Montevideo in about 12h

Montevideo is the starting point of our 2 weeks trip in Argentina with a short stop in Uruguay at the special request of one of my friends that was joining the trip. 

Puerta de la Ciudadela

Tasks of the day: Land - visit Montevideo - take the bus to Colonia de Sacramento, busy, right? 

Airport to Old Town via Tres Cruces bus terminal 

We landed early morning just before 9:00 and so we took the bus from outside the Airport going to Tres Cruces. The ticket for the bus is about 2$ and it takes about 30 min.
Important to know is that Tres Cruces is a shopping center, but it is also the place from where  buses leave towards other cities in the country and so it also offers luggage storage. 

Some Details: 
Luggage is 5 Euro for 3 small luggage (hand-luggage/backpack) 
You have several bus companies on site to chose from. 
There is a food court available for a snack before you catch the bus. 
For more info check out their webpage. 

From in front of the Shopping Center you get buses to the different areas of the city. We hopped on a bus which had on it Centro Viejo (aka old town), but did not go till the end, instead we jumped out randomly to explore the city. 

Walking to Plaza Independencia

Einstein spotted, more precisely there is a statue in Plaza de los Treinta y Tres Orientales of Albert Einstein discussing with the Uruguayan philosopher Carlos Vaz Ferreira.

"The National School J.P.V. It was created by the Uruguayan Society of Education as an educational institute for lay formation. His initial address was entrusted to Master Deborah Vitale D'Amico (1888 - 1957), one of the first women who had outstanding participation in the public performance of the country. It belonged to the second generation of women from Uruguay whose innovative intervention was projected in various domains of Uruguayan culture" (Translated from Source)

National School J.P.V. Montevideo

Palacio Santos - "In March 1882, Maximo Santos took office as President of the Republic. In 1881, for his residence, he had built a luxurious mansion, which he opened in 1885. There he lived with his wife, Teresa Mascaro, and their children, until he died in 1889, at the age of 42." (Translation from Source)

Palacio Santos, Montevideo

Building of newspaper " El Dia" 

El Dia newspaper building, Montevideo

Plaza de Cagancha​

Plaza de Cagancha​, Montevideo

"Inaugurated in 1928, Palacio Salvo appeared in the city landscape as a strange creature, one that has both delighted and disgusted architecture buffs for decades.[...] Originally intended as a luxury hotel, the palace never managed to fulfill that purpose, and acts instead as a very elaborate collection of private residences and offices."  (Source)

Palacio Salvo

Take a Break

Get a beer and something to eat to gain energy for the rest of the road 

Chivitos

Pilsen Beer, Uruguay

​Plaza Independencia

Montevideo's largest downtown plaza commemorates independence hero Jose Artigas with a 17m, 30-ton statue (see the horse through the gate :) ) and the subterranean Mausoleo de Artigas, where an honor guard keeps 24-hour vigil over Artigas’ remains. (Source)

​Plaza Independencia, Montevideo

Teatro Solis 

"Just off Plaza Independencia, elegant Teatro Solis is Montevideo’s premier performance space. First opened in 1856, and completely renovated during the past decade or so, it has superb acoustics."  (Source)

Teatro Solis, Montevideo

Plaza Constitucion

Plaza Constitucion, Montevideo

"Also known as Plaza Matriz, is the oldest plaza in Montevideo. It is located in the first part of the city that was built: Ciudad Vieja." (Source) When we went there on a Friday, they had an antique market with a lot of interesting things to buy. 

Plaza Constitucion, Montevideo

Plaza Constitucion, Montevideo

StreetArt 

Streetart Montevideo

Streetart Montevideo

Rambla Francia

At a length of over 22.2 uninterrupted kilometres (13.7 mi), the promenade runs along the Río de la Plata and continues down the entire coast of Montevideo. Since all the southern departments of Uruguay are against either the Río de la Plata or the Atlantic Ocean, they all have ramblas as well. The Rambla is an integral part of Montevidean identity and has been proposed as a World Heritage site. (Source)

Rambla Francia, Montevideo

"Castillo Pittamiglio is a beautiful tribute to the man who built it and to the science of alchemy. Designed by Humberto Pittamiglio and built in 1911, Castillo Pittamiglio’s interior is full of obscure symbols with deep meanings. The castle itself represents the life of the alchemist. While during this time period they worked hard to change base metals into gold, they were also constantly trying to change themselves spiritually. In fact, Pittamiglio lived in the castle until his death in 1966, and was constantly changing the rooms in the building to symbolize that facet."  (Source)

Castillo Pittamiglio

Further on down the road you can find a big building, if you wonder what it is...
​it's: Secreteria del Mecosur

Pocitos Beach with Montevideo sign

Our Destination of this long trip was actually the Montevideo sign. You can find it at the end of the Pocitos Beach on a little hill. 

Montevideo Beach Letters