Uruguay

Uruguay (Montevideo & Colonia)

Uruguay has 3 million inhabitants, half of whom live in Montevideo. This city is very different from Buenos Aires and the small villages I visited in Patagonia. Although the country is the most developed in South America with a very stable economy and political system, there is a lot of graffiti and trash in the streets (more than in Buenos Aires). There are also many people living on the streets (similar to Buenos Aires). The colonial buildings resemble Europe, but the downtown area seems more run-down than Buenos Aires. It is a very progressive society: marijuana is legal, LGBTQ marriage too, etc. People are very European (there is no mixing with indigenous people, as they were all killed by the Spanish upon their arrival). However, there are descendants of black Africans brought by the Spanish (which I didn't really see in Argentina).