Punta del Este or Montevideo/Colonia?

[sandra12345]

I live in Hawaii, but I was born in Uruguay. I went back last year to "buy" a retirement home in my country and this is what I found: houses with iron bars in all windows and doors are a pre requisite, but do not really help if the thief want to get in. My sister in law is full of pride for her new found fortune living high in Carrasco, the only drawback is she has to have 3 German shepherds, electric fence, automatic gate, and bars in all windows. She has to draw the curtains at night so the "watchers" will not check the activity in the house. She lives high in fear surrounded by a corp staff that earns next to nothing, and then she complaints about security? Well...that is Uruguay for you. People that have nothing, working really hard and a bunch of pirates for middle class. Realtors, lawyers, escribanos and owners, all looking to raid your wallet with overpriced, badly built homes. You cannot trust lawyers or escribanos in Uruguay even if you speak superb local Spanish. I speak the fluent local dialect and can assure to anyone that do not have that skill, that hey will end up buying the equivalent of the Empire State Blg without knowing what hit them. And if you think you got a bargain think again. Since 2005 the price of real estate has raised so high that buying a home in Honolulu seems a bargain in comparison. Those houses are usually without permits and then it will cost an arm and a leg to get it straight, specially if you are a foreigner loaded with gold coins in the Brou's coffers. And if you died, God help you heirs to get a piece of the pie, your lawyer will end up enjoying the fruits of your labor before they get anything. Volumes have been written about litigation and the justice system. On the other hand...Serious, four dollars for a tiny little coffee in Punta del Este OUTSIDE of the season? 200,000 homes by the filthy Rio de la Plata? Pleople talk about Rocha like a new found land, well Rocha is the home of "pirates". That fish dinner in a "artesano" restaurant probably has been laying in the sun all morning without ice, the 100 dollar a day "cottage" by the sea, probably does not even have a septic tank, (effluent is discharged directly to the ocean and washes up in the beach and the rocks, in La Paloma, Punta del Diablo and the others. Those seaweed fritters in Cabo Poloino you take down with your beer have been taken out of the same rocks that sea lions cavort around, no health check!. There are not septic systems, no reliable refrigeration, and all the food (well whatever there is) has to brought in by bubby in 30 degree heat! ( sorry cooler have not been discovered in Uruguay yet). Buying property? So you have just offered near asking price for a house that does not comply with any building standards, but it is sooo cute....too bad the owner just raised the price by 20%, the Realtor will tell you. Security? There are copamientos ( forced home entries and kidnappings), if you have something not even two German shepherds will help because the criminals have the same whistles the police employs to keep the dogs at bay. I would just not walk away from Uruguay ( the land of fairy tales) I would run like in a marathon out of the darn country. I feel so sorry for so many foreigners thinking it is paradise found!...whatever.
I am looking into Argentina..why: because Argentinians are cultured, fun, classy, more aware, less of a cheap smarty pants and the life in Baires is phenomenal and way cheaper that bs Montevideo. The country offers all kinds of recreations. just my opinion. But if you are still bent for Uruguay, do not hesitate to contact me. I can be your consultant and help you navigate this seemingly peaceful country. Saludos!

 

[A&A]

@Sandra, I think the OP was just talking about a 4 day vacation there not moving. While I do not doubt your experiences, I think a lot of the world (not just Uruguay) may not have the same food/refrigeration ideas/hangups the U.S. does. (I am still getting used to the idea that eggs are just out on the shelf and not in refrigerated compartment of the store). The French are appalled that the u.s. individually wraps its cheese and places it in the fridge "like its a dead thing".

With all your hating on home town talk, I would have guessed you were from Jersey.

 

[PhilipDT]

@Sandra, I think the OP was just talking about a 4 day vacation there not moving. While I do not doubt your experiences, I think a lot of the world (not just Uruguay) may not have the same food/refrigeration ideas/hangups the U.S. does. (I am still getting used to the idea that eggs are just out on the shelf and not in refrigerated compartment of the store). The French are appalled that the u.s. individually wraps its cheese and places it in the fridge "like its a dead thing".

With all your hating on home town talk, I would have guessed you were from Jersey.

Pretty much all of the cheese in france is individually wrapped too....

 

[A&A]

Individual slices? Sacre bleu?

 

[jimdepalermo]

With 4 days, consider heading inland to explore Córdoba - capital and provincia - it's lovely and generally more interesting than Colonia, Montevideo, or Punta, especially off season. Or head to the Argentine coast and explore all the towns between San Clemente and Miramar - they'll be sleepy and cool this early, but you can get an idea where you might like to return in season, and the variety of seaside towns and cities is interesting.

With 4 days, you could also consider Mendoza, either flying or taking an overnight sleeper bus. The city is lovely, with some good hotels and excellent restaurants. There and interesting vineyard tours, fantastic drives up into the cordillera, hot springs resorts nearby. It's easiest to visit the vineyards and surrounding areas by private tour or remis, so you wouldn't need a rental car other than to drive up into the cordillera. There's a nice article in yesterday's New York Times travel section, in fact.

Colonia is a little town with a cute zone of about 8 square blocks that dates back to Portuguese colonial days, now converted to "art" galleries and mediocre restaurants. After a couple hours, you'll be asking what else there is to see and do. Some of the better hotels near Colonia have nice spas, if you're into that. Also, the Four Seasons resort 2 hours' drive north at Carmelo is quite special if destination resorts attract you. (Although the Sofitel resort at Los Cardales, a hour up the Panamericana, plays in the same league, is easier to get to, and you'll find much more evening diversions in neighboring Pilar than in Carmelo.)

Montevideo is like a little knock-off of Buenos Aires that, unlike its inspiration, goes completely, eerily dead at night in the center. The modern areas out by the beaches are a little more lively and comfortable. Shopping is better than in Argentina - you'll find a lot of products that don't exist here, since UY doesn't restrict imports to the degree practiced here, although prices are usually 15 - 20% higher than in BsAs.

I find Punta relaxing off-season. There are still good restaurants, nice seaside walks, etc. But I wouldn't say it's a must-visit location. The beach towns farther north are probably better sightseeing destinations.