I learned really fast that everyone here smokes and drinks mate whenever they get the chance. I am finally getting used to drinking mate; they said adding sugar makes it better, but I need to get used to it raw. Hopefully no one here has Hepatitis B because the bombilla has to have been in many different mouths... and I learned the long way that you have to tell them that you don't want anymore mate until they will stop serving it to you. All around Uruguay you see people with a thermos of hot water and the signature mate cup, so that they can drink mate on the go. And just like Wikipedia says, there are pretty set customs regarding the mate, such as the bringer of the mate has to refill the mate cup for everyone, and offers it to people around him. It's pretty cool to see that that's true. On the left is a picture of the statue in the middle of the Plaza de la Cagancha. In practical terms, this is the place that all of the major bus routes pass by downtown.
I finally visited some of the campuses of the University of Montevideo. Apparently there is no central campus, and the different colleges are scattered around the city. I was just walking around looking at major tourist sites when I bumped into the School of Medicine and the College of Chemistry. The buildings must have looked amazing when they were just built, but they currently suffer from lack of maintenance. On the left is the College of Medicine. I didn't go in because I didn't know what there policy on visitors was.
I started off the Sunday only wanting to visit some places and go to the mall to buy a raincoat (this weekend because the malls discounted the sales tax rate (or IVA) on all purchases) - which is a whopping 22% here. And to think that in the US we complain about a 1% increase to an 8% sales tax rate. Well, I did make all of my necessary purchases and eventually walked my way to the World Trade Center and the more touristy beach where there are a lot of private boats and boats for rent. At that time, I was desperate to find something to eat because there were too many people in the food court at the mall. So I settled for the first restaurant I saw by the ocean. Too bad it was one of the more expensive restaurants here. It had a really nice view, and the complimentary bread came with paté. Two annoying things about dining in Montevideo is that water is not included and can cost about $2, and they charge a table waiting fee that is separate from tip - maybe that's just at these restaurants that I find. Well, the place is called la Casa Violeta, and it is populated with a lot of old people enjoying the seaside view. Below is a picture. I had their seafood pasta, which was pretty good, but it wasn't spectacular - nothing I couldn't order from Macaroni Grill. With tip and everything, the meal cost a little over $30 (which is in the highest tier of food costs here). My one consolation to the high cost is that at least the service was in English.
Before going back home, I chilled with some of my new friends. Apparently, they call a 1L bottle of beer a "shop" and so compramos 4 shops and hung out on the sidewalk. I'm also growing accustomed to the Uruguayan local music called "cumbia", which is kind of like mariachi music with a hip-hop twist. And I was quick to learn from other University friends that some of them are doing Biochemistry, and to my disgust, I found Lehninger in Spanish. Just when I thought I had gotten away from it, it follows me here...
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