Montevideo, Uruguay

Montevideo, Uruguay is a colorful city with some interesting highlights. There are new buildings juxtaposed with beautifully ornate old buildings that are almost all deteriorating. We didn’t get a good answer as to why this is, but we found the disrepair to be consistent throughout the city.

Another interesting thing about this area as well as several other South American cities is they share a love of a drink called “mate”. It is a bundle of herbs (you buy these pre-assembled in various flavors and properties) and a heavy hit of caffeine turned into a drink. There is a special mate cup with an attached straw (see below). It is almost a ceremonial drink that is often shared with close friends. People will often consume 1-2 liters of mate every day.Read more