Monty Video, Montevideo, Uruguay
Friday, March 25, 2011
The sky is grey and by reflection so is the ocean. 50 year old cars roll over the dusty, litter strewn, grey tarmac. The only greenery is provided by the dusty grey plants that grow through the cracks in the badly maintained buildings and pavements. Most of the buildings are empty, disused and neglected in art deco, grey concrete many are just empty shells the exterior supported by scaffold and the interior long since collapsed. The buildings that are still solid have barred prison like windows and doors with large metal shutters that say closed so definitely that I wonder if they will ever open again. To enter most shops it is necessary to buzz at the door and then be let in. Having said all that the only attractions in the city are the architecture, grey and broken as it is, and a few art museums. The people trudge the streets watching their feet with faces fixed in permanent frowns of concern. Like ghosts from the past they wear dirty clothes that went out of fashion when I was in year 6. Even when talking their gaze never lifts and they mumble their thoughts to the ground. In a stark contrast to Brasil where technically I didn't speak the language, here I am unable to communicate with the people. I can talk to them sure but I receive nothing in return. The people are as grey and barred as the buildings. No lively music seeps out of the buildings, the restaurants are dark and release no delicious smells.
If I could recommend you not to visit the city I would do so but the 7th rule of the traveler's handbook says: If you are recommended to visit a place then you should go, if you are recommended not to go to a place you should go anyway. So come to
Montevideo, set up a play list on your mp3 player, include radiohead, portishead, massive attack, the verve and maybe a little melancholy tango and join the other ghosts trudging the street. Because there is a beauty in this sad grey city just as in the beaches of
Brazil its just a little harder to find.
