Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, is often overlooked as a global major city whether by tourists or list-makers. It has always been in the expansive shadows of Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, or Mexico City when it comes to great Latin American cities. But make no mistake Montevideo stands alone, a city with few equals on this planet. The city built on top of a hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and dancing along the coastline holds more mysteries than our modern times will allow. In an era when everything is owed an explanation, no one knows with any certitude where the name Montevideo even came from. This city of over one million citizens holds the rank of rare mysterious obsession for Latin American writers; much like New York to rappers in the 1990s, Paris to artists in the 1920s, and Barcelona to painters in the 1880s.
By Osvaldo Guillermo Turco
Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, is often overlooked as a global major city whether by tourists or list-makers. It has always been in the expansive shadows of Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, or Mexico City when it comes to great Latin American cities. But make no mistake Montevideo stands alone, a city with few equals on this planet. The city built on top of a hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and dancing along the coastline holds more mysteries than our modern times will allow. In an era when everything is owed an explanation, no one knows with any certitude where the name Montevideo even came from. This city of over one million citizens holds the rank of rare mysterious obsession for Latin American writers; much like New York to rappers in the 1990s, Paris to artists in the 1920s, and Barcelona to painters in the 1880s. By Zurab Andronikashvili
Tbilisi has always been exceedingly more than it seems. It is more than the capital of Georgia; it is the very hub from which Georgia extends. It is more than a city carved into a mountain in the Caucuses; it is a city with cross-roads carved into its very identity. Certainly being situated in between the Turkish Ottoman Empire and the Tsarist Russian Empire during their historic war makes Tbilisi a physical cross-road. Even more potent is the placement of Tbilisi as a proverbial cross-road between the Muslims of Iran, Azerbaijan, and Turkey on the one hand, and the Orthodox Christians of Russia, Georgia, and Armenia on the other. All of this adds to Tbilisi’s identity as a city at the cross-roads in between two eerily similar polar opposites; but what originated this identity? By Toshiro Diggs
Tokyo is the world’s definitive neon metropolis first lit up the night with its meteoric rise from the rubble of World War II. The megacity’s exuberance is no secret and a simple stroll around the city would make this abundantly clear. No kaleidoscope needed, the city is flooded by colour and inundated by light. The streets of Tokyo are characterized by a sense of discovery and novelty. You could find a gem at any corner, vending machines, street shops, restaurants, and towering buildings. The city is a playground of technology, art, and fashion. All five senses are turned all the way up and you feel as though Tokyo has lifted you off the ground; you fly above the pollution of street signs, the flashing ads, and the people. |
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