Uruguay is a small country sandwiched between Argentina and Brazil, and is South America's banking haven. The main industries are agriculture and tourism. It was founded by Spaniards, but many immigrants (principally Italians) have put their stamp on the city. In my local supermarket I find real German bread, natural "Manita" peanut butter (no hydrogenized fat), goat cheese, pesto sauce, hot chili peppers, and every day fresh celery. I buy real salsa and low-salt totopos in a Mexican restaurant, a resident north American taught me how to curdle (sour) heavy cream, and voilá – TexMex cuisine with a bottle of Corona Extra in my own home! Then there is Radio Classica AM 650 with 24 hours a day of classical music, and there is even a small baroque music scene with recorders. The city is relatively peaceful, separation of church and state is anchored in the constitution, and the police presence is professional and normal, usually without machine guns. The climate is mild year-round (see data at weather.com), you hardly notice the warmer days thanks to the trees and parks everywhere, and there is no smog, nor any pronounced rainy or dry season. Uruguay has one of the highest quality ground water tables in the world, and you can safely drink the tap water or even make good tea with it. ATMs here dispense either dollars or Uruguayan pesos, merchants accept dollars as a matter of course, and customer service is good in the stores. The prices for property, rent and food, given comparable location, are about half to two thirds of those in the US. Appliances and most electronics cost about the same. To buy and operate a car is more expensive than in the US. The rules for acquiring a residence/work permit here are clear and easy to comply with. The permit gives you access to the public health care system, or you can buy into a private system for as little as $60 per month. According to a UN index, Uruguay has the lowest level of corruption in South America. According to the Quality of Life index of 2009 of the magazine International Living Uruguay shares in over-all ranking 11th place with Sweden, Holland, and Canada, is ahead of England and Spain, and is FIRST in Latin America. If you have the national ID card ("cedula") and a certificate of good conduct from the local police, and complete a short training course, you're allowed to purchase firearms including handguns and keep them in your house or in your car. In short, Uruguay is a hospitable place to visit or in which to live.

For cyclists: The roads here are excellent with paved or good berms, the rolling hills can be a challenge against headwinds, and the drivers aren't nearly as agressive as those in the neighboring countries. In addition, there is an endless network of well-maintained dirt roads.

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