Living in Uruguay - Ask Annette: July 2016

After a problematic ‘Uruguayan’ month and being a bit down on life here, I am feeling the need for some positivity. The list may not be long (and nowhere near as long as the opposing list would be!) but here we go…

Meat Meat Meat

Oh yes, in Uruguay you are guaranteed an excellent beef steak in every (and I mean EVERY) restaurant. Cooked to perfection, so large you think you can’t eat all (but you do!) and it will only cost you USD$15-$20! “what” I can hear you saying. It’s true folks, Uruguay is the land of BBQs and the beef here is delicious. Now if they only work on getting better lamb and sausages..

You don’t have to pump your own gas

Yes that’s right, in Uruguay you can be as lazy as you like and sit in your car while an attendant pumps your gas, cleans your windscreen (back and front), and checks your oil/water. You don’t even have to get out of your car to pay…the attendant brings a card machine to your car and you sit there and pay. No more stinky gas on your hands, standing in the cold pumping gas, or for those like me actually just trying to figure out how to pump the gas in the first place!

Summertime

The weather in Uruguay in winter is not pleasant at all, but come summertime you have forgotten all about it. Temperatures rise to over 30°, the sun shines all day, you enjoy walking/biking along the Rambla (waterfront pedestrian pathway), and for those domesticated people like myself…you can dry an entire load of washing outside in under 1 hour!

Supporting local business

So many foreigners come from countries of mass consumerism and large corporate companies (that may or may not manufacture masses of goods in 3^rd world countries using today’s version of slave labour). In Uruguay you get to support local businesses…why? you might ask…because large corporations are not in Uruguay yet and perhaps due to importation taxes and government bureaucracy, they never will be. So in Uruguay, instead of driving to Walmart/Costco/Ikea/Kmart to fulfill your consumerism needs, you get to help the little guy by supporting local business and keeping money within Uruguay economy.

Learning how to make food from scratch

It seems like a drag when you first get to Uruguay and realise that you can’t buy most of the pre-made food that you are used to at home. But if you have the time, making food from scratch tastes way better and is more satisfying. For example, you can’t go to the supermarket and choose from 20 varieties of packaged hummus but you can easily make it at home, it tastes great and is cheaper than the packaged version would be anyway. Come on…I know you have been dying to try one of the 100's of Pinterest recipes that you have pinned but never actually made!

Colonia del Sacramento

This is our favourite place to visit in Uruguay… autumn, winter, spring or summer…we love Colonia. From wandering the historic cobblestone streets, to sitting in small cafes enjoying great food, to visiting the many museums, and swimming at the beach. Colonia is full of beautiful places to see and visit, as well as numerous cafes/restaurants that not only offer the usual Uruguayan cuisines but also some delicious food that I have never found elsewhere in Uruguay. Colonia is a must visit place! We use airbnb to rent places to stay in Colonia, use this link to join and you will get USD$25 off your first booking: www.airbnb.com/c/aswale