Sunday Expat Meeting – gathering every Sunday in Montevideo, Uruguay since 2005

The Sunday Expat Meeting is a weekly lunch gathering in Montevideo, Uruguay. Sunday is traditionally a family day in Uruguay, and this lunch meeting has a family feel. If you are an English speaking expat or traveler, this is the place to come for warm conversation and a good meal.

Where to get whole foods in Uruguay

My sister posted a video from the TED series with Terry Wahls, a medical doctor with an advanced case of Multiple Sclerosis. After trying every advanced drug and medical procedure, she finally found success reversing her symptoms with a diet of fresh vegetables, berries, grass-fed meat, wild fish, and seaweed.  (I have placed the video at the bottom of this post, in case you would like to see it.)

The video inspired me to eat more fresh whole foods. It also inspired me to write this post on where to get whole foods in Uruguay.

How to be better prepared for volatile times – five lessons I have learned in Uruguay

 Economic and political upheaval can be set off almost anywhere and can strike suddenly with little or no advance warning. It seems that societies that have experienced volatility in recent times are better adapted to deal with it. While societies that have experienced little volatility for a longer period of time tend to trust the status quo to take care of it.

Faith and a fair in the Montevideo neighborhood of Tres Cruces

by Karin Ledl
In the Tres Cruces neighborhood of Montevideo, Uruguay there is the Church of the Women’s Jail. It is located on a calm street that comes to life and fills with people on the 19th of each month. The people come to see the image of the revered Saint Expedite and to visit a fair that is set up outside this little church.

Tourism grows to become Uruguay's main industry

Punta del Este's Mansa Beach during high season

Uruguay’s tourism industry hit a new record with 3 million foreign visitors in 2011. Uruguay’s total population is less than 3.4 million, which means that during 2011 there was almost one foreign visitor per resident. Tourism spending pulled in over 2 billion dollars during the year.

Montevideo’s street fairs abound with great bargains

Feria in Montevideo

Ferias ('fairs') are neighborhood street markets that are set up for one or two days in a week in most Uruguayan cities. In Montevideo, where half of Uruguay's population lives, there are several ferias that set up on designated streets and parks in different neighborhoods on different days.

The real estate buying process in Uruguay

Jose Ignacio home

The process of buying real estate works differently in different places. Uruguay offers a lot of exciting real estate opportunities, but it is almost a sure bet that the real estate buying process in Uruguay has some significant differences than where you are from. The purpose of this article is to describe the steps of the process in Uruguay, from making an offer to receiving your deed.

Punta Expats gathering draws English speakers from far and wide

Punta Expats is a gathering of English speakers that meet in Punta del Este on the third Monday of each month. At the March 2012 assembly there were 105 English speakers (from Piriapolis, Atlantida, and Montevideo, as well as Punta del Este) who showed up for a special buffet lunch held at the Cantegril Country Club.

Most of the English speaking expats who attend the Punta Expats gatherings are from the U.S.A., Canada, Switzerland, and Germany. There are also many Uruguayan and Argentines who have lived abroad in English speaking countries and have since returned to Uruguay.

Montevideo's Solís Theater - the oldest operating opera house in the Americas

The first performance in Montevideo's Solís Theater was held August 25th, 1856. The renovated theater still hosts an active schedule of plays, concerts, ballets, and operas.

Montevideo Language Exchange - Uruguayans, expats, and travelers, mixing it up

It’s Friday evening in the Montevideo neighborhood of Pocitos. I am approaching Costa Azul Café where the Montevideo Language Exchange is meeting. I see a long row of tables outside with more than 20 people sitting on each side. As I approach, the subtle humid scent of the city gives way to the smell of pizza.