Farewell, Salto!

In three hours I will be boarding a bus for Montevideo, which will be my new home for the next five months. I've said goodbye to my elementary school students, fellow teachers, friends, favorite waiters, and even my taxi driver...and as hard as it may be to believe, I've even finished packing.

At the elementary school, the teachers had chicken catered for lunch yesterday (my last day there), and, afterward, I was almost crushed (in a good way) beneath a huge group of children giving me farewell kisses. In one of the fourth grade classes, each student wrote me a farewell card, complete with a colorful drawing. It was really a great farewell!

The university students reserved their largest residence to throw a farewell party for us last night. The English teachers and students were all there, dancing and serving unlimited hamburgers and cake. Apparently, after four burgers and two pieces of cake, my insatiable appetite is now legendary.

Of course, in spite of all the celebrating, any time like this is bittersweet. In a conversation club (the English class we lead for high school Engish teachers) last week, one of the teachers asked me what I've learned since coming to Salto. I couldn't give her an answer, not because I haven't learned anything, but because there are so many ways I could answer the question. In addition to being my introduction to everything Uruguay (the language, mate, traditions, people, and much more), Salto is also the smallest, most isolated place I've lived for more than a few weeks. There is a lot to learn from living in such a place. One of the things I've learned is how intimate a small town is. The negative side of this is that everyone knows everything about everyone else (I mean everything). The positive side, though, is that it is not difficult to get to know people here on a very personal level. Some of my most cherished experiences here have been visiting the homes and families of my friends and coworkers, and immediately being taken in as a close friend. Just this week I interviewed an ex-guerrilla (who was wearing a Rolex, which I thoughts was interesting), who, following the interview, invited me to a bar-b-q at his house, then offered to let me stay there any time I visited Salto. The friendliness of the Salteños is amazing!

A major reason why leaving Salto is a bit easier for me is that I will only be moving six hours away, to Montevideo. I am certain I will come back, and I'm looking forward to doing so. Nonetheless, leaving Salto is definitely bitter. There is, though, a sweet side. Moving to Montevideo is going to provide me with a completely new and distinct view of Uruguay. The Uruguayans have emphasized this to me. There is a significant difference between Montevideo (the "exterior") and the "interior," which includes the rest of the country. Montevideo is seen as industrial, international, and dangerous, while the interior is agricultural, local, and "tranquilo." To people living in Salto, Montevideo is a completely different animal, filled with fast-paced lifestyles, frequent crime, and a huge population. The funny thing, though, is that Montevideo is a much safer place than the cities in which I've lived in the US, and isn't much larger either. Compared to Salto, though, Montevideo is pretty much exactly as the people of the interior describe it.

And that is another aspect I will miss about Salto. Without any exaggeration, it is the safest city in which I've lived, so my time here has been very refreshing in that respect. An entertaining story:

Late one night during my first week here, I had been working in an internet cafe with my laptop, and at 2am I decided to walk back to my hostel. With my laptop in my backpack, I was walking down a quiet, dimly lit section of the main street when, a short distance ahead, I saw a group of about twenty people. My immediate thought was that the group consisted of wayward teens, and that they would undoubtedly give a gringo a hard time, if not try to take his laptop. As I approached, I saw the group was painting something on the street, then I noticed they all had long hair. Come to find out, it was a group of high school girls painting messages for their friend's 15th birthday. Laughing at myself was all I could do to attempt to preserve my pride.

The whole town is like that! People just don't worry about being mugged, or anything of the kind. In fact, the people here have been shocked when I describe how in some US cities there is violence simply for the sake of violence (drive by shootings, for example). I'm definitely going to miss this aspect of Salteño life.

But there are many, many other things I´m going to miss about Salto, most of them being close friends I've made over the past few months. Now, though, it's time for me to look forward to life in Montevideo.

I'll be settling into Montevideo this weekend, attempting to find an apartment (or at least a hostel). I'll keep you all posted on that process. Next week and the following week are Uruguay's winter break, which means I have a very long vacation. I've decided to put these two weeks to good use to schedule a trip I've been dreaming about for several years now--Brazil!

Next Monday, I'm leaving for Rio de Janeiro, where I'll be for about five days. I'll be staying on Ipanema beach, and visiting such sites as Cristo Redentor and Copacabana. I'm also going to try to go hang gliding over Rio one day, and to visit Buzios, the "Ibiza of Brazil."

During the following weekend, I plan to visit Ouro Preto, an old colonial town and UNESCO World Heritage site located to the north of Rio. The next day, I'll take a bus to São Paulo, the largest city in South America (about 20 million people live there).

Following my weekend in Ouro Preto and São Paulo, I'll fly to the northeastern city of Salvador de Bahia, which is one of the oldest cities in Brazil, and the point where many of Brazil's slaves arrived from Africa. I have been told that the feeling of northeast Brazil is very different from that of other parts--it has a very strong African influence that is apparent in the food, music, and dance, for example. I plan to spend about four days in Salvador, learning about the city's history and, of course, spending plenty of time on its beaches. I've heard Salvador has some pretty cool diving opportunities, too, which I'm planning to take advantage of.

The following weekend (my final weekend in Brazil), I'm planning to take a bus to another northeastern city, Recife. This city has an old colonial section called Olinda, which is my real reason for visiting.

I'll be returning to Montevideo via Rio on July 17th, and I'm sure I'll have plenty to share with you all about my experience!

I should get off the Internet and get ready to leave for Montevideo. The United States is playing Argentina right now in the Copa America (the score is 1-1), and the Uruguayans are supporting the US. Also, some friends from the university just stopped by the hotel to wish me a good trip. I'm going to miss this place!