Ese Mundo del Bajo

An extinct bar across from el Teatro Solís was where a retired set crew machinist would return his debt each day. On a theater pension, Mico had to be creative if he wanted to look good. So in the afternoons he could be found at the bar where he would be trusted with a coin. From there, he would go straight to the (extinct) pawn shop, in el Bajo of Montevideo, attended by a charitable cambalachero. Mico would exchange the bar's money for a pair of dentures. He would eat, go out and have fun. Next morning, he would dutifully wash and return his teeth, then return the coin to the bar. (From Crónicas de Montevideo, by Diego Lucero)

Vacation Idea

Minas, in the department of Lavalleja, is a town in Uruguay. The geography of the area is rocky: granite is the predominant form. The area around the town has much to explore.
Arequita offers an campsite that is well-run by the dept of Lavalleja. The rocky hill is within walking distance. Further away is Laguna de los Cuervos which has routes for climbing.
To get to el Salto del Penitente from Arequita you'll inevitably go through the city of Minas. From the main Route 8, take the road at km. 134. Ten km in, you´ll reach a stream that has cut through the terrain, leaving spectacular granite formations on either side. The river leaves nothing of a water park slide to the imagination except for the volume of water, making sliding down the rocks inadvisable.
What is recommended is bathing in the natural pools formed by the river.
The park is administered by a concession that offers activities, the most popular being the canopy or zipline.
The negatives are that the bathrooms are located on a parking lot inconvenient for campers, and the campground rules are not followed by some who wash their dirty dishes in the river instead of 20m away from it. I found rice and pasta there, looking for drinking water. I still found the water drinkable.
For an experience a little more than 100km from Montevideo, with good roads, and a camping administrative structure with room for improvement, el Salto del Penitente is a great place to get away.