First Tango in Uruguay

In yesterday's "footprint"--that's FindPenguins speak for "blog entry"--I included a photo of Palacio Salvo. Today we toured that same ornate 30-story building, constructed in just five years and completed in 1928. Afterward, in the ground floor Tango Museum, we learned about the somewhat unseemly origins of this sultry dance and its first composer (his sister helped, but wanted no credit), Uruguayan Matos Rodriguez.

At a restaurant for lunch, I finally had the chance to use my most practiced Spanish phrase: "¿Dónde está el baño?" I was very proud. 😊

The day was very warm, probably mid-80s. For our finishing flurry, we headed back to the Rambla to watch the sunset and dip our toes in the river. I thought there'd be just a few observers, but the area was thronged with people riding carnival rides, browsing the wares of craft vendors, wiggling their behinds to some catchy Carnival-style drumming, and lined up at McDonald's for a late-night beef fix.Read more