Melo in the rain

Yesterday, I took a guest at the hotel where I live with me on a trip up Ruta 8 to Melo.

For those interested in how the geography of Uruguay feels, there is an ascending order of “Uruguayness” as you drive north up on Ruta 8 or any of the other National Rutas running South-North.

From Punta del Este, which is like no other place in Uruguay and therefore the least Uruguay, you come to Minas.

Minas is the capital of Lavalleja and serves as the northern border as I’ve mentioned before in blog posts. Border in that most expats to Uruguay don’t ever travel beyond it. The famous Green Wall of Nothing is the 2 hour drive thru a pastoral vision of fields of cattle in the low hills of the Sierra that makes one wonder if they’ve left civilization.

They haven’t.

The town of Trienta y Tres then greets you. Although this is a humble little town, for example, you won’t find litter on the street or many decaying abandoned buildings. And I would ask: how many towns in the US rural Midwest can say the same? I’m not asking in judgment, but as a point of reflection.

Uruguay’s gifts can be easy to overlook because it’s a quiet functioning place in “Latin America” which is known for being loud and nonfunctional.

An hour up Ruta 8 and we come to Melo. Melo welcomes you but you wouldn’t know it from the complete lack of tourist attractions. I haven’t traveled extensively throughout the world, but I doubt there are many places left where people are not trying to selling you something. They are simply living their lives and you are welcome to join. Join we did.

There was a large gathering at the park with food vendors and we visited several. Now, this is where I found myself noticing that quiet part just mentioned.

Question: what is the reasonable expectation of an occurrence of disagreement, possibly violence, at a gathering in an urban area in the United States, Europe, and/or the greater Collective West? The answer cannot be zero. We have lost our shock at these events. 

I’m not sure “it won’t happen to me” is the best way to handle risk of any kind. Better to take steps to prevent or better still to not engage in behavior where risk is present. Have you not attended an event for this reason? Have you shied away from a large gathering, not for fear of violence, but just the large crowds impact your decision to attend an event that 20 years ago you have?

In Melo, we were able to fully participate by meandering around the park grounds. The one part that felt off is a food vendor asking if I wanted my sandwich to come with the word “panceta” (used to describe bacon), “tocino” elsewhere in the world.

Yes, that moment of Uruguay diction, coming from their Italian background, was the stand-out moment of what otherwise was a seamless experience.

Nothing crazy. Nothing shocking. Just another large gathering of people in an urban park like used to happen long ago in the United States.

Uruguay does not have outstanding natural landmarks. It IS the landmark. A place where one can go about life without worry. At least, here in the Interior.

Marco