Uruguay
I knew where Uruguay was geographically, but that was the extent of my knowledge. It is a small - Texas is four times larger - basically flat country located between two larger, more powerful and much less stable countries, Argentina and Brazil. South American Poland. A series of economic crises put an end to a democratic period that had begun in the early 20th century which established a military dictatorship in 1973 that lasted until 1985. However, today Uruguay is a stable, secular democracy with a highly-educated population and a strong social safety net. More like a northern European country than Latin American. It is one of the few countries in South America to have access to clean water for its entire population. Over its history, Uruguay often had to rely on assistance from European countries, mainly England, to maintain its independence from its two neighbors. Uruguay has mandatory voting and compulsory education. Doctor note needed. It is ranked first in Latin America in democracy, peace, low corruption, freedom of the press, size of middle class, and prosperity. It has the lowest poverty and the lowest birth rate in South America. There are more sheep and three times as many cows in Uruguay as humans. They export cows and import Americans.
We spent a day in Montevideo, the capitol. It was Sunday. We got up early and hit the town walking. The ubiquitous presence of military-style tourist police found in Brazil was conspicuously absent. Later in the morning we took a cruise-sponsored "Panoramic Montevideo" bus tour which gave us an overview of the city. Our guide was highly-educated and spoke perfect English. After we got off the bus, we quickly returned to walking on our own. By that time, the Old Town had come alive with opened shops, restaurants, tourists, street markets and locals. We visited the carnival museum and the old cathedral. Impressive place!
Argentina
Argentina's name is derived from the Latin word for silver, argentum. Founded in 1776, early Spanish settlers believed there was silver somewhere there. Argentina won its independence from Spain in 1818, but a protracted civil war lasted until 1861. The country thereafter enjoyed relative peace and stability and by the early 20th century, Argentina was the seventh wealthiest nation in the world. With several waves of European immigration, mainly Italian and Spanish, its cultural demographics were reshaped. Sixty-two percent of the population is of Italian ancestry. Following the Great Depression of the 1930s, Argentina descended into political instability, with Juan Peron's populist party having great influence beginning in the 1940s. After the death of Juan Peron in 1974, his widow, Isabel Martinez de Peron ascended to the presidency. She was overthrown by a US-backed coup that installed a right-wing military dictatorship. Some estimates claim that as many as 30,000 political critics, activists and leftists were murdered in the "Dirty War." The military dictatorship ended in 1983 with a democratically-elected president. The national presidential election was held while we were in Buenos Aires. The Peron leftist party is back in business. Today the government estimates that more than a third of the population lives below the poverty line and 20% live on less than two dollars a day. The unemployment rate is about 11% and the inflation rate is 49%. Trouble brewing.
Our ocean cruise ended at Buenos Aires. Since we were in the neighborhood, we decided to spend a week touring the city. If Paris and Mexico City had a baby, it would be Buenos Aires. Wide boulevards, meticulously-kept public parks, beautiful modern architecture mixed with Art Nouveau buildings and a friendly tango population. It has a long had thriving Parisian-style café culture and its many historic cafes and bars were the meeting places for famous literary, musical, and political figures. The city has designated these places as "Notables". They range from 50 to 160 years old. A remarkably beautiful city located at about the same longitude as Newfoundland. More like South East America.
Alex
