Montevideo, Uruguay – You can skip it. You’re welcome.

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.

Mercado del Puerto – a different kinda market as it primarily features a bunch of great steakhouses all under one roof. It’s relatively expensive but highly recommended. Over my delicious late lunch, I met this amazing couple from São Paulo, Brazil & we made plans to go out the next night & meet up in São Paulo. Again, loving those Brazilians.

The best chimichurri I’ve had on the trip & one of the best steaks. If you visit Uruguay & spend a night here while traveling, a stop here for a great lunch is a must. I chose El Palenque but I’m sure they’re all great. But know that most if not all close at 5pm so are only open for lunch. Odd for steakhouses I know but I think a nod to the safety, or lack thereof, of the Old Town. Sad really. I hope the city is able to invest here as it has a lot of great potential.

Quito in 1 day 2 times

I visited Quito twice on this trip. The first time with Gina for 1.5 days. The second time with Kristin & Amy for 1 day after the rest of our Ecuador adventures on our way to Peru. I played the role of tour guide the second time during our 10hr layover. So while I know there’s more to see, I’m fairly confident I can give a pretty good overview of Quito’s old town in a day, including plenty of time for food & drink, as we all came away loving the city.

Teleferico ride up to the mountains surrounding Quito, specifically Volcan Pichincha, for a fabulous lookout over the city & hike. Or in G&I’s case… a closer look at the cloud enveloping the mountain top.

The view from El Panecillo, a hilltop overlooking the old town, featuring a statute of the Virgin Mary.

Climbing stairs & frighteningly steep ladders to the top of a gorgeous Basilica del Voto Nacional w stunning views of the old town & El Panecillo. Due to my bizarre fear of ladders, this was no easy task for me so I chose to sit out the second round & grabbed a drink at the base while waiting for the girls.

The basilica may now be my fave church toured due to the unusual concrete animal statues diving off the facade. How boring are gargoyles when you can instead have anteaters, monkeys & alligators? I’m a big fan of the unusual.

Unlike G, I did NOT have a smile on my face when tackling the ladder

Wandering the streets of the old town & exploring its lovely plazas including Plaza Grande featuring the Presidential palace & political rallies (especially the week before the national election) & Plaza San Francisco.

Traditional Ecuadorian lunch of fritada sitting outdoors in the lovely Plaza San Francisco (my personal fave Quito plaza) & perhaps a game (or 5) of triangle dominoes, the addicting game I discovered in Bottle Beach, Ko Pha Ngan that G heroically stashed in her backpack to Ecuador.

Drinks on the rooftop of Vista Hermosa restaurant overlooking the old town, it’s plazas & El Panecillo.

Wandering La Ronda, a beautifully quiet pedestrian street during the day featuring shops & art galleries that transforms at night into a raucous array of cafes, bars & live music.

Cartagena… a little reminder of Havana

I was super excited to see Cartagena, a gorgeous Spanish colonial city on the Caribbean Sea. I thought I’d spend 5 nights here. I was planning to until I had to move up a future destination. So I only had 3 nights. It was enough although I had to cut out a jaunt to some outlying islands where I probably could’ve found some decent scuba diving (I need my fix).
A couple things about Cartagena:

(1) Cartagena is an outlier in Colombia as it’s expensive with prices nearing US levels. Which is a bummer.

(2) I was forewarned in the coffee country about the heat. I spent months in SE Asia so I admittedly shrugged it off. It’s MF hot in Cartagena. When you’re on the equator, that sun is just so goddam strong. So my schedule in Cartagena went something like this: sleep til 8, eat breakfast & hit the city by 9am before it’s scorching hot. Lunch at 1ish & then spend the rest of the afternoon in the shade on the rooftop of my hotel or lounge by the pool. Anything to get out of the sun. I’d come back to life around 5 & head out again to wander & enjoy the night.
The thing to do in Cartagena is wander. Wandering photogenic cities just so happens to be my favorite thing to do traveling, taking pitstops along the way in gorgeous chill plazas at coffee shops, restos & bars. It’s impossible to get lost as long as you stay in the old town as it’s fortified by large stone walls. The city is lovely & it reminded me a bit of Havana with its picturesque winding streets although the difference is Cartagena is a pristine colonial town unlike the dilapidated Havana (which in my opinion, just adds to its romanticism). I’m not sure there will ever be a more charming city than Havana so I should probably just remove it from any future equations.