So my love affair with Uruguay after Colonia temporarily hit pause during my visit to Montevideo, an easy 2.5hr bus ride away. I didn’t love it. And that’s my sarcasm kicked into high gear. It didn’t help that it was overcast & a bit chilly all 3 days of my visit but it goes beyond that. First off, its old town, which I read compared to Havana & is often used as a fictionalized version of it in tv & film, does not even remotely compare to Havana. Not by a long shot. Perhaps a few crumbling houses within a larger block are somewhat comparable but rather than having a charming appeal & evoking the excitement that Havana brings, Montevideo’s old town is just a bit depressing. It certainly doesn’t have the personal appeal as Havana’s streets are constantly teeming with people, music & life & seemed quite safe while Montevideo’s atmosphere seemed downtrodden, sad & unsafe at times. In fact, I was stopped during the early afternoon hours 3-4 times by locals who warned me that it wasn’t safe to be walking in the old town at night or even dusk. I had read the same thing but they seemed intent on warning me. I somewhat doubted the urgency of the warnings but when I left Mercado del Puerto, easily the highlight of the old town so drawing lotso tourists, after a wonderful late lunch around 4:30, hours before sunset, I was already witnessing some untoward behavior by locals in a very clearly altered state. So I proceeded to head back to Pocitos, a more affluent area where I was staying & while I certainly felt safe there, it wasn’t a very lively neighborhood & seemed a bit devoid of culture. I wish I could say the next 2 days exploring el Centro, Pocitos & other hoods improved my opinion but it did not. At the end of the day, I’m glad I visited bc I would’ve always wondered & while I hesitate to draw a conclusion after visiting for only 3 nights, I think I can cross this city off the list for future Uruguay visits & still sleep soundly.