Labor Day in Uruguay

Yesterday (May 1, 2009) was Primero de Mayo in Uruguay.

Labor Day!

Little did I know.

Labor Day in Uruguay is a major, major holiday. I was here Easter. Most stores were closed. But the Internet places and quite a few restaurants were open.

But on May 1 the city shuts down. People in Uruguay just plain do not labor on labor day! Holidays in Latin America are times to spend with family and friends.

I had an appointment to meet a friend at 2 p.m. I waited at the bus stop on a strangely deserted street, wondering where all the buses were.

A young woman noticed me and asked in spanish , "You aren´t waiting for the bus, are you?"

"Yes," I said.

"There´s no bus today. It is necessary to find a taxi."

Well let me assure you that there were no taxis either. To be more accurate, I did find a few taxis. They were all parked in the parking lot at the city square with no driver in sight. Obviously the taxi drivers had also joined the festivities.

I called my friend to tell him I was stranded in Centro. Since he too is a transplant to Uruguay, he had forgotten it was Primero de Mayo.

When you join us down here in Latin America, I suggest that you pick up a calendar early and note the holidays. It might save you some unwelcome surprises AND some broken appointments.

In spite of the inconvenience of being able to accomplish absolutely nothing on a holiday, I like the fact that people in this part of the world have their priorities in place in many ways and business and money are not necessarily at the top of their list.

©Arlean Kelley 05/01/2009 All rights reserved.

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