Made it to Montevideo after a nice day in a little town called Colonia where everyone rode scooters around the cobbled tree lined streets. Uruguayans seem pretty practical and laid back as a whole. Very chill compared to their cousins in BA.
We found Esteban hiding out like Butch and Sundance in this little hostel in Ciudad Viejo. Needless to say he fits right in and has been a hit with the locals already. And he brought me a camera ... so I can shutterbug to my heart's delight. We also moved right into his hostel room. We're big Esteban fans.
Ciudad Viejo lives up to it's name and frequently experiences times of total calm ... certain hours of certain days its like Night of the Comet. Nobody out on the streets. No businesses open. It's strange.
In a world of increasing privatization and corporate control ... Uruguay has a refreshing leftist bent.
The grand total of our adventures today involved going down to the old port market which was this amazing huge building chock full of asado BBQ joints and vendors and so forth ... in the words of one Washington Post writer: "While cities all over the world have refitted their ports into safe, hygienic, TGI Friday's-themed shopping centers, Montevideo's Mercado del Puerto remains the real, living, stinking thing. The Mercado, just two blocks from the hydrofoil dock, is a key part of city life, functioning simultaneously as a wharf market and bohemian mecca. The market's wrought iron super-structure has, since 1868, sheltered a maze of noisy vendors who hawk fruits, vegetables, beef and freshly caught fish. During the week, everyone from rugged fishermen to princely Uruguayan naval officers converge on the Mercado to chow at the fish stalls and grungy barbecues. On the weekends, though, the Mercado goes boho: local artisans peddle their works, while street performers, musicians and, sometimes, candombe drummers entertain."
It wasn't all that today, but it was a beautiful warm chilled out morning session none the less.
All manner of goodness is piled on this slanted grill above a wood fire. This is just one ... the port had many many BBQ pits going with tons of people eating inside the market and in the sidewalk cafes outside. Mad outdoor dining and chilling options here, it's so cool.
Sunday brunch was lovely ... attended to by tuxedo'ed waiters who filled our plates with amazing meats and breads and veggies. Well ... the veggies were a bit lacking, but the wine made up for it. The level of service is pretty classical and nice here, and in Argentina. Interesting that even in tough economic times ... people still feel like royalty and it's refreshing to see certain corners that don't get cut.
Uruguayan wine has a 100% thumbs up rate so far ... the Don Pascual Brut Blanc was really nice and often wines are served in 1/2 size bottles. And it's super cheap. Locals mix the wine with champagne to make a "medio y medio". They also make some mean sangria called a "clerico".
Meals are served with this crockpot of chimichurri sauce ... which has as many variations and recipes as people serving it. It's often an oily mix of herbs and diced veggies and garlic and so forth ... sometimes also w/ a vinegar edge. It's generally pretty finger lickin' stuff you can put on your meat or whatever. I've been putting it on everything.
Am I going on about the food too much? What can I say. Give me brunch over statues and old buildings any day.
People have been bugging me for photos of *us* more ... so here's the obligatory waiter executed group shot.
No comments:
Post a Comment