Vilaró in Uruguay

In the article on Uruguay in the April ’10 issue, the author wrote, “… in planning my trip, I found useful Internet information in English to be elusive, and finding a US-based company with Uruguay-only offerings proved impossible.”

My wife and I took a spur-of-the-moment trip to Uruguay in March ’05, spending a couple of nights in Montevideo and a week in a timeshare in Punta del Este. Although speaking only broken Spanish, we had absolutely no trouble in finding our way and enjoying the many attractions of that very beautiful country. Advance planning certainly is helpful, but it is by no means necessary for a very rewarding experience.

In Punta, we visited the gallery of Carlos Páez Vilaró and bought one of his paintings, after which we were invited to visit his home/museum, Casapueblo (Punta Ballena, Maldonado, Uruguay; phone 00598 42 - 578 041, www.carlospaezvilaro.com — entry, $4), to have our purchase autographed. We were welcomed into his personal apartments and were treated as honored guests by this very distinguished artist, who, in spite of a significant language barrier, was a gracious host.

Casapueblo is a “must see” for any visitor to Uruguay; it is unlike anything you’ve ever seen.

After our visit, we discovered that Vilaró had painted extensive murals in the utility tunnels (!) at the Organization of American States (OAS) headquarters in Washington, DC. I made a special trip there to see them. Amazing that such art exists in such an obscure location! Talk about serendipity!

STEWART WINN

Williamsburg, VA