Montevideo Shopping

Posted on June 5, 2012 by mlwattsupp

We now live within walking distance of Montevideo Shopping, one of the few shopping malls in the city. To get there it’s a nice 20 minute walk through residential neighborhoods.

The mall has a Tienda Inglesa in it. There are a couple of these stores around Montevideo and they specialize in getting and having American goods (of course marked up in price because of the import taxes). On our first trip to Montevideo Shopping our goal was to obtain a surge protector/converter that would function with our electronics (the plug shape here is three prongs in a line) and we knew we could find it at Tienda Inglesa.

The rest of the mall was a little confusing. We found the food court, which is a bit smaller than the one at the Punta Carrettas Shopping mall. It seemed that the shape of the mall was a large square with a space in the middle and the floors only connected at the corners. There also seemed to be one bathroom. No matter where we were the bathroom signs inevitably led back to the food court.

There were lots of shoe stores, book stores, and clothing stores, just like anywhere else.

In front of the mall there is a nice plaza with a couple of restaurants and bank offices. There are art exhibits/statues featured in the plaza which I found particularly interesting.

Windy Montevideo

Posted on June 4, 2012 by mlwattsupp

The weather here in Montevideo is amazingly similar to that in Atlanta. It is very hot in the summer and a bit chilly in the winter. We’ve been told that it doesn’t snow here, but it appears to be very humid all year long. There were thunderstorms in the summer and it has been getting very windy as we get into the fall.

Montevideo is situated on the Rio Plata which means that it’s beaches don’t get a lot of surf and the water is usually a glassy calm. That is, until the wind comes up! When it gets windy it kicks up the surf on the beaches and throws waves over the Ramblas, making the cobbles slippery and running on them treacherous. I have even spotted windsurfers and kite surfers out on really windy days.

Montevideo Graffiti

Posted on June 1, 2012 by mlwattsupp

Graffiti seems to be an art form here in Montevideo. Various creatures and drawings appear all over the city, sometimes with the same figure appearing multiple times. Graffiti can be found on building walls, bus stops, stairways, and public spaces. The following are just a few of the many pieces of art that I’ve seen in the city.

Savage Tournament in Buenos Aires

Posted on May 31, 2012 by mlwattsupp

The three of us went to Buenos Aires last weekend for another frisbee tournament. It was a savage 7 tournament which means that each team is only allowed to have 7 players, and for those of you that don’t know, there are only 7 players on the field at a time (i.e. everyone is playing all the time, there are no subs).

The tournament was at the Universidad de Buenos Aires which had nice fields and a great sports complex, complete with tennis courts, basketball courts, handball courts, locker rooms, and cafe.

Matt and Asa put together a team that included a bunch of Buenos Aires all-stars. I’d say it turned out pretty well considering they won the tournament.

I went along for the ride and to be team photographer. We had a great time. Here are some pictures of the boys doing what they do best!

Buenos Aires Public Transportation

Posted on May 28, 2012 by mlwattsupp

This past weekend we found ourselves in Buenos Aires again. There was a small ultimate tournament there that Matt and Asa both played in. Asa and I booked a hotel in the downtown area of Buenos Aires because we didn’t know the field location until two days before the tournament. Luckily for us, the public transportation in Buenos Aires is very extensive and includes buses, subways, and trains.

Buenos Aires is full of buses and anyone can take them for a small fee of about $0.25 US, and they go everywhere in the city. The following are a couple of problems with taking the bus.

1. Figuring out which bus to take. There are more than 100 different bus routes throughout the city. Luckily there is a nice website that can be used to find the correct route, that is, once you figure out how to use the website!

2. Finding change. There is a coin shortage in Argentina and the buses only take change. Stores will ask repeatedly if you have correct change and will sneer at you when you don’t. There are several card payment systems that have been installed in all realms of public transport in the last 5 years. On our last visit we obtained a SUBE card which helped us on our way.

3. If you’re in a hurry, forget it. Take a taxi! Traffic can be really bad in the city and the buses take forever.

The subway in Buenos Aires is fairly easy to take, but it is sometimes very crowded, only goes to certain locations, and can be a mecca for thieves who work together to target tourists. When my parents visited us in Buenos Aires their camera got stolen on the subway, despite being very vigilant.

Knowing these things, we decided that we would investigate train options this time around. We took the train the last time we were in the city and thought it was nice. Upon investigation, we discovered that there are not one, but three different train lines servicing parts of the city. Only one of these lines is included in the website (above) that shows the bus routes. We found the line that stopped near our destination and could get there and back for about $0.30 US each. Trains left every 15 minutes all day long and we could arrive at our destination in 11 minutes. The equivalent bus ride would have taken upwards of 45 minutes.

The train station at our destination

The three train stations are next to each other. Lining the streets outside the stations are vendors selling everything from donuts to alarm clocks to shoes. Beyond the vendors, in the street, is one of the most extensive bus stops I have ever seen. There were more than 5 lanes that buses could enter, which each had approximately 20 stops arranged adjacent to each other. It took up almost two whole blocks.

Only a small portion of the bus stop. Each covered area is the stop for a different bus line.

Here’s to public transportation making our lives easier and relatively hassle free!

Nacional vs. Peñarol

Posted on May 24, 2012 by mlwattsupp

I told you all we were going to go to another fútbol game while we were here. Thanks to Carlos (again!), running to the nearest Abitab (more on those in another post) to buy us tickets, we were able to go. Carlos’ other brothers are Peñarol fans and he and his parents are Nacional fans, so we were more than happy to hang out with him and get to see an awesome game.

Fútbol games here are a bit different than in the US. One big difference is that you literally have to choose sides. Peñarol fans were allowed to buy Peñarol tickets a week before Nacional fans. Peñarol tickets sold out in 30 minutes and were only available to those people who were part of a Peñarol club. When Nacional tickets went on sale they were available to buy at local venues and also sold out fairly quickly.

Not really knowing what to expect on game day, we strategically did NOT wear yellow and black (Peñarol colors). We took the bus up to Carlos’ house and on the way lost count of the number of Peñarol jerseys we saw walking along the streets. Not until we got near Carlos’ house did we see truck-loads of Nacional fans setting off fireworks in the middle of the street, decked out in their blue and white.

Our experience at the stadium brings new meaning to the term “sports fan”. There were separate entrances for Peñarol and Nacional fans, which later made sense when we realized that the stadium was divided into sections for the two teams. Between the fans of the two teams there was an entirely empty section, presumably so that aggressive fans couldn’t hurt each other. Bags were checked at the entrance and a quick pat down was given. No bottles were allowed. There were separate lines for men and women to be checked, although the fans were composed of 10 men for every woman.

Inside the stadium, one side was entirely yellow and black and the other side entirely blue and white. Fan clubs for each side hung banners from everything and anything. There were police everywhere in their swat gear, including helmets and shields (just in case).

The game started with a fanfare of fireworks, colored smoke, pieces of paper, flares, and much singing. The teams have their own songs and chants. It would have been good to have learned them prior to the game, but our excitement was well shown through our screaming and cheering.

The game was exciting and suspenseful, with Peñarol scoring a goal in the first minute as the result of an unseen handball, quickly followed by a penalty kick goal by Nacional. Peñarol scored a second goal with a nice kick from a wide cross which was followed by a Nacional goal that was very similar. Another Nacional goal came from an indirect kick outside the penalty box that didn’t touch a soul and we were on the winning side. Carlos won himself bragging rights for a while with his brothers!

The fans around us were animated. They sang songs, they taunted the Peñarol fans (even though they were far away), they stood up in their seats at every goal opportunity, they whistled instead of booing (Uruguayans are really good at whistling), and they cheered. It was an impressive display of support.

On leaving the stadium we learned that our way home wasn’t going to be as direct as we had expected. Fans from each side were only allowed to exit the stadium in opposite directions. In a country with such devoted fans, I can understand the precaution.

Check out some videos from the game!

– Nacional penalty kick goal

– Nacional Fans!

– Peñarol Fans!

Mexican Food In Uruguay

Posted on May 8, 2012 by mlwattsupp

We decided to celebrate a couple things last week with a trip to experience Mexican food here in Uruguay. We celebrated the move to our awesome new apartment as well as mine and Asa’s third anniversary.

As luck would have it, our apartment is within walking distance of not just one, but two mexican restaurants. After pouring over the menus for both places online, we settled on “La Lupita“.

The restaurant is a 15 min walk from our apartment through nice neighborhoods with big houses. The restaurant itself was nestled in the middle of a block and had a couple tables outside. We knew it was going to at least be decent because it was 8:30 pm, it opened at 8:30 pm, and there were already at least 5 different parties inside.

For those from the South, there was no “queso”, but they did serve tortilla chips (which are rather scarce around here) with salsa. We of course ordered a round of margaritas ($4.50US each), which surpassed our expectations in terms of both the flavor and the amount of alcohol in them.

The food was delicious all around, and even had a hint of spice to it! No room for dessert, but I expect we’ll be there again!

Asado with the Chiale Family

Posted on May 7, 2012 by mlwattsupp

We had the pleasure of joining the Chiale family for an Asado last weekend.

This family has been every kind of nice to us. The three sons, Carlos, Juanma, and Maxi led the welcoming charge from the frisbee community when we first arrived. The Chiale family put on a wonderful birthday party for Carlos, which we were lucky enough to attend. Carlos generously invited us to join him and his parents at a fútbol game and we have participated in numerous activities, both social and ultimate related, with Carlos and Juanma. We have thoroughly enjoyed spending time with the Chiale family and are so lucky to have found such nice people so far from home.

Matt posted previously about an asado he had in Buenos Aires, but this one was a little different because of the weather. It was cold. None of us wanted to stand outside to watch the meat cook, so we took the token photo and then spent a good amount of time inside chatting.

From left to right: Juanma, Asa, Randi, Matt, Carlos, and Maxi. Photo credit: Juan Carlos Chiale!

The asado meat and the chorizo were both really tasty. We had french fries with egg and spinach mixed in and some salad as sides. Dessert was an incredible dulce de leche ice cream dish with pieces of cake mixed in and meringues on top. Oh and don’t forget the Uruguayan flags in the dessert!

After we were done eating we made our way to a local fútbol field where Maxi, the youngest brother, was having his weekly game. They unfortunately tied 2-2, but Maxi scored a goal!

Thanks again to the Chiale family for making us feel so welcome!

Tristan Navarja Sunday Market

Posted on May 4, 2012 by mlwattsupp

We have explored the market at Tristan Navarja twice since we’ve been here. It is a huge market, much like the one in Parque Rodo, except bigger. The market stretches down the street for about 8 blocks and oozes out onto the surrounding streets for 2 or 3 blocks in each direction. If you need it, you can find it at the market. Not kidding. You want a rooster? They have it. You want an antique gun? They have it. You want some fish or an aquarium? They have it. You want food? They have that. You want books, decorations, clothes, a new pet, maté or bombillas, plants, tarantulas, jewelry, or furniture? Yeah, they have it.

Check out just some of the things we saw:

New Digs!

Posted on May 3, 2012 by mlwattsupp

As many of you know, the plan for our 6 month trip to Montevideo was to stay at the Little House for the first three months and then find a different place to stay for the remainder. We want to experience as much of the city as we can. Luckily we found just the place and moved in yesterday!

We packed up all our stuff from the Little House, which amazingly fit right back into the suitcases we brought with us, and Matt and I loaded all of it into a taxi and drove over to the new place. Asa met us there from the office. The check-in process was a little more in-depth than at the Little House, but that’s because we are now venturing into the world of Montevideo rental apartments and agencies instead of just a listing on airbnb.

We had to sign a rental agreement, or I should say ,”I” had to sign a rental agreement. They knew who was the responsible one of the bunch. We also had to sign a 4 page inventory. Apparently when visitors come from Argentina or elsewhere with their cars they tend to take things when they leave. They don’t understand that American visitors can’t fit pots and pans in their suitcases. Oh well!

So the place… We are now in a two bedroom apartment on the 9th (and top) floor of an apartment building in Pocitos, complete with a balcony, heat, and a washing machine. It is a smaller than the Little House was, but it is much brighter, the kitchen is stocked with more than one frying pan, and we have a door man. How cool is that?

None of us have ever lived up so high! When the leaves finally fall off the trees, we’ve been told that we’ll be able to see the ocean. The apartment is two blocks from the beach and it’s apparently pretty empty this time of year. Maybe we’ll actually get to the beach to throw a frisbee more often! Here are some pictures of the new place.

Welcome to the Apartment! To the left is the living room and the door on the right leads to the kitchen.

This is the kitchen with a big fridge, double sink, and plenty of dishes.

This is our cute little front loader washing machine that may or may not fit more than one change of clothes. Then again, it won’t matter if we can’t figure out the settings. There are more than 20 different ways to wash things.