Finally, the rain stopped. I spent a beautiful day walking around Pocitos, on the beach and in town, and got seriously burned.

I cancelled my plans to go on a day trip to Punta del Este, the beach resort that every Uruguayan goes to in the summer. It would have meant a 2 hour bus drive, walk around a bit, and get back…

I felt I wanted to see what Montevideo looks like in the sun and with blue skies. I think it was well worth it. Punta del Este will be marked for the next trip….

Here are a few pics from my neighborhood, I love the tree-lined streets, the old, rather small houses (it gets bigger and newer the closer you get to the beach), the little shops and cafés.

Pocitos is quiet, there are some streets with bars, but it’s principally a residential neighborhood.

The Ramblas beach promenade is especially nice – if you ignore the traffic that I have mentioned. The Uruguayans are really sporty. Now, on this beautiful day, they are all walking, running, biking, skating along the Ramblas, sweating as hell and showing off their bodies.

Especially in the evening, this seems to be the thing to do, while the young are sitting all along the promenade, smoking, drinking beer or Mate, playing music and chatting with their friends. A really nice, relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

I, instead of jogging, had a huge Pizza in the italian restaurant down the street, and a huge glass of red wine… That, in combination with the sun, killed my plans for a night out in the bars, but I had a walk on the night time beach ramble before heading to bed.