Camacho Watcho

Well, it finally happened. I got the invite to join a coworker in a Mate…and I accepted. I guess I loosely use the word “invite”, since I had been hanging around the office breakroom, asking people questions about Mate and sounding very interested until someone finally took the bait. Let’s just say, I’m not too subtle. However, it did finally happen. And not only did I get to try Mate, but he took the time to show me how he prepares it and to talk about the traditions.

So, first of all, the preparations. The first thing I learned is that there is a formal name for the gourd itself – porongo. Luis, my coworker, told me that every morning and every afternoon, he scoops the used Mate herb out of the porongo and then he performs certain steps in preparation for the next use. First, he poured the herb into the porongo from a large bag, resembling a 5 pound bag of flour, filling it about three quarters full. He then pushed the top half over to one side of the porongo and then poured a little cold water into the lower side of the herb and then a little hot water in as well. This, apparently, is important. I asked him, so you pour medium temperature water in? He said no, you pour cold and then hot…hmmm…Anyway, then you let this sit for 5-6 minutes. Once that has steeped, then the Mate is ready for the morning drinking. To drink the Mate, you simply pour hot water from the thermos and into the porongo, mashing it around a bit with the straw. Then you drink. You do this all morning and then you empty and prepare it again for drinking it all afternoon. I asked him how much Mate he drinks during the workday and he said he refills his thermos 2-3 times during the day…he refills the thermos that many times!

So, what was my experience? I liked it! And it is definitely caffeinated. Whenever you ask someone here what Mate tastes like, they simply say “bitter.” I don’t really think I would describe it that way, but perhaps that is because I drink a lot of coffee and I don’t take sugar or cream it in. I thought the taste was very earthy and rich, like a concentrated green tea that leaves a powdery, thick, mixed-herb flavor after taste in your mouth. Sounds yummy, huh? It actually was quite good, just different from anything I’ve tasted before. So, I took a sip and then another. At that point, I pushed the porongo back for him to drink, but he said that no, the tradition is that he poured it for me, so I have to finish it. I would have to continue drinking it until the straw makes a slurpy noise, indicating that the water is all gone. I did not want to offend, so what choice did I have? I slurped. At that point, given that it was just before lunch and I had had an espresso about half hour earlier, the caffeine kicked in. Wow.

You’ll notice in my pictures that he made me hold the porongo and the thermos, as a Uruguayan does – porongo in one hand and the thermos tucked in under that same arm. That was my Mate experience. I can now leave Uruguay a happy person, as I shared a Mate with a friend, in true Uruguayan fashion.

An unfortunate day for Uruguayan futbol on Sunday…they tied against Chile on this beautiful day, although it was not without a fight. My friends and I went to another soccer game, sporting our baby blue. The games are just so much fun! I’ve decided, based on this last experience, that there seem to be two certainties in Uruguayan life.

1. It is always a beautiful day when Uruguay soccer is played.
2. Uruguayans are late for everything….except a soccer game.

I arrived with a friend a couple minutes before the game, thinking that since we had tickets in a pretty good section, it would be easy to find our seats before the game started. I was very wrong. The stadium, while historic and very amazing, is not the highest tech stadiums out there and is very poorly marked. And everyone was there and had been there, anxiously awaiting the game, for awhile. We found ourselves there right as they were singing the national anthems, so we were in a scrabble to find our friends and have a seat. We found, what we thought was the right set of stairs to descend, although it was tough to identify it as stairs at all. Apparently, there is no order to soccer games and no one really cares where people sit. So, while this was a stairway we had found, it was completely filled with fans sitting on the steps. We were, however, fairly determined this was right, so we made our way down, trying to be as polite as possible along the way. When we reached the very bottom, we realized….wrong stairway…and we were trapped. There was no going back up and there was definitely no going down further. So, for the first half of the game, we were sitting on the steps with the masses in the front row of the middle bowl. The “seats” were not as good as what we had paid for, but the experience was definitely more interesting. Although we did move at halftime to sit with our friends, the first half was a lot of fun!

So, the action on the field….Chile is a better team than Bolivia, as you can tell by the score of the game, and the game seemed pretty evenly matched in the first half. There were a couple missed opportunities by Uruguay, which were major disappointments, but near the end of the first half, Uruguay did score and it was wild! The game was much more crowded this time and people were jumping up and down and going crazy…chanting of course…Uruguay (clap clap clap) Uruguay (clap clap clap). I just loved it! The second half started similarly to the first, but then Chile managed to score and shortly thereafter scored again on a penalty kick. This really fired up Uruguay and they were full out, charging down the field with several close goal attempts until, finally….SCORE!!! All tied up. I knew the end of the game was nearing, although I had no idea when, since this stadium has neither a scoreboard or clock. This was frustrating at first, but then you get into it, and given that you have no idea when the final seconds will wind down, it really adds to the drama of the game. As the players are charging up, so are you, since the game could end literally at any moment. The game continued in this battle, charged up until the last moment, until it unfortunately ended in a tie.

So Uruguay will play Chile away soon, and while not all hope is lost, it’s more difficult to come back when you’ve lost the first game at home. At least that’s what I’m told…remember, this is only my second soccer game ever. I guess, that’s not counting the soccer games I “played” in one summer when my mom decided it would be a good idea to sign me up for a team when I was a kid. I obviously did not retain much of that knowledge, but not all was last that summer, I did perfect my pirouette while idly awaiting the ball to come my way.

I’ve been down here awhile and I haven’t really addressed the cost of living issue down here compared to the US. So, what is the situation? Before coming here, I definitely go the impression that it would be dirt cheap to eat, drink and socialize. Being here for awhile, I would say it is part true…depending on choice. How so? I’ll tell you….

The first thing to note when talking about costs is the odd exchange rate of the US dollar compared to the Uruguayan peso. Right now the rate is about 22:1. Makes for quite an easy translation on the fly, right? It’s so interesting to be carrying around 100 or 200 peso bills, when in actually they are worth roughly $5 or $10. While this is strange, I will note that Chile’s exchange rate is even more bizarre. There, the exchange rate is about 500:1. There is always this odd feeling when you translate upon payment….”let’s see, 1,000 pesos is $2, therefore 14,000 pesos equals $7″….of course.

But back to Uruguay. In general, public transportation, entertainment, hotels, services (haircuts, etc) and most foods are very affordable. What’s expensive is clothing! Actually, this pertains only to clothing bought in a store (vs. bought in one of the many markets), because that clothing is taxed heavily with import taxes. So, this is good and bad for me….at least it helps to not tempt me into too much shopping. I had to escape to Argentina for that!

So, what is the standard of living around here? Here are some sample costs that I have incurred:
Basket of Laundry (which is actually all my laundry) – cleaned and delivered to my hotel room = 85 pesos (approx. $4)
Haircut = 100 pesos (approx. $5)
Bottle of Wine – Normal bottle of average wine bought in a store = 120 pesos (approx. $6)
Bottle of Wine – Normal bottle of average wine bought in a restaurant = 240 to 300 pesos (approx. $10-$15)
15 minute taxi ride across town = 85 pesos (approx. $4)
Bus fare = 13.5 pesos (approx. $.45)
Sit down lunch including entree and beverage = 120 to 150 pesos (approx. $6-$8)
Sit down dinner including entree, dessert and wine = 200 to 500 pesos (approx. $10-$25) – obviously varies by restaurant
Ticket to Barro Negro = 150 pesos (approx. $6)

But I want to rewind…to the $5 haircut. You cannot imagine my surprise at this! In the US, I go to a hair salon…a very nice, but certainly not the snootiest salon on the block. My hair takes about 1 hour total and costs me $60 (including tip). I went to a hair dresser that was recommended to me here. Granted, the place was not wafting with the scents of Aveda – rosemary and mint prickling your nose. Nor, did it come with the lounging table that you relax on while you hair is being washed. I also did not receive a head massage that usually nearly puts me to sleep and makes drool after a long day at work. BUT, in 15 short minutes and for the bargain price of 150 pesos (total including tip…I felt too bad about such a small price), I got a fantastic haircut. I literally, stood up from my chair and asked her how much and couldn’t believe my ears.

I’ve recently also had dinners that have completely surprised me. For instance, I went to dinner with three friends just two night ago. We ordered meals, a few beers and a bottle of wine. The bill was $50 total. Wow. You just can’t beat it. The one area for improvement would be the service with drinks. It’s easy to find yourself stranded with an empty wine glass. My tip is to always order another glass (if you think you want one) when the waiter comes around. You’re just not sure when the next time they show their face may be.

Another thing to mention about the cost of living in Uruguay is the art of tipping. Tipping on food is customary – you usually tip around 10% for food, which definitely feels cheap for us Norte Americanos. It’s also interesting that tipping for taxis is not necessarily standard. You are told to round up to the nearest peso, but that doesn’t exactly make sense to me and generally doesn’t result in much of a tip (usually on 5 or 6 pesos). My friends and I have generally been tipping between 10 to 20 pesos. This seems to really brightened their day and we get an emphatic “Muchas gracias! Chau!” I know that when you go to other countries, you should abide by their customs, but in this case, the extra dollar just seems worth it. The taxi drivers can be so nice. They are very patient as you struggle to speak a lick of Spanish and are always asking questions about why you’re here, do you miss your family, what is the US like? It kind of makes my day, too, to get a good taxi driver.

I think you get the picture of the costs down here. Knowing this, hopefully it helps explain why all I’ve been doing since getting here is working, eating, drinking, dancing and sleeping. Food and drink are cheap and are fantastic as well. I’m assuming I’ll have a total culture shock when I return home and go to my first restaurant. First of all, I’m certain they will insist I order upon sitting down. And then they will bring me my bill before I even have a look at the dessert menu. I’ll be shocked when they bring the bill as I’m still enjoying my entree. And the kicker will be the expectation to receive a 20% tip. The nerve!

Despite what you might believe about my absence from writing for a few days, I did not fall off the face of the Uruguayan map. There are a few reasons I have not written lately: travel, work and illness. It is the last reason that I would like to write about now.

The weather…South America…Spring…Summer…I know what visions these words conjured for me before arriving here. I definitely believed it would be hot, sunny and perfect. But I was wrong. This year is apparently an odd year for Uruguayan and Argentinian weather. Everyone tells me that the winter was longer and colder than usual and it’s creating a longer and colder spring. But just wait….summer will be here soon and it will be perfect!

I’m still waiting.

Sure, we’ve had our days of hot, sunny weather, but we’ve also had our fair share of rain, clouds and down-right cold temperatures. Take today for example…the high is supposed to be 61 degrees here. Okay, fine. Then reference my mini-New York Times that I read each day and what is the high for Chicago? 59 degrees. There is something wrong with this picture. So, you’re probably asking yourself “What does a girl from the freezing weather in Minnesota and who walks to work in the snow 4 months out of the year care about a little 60 degree day?” Good question. Let me think….oh yes, illness.

I have been ill twice since being here, which is odd because I don’t get ill very often at home. It seems that every day there are at least 2 or 3 people (out of a 100 person company) who have the flu. And it just circulates around and around the office. The first time I was ill, it was a cold that lasted about a week and this last time was a 24 hour flu. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I don’t experience a third.

Now, you may be asking yourself “Why do you not dress for the weather?” Another excellent question, my friend. My first excuse is that I did not pack a wardrobe to handle cold weather. It’s a poor excuse, I know, as I should just go buy a few sweaters to shield me from the temperatures, but it’s too hard to concentrate on winter clothes when the cute summer clothes are just one rack away, calling my name…”Katie! Katie! Buy me!” My second excuse is that the weather is so unpredictable. One day it is hot and sunny, a skirt and t-shirt will do, and the next is cold and rainy, requiring long pants, sweater, jacket and scarf. Everyone here seems to always know exactly how to dress for the day and I, invariably, am caught on a cold day in a dress. The weather just varies so much and it is because of this variation in weather, that I keep allowing myself to believe that summer is just a day away…let’s hope!

So, in closing, here is a wish for good weather – to have some fun in the sun before returning home to the freezing cold. Oh yes…and a wish for good health!

As we recall, Starbucks created the coffee phenomenon in the US with their tall non-fat sugar-free vanilla lattes (or whatever your drink of choice is). In Uruguay there is a similar phenomenon but one that has been around for much longer than Starbucks. This phenomenon is mate (pronounced like latte “mah-tay”).

What is mate? The short of it is that mate is a caffeinated drink made from an herb, looking like a form of loose leaf tea. Sounds simple, right? Wrong. In Uruguay, mate is a way of life. The interesting part is that, unlike Starbucks to-go cups, mate is drank from a device that is anything but disposable. I will explain…

There are several components necessary for drinking mate. The first is the herb mate itself. As a mentioned before this looks like a loose leaf tea. Actually mate is drank in many parts of South America and the industry is huge. Second, there is the cup that holds the herb. The cup is made from a hollowed gourd and is “seasoned” rather than cleaned between uses to enhance the flavor each time it is used. Third, there is the straw. The straw looks like a regular straw except that it is either silver or stainless steel and one end of the straw is closed and flattened with tiny holes, acting as a strainer. Last, there is the thermos. The thermos can be a regular old thermos or some people have beautiful, leatherbound ones. Regardless of the decoration, the thermos contains the hot water needed to steep the herb mate. The pictures below show all the different parts of equipment. These are sold everywhere in markets around Montevideo.

So how does this all work? The herb mate goes into the gourd (I won’t dwell on this part, but apparently there is much preparation and care in this act), the straw goes into the herb mate, the hot water is poured in and you drink.

I’m sure this sounds insignificant, but it is anything but here because it truly is part of their way of life. Mate, and all the indisposible equipment, goes everywhere with everyone – work, home, shopping, the futbol game, waiting for the bus – everywhere. All these places, you see people with a thermos tucked under one arm and the mate gourd in that same hand. Case in point, see the picture below, taken at the Uruguay v. Bolivia game. I have tried to get other pictures of mate drinking in other strange places, but I have felt awkward taking pictures of people while shopping, so you’ll need to use your imaginations for the others.

In Uruguay, there is actually a law against driving and drinking mate because of the hot water scalding issues. Can you imagine if we were prohibited from drinking our Starbucks while driving in the US – oh the horrors!!!! I have a goal to try mate before I leave Uruguay. I say it is a goal, because in order to try it, you must find someone who is willing to share with you. Once I have made friends and tried it, I will report back…until then, cheers to caffeine, in whichever form you prefer!

Disclaimer: I am using Starbucks as a representative of coffee chains across the US. This does not indicate a preference to Starbucks, as I actually prefer Caribou lattes and Dunn Bros. brewed coffee the best.

Last night a few of us went to the theater with a woman that I work with here. It was a production titled “Barro Negro” (Black Mud) and it took place in a bus that drove through Montevideo. Yes, that is correct, the play was set inside a bus as it drove around the city.

In reading about the production beforehand, it seemed that the production was to portray the life and issues that are encountered by the Uruguayan people who ride the bus. I say it “seemed” like this because I was translating the summary from Spanish. I should also mention that the production was performed in Spanish, and while our Spanish has improved, it definitely was not to the point where we could follow anything that was going on. Which was both confusing and fun at the same time. We went into the experience with open minds, and that was definitely for the best.

I really liked the production, it had action, drama, humor and some bizarre moments that made it a great experience. In my mind, the night went like this (I’ll provide some further information later of the plot, but since I did not know the plot for almost the entire production, neither shall you).

Act 1: We board the bus and the ticket man gives us our tickets and we begin to drive. There is a lot of talking between him and a woman who is dressed in a sparkly outfit. The music turns off and they begin to argue. She starts talking about Michael Jackson and then she approaches one of my friends who was with me and points at her (obviously terrifying us that we were going to need to speak at some point). This part goes on for a while with an older woman jumping into the conversation as well. The bus stops and we pick up two soldiers from the side of the street.

Act 2: The two soldiers begin to interact and there appears to be a point when one of them is portraying the need to use the restroom and pretends to start going in the corner of the bus. This is not the case and he pulls a bottle of alcohol from his pants. Everyone laughs…so of course, we do too. Another man enters the scene and the three of them are arguing. I catch the word “professor” and I believe the man was once their teacher or something.

Act 3: The woman in the sparkly outfit gets up again and begins sauntering around and speaking in a loud voice. She gets upset, the bus stops and she gets off the bus. She begins screaming by the side of the bus and one of the soldiers goes out, throws her over his shoulder and carries her back onto the bus. (Mind you – the bus is traveling around the city so everywhere we go, people are staring. When the bus stops, people have no idea what is going on…it’s pretty funny). A man gets up from right next to us, he is portraying a drunk man, and he is staggering around, slurring and being rowdy.

Act 4: The bus stops on a random street and a man comes out of a building. He is dressed in an Elvis-like outfit with a large blonde afro wig. He comes onto the bus, says something and suddenly we are all getting off the bus, onto the dark street, and entering a dark building. Inside, there are colored lights, streamers, a bar (with a nautical theme), plastic chairs surrounding the outside of the room and many pornographic pictures on the wall. Yes, pornographic pictures covering the wall. At this point, we are thoroughly confused (I am still not understanding the plot, but here I am in an abandoned building with 30 strangers and nudey pictures on the walls). We all sit in the chairs around the room and watch as the production continues. People from the production are dancing, they are dancing with us, there is fighting between the performers, we are doing the “locomotion”…it was all quite confusing and interesting and suddenly we are back on the street boarding the bus. We have also picked up one of the dancers from the place who is now riding the bus with us in her wild makeup, tights, hot pants, and stiletto heels.

Act 5: The bus stops and a man boards. He immediately begin speaking very quickly and bee-lines it to the back of the bus, pointing at my friend sitting next to me and saying “Harry Potter.” It was a riot. In his defense, my friend does look a bit like Harry Potter and since this was truly the first thing we understood all night, we cracked up for a long time. The man proceeds to try to sell things in Spanish…mobiles, puppets, all sorts of things. He then packs up and leaves the bus, leaving us to continue cracking up at the Harry Potter comment.

Act 6: The woman in stilettos and one of the army men begin to fight. They are yelling at each other and pushing each other. Suddenly we hear sirens and see a car pull alongside the bus and then we are stopped. Two men board the bus and are showing their badges around…the actors truly looked surprised at this and seemed to fall out of character at this time. So, of course, with us not understanding Spanish, my friends and I honestly think the police have pulled us over…there is what looks like a prostitute on board and a very “drunk man” with an open bottle of wine as well. We definitely think the worst is about to happen. The police take the “drunk man” off the bus and suddenly we are going again. It was part of the play, apparently, which was much a relief to us.

Act 7: This is where it ends. We pulled back up to where we began and the actors came back onboard. We later found out that the plot was all over the board, but it was portraying common stereotypes in Uruguay – a rich woman who doesn’t understand poor people, men who join the army because they don’t have a job and then cannot support their family, women who have second lives to support their families when their husbands are away, the salesmen who earn their living selling odds and ends on the bus, etc. Although we still don’t understand the abandoned building part of the night, it was very interesting, and to say the least, a unique experience.

The night ended with us walking down the pedestrian street in the old city, reflecting on the evening. One of my friends says that while it was fun, “it just could not have been more strange.” At that very moment, a man dressed in orange jumped out of the shadows and yells, “Yah!”, making a karate chopping motion with his hands. We looked at each other, bewildered, and commented, “and the night goes on.” A perfectly strange ending to a perfectly stange evening.

From Colonia, we took a side trip to Carmelo, a small town along the Rio de la Plata which borders Argentina and Uruguay. The trip itself was quite the adventure. Picture this, six foreigners piled into two small rental cars with a set a vague directions and a sketchy map (at best). The trip had its high moments and its “did that really just happen” moments.

The High Moments…
The Uruguayan countryside is beautiful with its rolling green hills and roaming cows, sheep and horses. After the long drive, we stopped for lunch at a small winery/cheese shop/posada (small inn) that had been recommended to us called Narbona. Set on an old farm, it was absolutely beautiful. The restaurant was housed in an old farm building and had a small country kitchen, three small dining rooms with tables dressed in white lace-trimmed linens, a long wooden bar and a room for cheese storage. The cheese they make is a wonderful parmesan cheese that they served with our pasta. Our lunch was a set menu of starters, entree, dessert, coffee or tea. The first course was a platter of parmesan, meats, sliced turkey and olives. For our second course, we had the choice of pastas and then for dessert there were several options of apple tart, banana crepes, flan, or rice pudding. It was a wonderful, peaceful lunch, set in the Uruguayan countryside.

The other side of the story…the “Did That Really Just Happen” Moments…
Our drive to Carmelo itself was fairly uneventful, which would have led us to believe that we would have no further issues. We had directions to the winery which were to follow Route 21 past Carmelo 5 km. Considering we had just driven about 80 km without a problem, this should be easy, right? Not in this case. These 5 km took us one hour total in drive time. It hardly seems believeable, but let me go back to thost vague directions, that sketchy map and the six foreigners. We took wrong turns, went down winding dirt roads and we lost Route 21 for a short period of time. At one point, as I was in a car with 3 other people, we all had a different idea of what we should do – one said left, one said right, one said straight ahead and the other said turn around!!!! We did find it, but as I said those 5 km took one hour.

So, we arrived at the winery and, as I mentioned, lunch was amazing. Since we did not have reservations, the option available to us was the set menu, costing $30/each. No problem. At the beginning of the meal, we asked the waitress (in Spanish), do you take credit cards? She said that they took Visa. Of course, “it’s everywhere you want to be.” We enjoyed our lunch and our wine and prepared to pay the bill and indulge in purchasing additional bottles of wine with our Visas. Six foreigners, six visas. When we approached the woman, she looked at us and said that they did not take credit cards….hmmm…something must have been lost in translation. We asked her what the conversation was about previously and she had no idea but that they did not take credit cards. With a bill of 5,000 pesos (U$S250) and a combined 4,000 pesos (U$S 200) amongst us, we had issues. So, while a few of us stayed behind hostage, a couple of the guys drove back to Carmelo (thankfully it did not take an hour this time) to get more pesos to pay the bill. A lesson learned…Visa is not always where you want to be…

This past weekend took us away from Montevideo to Colonia del Sacramento. Colonia is a sleepy, historic town on the far southwestern coast of Uruguay, very close to Argentinean border. It was founded in the 17th century and is protected as a World Heritage Site.

We spent a lazy afternoon in Colonia, walking along the cobblestone streets, through the grassy Plaza Mayor and along the coastline. While the afternoon is beautiful for sightseeing, the city really becomes special in the evening. In the late afternoon, the tour buses load up and the masses depart for Buenos Aires. Then at sunset, the lamps light along the sidewalks, casting a buttery glow on the buildings. The mood has changed and the historic neighborhood is now a scene of serenity.

For lack of better words, I will provide my pictures that I took as I strolled along the streets. The last was taken in the dim light of the sunset and the streetlamps. I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I enjoyed taken them.

As an ending note, while Colonia’s historic town is quite peaceful and closes down fairly early (midnight) for being part of the Latin Culture, have no fear…the newer part of the city stays open just as late as the rest of Latin America. After a peaceful day and evening, my partners in crime and I wandered around looking for the action. Which we, of course, found in the form of a discoteque. I believe all 20,000 residents of Colonia were crammed into this disco, which was a beautiful old mansion that had several rooms of music and dancing. We danced until the wee hours of the morning when we drug ourselves back to our hotel for a few hours of sleep. No matter where you go here, there will always be a place for dancing until 5:00am. It’s amazing!

You may be aware of my love of eggs. If you are not, this is important to this story. I love eggs. On a Saturday morning, if I roll out of bed and am in a bad mood, Kyle takes one look at me and says, “we’re going to breakfast.” A few cups of coffee and a Saturday scrambler later and I’m ready to face the day. I don’t know why this is, but it is the way I am. Breakfast here has generally been toast, yogurt and fruit. I like this breakfast, but as I said before, I’m an egg kind of girl.

This past Saturday, we were driving along and noticed a place for breakfast. With visions of eggs with feta, tomato and onion in my head, I agreed to meet the group in the morning to walk over and feast. We had decided to meet at 10:00am, as that was early enough but not too early for around here. We met at the set time and arrived at the restaurant about 20 minutes later. The day was beautiful, so we sat outside and opened the menu. There it was – omelettes, pancakes, and fruit…oh my! I had decided on an omelette, and was choosing which one when the waiter stopped by. As we started to order, he interrupted us by saying that they do not serve eggs, pancakes or anything hot for breakfast until noon. NOON! Really?

The reason for this can be described by walking you through a typical day…wake up, go to work (in by 9am or so), work, eat lunch (around 1 or 1:30), work some more, leave work (between 6-7pm) and go home, work out or surf the internet or shop, eat dinner (usually around 9 or 10pm – and we are always the first ones to the restaurants), go home, more internet or reading, go to bed (between 12:30 – 1:00am). That is a weekday. On the weekends, dinner is more like 10:30 -11pm and you go to bed even later. Those who really are into the “going out” scene, begin their nights at the clubs around 2:00am and they dance until 7:00am when they have breakfast and then go to bed. What bewiders me is the time between coming home from work and eating dinner. This seems to be a lot of time, but who am I to question? People here seem to live life with balance and vigor, enjoying family, work and hobbies to their fullest. Perhaps this is a better way of living…or, in the case of my egg story, perhaps not.

Back to the omelette…needless to say, we had our usual breakfast that day – croissants, yogurt and coffee. I am sure I will find my breakfast eggs around here somewhere, but if not…that is the first thing I am eating when I get back home. Birchwood Cafe…here I come!

I had never heard of Uruguayan wine before venturing down here, but I am now convinced of its place in the world of the wine. In South America, it is just Chile and Argentina that get the hype, but the wine I have had here so far has been delicious! Most of the varieties have been from a grape called Tannat. This grape, grown in only a few places around the world, make a wonderful, light-bodied red wine. There are many mixes with the Tannat grape that are also quite good and it has been our quest to try to them all!

Bouza Winery
Given our interest in the wines here, on Sunday we decided to see a Uruguayan winery, rather than just enjoying the fruits of its production. We headed out to Bouza Winery, which is located just on the northwestern outskirts of Montevideo in the beautiful countryside. Upon arriving, there were not many visitors, so we enjoyed a tour of the small winery with just one other family. The winery itself is very young, only in operation since 2003. It stands on the sight of an old farm, with the brick buildings restored to house the winery itself and the restaurant. Producing only 80,000 bottles of wine per year, it is clear that this winery prides itself on its small, but high quality production.

Car Museum
One unique aspect to this winery is a mini museum you can visit on the same grounds. The owner has a collection of antique cars and motorcycles, which is displayed in an open garage for visitors to view. These cars are mainly Model T Fords and BMW motorcycles, dating back to the 20′s and 30′s.

The Restaurant
While the tour and antique cars were enjoyable, truly the highlight of the trip was the tasting and lunch. The restaurant that is operated at the winery is housed in what was formerly a machine shed during the farm years. The building has been restored and is beautiful with vaulted ceilings, stained hardwood floors, a fireplace and an open air porch on the back. The mood was set with soft piano music played live from the corner of the dining area. The tasting was much different than the tastings I have experienced in Napa and Sonoma. We were seated at a table with white table cloths, dark wicker chargers with white place settings and delicate wine goblets. To begin, we tasted a flight of three wines – Chardonnay/Albarino blend, Merlot and Tannat. This was accompanied by a sampling of mini-crostinis with cheese, sausage and tuna and a platter of cheese, ham, proscuitto and bread. These were fantastic, with the Merlot as my favorite.

We ordered lunch to go with our second flight of wines. My lunch was shared with a friend and was a stacked Mediterrean salad to start and spinach ravioli in a light cream sauce as the entree. My flight of choice was again three wines – Tannat/Tempranillo blend, Tannat/Merlot blend, and a Tannat/Tempranillo/Merlot blend. Again, fantastic wines, but I particularly loved the Tannat/Tempranillo. As I mentioned before, these are young wines, therefore I had expected a bit of acidity. It is slightly detected in the Merlot, but overall they are very good and very smooth, and will just get better with a little aging. I’m looking forward to taking my two bottles that I purchased home with me and putting that theory to the test.

After lunch, we resigned to the outdoors to lounge in the sun before heading home, enjoying the last of our wine. A truly unique experience in a beautiful country. Who knows how many other small, wonderful wineries remain to be explored, but I certainly am up for the challenge to find out!