Montevideo, Uruguay - Week 1 (The Capital of the Sun)

Hello Family and Friends,

Since we have arrived in Uruguay, it has fallen a little flat. First, the original hotel we booked didn't have a bed for Atlas. What we thought was a pull out sofa was just a regular sofa and the hotel didn't have a rollaway bed. So quickly, Brett worked his magic and we found a place the Hilton Garden Inn (Hilton for the win, again). I am not complaining as we are so close to the water and our hotel is attached to a shopping mall.

The view of the water from our hotel room.

Second is we arrived right in the middle of the holidays and most of the locals vacate the city. One taxi driver told us that the city is so empty that they don't even pay attention to the traffic signals. We arrived a few days before New Years and Uruguayans treat this as a family day. On New Years Eve all the stores close at 3pm (or don't open at all). All public transportation stops running at 7pm and won't resume operation until January 2nd. There are no clubs or restaurants open. Uruguayans ring in the new year at home with friends and family. Our hotel had a dinner, that was completely sold out, and a midnight champagne toast with fireworks on the roof.

The McKinneys on the rooftop of the hotel waiting for fireworks. Atlas of course wanted to be on the rooftop with mom and dad, but would not participate in the photo.

Uruguayans love their fireworks, maybe even more than Americans (USA'ans?). Their fireworks don't rattle your chest or blow out eardrums, but it does seem like everyone left in the city is shooting them.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/c45804_0ed06bfd49e246f6983dd567270c7117/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

The entire perimeter of the city lit up with fireworks!

Post New Years, the city doesn't really come back alive until January 6th to 15th, which on the Uruguayan calendar is Children's Day. On Children's Day, also known as Three Kings Day in religious circles, is when children get their "Christmas presents". However Uruguayans don't call December 25th Christmas. They call it Family Day. Uruguay is doing it's own thing. In 1919 it underwent a secularization which removed religious influence from the public (government) calendar, making religion a strictly personal matter. For example, Holy week is Tourism week and Feast of the Immaculate Conception is called Beach Day.

Third is that Atlas has been with mommy and daddy 24/7 since we arrived in Uruguay. Our usual routine since we have been abroad is first and foremost to find Atlas a daycare. Even before we find food, we find Atlas a daycare. However, all daycare centers are closed between "Family Day" and "Children's Day". So Brett and I have been finding ways to stimulate Atlas mind on our own. He does book activities with mom and marble runs with dad.

One of Atlas favorite activities to do with Mom and Dad is to push his personal size shopping cart in the grocery store.