Is there a lot of diversity? Are people in Uruguay accepting of differences?

"It is so refreshing to live in an area without lots of churches & heavy religious presence. We do have the Mormon Church - the most prevalent - but thankfully, they are in the towns, not in our town. We have 1 Catholic church, and the priest comes 1 Saturday a month to hold mass. I know of 2 old ladies that attend occasionally. But no - nobody will show up with tract papers & try to argue you into their version of heaven here. Discrimination? When people call you "Negro" or "Negra" here, it is because they love you. "Negro" is a pet name. Uruguayos come in all colors, even blonde & blue-eyed. There is ZERO discrimination as far as: racial, sexual preference, religion, body habitus. There IS discrimination regarding your habits - if you're a thief, everyone will soon know it. The majority of the locals here are very accepting of foreigners. Some are not overly friendly, but are only hurting themselves because our town is rapidly becoming an international community. We have folks from Russia, France, Germany, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, the US, England, Ireland, etc. More and more English words are making it into the daily UYo vocabulary. You will find Oreos and Lays Potato Chips here, although peanut butter is a challenge. You can get it through an expat family near Montevideo who make it. Economically, life is hard for the locals at this time. Last year, tourism from Argentina was down, while Brazil was up. This year, the reverse, as Argentina has dumped Christina and there's hope for the future again... Meaning, more $$$ for vacations in Uruguay, which has the beaches they lack. We do quite comfortably on about $1,200 per month here. We have a quematuti (wood stove) for home heat. The house is paid for as we build each month, so the value increases with each new feature completed. What a shame to be preparing to leave for the US again, but we need to take care of some family business up there. And just when the house is livable & the "fun" part begins... choosing sinks, paneling, fixtures, etc,... we're preparing to sell & move. What a great deal for someone independent & determined... 510 square meters in the eucalyptus forest (away from town's summer dust & tourist insanity), with a 36 sq. meter house built for off-grid living. We have a great raintrap for delicious drinking water (the govt's water system, OSE, is facing scandal in Maldonado re charging people for their household water when it comes out brown & sometimes with worms in it. Nope, not for me. We have no chemtrails here & this water is the best I've had in years. We have our little Comet generator, which powers our tools but is also nice for charging computers, phones, music boxes, LED lights, etc. We're one of about 3 to 5 houses in all of Diablo that will have... a BATHTUB and hot water in the kitchen! Everyone else has showers and cold water only in the kitchen. All of that stuff will stay with the house when we go... right down to the percale sheets, library, tools, etc. It'd be really sad if I didn't miss Mexican food so much. But we both believe firmly in "paying it forward," so we're happy to help some youngsters if this is something they want to do. We have made many close friends here who are upset that we are leaving, but it is the right choice for us at this time. We will not be making the US a permanent home, but just tying up some business, and then will be relocating to Mexico. Why Mexico? Because, me being a desert rat, a more tropical zone would be kinder to my old arthritic joints (yeah, and the 9 spinal fractures) that ache in the cold humidity of winter. I'm just a warm-weather creature, I guess. That, and another group of friends who are already there and waiting for us," commented one expat who made the move to Punta del Diablo, Uruguay.

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"I have yet to experience any racial discrimination here in UY. I am a true Heinz 57 - Native American, Scots/Irish with some Russian Gypsy Jew, and Texas redneck... My partner is Filipino & German. Uruguayans come in a wide range of skin tones & hair textures. People are not referred to as "black" or "white," but just as... people. Mixed-race couples are everywhere, if you judge by skin tones; however, you find out eventually that BOTH are native Uruguayans. The principal religion is Catholicism; however, they are not rabid about religiosity. They attend Christmas, Easter, funerals, weddings, christenings. Religion is a personal matter, between a person & his/her higher power - that is all. That said, I find it amusing that they refer to the Mormons as "huevos," because they are always found in twos... :D I have found all the Uruguayo cities I have visited to be very accepting of foreigners, which I obviously am due to my Texas twang... Here in PDD, this is even more pronounced, as this is a village dependent upon tourism, so tourists are VALUED. Stick around awhile, make some friends, let the people steal your heart like they did ours... Economic diversity - well, there are some rather wealthy & some not wealthy in money but wealthy in quality of life. I have made friends with some Rastas and other locals who make their living by selling their handicrafts during tourist season. What more does one need in this life, they ask, other than a dry bed, a warm fire in winter, good wine & good friends to share it with? Answer: good music & the lovely environment here," remarked another expat in Punta del Diablo, Uruguay.