Montevideo and Asunción: A Journey Through the Heart of South America

The flight from Puerto Iguazú was in the afternoon, as were three of the next four flights. A loss of valuable time, although in two cases it was put to good use. I arrived in Buenos Aires in the evening, only to fly out the next morning to Montevideo and then to Asunción: Buenos Aires turned out to be the most convenient point for a quick hop to Uruguay and Paraguay. Childishness, some might say, especially when complaining about a lack of days, but I hope they will forgive me this small indulgence – the desire to add a couple more notches, or countries, to my travel belt.

Initially, I planned to reach the Uruguayan capital Montevideo via Colonia del Sacramento, one of Uruguay’s oldest cities, whose historic district (Barrio Histórico) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Colonia del Sacramento lies on the opposite bank of the Río de la Plata from Buenos Aires, a giant estuary formed by the convergence of the Paraná and Uruguay rivers, spanning up to 220 km wide. The ferry from Buenos Aires to Sacramento takes 2 hours and 46 minutes, and from there to Montevideo, the quickest and cheapest way is by bus, taking 3.5 hours. However, this route meant an extra day, which I didn’t have.

And so, by 9 a.m., I was already stepping off the plane in Montevideo and heading to the old town. It begins beyond Independence Square, Plaza Independencia, at one corner of which stands the city’s most famous building – Palacio Salvo, a 95-meter-high structure where offices coexist with residential spaces. Here, too, is the Tango Museum: this site once housed the confectionery Confitería La Giralda, where Matos Rodríguez composed his famous tango “La Cumparsita.” (Veterans like me, of course, remember it.) Uruguay, and not without reason, rivals Argentina for the title of the birthplace of tango. At least UNESCO recognizes this claim for both countries.

The old town, Ciudad Vieja, is “old” only by South American standards. It was founded in 1724 by the Spanish on a peninsula in the Montevideo Bay and was surrounded by walls until 1829. Today, it is one of the city’s business districts. From the former fortifications, only the gateway to the fortress remains – one of the symbols of Uruguay’s capital.

Most of the elegant buildings from the colonial era and the early years of independence are neoclassical, such as the Cabildo de Montevideo, the Solís Theater (Solís), and the Church of Nuestra Señora de Lourdes y San Vicente Pallotti. There is also a Sephardic synagogue here, built in 1956.

While walking through the old town, I discovered a bustling market at its central square, Plaza Zabala, selling all sorts of fascinating items. I immediately got stuck at a stall with semiprecious stones sold by a young Indigenous couple. An elderly man standing nearby helped them to communicate with English-speaking customers. I cannot remember what about him or his manner of speaking made me feel he knew Russian, but I was right. We started chatting, and it turned out he had learned Russian in Moscow, used it for several years in his work after returning home, and that his name was Eldar. I perked up, to which he said, “Yes, I know, you have a filmmaker named Eldar Ryazanov.” Eldar offered to show me around the old town, and after getting permission from his employers, he took me on a tour, sharing stories along the way. It was fascinating, but used up the time I intended to spend for visiting the newer parts of the city. I bought some souvenirs (including the most beautiful and one of the most expensive wall plates in my quite sizable collection), grabbed a quick bite, and headed back to the airport.

At Paraguayan passport control, the immigration officer has left his intricate signature in my passport – quite a unique occasion in my rather extensive border-crossing experience. The tropical downpour that broke out the next morning kept me at the hotel until noon, leaving just enough time to briefly explore the (relatively) old part of the city, once again depriving me of the chance to see the newer districts.

The main street of the old town, Palma (Calle Palma), passes by Plaza de los Héroes, where the neoclassical National Pantheon of Heroes stands. This mausoleum houses the remains of prominent figures in Paraguay’s history: the country’s first president, Carlos Antonio López; the hero of the war with Bolivia, José Garibía; and others. There is a tradition here in Asuncion of gathering near this building with national flags to celebrate historical events.

Turning right off Palma onto Juan E. O’Leary Street, you’ll soon reach the snow-white neoclassical palace Palacio de López, the workplace of the country’s president and the venue for government meetings. This beautiful 19th-century palace, the city’s main landmark, can be visited on guided tours.

The next morning, after barely having time to buy souvenirs—original in design but somewhat rough in execution—I set off, once again through Montevideo, on the long return journey to Buenos Aires, where I arrived at ten in the evening.