Note: Uruguay is pronounce (o͝orəˌɡwī).
Brent went into Montevideo by himself on Tuesday, December 17 as the tour overlapped when I needed to be teaching. (I taught the first week of the cruise as school wan't quite out yet for winter break.) One of the iconic sights was the Palacio Salvo, once the tallest building in South America. It was intended to be a hotel, but never was. Instead it is now used for private offices and apartments.
Like the port in Buenos Aires, Montevideo's port is a working port. A cargo ship from Liberia was also in port.
A statue of Jose Gervasio Artigas stands atop his mausoleum. General Artigas is considered the "Father of Uruguay." He fought for their independence and envisioned creating a federalist government modeled after the government of the United States.
Brent next visited the Metropolitan Cathedral of Montevideo. It is known as the "mother church" because it was the first church in the region. However, the existing church was built in 1804 atop the site of the earlier church building.
They drove by this whimsical balcony.
Plaza Zabala was the next stop. A statue of its namesake, Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, was in the center. Zabala is the founder of Montevideo.
The Museum of the Gaucho and Currency showcases the history of both the Uruguayan cowboy and the money of Uruguay.
Mark Dion, an American artist who makes art from collections, created this piece called "The Cabinet of the Machines of Capital" for the first Montevideo Biennial in 2012. He artistically tells the history the state bank by displaying different artifacts from Banco Republica. He donated this artwork, worth half a million dollars, to the Banco Republica where it is still on display.
The people of Uruguay love their grilled meat. According to the guide, they worked hard to beat out Argentina for the most per capita meat consumption. Sadly, this was not the meal provided, but Brent did enjoy the assortment of empanadas. (I was jealous. I love empanadas!)
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