Montevideo is the most laid back capital city I have ever visited. The locals, including young people, amble down the streets clutching flasks of Yerba Mate (local tea). At first glance, it appears that nothing is going on and at night the streets are very dark. It is the kind of place that demands you to uncover its charms. The population is around 1.3 million but it feels more like a large town. Also, because of its port setting, the city is very similar in character to Southampton. The food here is the best I have tasted since my last roast dinner. The women are generally not so attractive here as in Brazil and Argentina but in true South American style, there is always football on the TV! I have been staying in a hostel in the centre of the city. Its halfway between the main square and the football stadium where Uruguay won the first World Cup in 1930. The main street is full of shops, restaurants, hotels and, occasionally, it opens up into one of the cities' many squares. Further on than the Plaza Independencia is the Ciudad Vieja which contains some very nicely kept colonial buildings. Sadly, after a period of prosperity during the beef boom, Uruguay has recently been hit hard by an economic decline. Other parts of the Ciudad Vieja contain dangerous barrios (slums) which I wondered through just out of curiosity. There are not very many tourists in town and beggers are never far away. This is the first place I have been where I feel like I am very much in the minority. You get some abuse but generally the locals are up for a bit of banter. Further on from the old city is the port area. Here I went to a place called El Mercado Del Puerto which is a huge iron stucture that houses many restaurants which have live bbqs. Here I ate pigs intestine, pigs spleen and pigs gland! I came to the conclusion that something like this would be a great money-maker for local farmers. They should set one up at country market! Last night I went down to check out the bar scene which is on the edge of the old city. There are a few streets lined with bars and clubs. I went out to a club called Punt Bar where I managed to hold the attention of a group of attractive local girls. I think the local lads were a bit jealous - I felt like a king! Some of the girls turned up at my hostel this evening to find me! I never thought I would see the day when women are following me around a city! Tomorrow, I will visit the football museum at the Estadio Centinario and then get a bus and a boat back to Buenos Aires. From there, I will work my way down south and back up through Chile to Santiago.