Montevideo
The
capitol city of Uruguay is located on country's southern edge - on the Rio De
Plata - 52 miles across this widest river from
Buenos Aires . We take the Buquebus (literally "ship
bus"- the high speed ferry ) from Argentina's
capitol and arrive in Uruguay 2 1/2 hours later.
We are met by Marcelo and his sons Emiliano (Emi) and Ignacio (Nacho). Bettina is at work. She is an executive secretary for Unilever Corporation. We will also soon meet Sol, their friendly and pregnant Yellow Lab.
Sol and Dave
photo by Emi
Bettina and Marcelo's home is in a modern 8 story
brick building that Marcelo and a group of other doctors built. There is a
convenient parking garage and storage in the basement, and a spacious community room and
outside entertainment area where large parties and small soccer games are held
by the dwellers and their friends.
Interestingly, in this modern, relatively wealthy city are still found
traditional services from the 19th century. Men with
their horse drawn wagons collect the more choice recyclable
items placed in the street side, elevated wire baskets. 
A man with a traditional mouth whistle calls housewives to the curb to sharpen
their cutlery on his bicycle wheel driven grinder. Marcelo says the city
recently made a plea for the citizens to support these valuable and historic
services.
There are 17 three bedroom apartments with lovely decks overlooking the quiet street. It is a short walk to one of the city's long crescent beaches on the Rio Plata. Sections of this waterfront remind us of Miami Beach.
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