Montevideo, Uruguay
Often when traveling with Lindblad Expeditions, we have the opportunity to get up close to both the wildlife and the not-so-“wild”-life, as the case may be here with this rhea. The rhea is the largest bird native to the Americas, and while flightless, is apparently not camera shy. This animal is being raised on a farm for its meat, eggs, feathers, and leather. Standing just under five feet in height and around sixty pounds, the greater rhea ranks fourth in the world’s largest birds. Likely a descendant of a prehistoric bird that predates the separation of Africa from South America, the lesser and greater rheas share many traits with their distant relative, the ostrich, and have played similar roles for both native people’s subsistence and later for modern commercial purposes. For those of us from the northern hemisphere, today’s visit presented a unique opportunity to get acquainted with these enormous birds face to face.
Of course, our time spent with the rhea only accounts for part of our eventful day in Uruguay, the small country sandwiched in between provincial powers, Brazil and Argentina, at the mouth of the Plate River. Less than two hundred years old, the country of Uruguay has the rather indignant history of being formed as a buffer between its two larger neighbors, and their colonial backers, Spain and Portugal. Nonetheless, the nation of around 3.3 million, has managed to achieve stability and some prosperity thanks to generous social programs and liberal banking laws, even while remaining relatively under-populated and resource poor in comparison to other South American nations.
We made port after lunch, and a little behind schedule due to some unexpected seas off the coast of Brazil. Undaunted and eager for new experiences, we set off for a short tour of Montevideo, the nation’s capital, and home to almost half of the country’s inhabitants. The colonial “Old City” is especially charming, though Uruguayans are still trying to figure out how best to make use of the UNESCO designated site while still maintaining its historic integrity.
With the majority of its people living in urban environments, many forget that the true wealth of the nation lies outside the cities, and in the numerous farms and ranches, or “estancias,” that fill the Uruguayan interior. One such estancia had invited us to spend an evening learning the toils and simple pleasures of ranch life while offering the chance to do some horseback riding as the day came to a close. Accompanied by live music and dance, we sat down to a traditional meal of local flavors and delicacies before ending our day in Uruguay and returning to the ship for overnight passage southward.
Often when traveling with Lindblad Expeditions, we have the opportunity to get up close to both the wildlife and the not-so-“wild”-life, as the case may be here with this rhea. The rhea is the largest bird native to the Americas, and while flightless, is apparently not camera shy. This animal is being raised on a farm for its meat, eggs, feathers, and leather. Standing just under five feet in height and around sixty pounds, the greater rhea ranks fourth in the world’s largest birds. Likely a descendant of a prehistoric bird that predates the separation of Africa from South America, the lesser and greater rheas share many traits with their distant relative, the ostrich, and have played similar roles for both native people’s subsistence and later for modern commercial purposes. For those of us from the northern hemisphere, today’s visit presented a unique opportunity to get acquainted with these enormous birds face to face.
Of course, our time spent with the rhea only accounts for part of our eventful day in Uruguay, the small country sandwiched in between provincial powers, Brazil and Argentina, at the mouth of the Plate River. Less than two hundred years old, the country of Uruguay has the rather indignant history of being formed as a buffer between its two larger neighbors, and their colonial backers, Spain and Portugal. Nonetheless, the nation of around 3.3 million, has managed to achieve stability and some prosperity thanks to generous social programs and liberal banking laws, even while remaining relatively under-populated and resource poor in comparison to other South American nations.
We made port after lunch, and a little behind schedule due to some unexpected seas off the coast of Brazil. Undaunted and eager for new experiences, we set off for a short tour of Montevideo, the nation’s capital, and home to almost half of the country’s inhabitants. The colonial “Old City” is especially charming, though Uruguayans are still trying to figure out how best to make use of the UNESCO designated site while still maintaining its historic integrity.
With the majority of its people living in urban environments, many forget that the true wealth of the nation lies outside the cities, and in the numerous farms and ranches, or “estancias,” that fill the Uruguayan interior. One such estancia had invited us to spend an evening learning the toils and simple pleasures of ranch life while offering the chance to do some horseback riding as the day came to a close. Accompanied by live music and dance, we sat down to a traditional meal of local flavors and delicacies before ending our day in Uruguay and returning to the ship for overnight passage southward.
