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ML Hart

a journal of observations, obsessions and inspirations

Staying safe in Montevideo

October 20, 2015 By Martha

Have you traveled to large cities before? I’ve been to New York and Chicago, London and Barcelona and Moscow. I’ve never felt in any danger there, but I’m a careful traveler. Smart at home, too, whatever city that might be.

Before my first trip to Uruguay, I read dozens of articles. A lot of blog posts. Many of them talked about safety, the crime rate in Montevideo, escalation of same, how awful it was. I didn’t ignore the stories, but everything in life, and especially on the internet, is presented through a filter.

If someone is used to living in a small town where no one ever locks their doors, the big city can seem like a scary place. If you’re reading reports from five years ago, the situation has likely changed. So you need to balance the available information with your own experience and comfort level.

The common-sense guidelines for staying safe set out on the Guru’guay website (very recently) are the same just about everywhere: don’t make yourself look like a target for crimes of opportunity.

Robbery is the most common in Uruguay. If you’re taking pictures, you’ll be presumed to have money because you look like a tourist – that may be okay in a tourist destination, but hang on to your bag. Camera or not, if you carry a large bag, make sure it’s held close to your body rather than swinging around. Split up valuables (cash, credit cards, phone) between a bag and pockets or only carry what you need for the day. If you’ve parked your car in the city, don’t leave anything visible on the seats.

Ciudad Vieja – historically the most dicey section of Montevideo after dark, near the port – installed CCTV cameras throughout the neighborhood in 2013 and crime rates have dropped dramatically since then.

It’s just possible that one of the biggest problems you’ll encounter is the condition of the sidewalks. Get distracted for a moment, and you could easily turn an ankle or twist a knee!

Putting in time for the everyday, unsexy bookwork
Taxi! Taxi!

ABOUT MARTHA

ML Hart headshotI tell stories with keyboard and camera. Words and images. Pull up a chair.

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MsMartha_writer avatarML Hart@MsMartha_writer·
24h

... and then you sail off towards the edge of the known world. That's exactly what #writing is like.

... and then you sail off towards the edge of the known world. That's exactly what #writing is like.
Loretta Milan@lorettamilan

“Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing.” - E.L. Doctorow @LitLightbox #writing #writerslife

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MsMartha_writer avatarML Hart@MsMartha_writer·
24h

Important observation, voiced by Judge Jackson in the Stone hearing. You can't claim you didn't understand a symbol, or say you're very sorry and stupid (he got that last part right) and expect to be believed.

Zoe Tillman@ZoeTillman

Jackson says Stone is someone who by his own account has made communication his life's work, and he understands the power of words and symbols. "There is nothing ambiguous about crosshairs."

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MsMartha_writer avatarML Hart@MsMartha_writer·
21 Feb

The article points out issues worth considering - we make decisions with every image: camera, lens, POV, post-processing, and our own emotional/historical filters. But overall, photography is only 'a lie' if you hold the outdated notion that it's supposed to be 'true.'

Andy Adams@FlakPhoto

Every Photograph You’ve Ever Taken Is a Lie: Steve Mccurry, Tom Hunter, and the Problem With Visual Storytellers https://t.co/MslMiMeBAn

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ML HART

Writer. Documentary photographer. Artist. I'm inspired by both shadow and light and curious about most everything. Welcome to my journal of musings.
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