Life in Punta del Este



Punta del Este is a tourist destination in the summer time, just like Friday Harbor (we live in Punta del Este, as it’s in the Southern Hemisphere it is now summer here). The difference is that the high season starts right after Christmas and ends in late February. The number of tourists and those with summer homes here is also a lot higher. About 75% of apartments near the beach have been closed up until just recently, when cleaners and gardeners are busy preparing them for the return of the summer residents.

Another thing that happens around this time of year is the busting of the tax evaders. At the start of the busiest time of year, the local restaurants have been temporarily closed, with the windows covered with stickers showing the business owners have been playing fast and loose with the tax code. After being closed for a few days, during a big tourist weekend everything is back to normal, the stickers are gone and its business as usual.

The relentless promotion of the Christmas season that had started in America in late September has still not happened here. I am holding my breath. Seeing snow scenes and Santa’s sled doesn’t jive with the actual season here. Halloween was an indicator of what was to come, everyone waited until the day before Christmas before getting serious about shopping. 

As is typical, a social aspect to Christmas shopping is important. Meeting people that you know while out shopping and exchanging greetings accompanied by the traditional kiss on the cheek is par for the course. Christmas eve takes on a South American twist in that Everyone cooks dinner on the BBQ and waits until midnight then set off a ton of fireworks before opening gifts.



Uruguayans and those from Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay all enjoy a traditional barbeque called Parilla (pronounced parija). It is a family event that happens mostly on Sundays and special occasions such as Christmas and new years. Friends and family collect around a specially designed barbeque area that is either close to, or part of the house. The process of “parilla” takes hours. 

First you light the wood, then the fire has to get going so that the embers fall from the cage that holds the wood. Then you cook the meat. Most invitations for such events start at 8:30 or later. You may not eat until 11pm or midnight. We have still not gotten used to the late dinners. 

Our first invitation to a parilla was for 8:30pm when our younger kids start going to bed. Fortunately the host was from Rhode Island, but had lived here for over 10 years. He understood our needs and changed the time to 6pm. It was lovely. He and his girlfriend, their 3 kids (who arrived and walked around the table kissing everyone on the cheek) and his Mother and Father hosted a delightful evening including Chorizo, short ribs and a selection of salads. 
The addition of Scotch and “Tannat” the local grape varietals of red wine kept the event true to the Uruguayan way. At the end of the evening we exchanged phone number with the parents, and promised to do it all again. 

Unlike in the US, people in Uruguay don’t walk around with to-go cups of coffee. Instead they have a gorde, that is encased in leather with a silver rim and a straw for their Yerba Matte, and to keep the drink going they all carry a thermos under the crook of the arm that they carry the gorde in.

There is a whole isle in the supermarket for different types of matte and nothing else. It is not exclusive to Uruguay, but Uruguay consumes more matte than any other country in South America. I tried it, it looks like lawn clippings in a cup and tastes a bit like it too. It is somewhat interesting, enough for me to buy a cup and make it from time to time.

Posted: Sat - December 1, 2007 at 03:22 PM      

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