Uruguay

We read that the city of Montevideo throws party in the streets for New Year's Eve and we wished to join the festivities. Only a short ferry ride and bus ride from Buenos Aires, we thought why not check out another country. We had no plans. No idea where to go or how we would celebrate. We thought we could stumble into fun.

As we began to check into our hotel, we asked our receptionist, Gabriel, what we should do for NYE. He mentioned that there would be people celebrating in a specific square, but that was only going to last until the afternoon. We were hoping to find a bar to go to, but he explained that nearly all places close at night for NYE. He continues on to say he will be going to see fireworks on the Rambla (similar to a boardwalk) and that we should come join.

Lexi and I were thrown off by the offer. Hesitantly, we asked if that was OK. We thought maybe he was just being nice and we didn't want to crash someone's NYE plans. Gabriel insisted on us joining him for fireworks and with no plans of our own, we were reluctant to turn down the invitation. We exchanged numbers and were excited to be able to share NYE with locals.

The next day, Gabriel texted me and asked if we also wanted to join him and his friends for dinner. They were going to have drinks, pizza, and then head over to see fireworks. With the city basically shutting down at night, we were again excited to have plans.

I ran into Gabriel before we left to experience the party in the streets and thanked him again for inviting us. We were beyond grateful. He told us that it was no problem at all stating that he and his friends knew what it felt like to not know anyone in a new city.

Gabriel and his friends, Yalung and Stephanie, are from Venezuela and haven't been living in the country very long. Gabriel had only been living in Montevideo for roughly 7 months and his friends, Yalung and Stephanie, for only 2 months. With the political climate in Venezuela, they chose to leave their country behind.

I can't even comprehend what they, along with thousands of other Venezuelans, are going through in their search for a better life. Leaving behind friends and family members not because they want to, but because they have no choice.

What I can tell you though is that Gabriel, Yalung, and Stephanie were the most welcoming, upbeat people that I have ever met. Opening their doors and hearts to complete strangers was certainly something foreign to me. As we sat around a small table sipping on beer and eating pizza, it all felt incredibly normal. Kind of like we were longtime friends who hadn't seen each other in awhile.

I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend my NYE. It was an incredible night getting to learn everyone's story. Finishing the night off, we sat on a grassy hill passing around a bottle of Champagne while watching fireworks launch out over the water. Not a terrible way to kick off the New Year.

Although our trip to Uruguay was short (6 days), it was certainly memorable. For if it weren't for Gabriel, Yalung, Stephanie, and not to forget Jonathan and Devon (met them during fireworks), we would have likely had a much different (and not as fun) experience in Montevideo.

Since our visit was so short, my breakdown of our time in Uruguay will be much shorter than usual.

Nature and Scenery

Montevideo

A quite city lined with trees to shield you from the sun's grasps. There is charming city center and a fair amount of plazas. Heading towards the Rambla (avenue along coastline) you get an incredible sight of the coastline and the city.

There is so much potential in Montevideo that you could consider it a bit of a diamond in the rough. The buildings have unique architecture, but show signs of wear and tear. Worse though, the streets and sidewalks have trash scattered everywhere. With a proper cleanup and perhaps a power wash, this city could really look stunning.

Colonia del Sacramento

This small cobblestone street is quite touristy with the multitude of restaurants and shops. Much cleaner than Montevideo, it is a delightful port city.

Our Airbnb was 15 minutes from the city center and this place reminded me a lot of my hometown area. Driving down gravel roads surrounded by farmland you witness a wonderful landscape that overlooks the coastline.

People

With only 6 days in the country, it is really difficult to give a comment on the people (or the country for that matter). Our main interaction were people from Venezuela and as I had mentioned, they were simply fantastic. We didn't have any unpleasant experiences with Uruguayans and by all accounts, they seemed very friendly and on par with their neighboring country, Argentina.

Food & Drink

Food

Asado or mixed meat is their staple in Uruguay. Very similar to Argentina using a Parrilla (a special type of grill) to cook their meat. Our Airbnb host cooked us a homemade style asado (mixed meat) and cast iron pot full of veggies. It was a delicious meal. See picture below.

Drink

Nothing noteworthy. I stuck to beer, but again, our short stay makes it tough to comment.

Safety

Felt very safe in both cities we visited, but at one restaurant we were told to keep our phones away from the edge of the table as people have been known to come by and steal them.

Highlights

Gabriel

Without him, we wouldn't have had a such a great NYE celebration. Also, we wouldn't have met some really fantastic people. So thank you, Gabriel! We are truly appreciative of everything you did for us.

Golf Cart

We had an Airbnb that was about a 15-minute drive from the city center and the taxis were expensive. So we rented a golf cart to help us get around and it was really a lot of fun. I took this thing onto farm roads, beaches, and walkways.

Ferry ride

Although not cheap, the ferries from Buenos Aires to Colonia were really nice. Compared to other ferry rides I've taken, this boat was like a cruise ship.

NYE Street Party

It was fun to see everyone partying around 11 AM for NYE. But be careful! The way they celebrate is by spraying apple cider beer on you or dumping water on you from building tops. I was walking through the plaza and one guy saw that my t-shirt was completely dry and just started pouring his beer on me. I wasn't alone though as Lexi got splashed as well.

Lowlights

Trash

Not my first time seeing trash in a city, but it still is sad to see in Montevideo.

Ghost town

I don't know if it was due to the time we visited, but Montevideo was empty. Yes, people were partying in the street and we also saw a good amount of folk for fireworks. Yet, we were told most Uruguayans stick with close friends and family. On New Years Day, I felt like I was Will Smith in I Am Legend just waiting for a zombie to jump out. Don't believe me. Check out my video below.

Strange and Weird

Progressive country

Not strange and weird, per se, but rather interesting. Uruguay is a very progressive country. The first country to legalize the sale of marijuana, have legalized same-sex marriage, legalization of abortion, free public education, and much more. It was named 2013's country of the year.