Our first full day in Uruguay was packed with information sessions on the education system and the culture of Uruguay. We first heard from ANEP, the Administration of Public Education. Uruguay's education system is not only extremely interesting but also vastly different from the education system in the United States. ANEP functions completely separately from the national government but is in charge of all public schooling in the country. There are four different branches of ANEP: initial/primary, middle/high, technical, and teacher education.

Similar to what someone might see in Chicago, students in middle and high school can choose to take a technical route and focus on a pathway in IT, coding, or software engineering. The Education Law in Uruguay is built on three principles: free, secular, and compulsory. ALL education in Uruguay is free for residents, including graduate and doctorate programs.

Uruguay is on the front end of educational innovation, and there is so much cutting-edge, new-age technology being used throughout the country. A new type of school called UTEC was created in 2012, focusing on IT education. Many of these students are working on coding, website development, software and game creation, and engineering. All students are required to take a second language, and many of them do so with a remote native English speaker.

One of the most important education programs in Uruguay is Ceibal. Ceibal is their digital technology center and is responsible for creating equitable technology access for all students in the country. Ceibal first provided personal devices to all students in 2007.

We also heard briefly from the U.S. Embassy in Uruguay, where we learned that Uruguay is a relatively safe country. In fact, it is the safest country in South America.

That afternoon, we had some time to ourselves, and many of us ventured out onto the Rambla. Montevideo reminds me so much of Chicago, with its beautiful architecture, the street that runs along the waterfront, and, of course, the stunning estuary where the Uruguay River meets the Atlantic Ocean. Once out on the Rambla, we made our way to the lighthouse on Punta Carretas, the southernmost point of Montevideo.

We ended the day by having dinner at the home of the director of the Fulbright Uruguay Commission.

IAE

Day 4 started with our first school visit to a unique and fairly new high school just outside of Montevideo called IAE, or Instituto Alta Especialización. Students attend school here for 10 hours a day, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. They take regular courses as well as IT courses that are taught in both English and Spanish. All students at this school are required to participate in 14 hours of English per week.

Students presented some of the projects they had been working on in their specialized IT classes. We heard from a group that created their own social enterprise and designed a prototype for a smart irrigation system for houseplants. Another group created a website for beauty influencers to use (similar to Instagram) and we were able to learn more about the types of programs they were using in their classrooms.

We ended our visit with a tour of the school, where we got to see a few science experiments that the high school students were performing for elementary students from the school next door. We also ate a delicious school lunch made from scratch by the kitchen staff at the elementary school.

Rural School No. 88 Alfredo Nobel

After lunch, we boarded our bus to visit Rural School No. 88 Alfredo Nobel, one of the top elementary schools in the country. We were greeted by all of the students, their principal and sixth-grade teacher, Dario. Dario and his students participate in the GLOBE Program, which allows students to do PBL (project-based learning) focused on Earth's systems.

It was truly remarkable to not only see so much science happening in an elementary school, but also how high-level and inquiry-based it was. Even the 2nd and 3rd graders were working on science questions inspired by a story they had read. There was so much modeling happening, and I was so amazed by everything I saw, I didn’t want to leave.

As if the science alone wasn't enough to bring me to tears, we were also able to have merienda with the students and their families. Merienda is a traditional Uruguayan mid-afternoon meal, usually with sweets—which are always delicious no matter where we went.

Uruguay is also known for its many different gemstones, and we were each gifted a gemstone by the students. I received a rose quartz, which can be found in the Artigas department of Uruguay.

Marichal Wines

An amazing day turned into a spectacular evening when we were invited to a local winery owned and operated by one of the parents of a student at Alfredo Nobel. We were first given a tour of the winery, explored the different areas, and received an explanation of the winemaking process.

We then tasted some amazing Uruguayan winesed, both white and red. Tannat is a red wine grape that is very unique to Uruguay because it tastes different from how it does in other regions. Tannat from Uruguay is typically bolder and has fewer tannins than other Tannats. They also prepared delicious empanadas for us.

I went home with three bottles, but if I had more room in my suitcase, I probably would have bought more.

Travel

We left Montevideo at 8 a.m., the Salto crew was the last to leave, as Martina was our Fulbright liaison. There were four Fulbrighters in the Salto cohort: Shawn, an ELA and psychology teacher from New Jersey; Sherry, a gifted and talented middle school teacher from Ohio; Chad, an orchestra teacher from Hawaii; and me, a science teacher from Illinois.

About an hour into the drive, Shawn started talking about going to the zoo in Salto, and Martina’s face suddenly filled with horror. She told us that zoos in Uruguay are not good and that the Salto one would likely just leave us depressed. After some back and forth, Martina finally gave in a little and said we could stop at an ecoparque called Talice (pronounced Ta-LEE-chay) on the way to Salto.

An ecoparque is very similar to a zoo. There are some big open areas for more docile animals, like capybaras (carpinchos), zebras, and camels. However, the large cats are still housed behind big circular cages with enclosed roofs. The only animals that were truly free to roam were the peacocks and there were probably about 100 of them scattered throughout the park.

We spent about an hour walking around the park before stopping at a little restaurant across from Talice. We were supposed to go to a buffet closer to Salto, but we were running pretty far behind schedule. This restaurant was my first experience with the common Uruguayan food chivito. Chivito can be served on its own or as a sandwich. This one was thinly sliced steak topped with ham, bacon, a fried egg, mozzarella cheese, roasted red peppers, and grilled onions.

We loaded back into the van and continued our way to Salto. We finally arrived at our hotel at 6:30 p.m., essentially turning a six-hour drive into ten. We quickly dropped off our bags and went out to dinner at an Italian restaurant down the block from our hotel called La Trattoria, where we took some group selfies and ate delicious pasta. Then we headed back to the hotel to sleep before our first full day in Salto.

We started the morning with breakfast at the hotel and set out to explore the town of Salto. We ventured first to the Salto town square, where Martina told us that all town squares in Uruguay are built the same, with a bank, police station, church, and city hall all surrounding the square. The Salto police station was one of the largest Martina had seen outside of the capital, Montevideo.

We then walked down by the Uruguay River, which has a brownish-red color due to the clay in the region. While walking along the banks, I noticed some very large nests in the trees with some very loud birds. I asked Martina what they were, and her response was, "I don't know, but they're a plague." Apparently, these birds are a real problem because they take over trees and prevent native birds from nesting.

I couldn’t figure out why those nests seemed so familiar (I assumed it was all the nature documentaries I watch), but after a little digging, I discovered the birds were actually very familiar to me. Known for building nests throughout the Chicago Skyway and atop transformers (causing them to blow) these invasive but beautiful green birds, called monk parakeets, were once only found on the far South Side of Chicago where they were said to have escaped a transport vehicle but are now being seen on the north side.

Empanadas and Alfajores

After our adventure near the river, Martina, Sherry, and I went to a little café for lunch. I spotted the most delicious empanadas and decided that was all I needed. I chose one caprese and one cebolla y queso empanada, both of which were absolutely incredible. After eating them just once, I became extremely fond of both, and unfortunately, I can’t find them easily back home.

The other treat that I consumed entirely too many of (and think about almost daily) are the alfajores. Alfajores are cornstarch-based shortbread sandwich cookies with dulce de leche in the center, dusted with coconut shavings. I constantly went to the grocery store bakery to pick them up and grabbed one whenever we were at cafés or bakeries (panaderías) every chance I got. I even tried making them myself, but failed miserably.

CeRP – Teacher Training School

The trip to CeRP was just Sherry and me, as Shawn was under the weather and Chad was visiting a performing arts school. Our host teacher, Virginia, introduced us to the principal, and we observed and spoke with two groups of students.

The first group consisted of teacher training students preparing to become Biology teachers, which is what my degree is in. It’s a pretty unique program, even by U.S. standards. We listened to their presentations about ecology research they had conducted at a lagoon near the Uruguay River. Although the students presented in Spanish, Virginia sat next to us and translated.

The first presentation was about the chemical composition of the lagoon water, and the second was about the bird populations in and around the lagoon. We only had time for two presentations, but I honestly could have stayed there the rest of the evening.

We then headed upstairs to hear from the English teacher trainees. Sherry and I gave presentations about ourselves, our schools, and where we’re from, and the students practiced their English by asking us questions. They then gave presentations about Salto and Uruguay, including an in-depth lesson on how to make mate the Uruguayan way (which I have yet to master).

The students also gave short presentations about themselves, and once again, we were able to share merienda with them, which was so nice. The students were genuinely interested in learning more about us, not just our journeys to become teachers, but also our journeys to Uruguay.

We ended the evening at another Italian restaurant called Trouville, where I had a wood-fired pizza very similar to what I get at my favorite Italian restaurant back home.

We got up Saturday morning ready for adventure. Despite the rain, we were excited for the day’s activities. First, we headed to the Salto Grande Dam, a massive hydroelectric dam on the Uruguay River. Our host teacher, Ines, wanted to take us along a more scenic route that followed the river and passed through some orange groves. However, the rain made the gravel roads a bit more treacherous than originally planned.

We stopped briefly to see a Christ the Redeemer statue—similar to the one in Rio de Janeiro, but much smaller. The rain didn’t stop the group from running out and taking pictures in front of it. We kept moving and finally made it to the dam.

We learned about the dam and how it functions before heading out on a bus tour. The Salto Grande Dam is a binational dam shared between Argentina and Uruguay that supplies 40% of Uruguay’s power and 4% of Argentina’s. On the tour, we were able to see inside the generator hall and observe the inner workings of the dam. We also stopped to look over the edge and view the river as it flows through the dam into the lake on the other side.

The tour continued across the dam to the other side near Concordia, Argentina.  Which means I technically went to Argentina too! We then headed back across the bridge to our awaiting van for the next activity.

Termas del Daymán

We refused to let the rain stop us from visiting the Daymán Hot Springs. The hot springs at Daymán look similar to a water park when you first walk in, there are pools everywhere, each with varying temperatures. Considering the rain and chill in the air, we beelined it to the nearest pool, which thankfully was the second hottest.

There was a smaller, hot tub-sized pool that was definitely pushing 110°F. While it felt relaxing at first, I quickly realized it was too hot and hopped back into the other pool. We spent a few hours at Daymán before heading back for a much-needed nap.

That evening, a few of us ventured out to a local bar called Beerhouse. I was surprised by how much U.S. music was being played, but it turns out that Uruguayan and South American music is preferred when people want to dance, which is exactly what happened when the playlist switched over at midnight.

We headed back around 1 a.m. to get some rest before another day of hot springs.

Salto is known for its thermal pools, and we were lucky enough that the stormy weather held off just long enough for us to enjoy a second day at the hot springs, this time at Termas del Arapey. Arapey was very different from Daymán. While Daymán reminded me more of a large town pool with a few places to stay, Arapey felt like an entire town and resort area, with thermal pools spread throughout.

One of our host teachers, Ines, actually grew up in Arapey. It was about an hour and a half from our hotel in Salto. When we paid at the gate to enter Arapey, we were told we were the only non-residents who had come through that day, everyone else at the pools would be residents or vacationers staying inside the resort.

When we first arrived, Ines gave us a little tour of the resort part of Arapey. We came across a very tranquil spot where the hot springs came up in a more organic, natural setting rather than in man-made pools; however, those were not for swimming. There were many different pools to choose from, including ones with slides, but considering the weather (60s and cloudy), we were on the hunt for the hottest pool.

Martina really wanted us to go to one with a slide so we could all try it, but that pool was lukewar, and we were looking to boil. We spent about two hours soaking in the mineral-rich hot water before deciding it was time to grab lunch at a nearby restaurant. Once again, the food was delicious, and I opted for a filled pasta dish.

After lunch, we did a little shopping at the gift shops, where I picked up what Martina declared as “the best dulce de leche in Uruguay.” It is, in fact, delicious.

Once we returned to the hotel, we had a quick reset before heading out again for a walk to Artigas Plaza. General José Artigas is the national hero of Uruguay, credited with leading an army to fight the Portuguese and Spanish in the struggle for Uruguay’s independence. After walking around the plaza, we returned to the hotel for a few hours before meeting in the lobby at 8 to figure out dinner plans.

Since Sherry is vegan (and considering one of Uruguay’s main exports is beef) finding vegan-friendly food could be a challenge. As we were trying to decide what to do, Martina exclaimed that two of Uruguay’s pizza sides were vegan, so we once again set out for Trouville.

We ordered a typical Uruguayan alcoholic drink (whose name I can’t remember), a half-meter of pizza; no cheese, with pineapple and artichoke for Sherry, and bacon for Martina, Shawn, and me, plus fainá and figazza. Fainá is a seasoned chickpea paste cooked in a wood-fired oven, and figazza is pizza dough topped with cooked onion and oregano.

At first, we were a little skeptical;mespecially about the fainá, since Martina’s excitement didn’t quite match the description. But wow, was she right. I was shocked at how flavorful it was. Shawn and I ended up eating a whole plate and a half. We ate it by itself but also as a pizza topping, laying the sheet of fainá over our slice of pizza.

The figazza was also delicious and reminded me a bit of garlic bread, crunchy on the outside but soft in the middle. After leaving fully satisfied, I returned to my room to do a little Instagram posting and get ready for our school visit in the morning.

Today we had the opportunity to visit two high schools, one urban and one rural. Our host teacher, Isabel, is the superintendent for both schools.

Liceo 1 IPOLL

Liceo 1 IPOLL is a large public high school in the city of Salto. We listened to a couple of student presentations and saw the giant board games they had made to bring to local retirement homes for the residents to play. We also watched gauchos perform the traditional Uruguayan dance. Later, we had the chance to present ourselves, and the students were very curious about where we lived and what life was like in the big cities.

Liceo Rural de San Antonio

Liceo Rural de San Antonio is a rural middle school in the town of San Antonio, about 30 minutes outside of Salto. When we arrived, there was a gallery walk showcasing various student projects, most with a STEM or environmental focus. We were offered mate and different treats like fried dough and crepes filled with dulce de leche. We even watched some science experiments, including a few award-winning ones. I got to speak with a student interested in majoring in Biology, with some translation help from Martina, who asked for advice and guidance on what she should do to prepare.

Casa Ambrosoni

Our last stop in San Antonio was Casa Ambrosoni. Completed in 1878 after 10 years of construction, this once beautiful mansion belonged to the Ambrosoni family, Italian immigrants. The mansion housed a grocery store on the main level and even had its own currency. Today, Casa Ambrosoni is a quaint historic hotel run by the great-granddaughter of Ambrosoni, who happens to be our host teacher Isabel’s mother-in-law.

We enjoyed a lovely lunch of asado in the main dining room before being offered a tour. The house features the second oldest elevator in the country, and the top floor, where the rooms are, has a 360° balcony. After some exploring, I found a room with an upturned bedsheet... definitely haunted. I re-entered the main room and Martina told me there was a tunnel, to which I replied, “Let’s go.” The tunnel was built so the family could escape safely to a nearby pasture in case of an uprising or battle.

The following day is a national holiday, where we will watch students from local schools swear their loyalty to the flag of Uruguay.

We loaded our van at 7 a.m. sharp. After much begging, Martina relented and agreed to make an extra stop for more exploring—but warned us this meant leaving extra early. Our destination was the UNESCO World Heritage site known as Grutas de Palacio.

This unique rock formation is believed to have been shaped by erosion over time. Pillars of hardened sandstone stand tall as the softer soil around them gradually erodes, creating a natural cave system rich in ferric (iron) oxide. As water drips from the soil roof above, new pillars are revealed while older ones eventually collapse. It’s a fascinating ongoing process of natural change.

Though all the merchandise featured carpinchos (capybaras), none were actually on the property. However, I was content to spot a nutria swimming in the pond nearby.

Even after our adventure, we were the first to arrive back at our hotel, Cala di Volpe, much to Martina’s surprise and relief. Our first dinner back was filled with excitement and storytelling as our group of 17 reunited once again.

Local Farmers Market

We started the day with a visit to a local farmers market. Just a few blocks away, a large square was bustling with vendors selling fresh produce, homemade crafts, and local goods. I wandered through the stalls, soaking in the vibrant colors and aromas, and was able to find plenty of souvenirs for family and friends. I even treated myself to a traditional mate gourd and bombilla to bring a piece of Uruguay home with me.

City Tour

Next, we boarded the van and headed to a central part of Montevideo to begin a walking tour. Our first stop was the city hall, where we rode a glass elevator up to a vantage point offering breathtaking views of the city’s skyline. As we walked, our guide pointed out stunning architecture influenced by the waves of immigrants who shaped Uruguay. The theater featured a striking mural honoring prominent filmmakers and directors, while some buildings boasted ornate gold mosaics crowning their rooftops.

One of the tour highlights was the iconic Palacio Salvo, a towering structure modeled after a lighthouse. Our guide shared that the architect drew inspiration from Dante’s Inferno, dividing the building conceptually into three parts: hell, purgatory, and heaven. Across from Palacio Salvo lies the tomb of José Artigas, Uruguay’s national hero, marked by a massive statue honoring his legacy.

As the day wound down, we hurried back to the bus, knowing our last stop would be an experience to remember.

Africanía

Our evening destination was Africanía, a vibrant cultural clubhouse in Montevideo. We were warmly welcomed by the director, Tomás Alberto Olivera Chirimini, who shared the rich history of Conjunto Bantu, a group of drummers and dancers who perform Candombe across Uruguay. The name "Bantu" honors the enslaved Africans brought to work in the Rio de la Plata region.

Tomás explained Candombe, the music created by the descendants of emancipated slaves in Uruguay, performed with three types of drums: the chico (small, marking tempo), the repique (medium, improvisation), and the piano (large, melody), along with a rare large bass drum. As soon as the drums began, I was overwhelmed with emotion, my heart pounding, eyes welling with tears, though I didn’t fully understand why at first.

The performance included three traditional dancers embodying important characters from Afro-Uruguayan history:

La Mama Vieja, the old woman, mother, and baker

El Gramillero, the herb doctor

El Escobero, the broom man and juggler

After the show, we pushed aside the chairs and joined in dancing as the drummers played and the characters moved through the space. El Gramillero took me by the hand, spinning me around with laughter and joy, and the energy in the room was electric.

When the music ended, we applauded enthusiastically and posed for a group photo. As Shawn helped Tomás off the floor, he whispered, “Never forget.” On our way out, El Gramillero surprised me by handing me his staff, telling me (in Spanish) it was a gift, to carry home and to share the history and culture of Afro-Uruguayans. I was stunned and unsure if I should accept, but Martina reassured me after speaking with Tomás. “He wants you to have it. It’s a huge honor.”

When someone asked Martina if this kind of invitation was common, she replied, “Not often. It was special. Just for you.”

That morning, five of us set out to get some permanent souvenirs. We headed to Vir Tattoo and each got a tattoo of the sun from the Uruguayan flag. It was a meaningful way to carry a piece of this experience with us forever.

In the afternoon, we took a bus tour around Montevideo, and for the first time in days, the sun was shining bright. We stopped at the iconic Montevideo sign, where we climbed up and posed for pictures, soaking in the moment. Later, we visited another local market, giving me a chance to grab some last-minute gifts.

Our final evening was spent back at La Otra. We ate, talked, laughed, and even sang, trying to out-sing a boisterous  group of men across the stairwell in another room. It was a moment of deep realization: just 17 days ago, we only knew each other’s names. Now, we were a family. A family spread across the continental U.S., the Hawaiian Islands, and this small but vibrant country of Uruguay. A family bound by differences, yet united by a shared desire to make the world a better, more connected place.

The next morning, as we loaded onto the bus for the last time and said our goodbyes to Martina, she hugged me tightly and said, “I’ll meet your son someday.” And she will, it’s only a matter of time.