傑森’s One Photo A Day

Tag: Uruguay

  • Heartless in a Foreign Land

    Heartless in a Foreign Land

    Today was our last full day in Montevideo. With my companion’s leg problems and that we were both feeling the fatigue of traveling, we tried to take the day easy. So we bought two T-shirts at the Museo Torres Garcia and had lunch next door on the second floor of the bookstore Feltrinelli.

    Before we headed back to the hotel, my companion needed to rest a bit on a bench near the Puerta de la Ciudadela. I took the opportunity and captured today’s image. Suddenly I heard a male voice behind me. I turned around to find a man with unkempt hair and somewhat soiled clothes asking for help. I looked at my companion, didn’t know what to do. The man then focused on him, telling us about his misfortune, about only having three dollars left at home. He said he’s a poet and can write something in exchange for money. The whole time my companion kept quiet, an embarrassed smile on his face, and only shook his head slightly hoping this man would move on. When he started to search in his shoulder bag, presumably for pan and paper, my companion got up from the bench and said “let’s go” to me. While we walked away, I heard that man said:

    “You’re a heartless man.”

    I felt sorry for that man, but most of all I felt bad for my companion. I tried to study his expression, but couldn’t tell if he heard that final comment.

    We know we were targeted because he could tell that we weren’t local. He also speaks English perfectly, which makes us wonder where exactly he is from.

    Every city, every country has poverty problems. It’s just part of the reality. When confronted with situations like this in a foreign land, I suppose there’s never a correct way to handle it.

  • Una Mesa para Dos

    Una Mesa para Dos

    “Una mesa para dos.” That’s probably what I’ve said in Spanish most frequently during our trip. To be frank, I felt defeated and frustrated with my not being able to understand when hotel staff, restaurant waiters/waitresses or taxi drivers said something. I’m disappointed with myself.

    Even when I did understand what they might have said, it’s always with a few seconds delay. By then I felt silly to respond and ended up simply letting it pass. I’m aware that I have to push myself to open my mouth, and not to be afraid of making mistakes. Let’s see how tomorrow goes..

    PS: this image was captured at a cafe recommended by our tour guide. The location was formerly a pharmacy. When this cafe was opened, they kept the sign of the pharmacy and even named the place Café La Farmacia.

  • The Greeting Man

    The Greeting Man

    This afternoon I walked about one and a half miles from the hotel to check out this statue. It is located near the Rambla in the Buceo neighborhood. Online information says that it was gifted to the city by a South Korean artist in 2012. I’ve also heard that some locals joke that it’s a “Man gazing at his balls”..

  • Fuente de los Candados

    Fuente de los Candados

    Although my companion’s legs are bothering him, we still managed to visit a few places today. One of the places was Fuente de los Candados near the famous traditional bar/restaurant called Bar Facal. This fountain and its protective railings are covered in locks. One thing I found interesting was that the majority of the locks seemed to be really old and not many look like they were added recently..

    Later when we got back to the hotel, I did some research about the fountain. The fountain was actually installed by the Bar Facal, and the owners imported it from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I had to smile when I learned about it.

  • Montevideo Sunrise

    Montevideo Sunrise

    Not sure for what reasons, I didn’t have a good night sleep. Woke up before sunrise, I watched the window brightening up gradually. The Sun rose at 7:05 this morning. By 7:20 I couldn’t stay in bed any longer. I got up and looked out the window. The letters of Montevideo were glowing in the warm early morning sunlight.

    “I go downstairs and take some pictures. I’d be right back.” I whispered to my companion who was still half asleep..

  • Pax In Lucem

    Partial view of the mural Pax In Lucem.

    Today we randomly decided to explore Ciudad Vieja neighborhood. The taxi dropped us off at Plaza de la Constitución and we felt immediately at home. (Okay, that’s an exaggeration. What I meant to say was that we felt comfortable there.) Because of my refusal to go to a Starbucks, my companion found a small local coffee shop not far from the plaza. We ordered a latte, a cortado, one croissant and a Russian honey cake that the dueño fervently recommended. According to him it takes two days to make this specific cake, and as he claimed, it was absolutely delicious with delicate, subtle flavors.

    When we were about to conclude our coffee break, the dueño came to our table and chatted with us. He started by asking us where we were from and what our professions were. When I told him that I used to be a photographer, he brought out his tablet and showed us images of buildings that he has captured within Montevideo. He shared with us his proudest documentations of various magnificent structures and unique features and details of important buildings in the city, including a few videos which I assume were captured with a drone camera. He then shared with us pieces of his experiences in life, which clearly indicated that he basically had been traveling most of his life, for reasons that he did not reveal, until he landed in Montevideo almost two decades ago.

    After we paid the bill, he told us that he wanted to show us something. While walking, he pointed at a mural on top of a building and explained briefly about the incredible Montevideo born artist and the museum near by which is named after him. I took a mental note to look him up later.

    The building he wanted to show us turned out to be a bookstore that we mentioned to him earlier that we wanted to go. He explained in great detail the significance of it and fun facts that few people would notice. The moment he wanted to bid farewell, my companion asked if he could take a picture of him. He politely declined. I can’t recall exactly what he said. It was something along the lines of “no pictures carry my presence.”

    Our coffee break today became an incredibly informative and educational one about Montevideo and the world. We met a person, by coincidence, who was highly knowledgeable about various topics including art. He has such a zeal for life and the world, and he’s somewhat mysterious. Only on the taxi ride back to our hotel, we suddenly realized we don’t even know his name.

    PS: the mural on the building is a reproduction of an iconic work by artist Joaquín Torres García, titled Pax In Lucem, which was lost in the fire at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro in 1978.