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Empanadas

Posted on February 27, 2007
Filed Under Montevideo, Food and Drink | 1 Comment

By now probably everybody in the world already knows about empanadas. At the risk of treading on the well known and the familiar, I will revisit the subject and add my two cents.

The basic concept behind the empanada is to take a round 12-15 cm thin dough cutout, deposit one of 50 possible fillings near the center, fold it and crimp it around the edges. The end result is a fat, half-moon looking thing, which is then either deep-fried or baked. Read more

Electrical Adaptors

Posted on February 26, 2007
Filed Under Services, Expat Tips | 2 Comments

If you are on your way to Uruguay, you will want to know that the voltage is 220V 50Hz, similar to most countries in Europe. US and Canada, use 110V 60Hz and Brazil, depending on the city, either 110V or 220V, but always 60 Hz.

What does this mean to you? If you want to bring appliances into Uruguay, you will need to buy either a converter or a transformer for each appliance. Converters are small devices that clip the 220V sinusoidal wave in a way that the resulting voltage is on average 110V. For devices like hair dryers and shavers, it works perfectly fine. However for anything electronic, you’ll need a 220V-110V transformer. Keep in mind that transformers need to match the power drawn by the device connected to it. For example, a microwave oven that pulls 1200W will need a transformer rated at 1200W or higher. Considering that a 1500W transformer is about the size of car battery, you may come to your senses and decide to buy all your appliances in Uruguay. Read more

Electricity

Posted on February 26, 2007
Filed Under Services, Cost of Living | Leave a Comment

You may not know about this, but Uruguay is a net importer of electricity. A large part of the country’s electricity comes from Argentina and a smaller part from Brazil. Perhaps because of this, electricity in Uruguay is not as cheap as it otherwise might be. Unlike the average American or European consumer whose expenditures with electricity are almost irrelevant when compared to the average wages; in Uruguay, a monthly electrical bill of 40-80 dollars may represent a significant percentage of the average family’s budget.

The electricity in Uruguay is provided by UTE, the state run power company. The way UTE bills its customers is complex and depends on many factors. Below is my attempt at deciphering the basic residential service plans. Read more

Fruterías

Posted on February 25, 2007
Filed Under Montevideo, Food and Drink, Vocabulary | 4 Comments

For people who appreciate fresh, ripe and inexpensive fruit, Montevideo is a treat. Sprinkled throughout the city one finds small stores that only sell fruits and vegetables. Some of them also make home deliveries, or pedidos a domicilio. The offerings are usually limited and seasonal, since they tend to be locally produced. So don’t go to a frutería expecting to find exotic, or imported fruits. Read more

Arriving at Carrasco Airport

Posted on February 24, 2007
Filed Under Montevideo, Transportation, Expat Tips | 2 Comments

If you are going to Montevideo from just about anywhere other than Argentina or southern Brazil, chances are that you will be arriving through Carrasco Airport. If this is your first time to Montevideo, there are few things that you might want to know. Read more

Bread in Uruguay

Posted on February 22, 2007
Filed Under Food and Drink, Vocabulary | 2 Comments

Man does not live by bread alone, but with some butter and red wine, I think it’s doable. If you enjoy good bread and are curious about what you can expect in Uruguay read on. I’ll cover red wine and maybe even butter in a future posting.

If you are the type that still buys pre-sliced bread in a plastic bag, you’ll have a great opportunity to ditch this bad habit whenever you get to Uruguay. If like the French, you enjoy a fresh, crisp baguette with your café au lait, you’ll feel right at home. Read more

Lavaderos

Posted on February 21, 2007
Filed Under Montevideo, Expat Tips, Vocabulary | Leave a Comment

When walking through certain neighborhoods of Montevideo one sees many lavaderos, sometimes one every other block. At first glance, they appear to be Laundromats, as many of them have several washers and dryers in plain sight. But on closer inspection one realizes that the customer has no easy access to those washers.

A lavadero can best be described as a Laundromat in which someone else does the work for you. Actually it is a lot better than that. Read more

Supermarkets in Uruguay

Posted on February 20, 2007
Filed Under Montevideo, Food and Drink, Expat Tips | 4 Comments

Couldn’t I find a more boring subject than supermarkets in Uruguay? Apparently not. Believe it or not, I am fascinated by supermarkets. Whenever I go on vacation to another country, I love to spend time visiting supermarkets, the way some people visit cathedrals or museums. I feel you learn a lot about a country by looking at what people buy and what they eat.

To my pleasant surprise, I discovered that a significant percentage of Uruguayans still shop for groceries and other items at street markets and small shops rather than in large supermarkets. Read more

Lunch on a Budget in Uruguay

Posted on February 18, 2007
Filed Under Montevideo, Food and Drink, Expat Tips | Leave a Comment

You are in Uruguay, it’s lunchtime and you are on a budget. Where do you go?

In Montevideo, many restaurants offer a menu ejecutivo which usually includes bread, salad, a fixed entrée and a dessert (and sometimes a glass of wine or bottle of water) for a fixed priced. The day’s offering is often displayed on a sign outside the restaurant. Prices range from 80 to 160 pesos per person depending on the caliber of the restaurant.

Lunch can also be had at many other types of establishments. They come in variety of styles and may be called a number of things Read more

Riding Buses in Montevideo

Posted on February 15, 2007
Filed Under Montevideo, Transportation, Expat Tips | 7 Comments

Next time you are in Montevideo don’t miss out on the fun: ride the city buses. Once you get the hang of it, you will find that taking a bus is simpler and often just as quick as taking a taxi. At 15 pesos per person, buses are a bargain. Read more