Around Independence Square (Plaza Independencia)

From Plaza Independencia you have a magic tunnel into the past through the fake Citadel door.

No area in Montevideo is complete without a suitable "carrito" (thrash recycler's horse carriage). Tourist go crazy around them, so do Montevideanos but for different reasons. No offense intended.







This guy looks a bit worried, and he is looking towards the recently completed Presidential offices. Hmmm.







The old, majestic Solis theater is King of the area! What a building. And you should see it from the inside.

April Candombe Drums - Gozadera!

The candombe groups organized a Fall Parade in Rivera street this Sunday afternoon. Fall is upon us, goodbye to the warm season. I was around with just a cell phone in hand when the Gozadera group came in - wish I'd have recorded the sound as well.

Flags come first in the parade. You all know the Gozadera colors by now, yellow, green and violet. It takes skill to move those huge flags around.





Everybody can enjoy the parade!





Dancing was very spirited - this is a group with a lot of style.










Other groups had already finished; youngsters dream of joining in the parade next year.

More fishing boats in the East

Several weeks later and still the same subject? Well, I don't seem to find another easy one these days. Short trip to the East, since after all it is Easter break, isn't it.

Just before Good Friday, it seems every fishing boat in the country is working. We must be eating a lot of fish this season. Activity peaked in Piriapolis harbor, where smaller boats are moored tight against each other.



Larger boats were also tightly moored side by side. In fact, I found a boat from Buceo harbor that had moved to Piriapolis for the peak season. The owner told me that there were not many fish around lately. He was planning to go to Jose Ignacio harbor, further East, before coming back to Montevideo for the winter.



A few miles East, the yacht harbor in Punta del Este seems located in a different world. Full of well-dressed tourists. No fishing boats, no smell. This harbor is for pleasure, rest and relaxation.



Technical details: Voigtländer Vito II, film is FP4+ developed in ID-11.