A Year in Uruguay

On Sunday, while we were enjoying steaks at a parrilla in Florida, several race car drivers appeared in the restaurant and headed to the bar. After lunch, we saw the rally cars lined up in a nice park alongside the river. These cars were substantially more modern than the historic rally I'd seen in Montevideo.

Labels: Florida, interior, sports, Uruguay

We spent the day in Florida-- but not the Florida of hurricanes, Disney World and Miami Beach. Florida is a small city about 100 kilometers north of Montevideo on Ruta 5 and we were there for a soccer match. Uruguay's Declaration of Independence was signed in Florida in 1825. Today the town is the capitol of the departamento of Florida.

Labels: Florida, interior, Uruguay

We visited this rural school on our way to the Estancia Las Cecilias. The students had left for the day and the teacher was leaving, but she graciously opened the school so we could see it.

The school has one classroom and seven students, across all the elementary grades. The classroom has several tables, two computers, a timeline of Uruguay's history stretched across the room, and other student projects on display. In addition to the classroom, the school has two bathrooms, a large kitchen, and a bedroom for the teacher. There were two ostrich eggs (ñandú) on the kitchen table. Outside, there were chickens, a cat, and a lamb. The students' smocks and ties hung from hooks in the hallway.

Labels: Florida, interior, rural, Uruguay

The Estancia Las Cecilias raises cattle and sheep.











Watch a short video of the gauchos weighing sheep:

Labels: Florida, interior, rural, Uruguay

An album of photos from Estancia Las Cecilias

Labels: Florida, interior, nature, rural, Uruguay

I was a guest at the Estancia Las Cecilias for the last several days. It's a beautiful ranch on the Rio Yi, about 200 kilometers from Montevideo. I had a wonderful time. I went with friends and I had the pleasure of meeting several members of the family on the estancia. The grazing land was dotted with sheep, cattle, horses and the occasional ñandú. The food was great, as was the companionship. I took a lot of photos and a little video.

Labels: Florida, interior, rural, Uruguay, video

I'll be traveling again, so I doubt I'll have a chance to blog in the next few days. Check back Monday for details.

Labels: Florida, interior, Uruguay