Saturday, September 17, 2005

Escollera Sarandí

Sarandi is the name of a native tree. It also names the main street of the Old City in Montevideo. If you walk right on Sarandi street until it reaches the coast and then cross (carefully) the Rambla, you get to the Escollera Sarandi.

This is a nice place to go in the weekends if the weather allows. You may see the large ships entering and leaving the Port of Montevideo.

The view right along Escollera Sarandi - late August 2005

Many fishermen go to the Escollera since the water is quite deep around it. You may see a lot of different fishing techniques. Also, many families just sit there and let the afternoon go by, or see the sun set beneath the Cerro.

A large container ship enters port while families watch

Friday, September 02, 2005

Gozadera

Candombe is the drum rythm of the African slaves that were left in Montevideo. Although there were no plantations here, the city was a port of scale in the trip from Africa to the Pacific coast, and some slaves did stay here, mostly to work in the city itself. Black population is small and concentrated in Montevideo. They contributed to national culture with candombe.

Candombe is played with three types of drums of different size. This is, I think, the large one.

Middle size drum, called piano

La Gozadera is the name of a candombe group that rehearses in the streets of Malvin every Sunday at noon. They prepare for the Llamadas parade in Carnival. Their colors are yellow, violet and green.

A typical rehearsal starts by giving tension to the drum heads, for which they must be heated first.

Tempering the drums

Drums are played with the bare hands (for the smaller size) or with a stick and hands.

Playing

Super-Isolette, Konica VX-400 (five years expired, hence the bluish colors)

These are dancers during a street parade in October 25, 2005 (Heritage Day) at night. Dancers wear the Gozadera colors too.

Mama vieja and her partner

Some images before and during the street parade of February 11, 2006:


Gloves on!


A little talk before the parade


Symbols - moon and stars


The vedettes


Gramillero and Mama Vieja


The drummers pass by the camera


Fishing wharf in Buceo yacht dock

In the Buceo harbor, a number of small fishing vessels have their home.










In the early morning they go fishing in the River Plate. In bad weather they stay moored and I can get at them with my old cameras.

Small fishing vessels moored in a stormy day

Ikoflex 1b, PanF+, Rodinal 1:50.

The smaller boats are tied one against the other to save mooring space.


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Olympus Pen EE-3, Agfa CN-135

The skies of Montevideo are well known for their deep blue colors and the cloud effects after a good storm.


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Pentax K-1000, 35 mm lens, Fuji Superia 100

A full catch in a winter's day


A full catch



Olympus Pen EE-3, Agfa 200.