Montevideo, Uruguay, Day 3
After departing Buenos Aries the previous evening, our ship arrived in Montevideo, Uruguay early in the morning. Because we had booked a third party excursion, we wanted to catch the first shuttle bus from the ship to town.
In the photo above, the ship in the background is NOT ours. We were moored further away which required a shuttle bus to town. Typically pedestrians cannot walk through industrial port areas. That was the case at Montevideo.
Top Tip - Because we had found their customer service and prices very good for previous cruises, Brian and I booked this cruise through VacationsToGo.com. One of the advantages of this company is that they also offer their own excursions. The offerings are sometimes different than what the cruise line offers. When similar excursions are offered, they are usually less expensive than the cruise line's excursions.
As you can guess, our excursion was a bicycle tour of Montevideo. We met the tour guide at the designated spot in the instructions provided by VacationsToGo. She walked us to the bicycle shop where we were equipped with bikes, helmets, and vests.
Our tour guide Alicia and her assistant were kind, helpful, and spoke fluent English. They took us to historical squares such as the one above, Plaza Zabala, which is named after the man on the horse, General Don Bruno de Zabala.
Montevideo was once a walled city, but this Gateway of the Citadel is all that remains. It leads onto Plaza Independencia. The statue of Jose Artigas contrasts with the modern skyscrapers behind him. Artigas is considered the father of Uruguayan independence. The wide rectangles on the righthand building are air conditioning units.
I spotted this small sculpture below in an office window. The horses and rider are made almost completely with driftwood.
Montevideo is the capital of Uruguay and is considered the center of higher education and commerce. Below is the Solis National Theater and Opera House.
Next we cycled along the Rio de la Plata. The river, which we also saw in Buenos Aires, is so wide in Montevideo that it doesn't seem like a river. It feels more like the coastline of a quiet sea.
Wide bike paths follow the water's edge and pass by parks. This is an outdoor roller skating or roller blading rink below.
Our guide also took us to a lighthouse, which felt like a bonus to us. Notice below that the opposite shore of the river cannot be seen.
Below is a Holocaust memorial on the riverbank with structures in the water as well.
Our bicycle tour lasted three hours, and that was enough for us. We rode in bike lanes or on bike paths almost the entire tour. It was definitely a workout as the weather got hotter and more humid throughout the morning. Once back on the ship, the swimming pool felt wonderful!
After the tour ended at the bike shop, we ambled through old town, people watching and taking advantage of a bench to sit down and watch a local artist. A nice relaxing way to soak in the ambiance before heading back to our ship.
Bonus tip - you might be wondering if we stopped for lunch in Montevideo before returning to the ship. Sometimes we eat a meal while ashore. But if getting back to the ship is convenient and timely for a meal, we often choose to eat aboard the ship. We are not big foodies; I actually have some dietary restrictions. Plus, we figure, we have already paid for meals on the ship. The food is good with lots of choices, so we might as well eat aboard.