Simulacra + Vera Icon-Uruguay

When asked about Montevideo, foreign visitors staying in Buenos Aires will quickly reply, "I've never been there but they say it's like BsAs, just not as cool." I actually talked to a friend about this, who had stayed in BsAs a year before I did, and she told me the same thing. Who are these people? Not the one to take other people's opinions into much consideration, I decided to find out for myself if I'd like Montevideo, Uruguay, whether the word-on-the-street was indeed true or if it was just a vicious rumor started by their belligerent Porteño neighbors.

I'm a thoroughly city-person; the bigger, the better; I can't see myself living anywhere but in a Cosmopolitan city. I need a bit of pollution in the air to breathe, a healthy dosage of mental stress to feel alive, and more importantly, a plethora of entertainment options readily available to keep myself (somewhat) sane. That's why it surprised my Spanish teacher in Buenos Aires when I had actually quite enjoyed my stay in Montevideo, a relatively small city, despite an unfortunate theft.

Montevideo is a small run-down city with no shortage of charm and entertainment. I was surprised to find random luxurious edifices juxtaposed with abandoned, crumbling buildings. I spent hours museum/gallery-hopping, topping the night off with a free dance performance at Centro Cultural de España. People were very friendly; random people stopped me to have a chat or to compliment on my looks, please excuse this narcissistic commentary-what was quite rare about it was that a lot of women complimented me as well instead of just the usual set of men trying to get in my pants. I'm usually not the one to feel elated at strangers' approvals but I must say, when it came from women, my own peers, it did make me feel a tiny bit vain. Superficiality aside however, people were very nice in general, starting a conversation and welcoming me to the city which is always a pleasant experience.

Simulacra + Vera Icon-Markets

One of my favorite places to check out while travelling is market place. Although I love finding unusual products that simultaneously fascinate and perturb me, the main reason I love hanging out at market places, time permitting, is because I get to see how locals live and interact with one another. It's quite peculiar to see how similar everyone is, regardless of the culture difference.

I should mention that Turkish people were so nice (it may have seem more so because I had recently left very hostile Spain) and market vendors were not exceptions. Often times, they would encourage me to take photos of their products and explain unfamiliar products to me, not asking me to buy, but just to show me.