CulterPaulus

What we feared it happened. After months without rain, fire is coming to my city.

This morning, Piriapolis caught fire. The fire started at 3am in "El toro" hill, but right now, at midday, the fire is out of control.
Now a big part of the city is covered with smoke. The fire has turned and coming down to the city. Fire Deparment and Air force, with 2 helicopters and a plane are fighting the fire, but still is out of control.
It is putting in risk important turism centers, many turism attractions and lots of houses in my neighbourhood.

The emergency system is working fine. But as it was said in the radio today, Fire Department Main office is alerting that if all fire points keeps in Uruguay, the department will collapse. Last days Uruguay it's been affected with fires in Salto (north of the country), Rocha (east of the country), Atlántida and Costa de oro (South of the country) and Maldonado (East of the country).
This one in Piriapolis is under investigation, because seems to be intentional.

We are alert and following the news to know what to do.

Maldonado is a departament of Uruguay, the one I live now (not the one where I was born). I want to tell about it, the same way I did with the post of Uruguay.

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De los 19 departamentos del Uruguay, Maldonado es uno de los que tiene costas en parte sobre el Río de la plata y en parte sobre el océano Atlántico. Posee un paisaje serrano, con interesantes cadenas de elevaciones que lo cruzan de norte a sur. Se destaca el cerro Catedral. Muchas de estas elevaciones marcan el paisaje de balnearios del departamento.
Pero no todo es serranía en el departamento. Hay un gran abanico de opciones para turistas de todos los gustos. Sus playas son de las que más gente atrae todos los veranos. Paseos al aire libre y gran cantidad de espectáculos se realizan en sus principales ciudades, como Punta del Este (referente en América latina) y Piriápolis. Todo esto, junto al marco histórico del lugar, punto estratégico en viejas luchas, la amabilidad de la gente que lo habita, y los paisajes interminables, conforman un departamento lleno de atractivos para visitar en el Uruguay.

About Maldonado (eng)
Of the 19 departments of Uruguay, Maldonado is one of those that has costs partly on the River Plate and partly on the Atlantic ocean. It possesses a "mountain" landscape, with interesting chains of elevations that cross it from north to south (There are not really mountains in Uruguay, just elevations that never raise more than 550mts). One of the more important is the Cathedral hill. Many of these elevations mark the landscape of important cities of the department.
But not everything is elevations in the department. There is a great list of options for all kind of tourists. Beaches are of those that more people attract every summer. Tours outdoors and great quantity of shows are carried out in its main cities, as Punta del Este (a reference in Latin America) and Piriápolis. All this, plus to the historical frame of the place, strategic point in old fights, people's kindness that inhabits it, and the endless landscapes, conform a department fulled with attractiveness to visit in Uruguay.

El 8 y 9 de este mes se realizó la etapa de automovilismo en Piriápolis. Se corrieron las fórmulas Chevrolet, VEE, Superescarabajo, Turismo libre y Super-turismo, además de una interesante exibición de autos clásicos, pertenecientes al CUAS (Club Uruguayo de Autos Sport).

La jornada del domingo, día en que se realizaron las carreras, la emoción y el vértigo alimentaron la adrenalina de los miles y miles de visitantes que llegaron a la ciudad, como todos los años.

El circuito callejero de la ciudad de Piriápolis es uno de los eventos que más gente reúne en un mismo fin de semana. Está trazado en pleno centro de la ciudad, y su recta principal recorre la rambla, junto al mar, pasando frente al Hotel Argentino, uno de los símbolos de Piriápolis.

Este domingo presencié las carreras desde el inicio. Si bien el día comenzó amenazador, tormentoso, a media mañana se despejó el cielo y nos acompañó un sol radiante. Esto hizo del circuito un factor adicional para disfrutarlo. Pero realmente, lo que alimentó la emoción fue la cantidad de gente que nos acompañaba, junto a la impresionante cantidad de autos que se sumaron a las carreras.

El circuito de Piriápolis se considera de los más emocionantes del país.

Races at Piriapolis.
On 8 and 9 of this month was the stage of car races in Piriápolis. Formulas Chevrolet, VEE, Superescarabajo, Tourism and Super-tourism ran, in addition to an interesting exhibition of classic cars, belonging to the CAUS (Uruguayan Sport Cars Club ).

This Sunday, the main day of the races, the excitement and adrenaline fueled the vertigo of the thousands and thousands of visitors who came to the city, like every year.

The street circuit of the city of Piriápolis is one of the events that most people joins at a weekend. The track is in the centre of the city and its main straight down the Rambla de los Argentinos, along the sea, passing in front of the Hotel Argentino, one of the symbols of Piriápolis.

This Sunday I was at the races from the start. While the day began threatening, stormy, at mid-morning the skies cleared up and accompanied us a radiant sun. This was an additional factor of the circuit to enjoy it. But really, what fueled the excitement was the amount of people who accompanied us, along with the impressive number of cars that joined the races.

The circuit of Piriápolis is considered the most exciting of the country.

Last night I went to the festival of the end of courses of public High School in my city. I don't teach there, but many students, friends of mine, invited me, so I went with my family and some friends.

It was fantastic. Lots of hours of typical dances and performances! I forgot the camera, so I had to use my mobile phone to take some photos... So here I will post some of them!


This is a typical dance of our folcklore. Dancers are wearing typical clothes.


The time for Flamenco, spanish dance. I love Flamenco and I'd like my daughter could learn to dance it when she grow up. She likes to dance!


Other typical dance of our folcklore. It's called "Pericón" and it's a partners dance. Men are called "gauchos" in the countryside, and women are called "chinas". This is a dance that represents countryside life style, and it's too long to dance. There are many "sections" and the music is based in guitars. There are funny parts, when the gauchos want to conquest the chinas, and many times they are rejected. It's something nice to listen to. When I was a boy, I danced this in school. It's a great thing, specially because it keeps in mind our identity and folcklore. Once I will try to explain more of our culture.

As you see, photos are not very good. But is the best I could do, I lament to forget the camera.
Next week it will be the Festival of the school where I teach, so I will be there and try to give you my impressions!

Greetings for everyone!

This weekend I recived my cousin. Sunday was perfect for a beach day. It was excellent!
We took some photos and you can find them in this address:
http://my.opera.com/pbuydid/albums/show.dml?id=393411

She lives in Montevideo, 100km from here. We always felt like friends, I have great memories from our childhood. So, everytime we met, we feed that friendship, and feel like children again. Life has many ways, and time gets too long, but it's good to keep alive every special friendship like this one we have.