“A marketing genius.”

Buying in Garzon isn’t cheap. It will never be featured in a story about real estate bargains in Uruguay. It is not for those looking to pinch a peso or two. It is pure chic and is being considered the real estate hot spot in Uruguay. Mr. Summers and his wife came to Uruguay thanks to their great friend—the master chef—Francis Mallmann, who is half Argentinean and half Uruguayan. Mallman is a world-renowned culinary figure. He has won the award for Medaille d’Or de Gastronomie in Paris and is what Jose-Ignacio-based realtor Ignacio Ruibal calls “a marketing genius.” According to Ruibal, “[Mallman] could sell you a rack of lamb that costs your salary, like he was selling a frying pan door to door.” Diligent, detailed, and quality-based, Mallman is said to be charming and committed to excellence—in and out of the kitchen. He is evidently a real estate visionary as well. In the late 70’s he opened up Jose Ignacio. When that became too crowded he started looking for new pastures. He bought some properties near to Jose Ignacio, in the unknown inland town of Pueblo Garzon. While the town once had a population of around 2,000 people, when the railways went bankrupt in the ‘70s everyone—but a few—left. Mallman took a risk and opened a hotel and elegant restaurant, which he named simply, Hotel Garzon. In 2002 he started showing friends, like Martin Summers, the small abandoned town as a potential real estate investment.

Whether it was the charm of Mallman, or the charm of Garzon, his friends fell in love with the place. Three years ago the Summers bought some land near the hotel and built the house that The New York Times featured. The couple is delighted that they did, because they love their new home. They also now own property in one of Uruguay’s most coveted locations.

It helps to have neighbors like the Hotel El Garzón.

A luxury hotel and restaurant, Hotel Pueblo Garzón commands a whopping US$660 per night. The rate includes four meals a day. The Hotel Pueblo Garzón is remote, exclusive, and pricey. Consequently it, and its owner, do not attract the run-of-the-mill tourist. No, they attract those who can buy a rack of lamb that cost another man’s salary. Located in the town of Garzon, 20 minutes from Jose Ignacio, the hotel has been featured in publications as esteemed as The Wall Street Journal. In the article Mallmann describes Garzon as a “ghost town.” It lies 30 minutes from the beach, it has no shopping, nothing, ni nada. Those who love it, stay, like he did. They fall in love with the little quaint town, and they set-up camp in the silence. Instead of running back to Punta, they eat good meals in the good company of cousins of queens, sisters of dukes, educated people, beautiful people. People like Martin Summers, brought to the middle of nowhere, thanks to the vision of one man; people who can’t believe that a place like Garzon exists still.

Whether or not guests stay year-round or just come to dine for the night, it goes without saying that Francis Mallmann, single-handedly, has transformed what was a gastronomic wilderness into a region full of excellent restaurants. The chefs at the nine best restaurants around Jose Ignacio were all trained by Mallman.

But for residents like Mr. Summers, it isn’t just the world-class food, or the modern architecture that keeps him coming back to Maldonado. It is also Uruguay. “I find the Uruguayans are warm people,” he wrote me. “Uruguay was for a long time a well-kept secret. Now everybody is talking about it. For those who need sophisticated banking services, it is the Switzerland of South America.”  He noted that there seems to be a misconception that visiting Uruguay is only worth it in January (during the high season the Uruguayan population of 3 million rises to about 10 million!). He thinks, as I do, that nothing could be more wrong. He has been in Pueblo Garzon during every month of the year and thinks it is wonderful in all weather. He ended saying, “people are starting to invest heavily in Uruguay and I think they are right to do so.” We agree!

Read more about Hotel Garzon in the Wall Street Journal here, or the entire New York Times article about Mr. Summers’ home in Garzon, here.

You can buy dry ingredients at the ferias too, but only in small packages. All the Uruguayan supermarkets stock flours, grains, seeds, beans, nuts, lentils, noodles, dried fruits, and spices. And in the Atlantida area, where we live, there are even a couple of smaller stores that specialize in carrying greater quantities of these items.

While we do purchase some of our supplies locally, every couple of months we make a trip to Montevideo to buy dry ingredients in bulk from some warehouse-like operations with retail access. Our two favorites are near each other on Avenida Batlle y Ordones—El Granero (The Granary) and Niters. Recently we went to El Granero. Here’s a look at what we bought and what we paid for some items.

Some of the produce sold at El Granero comes in small packages; however, most are sold in quantities from a half kilo through to ten kilos. We generally buy half kilo or kilo bags. On this visit, we bought one kilo each of rye flour, wheat germ, corn flour, cornstarch, flaxseed flour, and rolled oats; plus, a five-kilo bag of whole-wheat kernels. We also bought one-kilo units of unsalted sunflower seeds, unsalted peanuts, and salted peanuts. It’s amazing how many times I’ve heard or read questions about whether items such as some of these are available in Uruguay.

Staples for this trip also included brown Japanese rice, butter beans, garbanzo beans, and a type of fine lentils known locally as Lenteja Canadiense, although I’m sure they did not come from Canada.

We bought shredded coconut, granola, and jars of honey, all in the one-kilo size, and a half kilo only of wonderfully flavorful dried apricots.

We also replenished supplies of herbs, spices, and seasonings, buying half kilo lots of dried mint, dried basil, curry, cumin, cinnamon, a fine Spanish paprika, salt without fluoride, and icing sugar.

So how much money can you save? Well let’s look at a few items. The rolled oats cost 36 pesos (currently US$1 = 20.95 Uruguayan pesos) for a kilo. The largest size available at our local Tienda Inglesa sells for 28 pesos for 400g, which works out to 71.25 pesos per kilo. We paid basically half the price. The butter beans at El Granero were 50 pesos for the kilo bag and cost exactly the same for half that amount at the supermarket. The peanuts were interesting. We bought the unsalted ones at 66 pesos per kilo and the salted ones at 76 pesos per kilo. (Who knew that a little salt was worth 10 pesos?) At our local feria, both types of peanuts sell, from open-air bulk bins, for 18 pesos per 100 grams, or at a special price of 30 pesos for 250 grams. Even at the special rate, that’s 120 pesos a kilo. The luxurious half kilo of dried apricots cost 126 pesos at El Granero, 140 at the feria, and 177 at the supermarket. Suffice it to say that every item we bought at El Granero represented a savings.

Furthermore, everything is thoroughly clean and well packaged in thick, sealed plastic bags, which ensure freshness. We’ll be back in Montevideo for another one of these shopping trips in a couple of months. How can we resist with such a good selection of fresh products at the best prices?

The magnificent sculptures were created by artists like Giovanni del Vecchio de Morelli and José Livi; those owned by the Sriling family and by General Francia are the most outstanding. This kind of expression does not exist anywhere else. When touring around the venue, you can appreciate the Carrara marble angels, saints, and lions surrounded by burial niches and tombs.

The chapel was built in 1859 by Francisco Poncini. Its simplicity is reminiscent of the rural areas of the country. The remains of philanthropists, scientists, ranchers, and teachers who forged Paysandú rest in this site. There are also the sepulchers of the fallen in the Paysandú defense battles during the siege and defeat of the city by General Flores’ troops and the Brazilians in the famous “Liberating Crusade” that took place during December 1864 and January 1865.

The details on the tombs of controversial characters that lived in Paysandú give evidence of some signs of freemasonry. As expected, signs of Catholicism are also seen all over the premises. Bronze and marble masterpieces immortalize the glorious and prosperous past of Paysandú.

For example, our housekeeper told us once, “There is nothing nicer in the world than eating at home together as a family.” This statement speaks volumes about the traditional values of Uruguay. When I thought about it, I realized that it is rare to see someone snacking on the bus, grabbing a packet of chips to eat on the way to work. In Uruguay, we wait to eat at home. Although the silver trailers selling hamburgers and italian sausage would beg to differ, on the whole, there is very little snacking that goes on.

And why would I appreciate that? Well, in the U.S., the daily average number of calories consumed in snacks has risen at an overwhelming rate. In the 1970’s, Americans consumed about 200 calories in out-of-mealtime snacks. Now, in 2010, that number of daily calories has risen to almost 700. There are no rules about when and where a person can eat. Restaurants and drive-ins are open 24 hours a day and people are inundated with advertisements about single serving pre-packaged junk. Family time and sensible eating habits have all but evaporated in North America

Now let’s not say that junk doesn’t exist here in Uruguay. The “torta frita” could be thought of as the epitome of junk food, and indeed it is marketed by well-meaning grandmothers and aunties as the panacea for rain. “Oh dear, it is raining and you can’t go outside. How about a chunk of bread dough fried in lard and sprinkled with sugar to make you feel better?” Churros are miniature examples of hardening arteries. They are also deep fried dough, crunchy on the outside and sticky, sweet, and slow-moving on the inside.

Yes, there is junk food in Uruguay but it exists with less, what can we say, aggression. There is not the constant bombardment of advertisements, there are fewer flashing lights, and less marketing dollars spent on trying to find a way to get us to buy and to eat the newest fad. In the supermarket, you may find a whole aisle devoted to yerba mate but there is never a whole aisle devoted to different types of potato chip snacks like you’d see in the U.S.

I think about a recent trip to a drugstore in the U.S. I anticipated just buying a few headache tablets, but in the process, I had to walk past the snack foods, breakfast items, milk, frozen novelties, electronics, toys, school supplies, and cosmetics. Here in Montevideo, other than a few candies or chewing gum at the counter, I can walk right in, speak with the druggist and purchase what I want without the temptation of so many trinkets and diet-breakers. More is not better. I like the simple things.

Very important in the purchasing process is legal counsel. You will want professional advice to ensure that you obtain a clean title. A legal expert will perform due diligence on a property’s deed, and walk you through the ownership options.

Like with banking in Uruguay, there is no differential treatment, restrictions, or impediments for foreign buyers of property. You can buy your property as an individual, a company or corporation, or as an individual through a fully owned corporation.

According to Juan Fischer, of Fischer and Schickendantz, transaction costs associated with buying are approximately 8% in Uruguay, which is broken down as follows:

• Real estate agent fee: 3% plus 22% VAT= 3.66%,
• Notary public’s fee: 3% plus VAT =  3.66%,
• Deed registration stamp duties (“montepios”) is 0.55%,
• Registry and tax certificates stamp duties: US$200 on average,
• Property transfer tax works out at 2% of the fiscal value of the property (which is usually substantially lower than the market value).

In 2009 we posted an article with how to finance a home; here’s some updated options for you, when considering a property purchase in Uruguay:

Seller financing: Usually short-term (less than two years). Interest rate is usually approximately 8%

Mortgage with a Uruguayan bank: It’s difficult to get a mortgage with a bank in Uruguay, and if you do negotiate one, the terms probably won’t be great. One example I found is: Up to 10 years, up to 50% of the property’s value, 9% interest rate, and income proof required. While this is a possible option, Ola doesn’t recommend you take this route unless you have exhausted all other options.

Mortgage with your bank back home: If you own property in you home country, you can use it as leverage and organize a loan with your home bank. You will likely negotiate a much better deal than with any Uruguayan bank. Before remortgaging a property of yours, be sure to contact an expert in remortgaging and equity release. You will want to be sure you understand the costs and returns of this option.

Using savings: If you have enough savings to buy a property outright, you may be able to finagle the purchase price down. Sometimes a large withdrawal can trigger a penalty, so wiring the money from your home account to a Uruguayan bank could be an option. In the case of transferring money to/from a foreign country, you will want to research the best exchange rate possible.

Developer financing: If you are considering buying a property in a planned community, many developers provide financing on the properties they sell. Deals are dependent on the developer, but they’ll typically offer up to 80% of the price of a property, but with a rate that could be higher than you get with your bank back home, so it’s always best to shop around for the best rate.

Sugar Loaf Ocean Club & Spa in Piriapolis asks that the buyer pays 30% down. The first two years are interest free. If you pay the total off in 24 months, you pay no interest at all. During the last three years, interest does apply. However, even with interests on the last 36 months, when averaged over five years, it is only 4.2% annualized interests.

Off-plan purchasing: When you buy a property off the plans, before the building begins, you will pay a deposit to secure your purchase, then make a number of pre-determined payments at different stages of the building process. This is only a short-term method of financing as you’ll need to come up with the capital at each stage of construction, which normally lasts around a year. Be sure to work with a project manager who is good with budgets, as you will want to plan your payments appropriately throughout the building process.

Purchasing your property through your IRA: You can purchase property in Uruguay through your IRA, but only as an investment. You will not be allowed to reside in the property either short term or long term, nor can you use it as an office. You can sell the property (not to a family member) and the proceeds will remain in your IRA account, and can be used to make another property purchase if you wish. Once you reach retirement age you can use the property. To proceed with this option, you’ll have to hire the services of an IRA custodian who will make the purchase and hold the title to the property. For more about finding an IRA custodian, see http://www.iravestor.org.

Again as with most expat financial affairs, we recommend that you hire the help of good legal counsel. Fischer & Schickendantz have a variety of specialized work areas, one of which is assisting foreign nationals in structuring property purchases. They will help you understand Uruguay’s estate laws. They structure and advise in acquisitions throughout Uruguay: dwelling and commercial real estate alike. From condominiums in Colonia to undeveloped beachfront in Rocha, to farmland in the north of the country. They are also one of the few firms in Uruguay authorized to issue title opinions by First American Title Insurance Corp, which is the world’s largest title insurer.

I started a new job in the U.S. mid-Cup and had to ask for two (very) extended lunches to watch the matches. Had I been in Uruguay, I would have assumed that I could watch the game at work, or in my house. Asking permission would not have been necessary. In the U.S. it was.

For Uruguay’s game against Ghana, I found a coffeehouse near to my work known for its year-round commitment to showing soccer matches. Surely I, a lone supporter of Uruguay, would find another lone supporter? Wrong. The entire place was for Ghana. Entirely and wholly, as if each of them were on furlough from the tiny African nation. It had the story behind it, whereas Uruguay was being considered lucky in defending itself to victory. But then:

A handball to end all handballs.

A penalty kick that should have ended it, but didn’t.

A smugly chipped goal that brought one small nation glorious victory, leaving another wrecked with defeat. This was soccer: agony and elation intertwined; two nations forever connected for the two hours they once spent together on a field in South Africa.

The game was described as one of the best of the Cup (if not the most controversial). In 120 minutes Uruguay put itself on the map. Joe Posnanski of ESPN wrote the next day that South Africa was abuzz about it. “Nothing about the ending felt right, exactly. A goal stopped with a hand. Missed penalty kicks deciding a classic game like this. Ghana losing a game it rightfully won. But even if it didn’t feel right, it did feel remarkable and emotional. There’s no perfect way to end a soccer match like this. There is, however, an unforgettable way.”

The buzz was palpable. All over the web, all over the world, people were chiming in. Each second hundreds of people were Twittering about Uruguay. ESPN couldn’t get enough of debating the game, and I couldn’t get enough of ESPN. I couldn’t stop reading it, or talking about the game, the country, the justice of sacrifice. Every new person was a new outlet of my joy, or my wrath.

I was often asked who I would root for if the U.S. were to have played Uruguay. “Easy, Uruguay.” And they did, to the nation’s delight.

I was in Montevideo for the first two World Cup games and got to experience a taste of what it was like to shut down a city for soccer. However, if I regret anything, it is leaving Uruguay in the middle of the competition—for being in a cafe in Seattle and not in Montevideo, to watch Uruguay win over Ghana, lose against Holland, and then battle Germany to the end. I regret living through my friends’ photos on facebook and excited texts. I wished more than anything to be on 18 de Julio, the main street in Montevideo’s downtown, full of fellow fans, cheering for the team that made its nation exceedingly proud. Instead I walked back to work alone… For the first time since arriving in the U.S., I felt very far from home.

More than a fan exiled from the celebration, I felt like an expatriate in my own homeland.

SB – Hello Juma. Can you tell us a bit about yourself? How old are you? Where were you born and raised? And what’s your family background?

JF – I am twenty-eight. I was born in Montevideo, was moved to Canada for a year, then back to Montevideo where I spent my childhood until I was eighteen. At that time I moved to Canada again and spent four years there. In 2004, I moved back to Uruguay and I’ve been living here since.

I come from a working class home, where the arts were given an important place. My father is a retired plumber with a vast knowledge and interest in history and politics, and my mother had many jobs, yet always flirted with theater, painting, music, art restoration, etc. So those things were always part of our conversations at dinner, and my interest in them was always stimulated.

SB – How did you become interested in filmmaking?

JF – I come from the visual arts. When I was a kid I was good at drawing and I did it all the time. Perhaps it’s different now, but in the ‘80s and ‘90s in Uruguay, if you had a visual arts sensibility the obvious career choice was architecture, so that’s what I thought I wanted to do.

Then I got into the world of comics! What appealed to me was the association between drawings and narrative. But I needed something more; I needed music and acting, so I became interested in animation. Then, because I thought it could add something to my training in animation, I applied for a one-year scholarship in a little film school that offered a basic course in video and film. That’s when I finally understood that movies were made by people and that making movies was something I could do. After that it was all about cinema.

Yet, the love of film was always there. It was in naïve pictures of film sets (with the director, the lights, the cameramen; the whole deal!) that I’d draw when I was five or six years old. It was in the joy with which I’d catch every behind-the-scenes show (rare in those days) that would run on TV. It was nurtured on my grandfather’s lap where I would sit for hours watching one Saturday afternoon movie after another.

SB – I saw your first film. Can you tell us about it?

JF - The film you saw was not my first film; it was my fifth short film. I made my first film in Canada when I was 19 and it was called Nathan’s Muse.

The one you saw is called Los Señalados de Dios (God’s Branded Ones) and it’s an adaptation/fusion of two short stories by Horacio Quiroga (one of Uruguay’s greatest fiction writers). It tells the story of a man who, after being bitten by the deadly yarará snake, sails on his boat looking for help, until he is rescued by the Alves family—a family torn apart by disease and deep-running grudges, that will reveal for him the tragedy of its progeny.

It cost about US$1,500. It was shown in festivals in Uruguay, Colombia, Brazil, Cuba, Belgium, and Italy. It won best actor for Sergio Gorfain in Florianopolis Audiovisual Mercosul (Brasil), best production in Montevideo’s Fantastic and Horror Film Festival, and it spent one week among Corto Web’s online film contest’s top ten, through the audience vote.

SB – Your new film is called Splendorous Garden Of The Heart. Can you tell us about the inspiration for this film and give a brief synopsis?

JF – It sprang from the desire to make a movie that could be shot and edited quickly and for no money and that would, in the end, leave me with a feature film under my belt without having to go through the whole process of looking for funds and sitting around waiting for some jury in Europe to give us their blessing (blessing meaning money in this case).

With this movie I’m trying to dig into and expose part of what happens in my subconscious as a young man facing imminent fatherhood—the fears, the anxieties, the worst case scenarios—and turn it into a nightmarish story of a rich and handsome advertising executive whose perfect life begins to fall apart when he comes into contact with a homeless woman who provides him with a powerful hallucinogenic beverage. Things become worse when he kidnaps and takes home the woman’s son, the horrible creature who produced the key element for this beverage. It is a romance picture that gradually becomes a horror picture.

SB – How’s the production going and when will it be completed?

JF – We began shooting on June 12^th and we want to have it all finished by the end of October, just in time for Halloween.

SB – What do you do with it then?

JF – It’ll be touring festivals for a while and hopefully will be in theaters in 2011.

SB – Tell us about the film industry in Uruguay.

JF – Nowadays getting into the business means borrowing a camera and shooting. Boom! You’re a filmmaker. Now, the trick is making a living as a filmmaker. I don’t know how difficult it is, I’ll tell you in a few months. I don’t know if any Uruguayan filmmaker can say he earns his bread exclusively by making movies.

The industry has been growing in quantity and quality, and fortunately, lately, in variety. The future looks promising. I feared our cinema was beginning to repeat and imitate itself, but fortunately that seems to be changing; there are many films scheduled for release that are different styles and genres, different visions.

SB – What do you see as your future as a filmmaker?

JF – I’m trying, I’m learning not to be concerned too much. It’s a waste of energy. Filmmaking can be grueling and destructive if you don’t enjoy every minute of your present.

SB – Thank you, Juma. Good luck with the rest of the work and we look forward to seeing the finished film.

Although we are not usually huge ”futbol” fans, we were excited about going to Montevideo to share with our new country this grand event of welcoming home the Uruguayan team. For 4.5 hours the bus of players slowly made its way along a route that usually takes about 20 mins. Because we came early, we decided to return to an area close to the starting point and drove along parallel to the route until we saw a substantial gathering of people. Easy. We ended up in Carrasco, just outside Montevideo, along with Uruguayans of all ages dressed in and bearing countless national flags. It was a sea of celeste. What schools did not close for the day brought kids to the event. Uruguay has not been in the top four of the World Cup since 1970. They last won in 1950, and before that, 1930. This was an event for generations to enjoy—and they did. Singing, fireworks, banners, music, bands, balloons…and people and people and people. So proud.

There we banners saying “Gracias”—thank you for helping us find our voices; thank you for the pride we feel; thank you for playing with all of your hearts; thank you for your courage. Planes flew above also bearing such messages, as children held homemade banners. When the bus finally arrived, people had waited hours together for what would pass in a matter of minutes. The decorated bus slowly crept through the crowd, no bands or accessories, just what was important. The people had come to see their boys. As it parted the crowd, the people pulsed and surged with enthusiasm, taking photos of the players, while they also took pictures and movies of their own, on a day I am sure they will never forget. Even those fleeting moments satisfied the masses, as the surge followed the bus for a while and then dispersed. Perhaps families were regrouping and ready to move to the next festival point. Many made their way into the capital, to the palace, where the celebrations continued in earnest. They continue as I write, in bed, hours later.

I know the world over there are teams with fans. Some more avid than others. We have all seen them on TV dipped in body paint; even some games are followed by stampedes or violence. Today I was simply struck by the sincerity of the Uruguayan people. Their boys, their people, their country may as well have won at the Copa del Mundo. To me, there is no doubt, living with such fraternity and pride, they are all “winners”.

“World Cup: Five lessons England can learn from Uruguay?”

“World Cup stunner as Uruguay wins on penalty kicks”

“The Greatest of the World Cup’s Greats?”

More than journalists calling Uruguay the biggest surprise of the World Cup; more than the enlivening/enraging handball from Luis Suarez at the 120-minute of the match against Ghana, what caught my expatriate eye was a Vanity Fair article entitled Uruguay: The Only Civilized Latin Americans. It was written by a Peruvian novelist who has spent the last month in Montevideo.

While it may be bold to call Uruguayans the only civilized Latin Americans, I couldn’t help but agree with Santiago Roncagliolo’s reasoning. I am of course 100% biased. I love Uruguay.

Writing for Ola has given me a lot of opportunities to reflect upon my time as an expatriate living in Montevideo. But it isn’t often that I identify with other accounts about the country I have come to call my second home. Roncagliolo’s insights were an affirmation to what I strive to convey each week: Uruguay is a favorable option for foreign investment, and a wonderful place to call home.

Uruguay was the first Latin American democracy, and the first country to let women vote. Conflicts are solved by referendum, and Uruguayan politics generally lack the renowned drama of Argentina. As a people, Uruguayans tend to be modest, they are not usually boastful. They are known for being friendly, family-oriented, and conservatively ambitious. They wait for results. They, like their soccer team, are workmen. Their cautious culture is one that careful investors can appreciate (as well the nation’s secure banking laws, ones that view foreign and national investors as equal). Socio-economically Uruguay is also very notable: it has high national literacy rates, a large urban middle class, and relatively even income distribution. Compared to other Latin American nations, the standard of living is high. You can drink the water from the tap, ride the bus comfortably to and from Montevideo; catch an opera performance at Teatro Solis, a cappuccino at SOA art gallery, and take a long walk along the rambla. You can buy your fruits and vegetables at a famer’s market almost every day of the week. These and perhaps the presence of the widest river in the world, lend for social calm that I love.

Politically, Uruguay is also solid. According to the US State Department, “Uruguay is a strong advocate of constitutional democracy, political pluralism, and individual liberties.” It shares with the US “a common outlook and emphasis on democratic ideals.” Uruguay also has “strong political and cultural links” to Europe, especially Spain. In international affairs, Uruguay is guided by the principles of non-intervention, multilateralism, and respect for national sovereignty. The country often presides over international bodies thanks to its well-trained professional diplomatic corps and  the nation’s general political neutrality. Domestically, governing bodies rely on the rule of law to settle disputes. The last point lends for a stability that benefits export markets as well as foreign investments, and dare I say is quite civilized. Uruguay’s low drama is yielding high results, on and off the soccer field.

According to the 2009 Governance Barometer, which assesses perceptions and prospects of 21 countries of Latin America and Ibero-America, Uruguayans are among the most positive minded in the region. When asked about presidential performance and an adequate management of political stability, 48% of the populace surveyed said Uruguayan president Jose Mujica was acting in a “good” way and 61% supported his performance so far. This internal optimism breeds external confidence. Real estate investments abound in Montevideo, Piriapolis, and Rocha. Argentines, despite having arguably the best topsoil in the world, are flooding to Uruguay looking for a safe place for their money. Just this week the Uruguayan newspaper El Observador featured a story about Punta del Este’s experiencing an uncommon rise in year-round expat residents, which is supplementing the city’s strong summer economy with perennial cash-flow.

While cost of living is not the cheapest in Latin America, what Uruguay affords is a great quality of life. Don’t take my word for it, according to Mercer Human Resource Consulting’s Quality of Living Ranking of 215 cities taking New York as reference, with 100 points, Montevideo was chosen as the best city to live in Latin America! With sound physical and social infrastructure, a temperate climate, and favorable banking laws, Uruguay is becoming a go-to destination for investors and retirees alike.

It is hard to say whether Uruguay is the most civilized of Latin American countries, but without a doubt, expats like myself and Mr. Roncagliolo are moving to Uruguay because it is a place unlike any other. And their winning soccer team is the icing on the cake!

Read the full Vanity Fair article, Uruguay: The Only Civilized Latin Americans, here.

First, there was the send off: President Jose Mujica hosted the team for a farewell dinner and presented them with a gift of a hand painted soccer ball made by the artist, Pablo Villaro. One would recognize his work from his picturesque hotel and museum at Punta Ballena on the coast between Piriapolis and Punta Del Este. A heart-felt gift.

Next, Mujica gave a pep talk, and although he had expressed interest in travelling with the team, his health would not allow it. The news had reported that the 13 years he had spent incarcerated under the dictatorship’s reign had been detrimental to his health. He bid them adieu as the team boarded a charter flight for South Africa.

One must remember that, in the last 10 World Cups, Uruguay has qualified in only five, and moved past the second round only once, in 1970. They arrived at the tournament as the underdogs but through their success in their opening round group and then again, against South Korea and Ghana, the team’s popularity has soared.

The Uruguayans became the darlings of the tournament. Then Luis Suarez in an obviously intentful manner, blocked the ball with his hand in the last second of the overtime game against Ghana. While many condemned him, others welcomed his kamikaze action as the ultimate in self-sacrifice. Although the red card he received for his actions prevented him from playing in the semi-final against Holland, his actions gave the team a chance to qualify for the semi-final game. Without him, the team would have been expulsed. All of Latin America and much of world were rooting for the underdog.

Indeed, in the game against Holland, Suarez’ absence, along with double yellow carded Jorge Fucili and that of injured teammate, Diego Lugano, were clearly evident, yet the players fused into a unified presence and dominated much of the game. The team’s defeat was mitigated by the spectacular teamwork demonstrated by the players. Well-wishers who gathered on 18 de Julio Street in Montevideo, celebrated the game despite Uruguay’s loss because of the dignity and sportsmanship of the players. “They played so well,” was the most common comment.

The strong national team has restored Uruguay’s pride and put the tiny country back on the map. Uruguay may be a mouse in terms of its size, but we are able to roar. Even those who are not soccer fans will take time out of their schedules to welcome the returning team this week when they arrive home.