14:10. At some museum which I shall waffle about later, but just looked up the word 'cuenca' to discover it means both 'eye socket' and 'river basin'. I find that oddly amusing.
15:15. Well, the plan was to go to Casa Rivera, Museo Romantico and Casa Garibaldi (both the guide book and the map the hostel gave me show them). Casa Rivera is actually the Museo Nacional Historico (or maybe the Museo Historico Nacional, I can't remember). Museo Romantico is on the same block and it seemed to have the doors shut and a sign with its name and Museo Nacional Historico on, so I suspect they are combined.
Casa Garibalid is a few blocks away, I found it but it was shut and there is just a plaque with its name and Museo Nacional Historico on. I don't know why it wasn't open, but it wasn't.
So I have come to a restaurant in Mercado del Puerto and am waiting 15 minutes for a sirloin steak and chips. My guide book says the steaks are huge here but I doubt it.
They have given me a 'free' glass of some sparkling white wine which is actually surprisingly pleasant, given as a rule I don't drink wine. I was told by the pseudo-tout there is a 10% discount for cash. I suspect this will evaporate but if they don't automatically whack on a service charge, I will try to pay the exact amount as near as possible and treat the discount as the tip. If the staff want to shoot themselves in the foot by potentially lying about this discount for cash that's their problem.
Oh, I got up late as usual. Was hoping to be up about 11 but eventually got up about 12:30-1 and was out about half an hour later. The wi-fi has ceased to work, I will ask later if the password has changed though I doubt it.
The museum was OK, not stunningly interesting but quite cool, and the building is pretty interesting. Very nice spiral staircase. I also didn't realise that Britain invaded here some time in the 1800s.
16:00. Steak not enormous but not bad, I am pleasantly stuffed. Bit of confusion over the 10% discount but I did get it, the guy was going to prepare me another bill but I said I'd use it as the tip and he somewhat over theatrically shook my hand. But it was UYU492 (I left 500 for convenience) including a 10% effective top. The bill has a UYU56 'cubierta' (cover charge I think) on and also said 'service not included'.
No harm done but the meal yesterday cost me UYU386 which I thought was pricey, and it was at least as good and I think better. For comparison I walked past 'Resto-bar New York' earlier (just off this square) and some sort of meat & chips was UYU150. I guess you pay a premium for it being Mercado del Puerto, but now I've done it I shan't be eating here again. The place I ate yesterday can probably be justified as I suspect the quality was better than average (although I haven't yet eaten anywhere cheap to compare with) but this one today was decidely pushing it. Anyway.
16:20. Figured I'd try the interestingly named 'Museo de la Palabra' shown on the map. I am in the street but can't see it. An enormous section of street front is blocked off for building work so I suspect it has shut down or is at least inaccessible.
I may give up on any more museumy type places today. Most listed in the guide book said they shut at 5pm so I suspect that's common.
I think I will find somewhere nice to have a coffee or two then wander back to the hostel and see if I can get the wi-fi to work again and spend a few hours surfing before maybe going out later.
17:10. Bit of a wander without finding anything promising but I'm in no hurry and I've seen a bit more of the city. Now sat outside some cafe place on 18 de Julio, which I gather is one of the main streets. It's a bit noisy of course but generally quite pleasant.
17:55. Had a coffee and having a beer. Since I don't know anywhere to go except the street I was at last night and I'm not that desperate to go back, and I still have another two nights after this one, I may not go out and have a quiet night. That's assuming I can get the wi-fi to work, I'm not sitting in my room reading a book. I may take the laptop down to the terrace, that may help the wi-fi anyway.
18:00. You know, I might go the that gig thing mentioned in the leaflet I picked up last night. It's near the hostel and on the way back from here, so I can pop in on my way back now and see if I can get a ticket. It's UYU400 which isn't too insane and it will be an experience. If I can't get a ticket, no harm done.
It was in fact just opposite the cafe but there is a 'sold out' ('localidades agotadas') sign on the poster. Oh well.
22:15. Came back, charged the laptop, sat out on the deserted patio and got the wi-fi working. Battery started to die so I came back to my room. Connection worked for a bit and now refuses to work at all.
I have this terrible feeling I am wasting the night by just staying in. I just keep telling myself that's not the case.
I hear a few people around outside now, I am a bit intimidated about going back out when I get the battery charged to be honest but fuck 'em.
I bought some postcards earlier. I just thought I'd write them now while I'm stuck in my room waiting for the laptop to charge. And it turns out they don't have THE STANDARD POSTCARD LAYOUT on the back. No. The back is a portrait-oriented ruled 'sheet'. So there is no way I can POST the damn things. What an absolute joke. Obviously I could 'try' to write the address on and a message, but I'd have no faith they would negotiate the postal system safely.
The guys outside are getting on my wick. I think there's only about 3 or d but they are clowning around and shouting in a somewhat twattish way.
Oh, earlier on I walked through Plaza de la Independencia again and I remembered the guidebook said something about seeing remains under the statue (of General Artigas). And indeed there is a discreet staircase which leads down to a doorway where you can look into an enormous room with a few key events in his life embossed on the walls in enormous letters and in the centre a gold urn presumably containing his ashes with two Buckingham Palace-style rigid guards either side. It's a bit dimly lit in general so the guards were in silhouette and hence they just might not have been real people, but I think they were. I just peered in at the door, I didn't like to walk in with the guards there although I suspect you are allowed to. I didn't take any photos for similar reasons. Apart from the photos, it's not like I missed anything by not going in as there's no furniture so you really can see everything from the door. A bit of a freaky experience somehow. Gold urn with a famous person's ashe
s in, fine. The same in an enormous chamber dedicated to the purpose, freaky (but not in a bad way).
I see on wikitravel that you can go up to the top of the 'striking building' I mentioned yesterday (which turns out to be Palacio Salvo). I will have to see if I can manage that.
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