Life is like a calm river in my hostel: just after nine o'clock, some sleepy creatures stagger out of their respective rooms, hit the sofa and watch TV for a while.
In South America it seems to be normal not to have breakfast before half past eight, but it can easily become half past nine until the coffee is hot and the rolls are baked.
A young girl tries to familiarize me with the specialties of breakfast. There is toast, butter and jam, some indefinable things that I prefer to leave alone, and coffee, which would have brought Blessed Lazarus to life even without the help of Jesus.
Surprisingly I feel quite well; everyone greets me with a Hola, gives me a friendly nod, only the chubby landlord seems to be in a bad mood. It might be related to the empty dormitories.
Anyway, I leave my luggage and set out to cope with the city that welcomed me so unkindly. But we give Montevideo a chance I think it deserves it.
Longing for Southeast Asia
First things as always first, so off to the bus station to get a ticket to Porto Alegre.
Sometimes I long for Southeast Asia, where everything is much easier and faster. You go to the reception in the respective hotel and inquire about a ride. Everything else is done by the hotel for a tiny commission.
Here, you have to do everything by yourself and thus spend time that you would rather use for something better.
For example, exploring this great city.
La Calle Mercedes
The road to the bus terminal is long, I follow the 'Mercedes' for about 15 blocks.
It is a typical side street of Montevideo, not very wide, lined with trees, the traffic is quiet, you can move along leisurely.
The city now scores many points, with every yard I like it better. But there are also differences to Buenos Aires: although so close to Argentina, the people seem to be different, more closed (not unfriendly), less cheerful, a bit gloomy.
Poverty, also a big issue in Buenos Aires, seems to be more visible, the streets are partially in a bad condition, and the clothes of the people do not show much wealth either. Like the neighbor Argentina, Uruguay's economy goes up and down. I don't know the current situation, but it seems that the country has seen better times.
A fully booked bus
The bus terminal, as already mentioned, - a juggernaut.
One squeezes through crowds, there is a babble of voices, music, hectic, noise. The counter of the requested EGA bus company is right at the back, a friendly young man explains to me that there is just one seat left in the bus, first class, with sleeping accommodation and service and dinner and breakfast, but at the impressive price of CHF 120.
Better than nothing.
Beggars and the blind
The wide main street, where traffic rushes through like everywhere else in the world, offers the global range of goods, the clothing and food chains, quite comparable to that on Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich, but with slightly lower prices.
But also here there are many beggars, blind and other handicapped people, competing with the rattling of their cups for the favor of the pedestrians rushing past.
The park and a stone (steel?) Hero
However, there is a pedestrian area that stretches for quite a distance in the 'Ciudad Vieja'.
It starts with a park surrounded by bulky hotel buildings, and in the middle of it all the obligatory equestrian hero raising his fist with spear and cross in anger.
The old city
There are a lot of people around, and you can even hear one or the other non-Spanish word.
The restaurants on the squares and along the many alleys are fully packed, people enjoy an ice cream, drink liters of coke or other crap and have a good time. I order a pizza, there are actually only those WITH mozzarella available.
Pizza with mozzarella? Wow? But it is good, very good in fact.
The Rio de la Plata
And suddenly and unexpectedly you are standing at the blue sea, the Rio de la Plata. Here in contrast to Buenos Aires with clear water that almost invites you to take a bath.
A church to say goodbye
South America is strictly Catholic, a legacy of the Spanish and Portuguese conquerors. Churches are omnipresent. There are small, shamefaced ones, or huge splendid buildings, presenting the Lord pleasure and goodwill, and many ordinary ones, like ours, but with even more splendor and glory.
Unimpressive from the outside, the inside turns out to be a magnificent display of all the riches that the common people are deprived of but contribute to the praise of God.
Farewell - another one
The bus, a two-story monster, is there in time (think back to Manali Delhi), I am accommodated in the lower part with a few VIPs, where there are actually extremely comfortable and extremely expensive-looking seats.
The night might still be quite pleasant; however, I still think it's a pity that I drive through all of Uruguay and a right part of southern Brazil without noticing anything except black night.
It is exactly 20.00 o'clock, the engine roars, and we start our 800 km long journey to the north.
The bus will not stop a single time, at most for refueling, the rest of the time it will race towards Brazil at a constant high speed on a dead straight line.
Of course it is freezing cold, I put on the Helly Hansen jacket (which I wore the last time in Ladakh) and take out the wool cap. It looks a bit weird when you think of the 28 degrees that still prevail outside, but what the heck.
The cuddly warmth, the full stomach (dinner was served including an aperitif with whisky and pastries) as well as the really comfortable seat, which feels good even for my knees, let me quickly dive into nirvana ...
Mileage: unknown
Matching Song: Florence + The Machine - Big God
And here the journey continues ... in Brazil
