A town about 120 kilometres (two hours by bus), Minas is a small city with a small, but loud, plaza. There are roughly 35,000 inhabitants, and the city set up is like many others in Uruguay. But then you notice on the outskirts of town that you are surrounded by hills. After being here in very flat Uruguay for nearly five months, these hills looked more like the mighty Sierra Nevadas of my home state California.
Before we get to the beautifully lush cerros of Minas, one cannot pass up the statue of General Artigas and his fighting horse. It is said to be the largest equestrian statue in all of South America. It is large and very personal with the details in Artigas’s face – an intense pondering stare that seems a bit out of place.
is one of these hilly attractions, but there is also another area to go to: Valle del Hilo de la Vida. It’s a small piece of land that has a hill shaped in a crescent moon (if seen from above). It was used as a ritual area over a thousand years ago, and the Montevideoan couple who owns the land is more than happy to show visitors around on weekends. It’s a real Uruguayan experience, with real people not looking to make a peso, but looking to spread some new information and history around. Check it out!
Dominic is an incurable world roamer. He has travelled and at times lived in various parts of Europe, Australia, Asia, and South America after graduating university. He is a published writer and photographer looking to explore more of the world — whether in his own backyard or outside of the US border. More of his writing can be found at http://movingmontevideo.blogspot.com
