I must say - before I started looking into this trip, I had thought very little about this country nor had a heard much about it. Come to find out that it is actually an incredible little country! The population is approximately 2.2 million people short of the greater Washington D.C. area and the total area is only 68,000 square miles. They have come very far and are one of the wealthiest nations in Latin America! And the Old City of Montevideo was a joy to experience.
Another interesting thing was attempting to embrace the spirit of the election in a foreign country. Although people on the ship were excited about it, it was strange being so far removed from the prime election season and not having constant interactions with it outside of e-mails, the people surrounding you, and the streaming of the debates. The night of the election itself was spent on the ship with Katie, Max, and Bronwyn. BUT they streamed a strange Japanese news channel that was being directed out of Hong Kong to show us the election and the results. During the time, though, they were showing things on the culture of Sushi and how to get more bang for your yen. Not exactly helpful, and we didn't know until the next morning what all had happened. But it was an experience!
Day one, Katie, Bronwyn, and I walked around the old city. We grabbed some cappuccinos and food in a little cafe early in the morning and enjoyed some quality time sitting down and talking. After a little bit, we continued to meander and see what the city had in store for us. We spent some time in Plaza Zabala under the shade of a HUGE tree with branches that rested fairly low and resembled an umbrella. In the tree was a multitude of green parrots! They were exceptionally talkative, to say the least. After a little grocery shopping, we went to a late lunch and went on Latin American time for a little while (Meaning we spent about 2 or so hours talking and eating and not caring one bit about time.) The relaxed nature of the country was wonderful and inviting. More walking and then preparation for the election!
Day two began with a run along the coast with Professor Gogniat. It was an incredible run that followed the 4.2 mile curve along the waterfront of the city, and we stopped to enjoy the view by the beaches and walked through a large area dedicated to those that had come into Uruguay during the Holocaust to escape the German government. After the 4 miles, we wandered into the city in search of some coffee and water and instead stumbled into a huge market in which the locals were buying and selling fruit, vegetables, and other goods. Gogniat grabbed some fresh fruit for us and we hopped into a cab to head back to the ship. The rest of the morning was spent finding wifi in order for Bronwyn, Katie, and me to look up classes for the spring. One downside of living on the ship is that there is very little internet access, even for something as vital as searching for classes. But we got it worked out in the end! We walked about 6 or 7 miles after that through a big market, through the more developed city, and along the waterfront again. On the way back, we munched on some dulce de leche ice cream and spent more time in the market to find some little trinkets and gifts.
That evening Katie and I joined up with Jack, Tucker, Patrick, Samara, Josie, McKenna, Laura, Ally, Gaby, and Max and we all headed out to a little restaurant for some drinks and delicious food. We were the only ones there, and the waitstaff was phenomenal and exceptionally friendly!
Day three consisted of a field lab for my Information Technologies and Global Change politics class. The class went into the Uruguayan version of a Silicon Valley area outside of Montevideo to visit the center of Plan Ceibal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plan_Ceibal). We listened to a short lecture from one of the leaders of the organization and watched a short informational/promotional video about the One Laptop per Child initiative that we had previously studied in class. In essence, this organization has delivered a small, sturdy laptop specially designed for the program to every child in the nation over the last few years. Everyone learned about the ways in which they fight against theft, such as the unique design and the intense security programming on the laptop that enables them to shut it down remotely once reported stolen. Afterwards, we got the privilege of going to a local elementary school to see the laptops in action. It was incredible! I have not seen so much enthusiasm from kids about using devices like these, and I gained so much insight from watching the older kids interacting with the younger ones and teaching them how to use the programs properly. The teachers loved that the kids are excited to learn and how much easier it is to teach them. The kids can then take everything that they know and teach their parents back home and others who have less access to technology. It also pushes them up in the work force by bringing more to the table for them. All in all, I loved learning first hand about how ICTs and other technological innovations are impacting people around the world.
Although I don't know if I would return to Montevideo, I think I'd love to see more of the greater Montevideo area and the beaches of Punta del Este.
Photo 1: Greens parrots in a tree in Plaza Zabala.
Photo 2: Independence Square.
Photo 3: A view of downtown Montevideo.
Photo 4: Some motivational street art.
Photo 5: School we visited on our field lab for my Information Technologies and Global Change class.
Photo 6: Some girl talk in the school.
Photo 7: View of Montevideo and the river.
Photo 8: View of the beaches and the river.
Photo 9: Outside on the port with a great view of the flag.
Photo 10: Street art in Montevideo.
Photo 11 and 12: Streets of Montevideo.
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