Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 14: Uruguay

So Uruguay does things a little differently than the rest of South America. Uruguay instituted a strict separation of church and state in its 1917 constitution, and converted religious holidays into secular ones. So while other countries are celebrating Holy Week, Uruguay celebrates Tourism Week, during which time Uruguayans take some sort of trip, if not take their long vacation for the year. 

Churches do celebrate Holy Week and Easter, of course, but you won't get the sort of public spectacles that you'd see elsewhere in Latin America.

But if you are looking for something to do during the week, there are at least a couple options:

1. In Montevideo there's Creole Week, which celebrates rural Uruguay. It looks a bit like a combination rodeo and cultural festival, with a horse riding competition the main event (think bronco busting rather than show jumping).

2. For something more contemporary, you can head to Paysandú for Beer Week, sponsored by the town's major brewery. It combines a music festival with various cultural and arts and crafts displays. There are also a couple of thermal spas - one with natural salt water - so you can take the waters and relax if you're partied out.