Uruguay le pays de la simplicité - Montevideo - Documentaire voyage - AMP

500 kilometers of beaches, a countryside as luxurious as surprising, treasures of the past, a concentrate of culture, the longest carnival in the world. Uruguay is the country of simplicity where conviviality is the master word. The visit to the country can only start with the capital, Montevideo. This name makes exoticism flourish without knowing much about it. Montevideo, however, houses almost half of the 3.5 million inhabitants of Uruguay. Moreover, it does not know the traffic jams. This quiet nation is one of the smallest in South America. Uruguay lives mainly along its coasts, while the vast spaces inside seem to have moved since its independence. José Queixichian, professor of sociology at the University of Montevideo, is inseparable from the beginnings of his native city. Montevideo was born as a naval post of the Spanish crown in the 18th century and became an important trade hub for the Spanish Empire. The first of the neighborhoods is what we call the Old Town, the City, where the banks are, the import-export companies. In the Old Town, the buildings have a faux air of Havana. We can also feel here the influence of a revolutionary Europe, when the colonial empires had not yet given way to the commercial empires. Near the port, this part of the Old Town was the lowlands, with its atmosphere of gambling and prostitution, called by some authors as the bad life of the 1900s. Here, and to the south of the neighborhood, it has become a kind of ghetto of the descendants of the African community, including the southern neighborhoods of Palermo. Moreover, with the arrival of Carnival, it is an opportunity to appreciate the groups of Candombé and the contribution of African culture to Uruguay. Every 6 January, King's Day, the Saint Balthazar call takes place. It is a very traditional call, where many Montevideo and Uruguayan troops gather. It is here, in this street, that the Candombé was born, its roots being African, to become the music of all Uruguayans. More precisely, in the palaces of Palermo and the southern neighborhoods. The drums always go by multiple 2-3, high, medium and low. During more official parades, there can be up to 70 drums. The troops, in addition to the dancers, parade with the typical characters of Carnival, the star, the grandmother, the wizard, the flags. All this is an integral part of the Candombé tradition. The call for Candombé marks the opening of the great Carnival and adds three weeks of official activity to the next nine weeks. This Carnival is the longest in the world. The leitmotif is the integration and reconciliation of the slaves with the whites who dress up or paint themselves in black to show their compassion and the will to bring the two peoples together. The musicians put so much heart and passion in this parade that it is not uncommon for them to end their hands in blood. The Candombé was inscribed in 2009 by UNESCO as a heritage of the immaterial culture of humanity. With or without Carnival, attending the cathedral demonstrates the place that religion holds. It is still a very Catholic country where spiritual life is as important as cultural life. A few steps away, another essential monument of the old town, the Théâtre aux Solices, attracts crowds eager for theatre. Opened in 1856 and perfectly restored, everything has been preserved in good condition, even the spelling mistakes of which William Shakespeare kindly suffered. The chandelier, all original and made of Baccarat crystal, recalls a particularly rich past. The president has the privilege of having his place reserved all year in the centre of the first floor. The balconies, which were used to be seen more than seen, have been removed and the chicken coop, reserved for the poor, has been considerably improved. The door of the Citadelle, the last remnant of the city's walls, opens in the centre. On the Place de l'Indépendance, the Palais Salvaud stands out for its size and originality. From the height of 105 metres, it remained the tallest building in South America until 1935. In the centre of the square is the indisputable throne of Artigas. He embodies the hero, liberator of the people and founder of the country. His ashes rest here under the statue, guarded by the soldiers of the Republic. The main artery of Montevideo appeared later. It is the avenue of 18th June, the date of the oath of the Constitution in 1830, of what would become the Oriental Republic of Uruguay. A name motivated by its position further east of the Argentine provinces. At the starting point of this avenue is the obelisk, which marks the centre of the city. It takes us to the famous Centenario Stadium, which saw the victory of the country who organised the first World Cup in 1930. Uruguayan passion for this sport has never ceased, and allowed them to win the same trophy in 1950, to be consecrated several times champion of America and even Olympic champion. Next to it, the Rodo Park is the preferred place for the essential representations of Murga during the carnival. This art is in Uruguay, what tango is in Argentina. Those who come to Uruguay without going to Murga do not know Uruguay. It is the longest carnival in the world. It is the culminating point of the Grand Carnival parade. Alvaro Varela, screenwriter of Murga, explains to us what it consists of. Today, the Murga is a group of 17 people. Three of them are dedicated to the big box, the cymbal and the clear box. The rest form a choir that sings texts in relation to the news. It talks about everything, politics, culture, everything that happens in Uruguay. There are Murgas dedicated only to Uruguay. There are Murgas dedicated only to humor. At the end of the military dictatorship, around 1984, there were very few channels of artistic expression. The Murga played the role of spokesman for the oppressed with a strong political component. The compositions are very elaborate. You really have to know how to sing. Many of them are artists, others are singers. They take place all over the world and are with us for the Murga. To measure the scale of this festival, you have to imagine that at this very moment there are artists in more than 25 different places in the city, such as this bike park. And this every day of the week, for several weeks. Only here, 5,000 people come to applaud the tablados of the evening. The athletes enjoy the sweetness of the morning sun. Each beach has its own character. Going up the Ramblais, we particularly appreciate the mornings of Montevideo. Further east, we arrive at the Carrasco district, with its hotel, Les Pieds dans l'eau. At the time, the races took place on the beach in front of the recently renovated establishment. Carrasco has kept its beautiful residences, a witness to the great era, just like the Prado district, even older and which also offers some representative pearls of the golden age of Montevideo. 50 km east of Montevideo, the village of Placa Verde is ideal for starting Uruguayan know-how. Just go and contemplate the sun plunged into the sea to discover how the number one drink in Uruguay, the famous mate, is consumed. This mate is the best in the world, because I made it. It's quiet here. A quiet afternoon, enjoying a beautiful view, friends, good food, good alcohol, a beach not far away, and that's all. First you pour the grass. There are several types of grass. There are about fifteen. You choose the one you like the most. You pour warm water so that the water swells and you wait a little. Then, with very hot water, you heat it up. You encourage the mate, that is, you pour the hot water like this and you start drinking, sharing with the others, about thirty times, until there is no more taste. I like the water that is boiled at 90 degrees. Sorry, sorry, the water boils at 100 degrees. Never 100 degrees, otherwise it's too hot and it gives the grass a bitter taste. Between 80 and 90 degrees. Otherwise, you can damage your throat. A few kilometers up is the second most important swimming station in the country, Piriapolis. Its bay protects a large and beautiful beach of fine sand, very busy during the summer season. The Uruguayans practice family terrorism there. This beach game is a classic that has gone through time and has become a tank game. The city has a very unique history and is perfectly documented. A hundred years ago, Francisco Piria, a wealthy businessman from Montevideo, well-known for his practice of alchemy, returned from a trip to Europe dazzled by the discovery of Biarritz. He decided to build his own city, which he will name, of course, Piriapolis. He then hired 500 workers in a granite quarry and began construction. He designed some monuments that he scattered around and, above all, built the Argentino hotel, the most imposing in all of South America. With great publicity, he sold 2,500 land on the seashore and gave birth to Piriapolis. But perhaps the most surprising comes from his young assistant, Umberto Pitamiglio, from a very modest family. The fishermen, then settled in the new city, wonder how the young and modest assistant was able to build a first castle a few kilometers away and a second on the outskirts of Montevideo. Umberto will end his days with one of the country's greatest fortunes, totally obsessed with esotericism and the practice of alchemy. No one could prove that Piria had taught him how to change lead into gold and Pitamiglio died in 1966 carrying with him the secret of his wealth. Piriapolis continues to attract eccentricity. In the 1970s, Carlos Paez Villarro, one of Uruguay's most important artists, took over the castle to turn it into a glamorous, connected club. It was in Buntabachena, 20 kilometers further east, that he built the main piece of his work. His assistant, Maria Dezuliani, tells us about it. We are in Casa Pueblo. It is a large residential sculpture designed by Carlos Paez Villarro. He was Pablo Picasso's friend in 1957 in the south of France in the Valoris studio. He also knew Dali, De Chirico, Calder. This house was built by his own hands. Without being an architect, he wanted to make a large sculpture to live in and have his studio. He was an autodidact. He did not have a master's degree. He was a very observant man who traveled a lot to immerse himself in different cultures and extract the roots of his paintings. He always came back here to continue the construction of this house whose concept is based on the pine oven. He kept the objects he brought and collected from his travels around the world. Punta Bacena is probably the most famous belvedere in the country and owes its name to the whales that appear near the coasts between August and November. Carlos Paez Villarro died in 2014 and his house is now separated in two. On one side, the museum and on the other, a hotel. In Uruguay, one activity outperforms all the others, the asado. This is a characteristic of Uruguay. We always cook the wood asado that we place in a burner next to the grill. We tap as the wood burns. Always wood, never coal. We flatten a little the embers that fall to spread it under the grill. For the wood, we have the coronicha, the wood of the hills. The coronicha smells very good. You can also throw a branch of laurel from the garden. With this, I adjust the height of my grill. It's a mixed asado. Beef, chicken, red boudin and the fish, the corbina. You have to make sure that the temperature is well spread everywhere under the grill. And for the cooking time, you have to count a minimum of one to two hours. The concept of meat that is caught and dried is totally inconceivable here. It's due to the quality of the meat, but above all because it is very cheap. However, it is a place where prices do not stop consumption. Punta del Este is the most exclusive vacation spot in Uruguay and certainly in all of Latin America. It offers a radical break with the lifestyle that dominates in the rest of the country. Finish the low profile. We expose ourselves, we spend, we consume. Money is king. The population of 12,000 inhabitants in winter reaches 450,000 in summer. In 1843, the entire peninsula was sold for less than $300. On the west side, the beach of La Mansa for lovers of calm seas. Ideal for snorkeling and water sports that require a flat water. It is also the starting point of the most beautiful and beautiful beach. The marina is simply superb and houses many points of sale of fish and seafood of all kinds. No yacht, no matter how big it is, will not steal the spotlight at the surprise waiting for the children at the heart of the port. Big sea wolves who ensure the show. The little ones, under the enchanted eyes will feed and see them dispute the feast with particularly jealous seagulls. The main street is Avenue Gorlero with the largest concentration of local, Argentinian and international brands. On the east side, the beach of La Brava receives the winds of the Atlantic Ocean and develops nice rolls, much more powerful than the sea. The beach is called El Ahogado, literally the drowned man, now the symbol of Punta del Este. This hand honors the memory of all the people victims of the sea. It is a warning for swimmers who would have the bad idea to risk in the water when the weather gets angry. In the summer, surfing has been a popular activity. On the coast, the buildings of Punta del Este disappear to give way to beautiful houses of masters of the 70s and 80s. On the side of the roads, the service stations offer hot water pumps specially designed for the famous mate. Wandering sellers prepare two of the most traditional dishes of the Rio de la Plata, ham, cheese or an infinite declination of farce, depending on the region. You don't have to look for it, it's Uruguayan, the torta frita. It's Uruguayan, it's a tradition, just like mate. Thermos is mate, and well... Now, the hole in the middle are the Uruguayan gauchos who invented it to be able to sell their products. That's why we left the hole in the middle, and few people know why. Flour, fat, salt, warm water and yeast. The beach extends from Toussons-Lond to the picturesque Leonel Vira bridge. Some call it the support of the throat because of its less original shape. It leads to a place that separates it from Punta del Este, La Barra. The houses offer a more airy style. The architects are happy to offer their clients the best views of the sea. It's also here, in La Barra, that the country's best surfers compete in the national cup. This is the first stage of the Uruguayan championship We're on the beach in Bikini. I hadn't taken part in a competition in Uruguay for 8 years and I'm really happy to be here. Very good level. All are about the same. Let's see what the waves are like. These are 20-minute sessions with 4 competitors in the water. The idea is to take the 2 best waves during these 20 minutes to show what you can do. You take the wave, and repeat it up to 10 times. Now it's the open session, without age limits. I'm 50 years old and I'm trying to break my age. Unfortunately, I'm 3rd, so I'm out of the competition. There are several stages and, above all, several categories with stand-up, women's surf, and longboard. Inside the country, the region is full of these famous estancias, which truncate in the middle of the fields, a term to designate gigantic plots of land. The Vic family has 1,500 hectares and a superb estancia in the purest local style, perfect for welcoming the most illustrious guests, like the owner of the Rockefeller family, who comes here every year to spend a few days. Estancias generally have an old building, an ara, cows. The stones are Uruguay, from the city of Artigas. These are amethysts and other kinds of quartz. Great fortunes love Uruguay for its large spaces, and some do not hesitate to invest to meet the demand. To leave the department of Maldonado and enter that of Rochas, you have to cross the Laguna de Carson by crossing this bridge. This construction was the subject of a fierce struggle between the government and the river people who did not want to be protected from the expansion It has finally been approved in its current form, in order to slow down traffic. But its true originality comes from elsewhere. It was financed not by the state, but by a rich Argentine businessman who had to pay 10 million dollars out of his own pocket. So what could have motivated a foreigner to offer, in such a deserted place, a bridge to the government? The answer is called Las Garzas, a pirado, that is, a secured residence. The principle is the following. The investor buys a huge plot for a ridiculous price, given the available space, and cuts it into small plots. Carlos Marasco is the director of Las Garzas. We needed a communication route that was more fluid than a boat. The government did not have the money. So we made an agreement to take a boat and use the land on the other side. Las Garzas is 240 hectares facing the sea. The buyers own their plots and their houses. They participate, averaging the monthly payment, in the maintenance of a particularly luxurious part of the community. Access to the co-property is filtered. There is a swimming pool, a restaurant, and many common spaces. This lifestyle is reserved for the richest Uruguayans or foreigners who want their house to remain under surveillance outside of the summer season. This is what this kind of entrance hides that appears along the roads and which aims to attract the client's attention. In 15 minutes by car further east of Las Garzas, Rocha responds to the simplicity and austerity of Punta del Este. Well exposed to the wind, the north beach offers a very popular spot for kitesurfers. What is most surprising here is the particularly young average age. To measure it all, with 165 inhabitants a year, the Pedrera is characterized by its main beach at the bottom of a staircase where it is good to watch the waves breaking on the big rocks that dominate the tip. It was from the 1990s that young people invested in this village. They made it a place where fashion is renewed every summer. The Pedrera is especially known for its large night market on the main avenue. All the greatest artists in the country recognize it as a must-see point. We are from Buenos Aires, we are a guitar duo. We play flamenco mixed with the rhythm of the Rio de la Plata and that's it, we do the whole Uruguayan coast. You can drink music, dance and enjoy the multitude of groups of all styles that take place for free. To recover from the excesses of the day before, Rocha has the most emblematic place in Uruguay, the Cabo Polonio and its national park. Walkers wait for the low tide to cross the river arm that separates it from the village of Balisas to find absolute peace. The hill of Bechavista served as a border between the Empire of Spain and that of Portugal between 1750 and 1777. It is the highest point of the reserve. The islets that face it house 50% of the population of seals in the country. It is a pleasure to come and observe them while being careful not to get lost. Another way to reach the park is to borrow old trucks imported from Algeria by a Frenchman who used to pass from Edith Piaf to his passengers during the crossing. At the entrance of the village of Cabo Polonio is the portrait of the former President of the Republic, Pepe Muxica. With its 70 inhabitants per year, Cabo Polonio is not connected to electricity. Only wind turbines, solar panels and electrogen groups supply the refrigerators of the restaurants. The hotels thrive and compete for creativity to attract travelers with an open mind. The village is the antipode of Punta del Este and prefers the respect of its inhabitants. It is a rich neighborhood with a bohemian atmosphere. The small houses, ideal to enjoy the ocean from the terraces underfoot in the water, are held by relatively wealthy owners because they have had the chance to build before the government regulates these wild constructions. Cabo Polonio is the birthplace of Santa Teresa. Like a goddess of war, neither the years nor the battles were worthy of her beauty. The notoriety of Chuy is due to its main street which acts as a border with Brazil and offers the width of its way to the Dutifri. On the other side, the currency is in real money. In December and January, it is full of people, a real tidal wave. Ladies and gentlemen, I remind you that on the Uruguayan side, as on the Brazilian side, you are invited to leave free pedestrian crossings and street corners so that people can cross without danger. The Uruguayan Avenue and the northern sidewalk have come to Brazil. The visit to Uruguay is not limited to its beaches. The interior of the country contains treasures that have nothing to envy to the Atlantic coast. When you leave Chuy to go north, you arrive at the park of the Quebrada de los Cuervos, a small hidden paradise. In the center of the land there are centuries-old buildings with their old polished bricks and the traditional gaucho, its already sealed horse, its dog next to it, both ready to inspect the cattle. The Rio Negro crosses the country from east to west and feeds 120,000 hectares of artificial lakes connected between them. Thanks to the free urbanization of the country, there is a very original village, San Gregorio de Polenco. This bourgeoisie had the idea to invite artists from all over the world to come and paint its facades and sidewalks. This is how San Gregorio de Polenco was officially declared the first open-air visual art museum in Latin America. The surrounding countryside is the domain of the gauchos. The gauchos are particularly welcoming. They have not lost anything of their famous already two-century-old clothing style. At the northern limit of the department, that is, almost of the country, El Rincon de Tres Cerros arises as if by surprise in the middle of immense plains. Even the gauchos do not hide their astonishment at these three mountains All to the east of the country is the city of Salto. With a little more than 100,000 inhabitants, it is an important agglomeration. The Grand Hotel Concordia is a treasure of colonial architecture. Local artists' works are exhibited there, with a guided tour on the theme of the singer Carlos Gardel. Vacia Eden, the village of his childhood, is located a few kilometers away. The singer and composer of tango best known in the world, reputed in Argentina, was born in France, in Toulouse, but his origin is still debated. For a long time, Argentines have defended their nationality. However, it seems that Uruguay has finally won the game. Gardel died in a plane crash in Colombia on June 24, 1935. Today, it holds an eternal place in the hearts of the Gauchos. Situated in the village of Pueblo Eden, Hugo perfectly illustrates the omnipresence of music in local life. A traditional singer-songwriter, his success never takes him away from his guitars. It took me a while to reach this level, but today I have very good equipment and my guitars are of very high quality. I even make concert guitars. Hugo and his wife have the archetype of the perfect Uruguayan restaurant. I haven't started making the pasta yet. Here, everything is done on the spot. Everything is produced and cooked on the spot. We make our ricotta, the bread, and we drink the mate. Faithful to its appearance, Hugo's cuisine breathes the countryside. Mutton with red wine. The milk comes from the cow. We're going to boil it and make desserts out of it. Flan, riole. Here we have a whole sheep. In the West, the city of Paysandú still shines with its heroism. To have courageously defended the border against its powerful Argentine neighbors, Brazilian and Paraguayan. The construction of the basilica, which began in 1860, will last for 19 years due to its multiple destructions by the invader. The complete score of the national anthem was performed for the first time in 1915 on the stage of the Florencio Sanchez Theater. The building bears witness to the prosperous past of Paysandú, located in the south, on the coast of Rio de la Plata, separating Uruguay from Argentina. Colonia is the country's oldest city, and its fortifications have protected it from modernity. The houses are sometimes over 250 years old. The original pavement recalls that it was once one of the oldest places in the history of colonization Here, the past observes the present. It imposes itself by its silence like an old sage who knows and is silent. The basilica is the oldest in Uruguay. It even had the privilege of being mentioned by Charles Darwin during his trip aboard the Beagle as being a curious church that served as a powder keg for the two-thirds of the building in 1823. The huge arenas of the Plaza de Toros Real were inaugurated in the early 20th century when the bulls were imported from Spain for the corrida. But, once independent, the Uruguayans became precursors and fought against this kind of spectacle, forcing the government to order a definitive ban. The place was then converted to a museum. Uruguay may be small in size, but so great in wisdom that it happily marries a rustic aspect with a modern spirit. Its values, made up of simplicity, sobriety and, above all, humanism, make this country endearing and will leave an indelible mark on visitors.