Where is Uruguay?

“On a map, place the following countries: Uruguay, Paraguay.” In my grade school days correctly answering a test question like that would have had odds of 50-50.  I knew both countries were in South America but which one was on the coast and which one was inland?

Fast forward a number of years (no, I am not going to mention how many years!) and I will always get that question correct. Uruguay and Paraguay are two very different countries….not only geographically but also culturally.

Local guides told us that the people of Uruguay are more like their Brazilian neighbors than their Argentine neighbors…Brazilians and Uruguayans being more spontaneous, having a  joie de vivre. (While that may or may not be factual, I was impressed by people in all three countries.)

One experience we had does confirm the spontaneous nature of Uruguayans. We were at the airport in Punta del Este when we heard lively music. Could a band be approaching? Sure enough, in a few moments a small band of musicians and a flag bearer arrived in the waiting room followed by ladies with a tray of champagne and trays of hors d’oeurves. The musicians headed out towards the bus carrying passengers from the small plane that had just landed. Who was arriving? Must be a celebrity!

 

We watched the disembarking passengers with great interest. Who could it be? Must be someone famous to warrant such a welcome. But no…we did not recognize anyone. We must have looked confused as someone approached to say that the staff had just decided they felt like creating a special welcome for the arriving passengers and invited us to join in the celebration. Now, tell me, where else in the world could something like that happen!

For the record I now know that Uruguay is the country on the coast, just across the Rio de la Plata (river) from Buenos Aires. While that statement is true, the phrase “just across the river” is deceptive as this river is the widest river in the world. The Parana River, the Uruguay River, and the Atlantic Ocean all meet here to create Rio de la Plata (River of Silver).

 

The flight across the Rio de la Plata, from Punta del Este in Uruguay to Buenos Aires in Argentina, takes just under an hour. (And, as we discovered, if the weather is less than perfect, the flight takes just over an hour.)

 

So now that we know for sure where Uruguay is, please join us as we explore the country. Check out the next two postings…one from  Punta del Este and one from the capital, Montevideo.

 

 

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Happy travels!