Uruguay
Colonia
Paysandú
Montevideo
Piriapolis
Punto del Diablo Hostel
Bus Info - Agencia Central
From Cordoba I went to Paraná. Then I wanted to cross the border from Argentina to Uruguay in a place called Concordia, Argentina. But I missed the bus. So I decided to go down to a city called Gualeguaychu. When I got there about 5 hours later I found out the bridge to Uruguay was closed by the Argentines because they are protesting a paper plant being built in Uruguay. So I went back north two hours to a place called Colon where I took a bus to the border town of Paysandu, Uruguay with no problems. I didn't even have to get of the bus to go thru customs etc. The bus just stopped once on the bridge where a guy took my passport and gave me both the exit stamp from Argentina and the entry stamp to Uruguay. This is something I have often wondered why they don't do in more places. Typically you have to go to one office in the country you are leaving, stand in line, then go to another office in the country you are entering and stand in line again. So I was quite pleased and impressed.
When I go to Paysandu I looked for a place to sleep. I had seen a place on the net called the Posada Hotel which was supposed to also be a Hosteling International Hostel, but it had no dorm rooms and was really just a hotel. The price seemed too high, about 15 US dollars instead of the 6 or so I usually pay in Argentina, and I didn't like them calling themselves a hostel when they actually aren't, so I decided to go look for something else. I talked to some taxi drivers and found out there were some other less expensive hotels, but no hostels. I ended up staying in one called Hotel de Paris.
It cost 10 US dollars (230 Uruguay pesos) and was clean and quiet.
In the small city of Paysandu I was surprised to find this French bank. It is a branch of Credit Agricole in France.
Later I went to one of the offices in another city called Trinidad and got a cash advance from inside the bank, something which so far has not been possible in Argentina. This is one of my small complaints about Argentina. You have to go to the ATM machines each time you want money, and you can't take out much at one time. The limit used to be 500 pesos, now they seem to have lowered it to just 300, or about 100 US dollars. This isn't much money and I suspect they do it so they can charge you the service charge each time you have to go back.
I had read on the net that it is easier to get cash and sure enough this was true, but I had to wait till the afternoon because the banks evidently aren't open in the mornings!
Ah, before I forget I wanted to mention how I have seen some of the bus employees chatting with the driver as they roll along. I first really notice this a little while back but didnt have my camera. One of the employees put a little pad on the steps and sat and chatted with the driver for most of the trip. Then yesterday I saw the same thing both in Argentina and in Uruguay. Here is a pic which is a bit dark but you might be able to get the idea.
So, back to my story about Uruguay. I went to visit a school and had a chance to talk to the English class and took these pics. I asked the students if they copied the text on the posters from the Internet and they laughed and said yes.
This one is an Uruguayan rock guy I guess. One of the students asked me to take a picture of it, so I did.
Two of the students have the "guarda polvo" smock things which students in the public schools have to wear. But I found out that there are some things different in the Uruguayan schools.
For example, they go straight to the classes, at least in the public schools and this private one. I was told in the Catholic schools they still have to line up like soldiers and pray, in what is called "formation."
Also, each time they are late they it counts as one third of an absence, not one half, like in Argentina. There are other little details too. Here are my actual notes from talking to the secretary...
They go directly to classes.
Each teacher in each class is responsible for taking attendance.
They start at age 6 but they can leave school when they want to
if they have the parents permission and the ministry of
education’s permission
It used to be you had to be 25 to get married without your
parents permission in Uruguay.
If they are late three times they call the house.
If they don’t come they call the house.
They can miss 21 times
fictas es suma de justificadas y injustfica
when they are sick they are counted as half absent.
so they can actually miss 42 if they are justified
3 lates is one absence.
if they use the cell phone they get it taken away for the day.
but they can use it in the breaks.
maybe 90 percent have cell phones.
they go to a separate institute for computers in the first year.
they are teaching english in the primaries.
1,2
the first two years are the same for everyone.
5th year biologicos, humanisticos, scientificos
6th year they get more specialized.
humanism law, economy,
science – architecture, engineering
Then I wrote this when I first got to the English class. It is
what the teacher was saying, with a bit of a British accent, so I
thought I was back in Argentina.
Present continuous. When do we use present continuous?
But later I found out that the students's level of English was at least a little higher, at least in this one school.
Then I took this pic of the street fruit and veggie market. And
the fish truck
This was a used stuff store. Compra y venta means buy and sell. And La Kosa is a mis spelling of La Cosa, the thing.
I have often thought about how things like these weddig dresses are so universal...I wonder who came up with the idea. Seems like a big waste of money to me, especially in poor countries.
This is the right hand side of the sign for the store above. It says girlfriends, then it says something that means the birthday party for 15 year olds. Once I guess turning 15 was quite a big deal. I think it was when a girl was a "woman" officially or something. I don't know what the girlfriends thing means!
Uruguay has even more of a European feel than Argentina. This pic shows three men in what look like French berets. It could have been a picture taking right out of France.
..