I also did some sight-seeing, went to museums and shopped in the old town. Montevideo is a very old city, lots of cool old buildings and also felt a little run down. I liked Montevideo, but I didn't love it. It had a lot of trees, was very quiet and very safe. It was just a little to quiet for me. There just isn't a whole lot going on. I think I might have had a better experience if I was there in the summer. (I know it's June, but that is winter in some places).
I did enjoy learning about the country. It is doing a lot of things very well- high literacy, extremely low crime and poverty, not very crowded, not polluted etc. There isn't the extreme differences between the richest and the poorest that I have seen in many other countries. I think the size of the country helps. The country itself is small, very flat, lots of farm land and not much else. They are well known for some very beautiful beaches, but I didn't make it there because again it is winter...
overall, a good experience, just not very exciting...
more information about Montevideo
On my last weekend, I visited a ranch in a small town called Florida, about an hour and half from Montevideo. It was very simple, relaxing and peaceful. The hosts were very kind. I rode horses, relaxed and enjoyed the home cooked meals...lots of meat! which is very typical in Uruguay.
