We have found that Uruguayans are respectful, friendly, and extremely proud of their country. The monument presented here is that of José Gervasio Artigas, the founding father of Uruguay, similar to George Washington in the United States of America.

The monument to José Gervasio Artigas can be found in the Plaza de Independencia, in the center of Downtown Montevideo. It is so realistic that upon first viewing it, we had to sit down to observe it. It is large but not gigantic and even though we do not view it as being attractive, we could not stop staring at it. Eventually, we got up and kept going on our way. After that first impression we've had several chances to sit down and look at it again. We are not art critics, just regular people traveling for fun. But to us, this statue is alive.

It is our understanding that it is not only a statue; it is the Mausoleum of Artigas. His remains rest under the monument. We have seen stairs on both sides leading to a subterranean hall, but the statue moves us so much we still have not found the strength to go downstairs. Perhaps on our next trip to Montevideo we will venture below and pay our respects to a great leader of his people.