Montevideo Markets

Outside of the Market, Port buildings in background

Choices, choices, choices

[3-4 Enero, 2014] Montevideo has a famous market near the harbor that is called Mercado del Puerto. Similar to Pike's Place Market in Seattle, it is popular during lunch time and then pretty much shuts down at night. There are mostly restaurants inside. Eli told me that the entire structure was shipped over to Montevideo from France and reassembled as a port warehouse. I haven't been able to confirm that (wikipedia, you let me down!) but it was a beautiful, open air structure with wrought iron to enjoy regardless. It's a great place to visit during the day.

The open airy structure of Mercado del Puerto

In the top photo Eli and I are at a restaurant eating the food this market is best known for in Montevideo, BBQ! All of the cafes are walk up booths and the atmosphere is rowdy as men yell to you to sit down as you walk past. It was hot and busy inside and every station had huge slabs of meat and BBQs running, all and all a kind of masculine, and burly atmosphere. But come 2 or 3 o'clock the place clears out and everyone goes home for a siesta. It was like a light switch had been flipped and the whole place cleared out. I'm glad we got to catch it during the lunch rush, but the change definitely added to the allure of it being almost mirage like in the market's lunchtime velocity and character. A cool place to visit!

Mercado del Puerto is at the end of a long pedestrian street through the old town. We walked this street every day and often there were markets set up and vendors on the street selling what-have-yous to tourists. A few highlights from around town.

Cheerful colors of Uruguay

View back onto the city from the port

Beautiful Architecture

Hm, the problem with taking photos almost anywhere in Latin America!

More great architecture

The pedestrian street, Sarandi

Here, in this alley, you can be yourself.

For all of you license plate lovers

And money lovers- this man on the 200 peso looks like you really don't want to mess with him

The Pope is such a celebrity here, I had to do a double take to make sure he wasn't involved in some sort of air brushing scandal

Relaxing in the shade

On one of the nights, Eli and I went to watch a tango singer in a old downtown bar. It was a great environment, though packed and if I took a picture it would have been of the column in my way. But you don't need to see to enjoy live music. By about 11 pm, the place was packed. I've never seen such great dancers before in my life (impromptu tango dancers and men that looked like they were in a bull fight.) Very fun (fun)!

We look back fondly at this picture as "the night we wore long sleeves"

Baar Fun Fun