Caminar en Tres Cruces

Well, here I am in Montevideo. I arrived this morning after a long and none-too-restful overnight flight. It's cold here, around 45 degrees F, and cloudy. The city looks run-down, but has quite charming architecture, many stucco houses with red, round-tiled roofs. I learned that part of the Miami Vice movie was filmed here, in place of Havana. Muy interesante. After a fair amount of confusion with my driver (the language barrier is still pretty high), I am now waiting at Tres Cruces bus station to meet my couch host later this evening. I have successfully ordered a coffee, although it was not exactly what I was expecting (still tasty). I'm not sure how to get my bill, and I really hope they take credit cards because I haven't found an ATM yet. Once I manage to pay for my coffee, I'll be on the hunt for pesos, a map, and perhaps a cell phone. I've found that I have a much harder time understanding spoken Spanish than in getting across what I want to say. Luckily it is only the first day and I have a lot of practice ahead of me. I am definitely a little frazzled by my new surroundings, but I'm sure I will adjust with time. It certainly is a change of pace and scenery...