River of the Painted Birds
The country with the longest National Anthem in the world.
The country with the longest National Anthem in the world, Uruguay, is famous for its beaches and good cultivable land. It is known as one of the most progressive nations in the continent. The country is a delight for beef lovers and has a Spanish heritage.
TravelJingles in conversation with H.E. Mr. Alberto A. Guani, Ambassador of the Republic of Uruguay to India, to know more about the Country.
The Barrio Histórico of Colonia del Sacramento has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Tell us about three must-do things in the country.
Uruguay has Colonia del Sacramento as the first World Heritage site recognized by UNESCO, apart from Fray Bentos, the church in Canelones by Eladio Dieste as an intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Tango and Candombe. These sites are very popular among tourists interested in visiting cultural and historic places that Uruguay offers. Colonia del Sacramento is a historic city, surrounded by a stone wall with wood bridges as entrances. Founded in 1680, it was the first Portuguese town towards the extreme South of the continent. The city was disputed between the Portuguese Kingdom and the Spanish Kingdom. The old houses and cobbled streets are kept in their original forms, creating the colonial atmosphere that makes this city charming and worthwhile, when discovering its unique attractions. It is across the line crossing the Rio de la Plata River, considered to be the widest in the world. Many tourists visit Colonia del Sacramento from the city of Buenos Aires during the day. The ride from Montevideo takes a little over two hours in comfortable buses and it is one of Uruguay’s main attractions. One can find five-star hotels and excellent restaurants while being in proximity to the region of Hot Springs.
‘Uruguay’ comes from the language Guaraní and has a few different translations, such as ‘river where the bird lives,’ ‘river of the painted birds,’ ‘river of the snails,’ and ‘winding river.’ Comment.
Sometimes, Uruguay is confused with Paraguay. Both originate in the language Guarani which is the official language of MERCOSUR countries. The name comes from the region where a variety of birds with distinctive colours are found. It is a great bird-watching site. Uruguay has great diversity which is seen in the regions where the Uruguay River passes. These are the regions inhabited by the immigrants from Europe. The river has many yacht clubs and services which cater to a programme initiated by the Ministry of Tourism, as the route of the painted birds.
For Indians sometimes, it is a bit difficult to pronounce the name of the country that sounds like iuruguaii and is written as Uruguay.
Chivito is the national dish of Uruguay. Tell us about the gastronomy of the country.
Uruguay has the highest consumption of beef per person. It is 75 kilos of consumption per year. However, gastronomy is not restricted to meat. Rather there is a global presence like Mexican, Japanese, and even Indian in Uruguayan delicacies. The Chivito is one of the national dishes, consisting of a beef sandwich served with salad, boiled egg, bacon, tomatoes, and olives. The local beer is also very good, and definitely one must try the Uruguayan wine that we will shortly be introducing in India. Uruguayan cuisine has a lot of influence from Spain and Italy. We eat a lot of pasta and every 29th of the month we eat gnocchi which is very Italian.
Both tango and candombe have been recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Tell us about the culture of the country.
Indeed. Many people do not relate Uruguay to Tango but my country has given important figures like Gerardo Mattos Rodriguez, the author of La Cumparsita, which is considered as the hymn of Tangos. And how can we forget Carlos Garde l, the world-famous singer, who was born in Uruguay.
It is also important to observe that Uruguay has the longest Carnival in the world. It begins at the end of December and lasts until mid-April each year. Candome is the heritage of the Afro descendants and has a main instance called the ¨llamadas¨ in February. The drums and dances along with the vibrant costumes are also a big attraction. It is a great show to participate in and see the parades while enjoying the music, thus making it our best aspect, showcasing our rich and diverse culture.
Drinking Yerba Mate is one of the oldest traditions in Uruguay. It’s a practice passed down from the indigenous Guaraní people. Comment.
Yerba Mate is an infusion that is basically the National Drink of Uruguay. It is believed that every Uruguayan is born with a thermos under their arms. It is very true. Once one is in any part of the country, one can witness a local with a thermos and more often than not drinking mate. It is a common tradition but became restricted during the Covid time as we could not share the mate. Uruguayans are the biggest consumers of Mate in the world. The tea generally comes from Brazil or Argentina but now that native forests are growing again, we can say that Uruguayan tea is coming back and we will soon have production in the country.
The tradition of Mate was passed down by the Guarani. In the hot weather, they drink Tereré that is with ice and cold water, but the Uruguayans always prefer it with hot water. All over the country, there are places that sell hot water for Mate drinkers.
Uruguay is running on 98% renewable electricity, according to the US International Trade Administration. What are the steps taken by the country on sustainability?
All policies in Uruguay are designed to take into account sustainability. We are doing the same in India with an Uruguayan company named Berkes, which is producing boilers that will help reduce pollution, in association with India and Denmark. In terms of renewable energies, Uruguay has since 2007, seen an enormous revolution and now stands second in the world in the application of renewable energy. This has to do with wind energy, solar, biomass, and soon in the pipeline – developing hydrogen as a new source of energy. This has meant a lot for Uruguay as we progressed from an importer country to an exporter of energy. Interestingly, many of the big investments in the country have been based on the production of clean energy, and as determined, it is a reality that 98% of our electricity comes from renewable energies.
The effect has been reflected in transportation. Uruguay already has electric taxis and buses. We are also growing in the substitution of gasoline for electricity in cars that circulate in the country. The idea is to reach a big coverage of electricity in all our transport projects, by 2030. It is also important to mention that the only highway in South America to be fully served by electric chargers is located in Uruguay.
Do we have any similarities between India and Uruguay?
Both countries are democracies. India is the most populated in the world and Uruguay is one of the oldest in the world. We have had political parties which are more than a century old. We are very respectful of our legal systems and in agreement that corruption is not acceptable. We are hard-working. We both like sports; in Uruguay football is our national sport and in India it is hockey. In many ways, we have similarities, but not too many in food.
Which is your favourite destination in India and why?
India is a beautiful and diverse country. Each region has its own distinctive features and one has to learn to appreciate them. India is a culture more than 5000 years old from which we have a lot to learn. It is very vast and one needs to travel a lot to appreciate the diversity it holds in each region and city. I still have a lot to see and I am looking forward to visiting many more places in Incredible India.