A culturally rich Capital

Montevideo, Uruguay boasts a photogenic Old Town as well as 19th-century neoclassical buildings.

By almost every quality-of-life index - high literacy, low corruption, freedom of the press and a multitude of other civil liberties, Uruguay is a Latin American leader. Interesting fact: In 2013 Uruguay became the world's first country to legalise the cultivation and sale of marijuana. Perhaps the captains of these vessels, which Jeff commented were at different degrees of "sunkenness", might have been under the influence of this popular hallucinogenic when they met their fate.

Today we traveled into the countryside, to the farmlands and the vineyards. This was yet another tour that Royal Caribbean planned for us as part of our Ultimate World Cruise and it was outstanding. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the owners of the vineyard, served a warm tart with onion and blue cheese along with a Chardonnay. Delicious! Then a brief tour of the vineyard with the merlot grapes, plump on the vine, not yet ready for harvest.

Before heading to the wine cellar, we were introduced to the process used previously and now to make the Spinodlio Wines. What followed, reminded me of the New York wedding we attended many years ago for one of my collegues from Ross. We had appetizers, danced, had another selection of food, danced again, then another course, more dancing and so on. On this occasion the dancing was performed by the locals and included the most prominent traditional dances in Montevideo, Uruguay:

• Tango: Originating in the port cities of Montevideo and Buenos Aires, tango is a significant part of Uruguay's cultural heritage. It is a music and dance style that has a mix of African, Latin American, and European influences, creating a unique fusion. Tango is iconic to the whole of Uruguay and is not limited to the working class

• Candombe: This dance originated from the African slaves in Uruguay during the 1800s. It is a prominent part of Uruguayan culture and is traditionally danced by men, without a couple, but in pairs, with each taking turns. The dance involves stomping, clapping, and intricate footwork

• Cumbia: Cumbia is the most danced musical genre in Uruguay. Originally from the Caribbean, it has become a significant part of the country's dance culture

Seeing the still photos isn't quite like experiencing the sounds and the motion of the performance, so here are two short vignettes just to give you more insights into the experience:
https://youtube.com/shorts/cJQG6F6iJig
https://youtube.com/shorts/dqIOdt2I0KA?feature=share

Soon we'll be off to the next adventure. It's on the border of Brazil and Argentina and it means we travel by bus and plane to get there.

Since it's quite a distance inland, we don't return to the ship until late tomorrow night. So my next blog post will be slightly delayed .. but very likely worth waiting for. See you then! And thanks for following along with us!!