It being my second day in the lovely Montevideo, Uruguay, I thought it prudent that I get out and see the sights. After waking up around 8:30 am (curses upon the comfortable bed) I found myself alone in the apartment and figured, what the hey, and I planned a few adventures outside.
Travel Tip 004:
Google maps is like one of those friends who merit Facebook friendship but not so much a party invite. Be careful. Google maps is reliable but can lead you astray and force you to beg random strangers for assistance (which is a learning experience in itself). I got lost because I thought my building was on the other side of the street and a then a few of my directions ended up being completely incorrect. Trial and error is sometimes the best way to go.
So I managed to find my way to the University (La Universidad Catolica del Uruguay), a park (el parque Batlle, a shopping center (Los Tres Cruces) and the beach (La Playa Ramirez). I did all of this alone and I must say, traveling alone can be a rewarding experience. Most of the other walkers flew by me while I had my head up in the skies. I attempted matching their pace and I was out of breath after three blocks. My favorite adventure of the day was the beach: White sand, 80 degrees F, around 6:30 pm and no chance of losing daylight for another 2 and a half hours, a family playing soccer on the coast, groups of men playing something like bean bag toss and crochet combined (money and betting was probably involved) and a light breeze. It was great. I didn't quite work up the courage to speak with anyone at the beach but there's always room for progress.
Later Tuesday night, I went with my host brother Mauro and his friend Santiago to watch an Uruguayan soccer team take on a team from Argentina. We took the bus (my first time doing so) and road to the apartment of another one of Mauro's friends, Nicholas. I can honestly say I hardly understood any of the exchanges these guys made during the soccer game but it was fun nonetheless. Every goal scored by the Uruguayan team (a total of three goals) was celebrated in epic fashion. Gol! Gol! Gol! It was great and I at least understood that part of the night. We ordered pizza and had a great time. From glimpses into their language, I could tell they were mostly talking about the game but they drifted in and out of conversation about professions, homework assignments, and pizza places. The Uruguayan soccer team ended up winning 3:1. All in all, a good day.
Ciao,
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