Montevideo wins a couple of awards related to this trip. First, it was the unanimous winner of the pre-trip "Huh?" Award for what it had to offer. They produce a lot of beef and leather, but that's about all you can dig out when doing an initial search. We were scheduled to overnight in port, so we were a bit concerned that there would be a lot of wasted time. Fortunately our preconceived notions were completely destroyed within an hour of stepping off the ship. We had a couple of hours to browse around the first morning, prior to a planned excursion to a local winery. A walk of two or three blocks from the cruise dock, just past the Mercado del Puerto, brings you to a street filled with vegetable stands and shops displaying crafts made from local artisans. Sprinkled among these storefronts are a few small groceries where you can get a cold soft drink or a small snack. After being somewhat captive on the ship for nearly a week it was a pleasant change of pace. English is generally spoken to some degree, but don't count on being able to communicate at a high level all the time. Having a little knowledge of Spanish as well as the proper name for what you're looking for (whether it's an item or a location) will serve you well. There are cash machines around the dock and Mercado, just remember to check the exchange rate, as this is the third 'peso' and variation you will have encountered in that regard. We browsed for a while and purchased several souvenirs for ourselves and family members before making our way back to the ship to drop off our packages and meet the bus for the excursion.
A forty-five minute or so drive by bus to the north ofMontevideo is
Establecimiento Juanico. With just under one thousand acres of vineyard either owned or under direct management, this family-owned winery produces over thirty different bottlings from a dozen grape varieties. Their products are widely exported and I recommend giving them a taste if you ever have the opportunity. Even those wines that I didn't care for were of high quality and the care and expertise invested in their production was evident. Our tour included a seated luncheon and wine tasting, providing the opportunity to enjoy the wines under the ideal condition of being accompanied by local cuisine. If a wine measures up favorably when served in this setting then you should definitely take some home. My only regret is that I was only able to safely manage a couple of bottles in our luggage. Now I struggle with when I want to drink my meager stores! After our tasting was complete we were treated to a flamenco dancing demonstration, which included an audience participation component. Thanks to the social lubrication provided by the wine tasting I was a fairly willing participant and must confess that it was a lot of fun and I managed to not embarrass myself (excessively) in the process. Considering that I am, at best, a hesitant dancer, this is quite remarkable. On the trip back to the ship we decided to take advantage of the overnight stay and find a local restaurant for dinner instead of going to the dining room.
We decided on
El Peregrino in the Mercado del Puerto. The outside seating gave us a nice view for people-watching with abundant fresh air. Our selections were simple - mixed grilled meats with baked potato and sautéd mushrooms. Everything was perfectly prepared and accompanied by exceptional service. The meats were crispy around the edges while perfectly cooked and juicy inside. The flavor imparted by the hardwood grilling was enough to make even Hank Hill swear off cooking with propane. The potato (as you can see in the photo) was split, then scored and covered in fresh butter. The potato, as the meat, was also perfectly cooked and a delightful side dish for the skewers of meat. I'm not sure what their secret might be, but any time you have a memorable baked potato it's a noteworthy occasion. Add the mushrooms, and, of course, the obligatory bottle of wine, and we had an amazing dinner for about $40. On our stroll back to the ship we encountered a group of young kids playing soccer on one of the pedestrian thoroughfares. They immediately pegged us as tourists and started their chant of "dollar, mister?" I kicked the ball with them a bit and fished out some loose change to distribute among them. A couple of them tried to double dip and laughed heartily when I harangued them for being greedy and pointed out that they were trying to cheat their friends. I suspect that they collect a fair amount of pocket money with their cheesy grins and polite harassment of tourists.
Saturday we had our sights set on visiting the
Antiques Market at the Plaza de la Constitución. Our journey started with a free shuttle to the leather shop at the Plaza Independencia (no need to spend money on a cab when they'll take you within a block of your destination for free!) We did make a few purchases at the leather shop, my favorite being a belt that I frequently wear. From the Plaza Indepencia we walked down the Sarandi pedestrian passage, which was lined with vendor booths offering a variety of crafts and artwork, most of which was locally produced by hand. There were the expected assortment of cheap trinkets, but they were quite obvious. After a couple of blocks of close-quarters shopping we found ourselves on the edge of the Plaza de la Constitución, filled with tables full of antiques as well as the usual assortment of random junk with food stands interspersed. Around the perimeter of the square were shops, fast food (ugh!) and ATMs. We browsed while eating gelato and sipping mineral water. There weren't any wares of particular interest, but it was educational to look through the items covering the tables and gain a greater awareness of Uruguayan history through the magazines, posters, newspapers, and post cards highlighting significant events. After visiting an ATM we hopped in a cab to return to the Mercado for lunch. Our cab driver spoke no English, but we were able to pronounce "Mercado del Puerto" well enough that he delivered us quickly to our destination. Our cab fare was more than the smallest bill I had, but only a fraction of the next smallest bill in my pocket and the driver had a limited amount of change. He was prepared to accept less than the amount on the meter, but I tipped him generously (it only amounted to a few dollars more) and wished him a good day. Hopefully my gesture did a little something for the advancement of international diplomacy.
We had a late lunch at one of the numerous grills within the Mercado, looking to augment our previous dinner experience with the sights and sounds of the cooking process. Nearly every establishment has the same configuration. An angled grill with a metal chute/basket mounted behind it. Small logs are fed in to the basket, where they burn down to live coals, which are then raked forward under the grill using a metal rod with a hook on the end. Temperatures are regulated by the combination of the angle of the grill and the distribution of the coals. One of the outside walls boasts a wood pile spanning almost fifteen feet and easily reaching twenty feet in height and the roof has a high, vented peak to help pull the smoke up and out, but a slight haze still persists. Depending upon the time of day you may be entertained by musicians roaming through the tables singing and playing guitar. It was while we were eating lunch that we decided the second award Uruguay earned, which is the country on the trip to which we would most like to return.
Montevideo wins a couple of awards related to this trip. First, it was the unanimous winner of the pre-trip "Huh?" Award for what it had to offer. They produce a lot of beef and leather, but that's about all you can dig out when doing an initial search. We were scheduled to overnight in port, so we were a bit concerned that there would be a lot of wasted time. Fortunately our preconceived notions were completely destroyed within an hour of stepping off the ship. We had a couple of hours to browse around the first morning, prior to a planned excursion to a local winery. A walk of two or three blocks from the cruise dock, just past the Mercado del Puerto, brings you to a street filled with vegetable stands and shops displaying crafts made from local artisans. Sprinkled among these storefronts are a few small groceries where you can get a cold soft drink or a small snack. After being somewhat captive on the ship for nearly a week it was a pleasant change of pace. English is generally spoken to some degree, but don't count on being able to communicate at a high level all the time. Having a little knowledge of Spanish as well as the proper name for what you're looking for (whether it's an item or a location) will serve you well. There are cash machines around the dock and Mercado, just remember to check the exchange rate, as this is the third 'peso' and variation you will have encountered in that regard. We browsed for a while and purchased several souvenirs for ourselves and family members before making our way back to the ship to drop off our packages and meet the bus for the excursion.
A forty-five minute or so drive by bus to the north ofMontevideo is Establecimiento Juanico. With just under one thousand acres of vineyard either owned or under direct management, this family-owned winery produces over thirty different bottlings from a dozen grape varieties. Their products are widely exported and I recommend giving them a taste if you ever have the opportunity. Even those wines that I didn't care for were of high quality and the care and expertise invested in their production was evident. Our tour included a seated luncheon and wine tasting, providing the opportunity to enjoy the wines under the ideal condition of being accompanied by local cuisine. If a wine measures up favorably when served in this setting then you should definitely take some home. My only regret is that I was only able to safely manage a couple of bottles in our luggage. Now I struggle with when I want to drink my meager stores! After our tasting was complete we were treated to a flamenco dancing demonstration, which included an audience participation component. Thanks to the social lubrication provided by the wine tasting I was a fairly willing participant and must confess that it was a lot of fun and I managed to not embarrass myself (excessively) in the process. Considering that I am, at best, a hesitant dancer, this is quite remarkable. On the trip back to the ship we decided to take advantage of the overnight stay and find a local restaurant for dinner instead of going to the dining room.
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