Montevideo by Bus and Foot

 We arrived this morning at the port of Montevideo to dock at a shipping container facility with hundreds of if a thousand shipping containers stacked about the port.  One ship off loading containers provided entertainment as we watched the cranes work.  A few days later we watched as some of the containers were trans-loaded unto barges probably for shipment up-river. 

Viking Jupiter just barely fit between other smaller boats berthed along the dock. Alas, I have no pictures to show the amazing close fit. 

According to our guide a terminal for cruise ships in under construction so future cruise ship passengers will not be competing for space with shipping containers. 

Tug Assisting Viking Jupiter Squeeze into a Tight Spot Alongside the Warf.

 View from Port

View from Starboard, Note Dry Dock on right side of photo

Container Ship Unloading Containers

Later in the morning we boarded buses for a tour of Montevideo. 

Palacio Legislativo del Uruguay

Construction of Palacio Legislativo commenced in 1902 with completion in 1925;  the architectural decorations were not completed until 1964. 

 

Across the busy intersection, stands a tribute to democracy sculpted by the Uruguayan artist Rubens Fernandez. 

We stopped next at an indoor market, nearly empty of shoppers due to the early hour and the fact that many people are on holiday early January.

Uruguayans consume more beef per capita than any other people in the world.  

Everyone Complies with the Mask Mandate in Uruguay.

 

A Repurposed Volkswagen Minibus

Off the bus in the central city, we walked through parks and pedestrian only streets to end at Bar Facal. 

Palico Salvo completed in 1928 houses private residences and offices. It lies along the Plaza Independenca.  General Jose Artigas is the Father of Uruguay. In the building to the right, are offices of the UNIT, an organization for ISO 9000 quality certifications. Richard audited chemicals plants to ISO 9000 standards in a previous life. 

A tour is not complete without a little window shopping. Burger King is everywhere. We also looked around the Torres Garcia Museum before lunch at Bar Facal.  

Founded in 1882 by Galician Manuel Facal and his brothers,  Bar Facal is the oldest Uruguatan downtown bar. Our lunch was a sandwich like a Cuban with beef, of course, replacing the pork. It needed a little BBQ sauce. The Tango dancers perform Monday - Saturday at 1 PM on the street corner. Click here to see them dance! 

Now, it is back to the boat to watch the cranes move more containers!

Montevideo