to cool off. We walked up to Woori Chiken for wings and spring rolls. While we waited for them to cook we walked around the block to look at what was in that area. 

On our walk, we saw Papa Noel outside one store. He had almost a cowboy (gaucho) look to him. 

Papa Noel is the standard Spanish term for Santa Claus. He arrives on Christmas Eve when everyone is out at the beach or at street gatherings of which there is fireworks. The fireworks signal Papa Noel has arrived. I think the store was a restaurant and the red sign states that you can have your food delivered to your home via PedidosYa. 

We turned the corner at this place and walked down the block. We saw this banner hanging outside an apartment building. 

People are decorating for Christmas but they do less decorating than us. A small tree, some lights outside, and probably a few items like the nativity in the house. I an having a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit due to it being summer here. 

We are in week 5 of being here. Today we are going to watch the soccer game. Grandson's team plays. The winner of this game will move up a division. It will be a tense game for everyone. 

We are hoping to rent a car for tomorrow and drive along the coast to Punta del Este. It is about a 2 hour drive from here. It is a resort town for the Latin and North American jet set. We plan to walk around a bit and then come home another way (interior) to see some of the rural area of Uruguay. 

Wednesday will be a quiet day as daughter-in-law and grandson are going to Buenos Aires for 24 hours. Grandson has to leave the country and then return. It gives them a chance to see the city and have some time together. Son and I will probably do very little as it is the start of the next hot spell. 

I am not sure what is happening today. We do go to the game which starts at 6 pm. 

Until the next time....................................................................

Too Hot For Me

The last two days have been warm with highs of 28-30C. This morning it is clear and sunny and 26C. Today is going to be sunny with a high of 31C.  

With the weather being hot, I have been resting. We have been able to keep the apartment cool if we shut it up by 9 am. If we don't it gets quite warm.  

We have walked both mornings to the grocery store and bakery. It is 3 blocks each way and I can handle it in the morning. While we walk, I look around for pictures and yesterday I saw these beautiful yellow hibiscus flowers. 

Most times the most beautiful flowers are behind fences and I have to really work to get pictures. 

Last night I took grandson and his friend to dinner. We went to a hamburger place that we have been to before. They have the best hamburgers. It is 6 blocks from the apartment with 4 blocks going up hill. We had our delicious hamburgers and then came home. The temperature was 29C and I felt it. 

The beach will be busy today as it is warm outside. I noticed people going down early and I am sure families will be there all day. The water looks nice and fairly calm as there is very little wind. 

I am not sure what we will be doing today. I have a load of laundry on and will hang it out. It won't take too long to dry. I will probably rest due to the heat. I am not handling it well. Tomorrow will be cooler and wet. 

Until the next time..............................................................

Discovering Old City

 Yesterday was warm and humid. The high got to 22C but the humidity was at 80%. This morning it is sunny and 23C. Today will be sunny with a high of 27C. 

Yesterday morning we caught the bus and headed to the Old City (city center). We were going exploring into an area closer to the water. When we got off the bus we were further away from Independencia Plaza and walking towards Mercardo De Puerto.

The streets we walked down were wide and for people only. There were people picking up orders on bicycles and one person was pushing his motorbike to pick up an order. 

Along the streets vendors had set up their tables with items to sell. This is a place where tourists go. We did look at some tables which had old licence plates and old house keys. While walking, we saw this lovely fountain. 

It was very interesting as there were flying dragons on it and water spouted out their mouths. 

Every time I went to take a picture, the water would stop. 

Not far from the fountain was this sign. 

The sign reads

    Around 1850, the square was popularly known as "vegetable square" because of the market that -- until the 1870's -- was held on its south side. 

We continued walking and saw this neat balcony. 

The man climbing up the balcony is wearing a Santa hat as the balcony is decorated for Christmas. 

The doors on the buildings were beautiful. Many doors are about 10 feet tall with European influence. 

We continued to walk and found this small square. 

On one side of the statue was a man with his horse and a flock of sheep. 

On the other side was a man, lady and child with a cow. 

There was a plaque to the side of the statue. 

It reads:
    The Patriotic Association of Uruguay 
    Of Field Marshall
    Don Bruno Mauraicio de Zabala
    Founder of Montevideo
    1726-1976

The square was full of magnolia trees and the blooms were huge. 

The petals turn a burnt orange and then they fall off the tree. Each petal was as large as my hand. 

We continued on to Mercado Del Puerto for lunch. I was hot and by the time we sat down I had turned beat red and then white. I ate some bread and had some water. We ordered baby beef for lunch. I think small but this is what we got. 

It was cooked over a wood fire and was seasoned only with salt and pepper. It was delicious and very tender. After lunch we walked to Mercardo de los Artesanos to look around. I did buy a gift for a friend. Once we were done, we walked a few blocks and caught the bus home. I was hot and tired when we got home. 

I did go out around 5 pm last night to look for candy for the boys across the street from me. I found 3 of the 6 recommended. It was cool outside and I enjoyed the brief walk across the street. 

This morning, we have been to the grocery store and the 6 blocks walk was enough for me. I am going to rest today and we will see what comes after that. We are to have 3 very warm days which I do not do well in. 

Until the next time..............................................................