Maps - safety
| "Uruguay Is The Least Violent Country In Latin America" (investba.com/2012/05/uruguay-safest-country-in-latin-america/) Everytime I read or hear a headline like that, I say, "I can only imagine how bad things are in other countries!" Because, despite all of the good "advertisement" from abroad, we certaintly don't feel like we can sit down and relax, especially people living in some of the poorer neighborhoods. So, as much as I like the favorable statistics, I need to recommend you to be careful. Below you will see a map where I have highlighted the different areas according to its level of security (which, usually, goes hand in hand with the quality of living and attractiveness of the area). |
Safety Tips For tourists: Try not to look like a tourist. But sometimes that will be impossible, so try not to look like a "I have money" tourist. If you go out of the "nice" areas or go to a place that will crowded, don't take your big camera; try to get by with your cell phone. Try not to carry a bag with straps made of weak material. Two years ago, when I moved to this "nice" area, I was walking to the grocery store, two blocks away from the main street so as to avoid the crowds. Yes, I was looking at the stars... and this guy snatched my bag, which I was wearing *across* my chest, as I should. But the straps were made of soft leather, so he swiftly cut them and run away with a buddy who picked him up on a motorcycle. I still walk down the same street at night... but I carry a bag with a chain, or I put my money in deep pockets in my pants, or simply *inside* my clothes (people are not escandalized when you reach under your waist to get your money! :) I'm going to write some more stories on this subject on the Blog so this doesn't look too cluttered. |
The map I've created is very rudimentary (and also relative), because I don't have the resources to do a professional map. Anyway, I think you'll get the idea. Green is all of the nice areas, which are also the safest. Nice, but no so nice areas are colored in lighter green. I've colored yellow all of those areas which I think are "ok", but where you need to be careful, especially at night. Included in this is downtown (Centro & Cordón) and the Old City (Ciudad Vieja), which may be enchanting during the day, but you have to be very careful (red spots) at night.
