The Traveling Martens

Montevideo, Uruguay

We took a direct flight from Miami, leaving at 11 pm and arriving in Montevideo around 10 am, relatively refreshed after sleeping pretty well on the flight. There were only nine gates at the modern airport, which we walked right through to our rental car counter. Hertz gave us our only map, they pulled the car right in front of the airport and off we went! The drive in to the city from the airport is through very nice neighborhoods, with beautiful homes that are amazingly well-kept. Closer in, the road comes out along the water and we drove along the boardwalk and huge beaches. People make full use of the beaches here all day long.

We stayed in Pocitos, a residential neighborhood along the beach which had great little restaurants and cafes on most corners. Uruguay is very safe and even driving around is easy, although in Montevideo the lines in the road are apparently invisible to most other drivers. The Ciudad Vieja, or Old Town, of Montevideo is full of ancient buildings with elaborate architecture and narrow streets. It's in full use during the workweek as the business center also, crammed with professionals.

We went for a walk along the beach boardwalk, and stopped at a restaurant with a deck on stilts that overlooked the water. First thing ordered- a chivito sandwich, the uniquely Uruguayan dish that will make any sandwich lover think they've died and gone to heaven. Imagine a thin slice of South American beef, a fried egg, thick tomato slice, Canadian bacon, cheese, green olives, special sauce, and any specials of the restaurant, all piled between two halves of a homemade bun. And of course, always served with french fries. We walked those calories off to get a better view of Montevideo, and then stopped at a similar cafe on the water on the way back to the hotel for a cold Stella beer.

For sightseeing, one day is probably enough in Montevideo, especially if you're really heading to Punta del Este and flying to Montevideo. It is a pretty city and we're sure there is a lot more to see if you want to really know the city.