Last Updated on May 24, 2022
When we arrived at Montevideo’s sleek, modern airport two days ago, it felt like a completely different world to the Patagonian experience we left behind that morning. Standing outside the bright, spacious new terminal with cars whizzing by on the highway almost felt like being back in North America or Europe, so we were prepared for a modern capital just like Santiago filled with glass office towers and shopping malls.
Imagine our surprise, then, when we saw dirt roads and horse carriages from the bus windows when we entered the outskirts of the city limits. This was definitely not how we envisioned Montevideo! Even after cycling past rows and rows of modern apartment buildings along the city’s famous Rambla coastline for 16 miles today doesn’t change our surprise at the vibe of Montevideo. Horses are not rare in the city center, and not the kind with tourist lined up for a trip around the park, either. Instead the poorer working class use them to collect and carry garbage or other heavy items, and it hard to believe we are in a 1.3 million person capital city. Our next stop is a bohemian beach village and we can’t wait to see what the rest of Uruguay is like!
Santiago
Friday 18th of April 2014
Unfortunatelly some ppl are trying to forbid these.
That's one good looking horse, you can tell they take care of him, but most horses here dont look like that. However it's how this guys get their only income to feed themselves and their children. Obviously they're not meant for tourists at all.
Btw, I saw you girls went to Punta del Diablo. Next time you're around you should check out "Cabo Polonio" :)
Dany
Wednesday 23rd of April 2014
Santiago - I didn't know people were trying to forbid them!! You are right though that some of the horses didn't seem to be in great shape. Heard really lovely things about Cabo Polonio - definitely on the list for my next visit to Uruguay :)
Shalu Sharma
Sunday 17th of March 2013
Very interesting to see horse carts being used in Uruguay. I suppose the tourists must be using the taxis while these carts used by the locals.
Dani
Sunday 17th of March 2013
Shalu - yes, definitely :) No tourists spotted on any horse carriages ;-)