La Posta del Chuy, Cerro Largo

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In the middle of the XIX century the brand new Uruguayan state in an attempt to populate the lands near the border with Brazil, and not being able to finance the cost of road works, gives the concesion to privates of the building of a bridge over the creek "Chuy del Tacuarí", on the path that communicated the city of Melo with Rio Branco (in those years called “Villa Artigas”).

Those who wanted to cross that bridge, had to pay a toll.

The building of the bridge and the nearby facilities, was leaded by the men that years later would rebuild the “Fortaleza de Santa Teresa” (Saint Teresa Fortress), the “Fortaleza del Cerro de Montevideo”(Cerro of Montevideo Fortress) and the “Fuerte de San Miguel” (Saint Michael Fort).

The bridge has loopholes in its sides, something essential given the dangers of those years and the proximity of the Brazilian border. The building's style was very common in the Basque Country. Also, next to it, there was constructed a hostal, a “Pulpería” (like a inn, but actually a bit more like a social center and a place to buy supplies) and a horse relay service.

Over the bridge, a heavy iron chain was always extended, and only was lowered after paying… and ancient version of our current “peajes” and their black and yellow barriers.

The first owners (actually concessionaires), Spanish Basques, were known by the towering fees they collect, often over what said the law. As an example of it, it is said that the fee by law for a carriage was 4 cents and 1 cent for people, but they retrieve 5 cents… 4 for the carriage and 1 for the driver… as if the carriage could pass alone.

The facilities were usufructed till 1919, when the government decided to put an end to the concession, because in that moment all the roads in the country were free.

Later, and after some reparations to the stone structures, the Posta del Chuy became a museum and received the status of historical patrimony of the country.
There you can see replicas of advertisements and the routes covered by some coaches… journeys of about 20 days that nowadays are covered in 4 hours by car.

The place is well preserved and remains as a glimpse of what used to be life one hundred and half years ago over here.

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Uruguay and Mercosur

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While in Washington DC, President Vazquez declared to a Uruguayan news reporter that Uruguay will change its member status in MERCOSUR, going from full member to just associate member like are today Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
In case you wonder what’s this MERCOSUR thing, to put it in one sentence is the South America’s European Union wannabe. In theory it’s an integration of South American countries initiative very much like it is the EU, at many levels, not only economical ones. In practice it’s just sad, seems to me like a means to Brazilian’s and Argentinean’s ends.

Ok, now you may wonder why? Why Uruguay wants to get out of this apparently noble thing? The answer is because as it is today it’s a joke, the existent asymmetries in the participating countries are just to damn big, and it seems we are just not mature (or wealthy) enough to act based on long term outcome.

For example, Brazil does whatever the blazes it wants. They are ok with the free trade of goods legislation of Mercosur when it’s about their goods entering other countries, but it’s not unusual for Uruguayan trucks loaded with rice to be blockaded when trying to enter Brazil by Brazilian farmers while Brazilian government sits still, or even worse applies taxes to imported good from other countries of Mercosur.

Another example, the Gualeguaychu’s bridge between Uruguay and Argentina has been blockaded for months by Argentinean demonstrators, while at the same time the Mercosur legislation is supposed to guarantee the free circulation of goods, and persons between member countries. In this light the blockade to Uruguay-Argentina’s bridge it’s just unconstitutional. What did Argentina’s government do about it?
Nothing.

Uruguay and Argentina are probably going through their worst diplomatic conflict since the creation of both countries. Uruguay has called for “the council of Mercosur” in order to find a solution, trying to activate mechanisms defined in Mercosur for this sort of situation. Argentina just did not answer the request.

Participating in Mercosur for Uruguay represents not being able to establish free trade treaties with other nations, like the United States or China. As the president put it Mercosur for Uruguay “is more of a problem than a solution”....

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Football, Nacional fell 2-1

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Tonight Nacional fell to its rival, the Brazilian’s “Internacional de Porto Alegre”, in its first leg quarterfinals match, in the Libertadores de America cup. It’s a shame, because the game was played here, in Nacional's stadium (el parque central), and winning in Porto Alegre its going to be real hard. It’s been long time since any Uruguayan club made it to the finals, near twenty years now.

El Club Nacional de Futbol is one of the two biggest, and more ancient football teams in Uruguay, it has more than a hundred years old, founded in may 1899, which is a lot to say when the sport itself is around that time old. Nicknamed el bolso, Nacional is actually considered among the firsts true South American football teams, since prior to the foundation of Nacional all football teams would only allow European players. Also Nacional’s stadium hosted the first match in the first world cup ever.

I could go on babbling about el bolso’s glorious history but you could get that info somewhere else.I’d rather tell you a little story, first hand, just to put you in context about what this team means to a lot of Uruguayans. My father is a Nacional supporter, always been, his brother, my uncle, is, and always been, a big fan of Peñarol, the other ancient Uruguayan football team, Nacional’s nemesis. When I was born, some years from now, my uncle was decided to make a Peñarol’s fan out of me, at all costs, so he went and bought this little peñarol’s official team baby outfit, hoping that it would become the first football garment I wear charming the little creature to be a follower of the dark side forever I guess, or at least to take pictures of me in it in order to black mail me in the future, or my father or whatever. Anyway, when my grandma found out about this, the legend goes she went berserk. She was a big Nacional’s supporter and couldn’t believe my uncle’s nerve. They say she gave him the lecture of his life, about how if he wanted a baby to wear that kind of (evil?)outfit he would have to have it himself. My uncle still keeps the Peñarol’s baby outfit to this present day, I've seen it. I am a Nacional supporter, always been :)


(images taken from Nacional's official site and here)
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Trekking in la Sierra de las Animas, Maldonado

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La Sierra de las Animas is the name of a couple of hills in Maldonado (actually a sierra) of no more than 508 meters high (did I ever mention that Uruguay is a flat country?). It's actually the second highest "peak" in Uruguay, being the first one el cerro catedral with something like ten more meters high, not much more (dont take my word for it, go get some encyclopedia and correct me).

It's a very popular trekking spot in Uruguay, there are a couple of different walks to choose from. The one we did was to make it to the top of the hill, which is about a two to three hour walk, but there is also another one called "El cañadon de los espejos". The last one is named after pools of rainwater with small waterfalls you arrive to when you reach to the end of the path. The place is said to be very beautiful after rainy days with the waterfalls in their full glamour.


There used to be a third walk to the "pozos azules" (or blue pools) which is now closed, and there is also a whole discussion about which ones are the true legendary blue pools which I won't go into.

La Sierra de las Animas is also very popular among mountain bikers who carry their bikes to the top and then slide from there.


Once we arrived to the place we payed the 40 uruguayan pesos fee, and listened carefully to the pleasetakegoodcareofthepark fifteen minutes lecture. The place is maintained as an ecological park and we learned that it's forbidden even to spit fruit seeds while walking in order to protect the original flora (killing anything that walks or crawls or flies is of course out of the question).


When you are on the top of the hill you understand why they used to call it Mirador Nacional (National watcher...err, no.. watchpost, sightseer...err, something like that) as you can see a great part of Maldonado and even Montevideo or so they say in clear days.

We crossed a bunch of horses on the way to the top, and one snake and one impressive tarantula on the way down.



If you are the kind of person that likes walking, watching nature and just talking with someone in the way to the top (to the peak) you probably would've enjoyed it.


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saint valentine's day

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Just a footnote, the 14th of febraury is no big deal in Uruguay. Actually there is another day in the year set as the lover's day. In this thing we going against the flow. Those who celebrate saint valentine's day in Uruguay are a minority. Some gifts shops are trying to impose the day for economic reasons but without real success so far. Anyway it's a matter of time, globalization will do the rest.

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The longest carnival in the world has begun

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Last Thursday started Uruguay's carnival, which this year's been baptized as the longest carnival in the world. I guess, we may not have Brazilian's glamorous, most famous carnival, but we have the longest, or so they say. It goes from January’s last week until the first days of March. Uruguay's carnival actually has little or nothing to do with Brazilian’s one.

It's Uruguay biggest popular celebration; it's a strange mixture between Hispanic carnival traditions with afro rhythms, the result is something I haven’t seen elsewhere. Along the month or so it lasts a lot of shows and presentations take place starting with the initial parade in 18 de Julio the main street in Montevideo's downtown. This initial parade consists of different carnival groups called comparsas which compete for the year’s carnival prize, and walk all over 18 singing and dancing, and waving flags, and carnival symbols.

As it was just some blocks away from my place I decided to pass by to take some pictures. For the record the previous time I'd gone to this parade I was a kid with no more than ten years, and my only and main recollection of it was about "cabezudos" (meaning bigheaded), which are guys disguised with an enormous painted "head", reaching more than 8 feet tall that approach to children to scary them at the rhythm of music. To my surprise they told me that these characters are no longer very frequent, too bad, they rocked. Well this time I also got a little scared but not because of the cabezudos, you see, every time I took out my camera I had the feeling that a lot of eyes that seemed to have escaped out of mordor where watching it and following me. Nothing happened, there was a lot of police presence but it was uncomfortable.

I would like to say it was awesome, but it really wasn’t, the truth is that it didn’t live up to my memories. Between every comparsa you’d have to wait around twenty minutes. It disappointed me to see so much commercial propaganda in the flags, banners and carrousels of each carnival group. I felt the whole thing has gone very commercial. Even though there were a lot of cops there was still a feeling of insecurity. Next Friday is the second big parade in Uruguay’s carnival; named "Las Llamadas", it’s more typical of afro culture in Uruguay, with much more Candombe which a like and for me much more enjoyable.

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It's summer time, not much sun though

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First half of january is over, typically the best days in the year to go on vacations in Uruguay. Usually the best weather days in the whole year, when every teenage girl takes like twelve daily hours of suntan, until it hurts, literally. Even though in this corner of the world it's highly adviced against sunbathing between eleven am to three, because of the ozone layer hole, you know...sun hurts, didn't used to, but now it does, shame on polluting countries! But not this year, nope, the first half of january's been more like... is it really january? is this rain stopping, ever? when are the clouds going to leave?

Here are some pictures taken in La Pedrera, Rocha, and Solis, Maldonado. Well, yeah, there are a lot places to go on vacations in Uruguay, besides Punta del Este, which is the only one that people seem to talk about. While Punta del Este is more of a high profile beachside, resort, there are a lot of places, specially in Rocha, but also in Maldonado and Canelones, that are pretty good to spend some days lying on the beach, reading, taking naps, swiming, fishing doing whatever but working. In particular, in Rocha, it's where the best beaches are and where less populated is. People go there camping, or stay in rented houses, sometimes, even fishermen hutslike houses. In winter, most of those places are deserted, which is why a lot of people like to go off season, typically in december, or march.

enjoy the pics!

La Pedrera

Solís

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The Wizard Kings

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No, I'm not talking about some role playing game, this is about something that's still celebrated in Uruguay, which is the Three kings festivity or The Wizard kings, or as we ordinary refer to it here, "Los Reyes Magos". Named after the visitation to the Jesus child by three wise men, or three wizard kings, mentioned in the bible. It's a holiday and it's a very special morning particularly for children.

Every January 6th children wake up early and run anxiously to the Christmas tree to find gifts placed by their shoes, does this sound weird? Tradition says that anyone who wants to be gifted by the three wizard kings must leave his or her shoes by the Christmas tree. Also a bucket with water and another one with grass must be left for the feeding of the camels, didn't i mention it?, they travel in camels. Letters are written to wizards with detailed specifications of the dreamed toys, and “unbiasedly” describing the year overall behavior.

It was funny to wake up and find the buckets moved, the grass gone, less water, irrefutable proof of the passing and existence of the three kings for every children in Uruguay. In some families with strong Spanish tradition like mine, gifts were more and better than those given at Christmas' eve, after all it had it's logic, Santa Claus is only one, these guys are three, they should try harder. ...

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A river and two paper mills

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A river and two paper mills is what stands between Uruguay and Argentina these days.  Around three thousand persons blockaded the San Martin’s bridge between Uruguay and Argentina demonstrating against the construction of two paper mills in the Uruguayan borders of the Uruguay River last weekend.

The construction of two paper mills is being carried out in the region of Fray Bentos, Uruguay, by Spanish and Finish capitals.  This subject’s been around for months but right now is gaining momentum with surprise blockades by green parties on the bridges between Uruguay and Argentina, on a high traffic season due to summer tourism. The international relationship among nations is getting tight.

The matter is more complex than it may seem at first sight. On one side, these paper mills represent the biggest investment ever in the Uruguayan history and the economic situation of the country is pretty damn bad for lack of a better adjective. The consequences of the economic crisis lived through in 2001/2002 are present still. Unemployment is up the roof, one every two children in Uruguay is born under the poverty line, emigration rate of educated young people is very high, etc. Bottom line, our economy desperately needs it (some say "I rather die from pollution than starve to death"). On the other hand paper mills will have a contaminating effect, and will affect the environment, period. European enterprises are moving the paper mills out of Europe into developing nations not exactly out of good will. Paper mills in Finland are known to have had a negative effect in the environment. To summarize we are buying ourselves a problem.

Will it be positive or negative in the long term, I don’t have the foggiest idea, I guess time will tell. What bothers me right now is to put up with declarations like those of the Argentinean governor of Entre Rios, Jorge Busti, who’s become an ecologist all of a sudden, and even makes suggestions that the Uruguayan government is corrupt (which is not in discussion really, but is just an statement that no one in the Argentinean government has the moral authority to make). The guy is a clown, he even as a measure forbidded government employees coming to Uruguay on vacations, and wasn’t respected about it (check out this).

One fact that I find very interesting is that there are right now around ten paper mills working in Argentina, throwing their wastes to the Paraná River, and you don’t listen to Argentinean green parties complaining on the news about that. I believe that ecology should start at home.
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Last working day, throw your calendar away

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In Montevideo's downtown the last working day of the year has it's traditions. Most of the offices work until noon, the after office is at "El mercado del puerto" or ciudad vieja and around 11:30AM an unusual show starts.








People start throwing shredded paper out of the windows, and buckets of water to say goodbye to the old year. Traditionally the papers that are thrown are sheets of the old year's calendar, torn out the last working day.






It's fun, the space between buildings gets filled with calendar sheets with every day in the almost gone year dancing in an american beauty plastic bag kind of way. At the same time people rush out of the buildings to avoid unexpected showers of the randomly falling water, and the ocasional unlucky one gets soaked. It's an unusual and funny sight.



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News, Rapists ripping cellmate on christmas'eve

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Last saturday, on christmas'eve, in the Uruguayan prision of Libertad two prisoners butchered one third cellmate.

The prisoners known as "El cosita" (the little thing) and "el sapo" (the toad) ripped out the genitals, heart, and head of their cellmate nicknamed "El caramelero" (candyman) supposedly because candyman was bragging about how he'd rapped and killed his last kid victim. I must point out that "the little thing" and "the toad" are also convited murderers/rapists.

Now, I wonder, what's the deal with rapists killing rapists based on moral & ethical basis?. It's not like they have some code of honor that candyman broke. I mean what on earth were they thinking? like "he went too far, he said nasty things, let's butcher him" what!!!?? you piece of an animal kill and rape inocent people but when someone talks dirty...ahh, no, just can't stand it, and to set things right you tear the guy apart. Flawless logic.

There is some degree of speculation on whether the reason is what they say it was or if someone from outside the prison paid them to kill the third rapist, which seems more likely.

It is in fact the first time that a murder as brutal as this is perpetrated in an uruguayan prison. Sad news is that this country is bringing up this sort of animals.

This murder is now in everyones conversation in uruguay this week. Toad and little thing were given the maximum allowable time in prison by uruguayan law.
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Christmas in Uruguay

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First of all, there is no such a thing as white Christmas in Uruguay, for two reasons. The first one is that in this hemisphere is summer time, the second being that it never snows in Uruguay (a great deal of Uruguayans don’t know snow), so even if it were winter, it wouldn’t be white anyway. In hot summers here is more like sweating Christmas.

Santa Claus here is called Papa Noel, and his associates here deliver all the Christmas presents at 12’ o clock sharp. So children expect presents to appear right away under their noses and they are a tough clientele. Yes, yes, HoHoHO! For some weird reason Santa Claus has this weird way of laughing over here too, although here is spelled more like JOJOJO ;)

There are no Christmas vacations, school period goes from March till December, school has already finished a month ago. For working guys such as myself, the 24th is workable only until noon, and the 25th is a non workable holiday. Unfortunately this year both days fell in weekend days which sucked.

Preparations for Christmas’ eve and Christmas day include setting up your own Christmas tree. Some people like to have it natural, in such a case you have to go and get some pine tree somewhere, which is becoming uncommon. Another thing to do is to make one little holy manger usually within the fireplace, with ceramic figures, and rock paper. Some families also leave the little Jesus spot empty in the manger until Christmas day arrives.



Christmas is celebrated typically in the following manner: families gather on a Christmas’s eve dinner, spend the evening together, until the clock ticks twelve. When Christmas day finally does arrive, everyone hugs each other, parents put up a children’s deceiving show telling them to look at some nonexistent star in the sky where Santa is supposedly coming from (here the north pole Santa’s elves factory thing is not very spread), also this scheme lends to several possible variations. While the children are looking at the sky after some decoy the other parent or some relative puts the presents beneath the Christmas tree, and shouts notifying of the sudden arrival and departure of Santa. Everyone else who is not involved in this children deceiving scheme may probably be playing with fireworks, making a lot of noise, lighting up the city, eventually getting a hand burned.



After all of this in Montevideo the two more interesting spots to be are “La Rambla” where people usually park their cars and put music real loud, dancing and drinking by the beach, or in ciudad vieja where there are a lot of pubs to hang out.

By the way... HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!! FELIZ NAVIDAD!! ...

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Mercado del Puerto an uruguayan tradition

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It’s December 24th, noon, and you are in Montevideo, Uruguay. What do you do? You go to “El Mercado del Puerto” (translated would be something like the Port’s Market). El Mercado del Puerto is a recycled market from mid 19th century which now hosts grill restaurants, serving typical Uruguayan dishes, asado and relatives. The place’s been around for about 150 years and has seen guests such as Gardel, Figari and virtually everyone who ever lived in Montevideo in the last century. It’s a very picturesque spot, it’s one of the icons of the city, and it’s a must for every tourist wandering about. The place deserves a post on its own.

Towards the end of the year it’s the place of choice for lots of Uruguayans wishing to bid the year farewell, typically with office mates. It’s traditional to go and have lunch, and get dizzy or plain drunk on “medio y medio” (a drink made out of bubbling wine and dry white wine, medio y medio meaning half n’ half), a sweet deceiving thing that goes up ones head quickly.

The peaks of this celebrations are the 24th and the 31st when most offices work till noon and the after office traditionally is at El Mercado del Puerto, where people go to celebrate, eat, dance in the street, or just watch the live spectacle. It’s the kind of event you’d see on an E! Wild On show. There are music groups playing drums at Candombe and Samba rhythms, people spill beer and “medio y medio” over each other, (women are the most affected :) So if you go chances are that you will get wet and come back smelling, whether you drink or not. Movement starts somewhere around noon, and continues until around five.

As the afternoon advances the place gets progressively crowded, noisy, wild, and even dangerous since it’s a drunken mob that we are talking about. The vibe in general is very, very good, but on a 24th or 31st the place is Armageddon, I don’t stay after three or four myself. Instead a few blocks away there’s the old city (ciudad vieja) where partying in the street continues. ...

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