Montevideo, Uruguay

Hello again! Well, it’s February 17th and I haven’t published in far too long. I’ve done a lot of writing though, so now that I’m back home in Melbourne and don’t need to spend my time applying for jobs anymore (hooray!) there’s no excuse. Sadly, for some reason I have zero photos of Uruguay other then those on my ‘good’ camera that I’m yet to access (still house sitting and not truly settled), so apologies for the lack of visual entertainment.

Just across the bay from Buenos Aires is a whole other country; Uruguay! For Australians this is a big deal. It’s really cool to be able to travel for a couple of hours and arrive in another country. Other than taking a flight to New Zealand, Australians can’t really travel internationally that easily. So, a visit to Uruguay was a must.

In mid-May 2014, I took a Monday and Friday off work and we headed to the port for an early morning, one hour ferry to Colonia. From there it was a four hour bus ride to Montevideo, Uruguay’s capital. Using AirBnB, we stayed in a flat in the centre of town with a good view from a rooftop garden. Our host, Edilson lived there with his partner Humberto. Both were lovely and spent time telling us about the city and how to get around. We could do most of it walking, so we headed off to spend the afternoon exploring.

Our first stop was a state government department building, as it’s roof has the best views and entrance is free. Montevideo a sprawling metropolis, broken by parks, churches and many small plazas. We walked along the Rambla; a mainly industrial an disappointing waterfront, strolled through some plazas and went into a small Anglican church perched on a hill. For dinner, we took some bread, salami and cheese back to the apartment. We’d heard Uruguay was expensive, but it didn’t really hit home until we bought the groceries, and earlier in the day we were charged $6 for one small coffee.

Edilson’s AirBnB ad said they accommodate two people, but it turns out this was an error. Tristan gallantly let me sleep on the pull-out couch, while he slept on its cushions on the floor. We had to ask for pillows and bedding and only a thin sheet wall seperated us from the kitchen / dining area. The flat was tiny and they really shouldn’t be offering space on AirBnB. Or, they should make it clear that there’s only a single couch practically in the kitchen, and charge less than $15 a night each. There was also no hot water. We were only there for one night though, and in the morning we gently spoke to Edilson about it. He gave us half our money back and changed the ad. So overall, I wasn’t too annoyed. On the other hand, we left some bananas there, which I really wanted. Sometimes when you’re backpacking, it really is the small things!

The next day we visited the Legislative Palace (from the outside), more plazas and had lunch in a barbeque smoke filled and delicious smelling market; a nice reprieve from the drizzly day. We browsed vintage market stalls and went to the Metropolitan Museum and a theatre. I’d been looking forward to seeing Montevideo’s Statue to Sexual Diversity, even though I’d heard it wasn’t that exciting. Turns out it’s elusive too; we never found it!

Maybe I didn’t give Montevideo a long enough chance or find the right places, but I wasn’t that impressed. It’s a very European city and very expensive, but reflecting Uruguay’s awesome President, it’s also very contemporary and open. For example, everyone gets free university education and work rights.

Looking for work in Buenos Aires.

Before I arrived, my plan was to find work as an English teacher, nanny or even better, as a copy-writer. If that didn’t work, I’d be happy working in a bar or café, as a cleaner or as life model for art schools. I gave up the latter idea after a quick and predictable look online and consideration of my Spanish skills. While I’d life modelled a little back home, it’s definitely one field where’d I’d very much like the comfort of fully understanding what’s going on (and being able to speak up should the need arise).

In the first week, we printed basic resumes in English and Spanish and distributed them to hostels, bars, cafes around Palermo and San Telmo. We also checked ex-pat websites and Craigslist Buenos Aires everyday and contacted anyone who had a job we thought we were remotely capable of doing. Months before, I checked and created a profile with some nanny agencies. The lack of them told me that nannies in South America are very unofficial. In terms of job vacancy ads, Craigslist won out in every semi-skilled, no-Spanish -required field I considered.

Tristan had an advantage in that he speaks almost fluent Spanish, and I spoke basically none! After about four weeks, this helped Tristan get a job as a waiter at ‘Complejo Tango’; a dinner and show place a half hour bus ride away and popular with tourists. Work was thin and he had to call and remind them he was available. Even then, he only worked six shifts at $10.70 a six hour shift, plus dinner and around $40 in tips. He also made around $15 going to three supermarkets, checking the price of certain items and reporting back to an interested online company. Weird, but comparatively lucrative!

Writing and editing.

My fantasy plan was to find some writing or editing work to add to my experience in communications before I head home and apply for a ‘real’ job. I gave my résumé to a few tourist agencies, posted a profile to Craigslist, followed up on job ads and contacted people wanting help editing academic papers.

I was very excited to receive an enthusiastic invitation to an interview for a copy-writer position at what looked like a big company. Sadly, I didn’t have the necessary work rights (I had no work rights!). The only other lead I got in this area was through a U.S.A based hip hop production company wanting a copy-writer for their website. We exchanged positive emails but they never skyped me for the interview. Oh well.

Teaching English.

A friend had taught English in Buenos Aires eight years previously for only $1.35 an hour. Even so, I figured that surely rates had risen and that the cost of living would make up for it. I intended to hit the Universities and put up ads to teach from home, thinking that schools wouldn’t take anyone unqualified or who would be leaving in two months (though this could always be ‘worked around’ via a sudden need to leave…).

I ditched this plan for a few reasons. 1) I’d feel bad taking on students only to leave shortly thereafter. 2) It’d take quite a while to build up enough students to earn the money I’d need. 3) I’d need the time and resources to prepare lessons. 4) If the student didn’t speak a little English already, my Spanish was basically non-existent so teaching would very difficult. With the help of our Spanish teacher, we considered working as English conversation group aids but by then had other jobs and were soon to leave.

Dog walking.

I loved this idea so much that I brainstormed business names (of course all pretty lame) and planned my flyer distribution. Hiring someone to walk your dog is probably a little dumb and it only really became a profession after the global financial crisis. I’ve worked for rich people before though, so it’s not as if I haven’t indulged their sometimes silly whims before. More importantly, I think dogs are great companions with underestimated therapeutical benefits and that as long as you treat them responsibly (for example by hiring a walker!), you can keep one in an apartment without being selfish.

The scale of dog walking in Buenos Aires means that as well as the dog getting exercise, they’re socialising. Every day I saw walkers with between five and twenty dogs each, and usually big ones! It was quite a sight seeing them walking around town and the dogs always looked happy and well-behaved. They’d pick them up from their apartments while the others waited tied to a pole below. Most walkers headed to the parks where they’d often let the dogs off their leashes; did I mention well-behaved?

Thinking of myself as a bit of a dog whisperer, I was keen to spend my days with various pooches, exploring the city and getting in some exercise. I didn’t even need to speak much Spanish! I would not be one of those few walkers I saw leaving their dogs tied up somewhere while they went off doing other things. I’d be a great dog walker!

This plan fell through because, like teaching English, unless one of the few small companies were willing to share their clients with me, it would take too long to build up business and make enough money. Even if I did get clients, the only information on rates I could find indicated that people paid around $7 to have their dog walked for four hours. Apparently it’s quite lucrative once you get going, but it would be very slow starting. No wonder people walk 20 dogs at a time!

Yoga in Buenos Aires

Ten minutes from home was my yoga studio; Buena Onda Yoga. Run in English, it’s founded and frequented by American ex-pats, has three studios across the city and the one in San Telmo is above a vegetarian restaurant. I practiced around four times a week for five weeks until I got a job with conflicting hours. The instructors played nice music and were happy to tailor classes to people’s needs or wants.

The street my yoga studio is on: the middle white building.

At $88 for an unlimited monthly membership, it was a great deal and I really missed it when I started working, and still do! The restaurant does cheap and delicious weekday lunches and your membership also gets you discounts on boot camp classes, cooking workshops and I think their retreats.

Steps to the yoga studio.

Lunch entree: mini pumpkin soup, toasts with dip and home made lemonade.

It was so nice to have a regular place to be and see familiar faces. Especially welcoming were the hugs and kisses, which is pretty common in Argentina anyway. I find it unique and almost astounding that these days you can be almost anywhere in the world, but once you step onto any yoga mat in any yoga studio, it’s pretty much the same. You hear the same words, feel the same stretches, tensions and reliefs and see the same shapes made by the yogis around you. It’s a terrifically assessable home away from home.

Suspecting that the yoga community would be a good way to connect to my new home, I started yoga two days after arriving. My suspicions were correct! After the first class I had the details for some Spanish schools and teachers, advice for getting work and an invitation to lunch. I made friends! Michelle sadly left three weeks later but not before we went to a party at her apartment, stayed out til 5am at a club and were introduced to other people.

There were plenty of other yoga studios around Buenos Aires and at least one other that spoke English but I didn’t get around to visiting them. Buena Onda in San Telmo was more than fine. While the public transport was easy, it was usually muggy and crowded!

Our temporary home: San Telmo, Buenos Aires, Argentina

After our overnight bus, we arrived in Buenos Aires at 9am on Sunday 1 April and for the first of many times to come I sang in my head “What’s new, Buenos Aires? I’m new!” (from the Evita musical). We rented an apartment on AirBnB in the heart of San Telmo; the city’s oldest neighbourhood or barrio. We chose San Telmo because a friend had lived there years ago and described it as similar to Melbourne’s Fitzroy, whereas the other popular place; Palermo, is more like Chapel St and home to lots of American ex-pats. It was a very quiet, drizzly morning and getting to our new home was an easy subway ride.

There’s so much to say about our two months in Buenos Aires and as I’m clearly not posting in the moment, it’ll be easier to write it in topics.

San Telmo

As the oldest barrio in Buenos Aires, San Telmo is full of character, history, grit, rejuvenation and hipsters. The bus and subway service is great and it’s pretty central to the rest of Buenos Aires. Many streets are lined in cobblestone and some seriously good and colourful graffiti art adorns its walls; a juxtaposition right there. Even its subway station is covered in creative mosaics and Arabic text.




I’ve always thought it curious how different a place seems to be when you remember how it looked and felt upon first arrival. Thinking back to the first afternoon at the crowded market and my first slightly on edge walk to yoga, it seemed different, surreal and not at all like the neighbourhood that is now up there with my ‘homes away from home’ around the world. San Telmo is where I practiced Spanish, first lived with (only) Tristan, did my weekly shopping, practiced at Buena Onda Yoga and worked as a cleaner and babysitter.

Defensa is the main street in San Telmo and on Sundays it’s closed off for a market. We only found it on Easter Sunday and thought it was a one-off, but it’s there every week in all its glory; roaming musicians and food sellers, bands on the corner, singers, puppeteers, dancers, hundreds of stalls and of course lots of tourists. By the end I felt like a real local as I’d get annoyed pushing through on my way to yoga or work! But then that’d make me happy and I remembered how lucky I am.

We lived near the corner of Independencia and Chacabuco streets and on Saturday’s until around 2pm there’s a fresh food market a couple of blocks away on Mexico St. We went every week and it was a good way for me to practice my Spanish. Even at the supermarkets, you don’t take what you want and have it weighed at the check out, but tell the staff what you’d like and they select it.

Dorrego Plaza is home to the Sunday antiques market, which at around 5pm transforms into an outdoor milonga (tango practice). The same antiques can be bought for around half the price at the indoor antiques market, which is open most days. Around the plaza and San Telmo in general, there are lots of old cafes and bars, full of wood and photos and looking like they’d been there for a hundred years (and in fact may have been).

We decided to eat out once a week and it was often to one of the many and diverse options in San Telmo. We definitely chose a good place to live! We also liked going to a cafe for either coffee and medialunas (small croissants) or to a bar for Martini Rosso with soda from one of those old spritzer jugs and free peanuts or popcorn.





One afternoon we visited El Zanjon. Originally a mansion, when yellow fever spread through the neighbourhood in the early 1870s it was abandoned and became an tenancy building, mainly for poor migrants. Tunnels were constructed to stop flooding and provide water to residents, but it was abandoned again in 1985. The current custodians revealed old tiles on the walls and discovered the tunnels after unclogging decades of rubbish. Its history identified, they decided against their plans for a restaurant and developed the building into a museum. It is definitely worth a visit. El Zanjon is privately run, has won awards and is partially funded by hiring out sections for events; it’d be a fantastic venue!