Montevideo - Semi-Private Tour

Through a twist of the interwebs I ended up being double booked on a private tour in Montevideo. However, it turned out for the best because I met some lovely Canadian folks and we had a wonderful day together. Javier showed us his amazing city. Our stops included the old fort at the top of the highest point in Montevideo, a very red church, a lovely beach, the congress building, a market, and the wealthiest neighborhood in Montevideo for a lunch break at Bar Arocena. I had a classic chivita, which was apparently beloved by Anthony Bourdain. In the afternoon we stopped to check out an alchemist's castle, right on the rambla, then headed toward the old city where we saw many beautiful squares and buildings. We stopped at the capital building which has a 22nd floor viewing platform that wraps around 360 degrees so we were able to take in all the places we had been. Additionally, We walked into the office building that houses the president (no security). We saw the most important theatre, a piece of the old wall that has been reconstructed, and another church or two, and some lovely old buildings with modern uses.

Apparently it is very easy to immigrate to Uruguay and it’s very tempting. The congress building is beautiful and is also open to the public except that it is under renovation right now. Separation of church and state is rigorously enforced. The people are friendly and welcoming. Just need to learn some Spanish!Read more