Cell phone vignettes from 2011

Like most Montevideanos, I carry a cell phone that has a simple built-in camera. Here are a few pictures of the city, taken during 2011.

Visiting ANTEL's skyscraper they let me into the upper floor. Even in a gray day, the view is nice! Moreover, it is the only way to see the private areas of the harbor, on the Bella Vista side.



The whole city was in the street that happy night when Uruguay won the South America's Football Cup for the fifteenth time.



This truck from the 1930s is always around the Old City, but I don't think it is working. Looks like something out of the Untouchables TV series. I half expect to see Elliot Ness going out of the back doors.



The classic Customs building in the harbor, under the afternoon light. There is a man earnestly holding in place the no-U-turn sign. Montevideanos are so caring of their city.



Thanks for following these snaps. Merry Christmas and Happy 2012 to you all!

Work in progress

Visited again the Carrasco hotel, which is being thoroughly restored by Sofitel. People are working hard on the intrincate detail both inside and outside the building.



The building is surrounded by a tall metal fence, so you can only peek at what is going on inside. People will gladly paint on the fence; we are an artistic city.



The work-in-progress at the Hotel Carrasco reminded me of the unfinished Lourdes church by the great Eladio Dieste, master of ceramic and brick structures. This 1934 church is located in Rivera avenue. It was going to be replaced (or complemented, I'll never know) by a Dieste masterpiece. Work started in 1965 and was interrupted in 1968, never to start again. Look at that unfinished bell tower at the back.

Celeste madness, again.

You may have heard by now that Uruguay won the Copa América 2011, the South American competition of football teams. It was no mean feat to eliminate Argentina in their home turf in quarter finals, especially because the locals played well. Mexico and Peru went before, and our last rival, Paraguay, eliminated Brazil.

The explosion came last Sunday evening, after the final game with Paraguay ended with a 3-0 victory.



The city went stark, sky-blue mad for several hours. From grandparents to grandchildren, everybody went to the streets just to shout and wave the flag. I got the old camera out and went to the Rambla to see what was happening.



Hard to see who was crazier - us on the sidewalks or the car passengers!



People were heading to the Centenario stadium, to wait for the winning team. The team arrived there at 3 AM. Lots of disorders in the old stadium; nothing was prepared for the very long wait, and it seems that vigilance was slack. But then, who would have dared to prepare a celebration when the game was still to be played? It would have been most un-Uruguayan.



Next day, Monday, the city was a long yawn. Everybody had stayed up late, but there were a lot of happy faces. I had never seen before so many sky-blue pullovers, ties, shirts, you name it. A new fashion trend must have started while I was sleeping!