Manners of Mate.

It's a beautiful Saturday here in Buenos Aires...it's also a beautiful Saturday in El Tigre which is about 30 minutes north of the city. What an exciting day!

I woke up early...like 7 a.m. early, and got ready for our trip to El Tigre. The name means jaguar, and apparently like hundreds of years ago they used to hunt jaguars in El Tigre...hence the name. Now, it is about relaxing and shopping and enjoying a hot cup of mate on a sunny Argentinian afternoon.

Everyone warned me that it would be much colder in El Tigre...I mean, these people made it sound like the arctic. I had to explain that I'm from Michigan. They don't have a clue what cold is. To me, it felt like a fall day and the sun was out, so that kept us warm. I honestly didn't have any problems with the temperature, but the people from Argentina broke out like legit Columbia jackets and parkas...no joke. They were dressed like us Michiganders dress for December, January, and February...actually some of them dressed warmer than we dress in the winter! It's so funny to see them freak out about the cold, especially since in my home we would be rejoicing at what a beautiful day it is.

We took the train...it's about a 30 minute ride, and it goes by pretty quickly. Once we got off the train we boarded a little tour boat. It took us around some of the rivers and showed us the houses and things of the like. They don't have streets or bridges or anything...it's all houses on sticks built on little islands. The rivers all connect and people take boats everywhere. Also, there are no stores or anything once you get out into the stix. The store actually goes to you, and when it arrives you get on the boat and purchase the things you need for the week...what an interesting life it would be to live in El Tigre, no? The schools and libraries and churches all must be accessed by boat. There are boat taxis. It's just a total boat land! Some houses were very beautiful, while others were basically shacks on sticks. It kind of reminded me of being up north, which I guess is the idea, because the people of Buenos Aires often escape to El Tigre for a weekend of retreat.

After the boat ride we were allocated some time for lunch and shopping. There are nice little shops with lots of crafts and things of the like. I bought a purse made of real Argentinian leather for like 8 American dollars! WHAT A STEAL!!! I also purchased a new scarf...I love them so much. :) There are so many things I would like to buy, but I have plenty of time here, so I know there will be many more opportunities to make purchases. My main goals are a pair of the leather riding boots they all wear...and maybe a leather jacket...the leather here is top notch and all their things are so stylish!

When we were done shopping we hopped on a bus to go to a restaurant for an afternoon tea sort of thing...I think it's called merienda. On the bus ride, Guillermo explained the mannerisms of mate...the local tea-esque brew that is very popular around here. Apparently, there is a person in charge of the mate. They make the mate and give the cup to whoever they choose to share it with and they are basically the head mate honcho. Also, it is rude to touch the straw or to take the mate if it is not offered to you or to drink all the mate until it your straw makes slurping sounds. The mate supervisor can show their distaste for people by feeding them cold or too hot mate. If the mate person likes you then they will give you very sweet mate. The process of making mate is very difficult and I think it will take me a few times to master it...Finally, mate is a social drink. It is meant for sharing with friends or for when you are studying because it keeps you wide awake. So, now I need to buy a mate cup (made from gourds, bamboo, ceramic, glass, etc.), a bombilla (or straw...mate has a special kind of straw), and some yera mate (which is the leaf). You can also add sugar. lemon, orange peel or orange juice, honey, coffee and other things to mate to make it even tastier...I think it must be quite addictive because EVERYONE has mate. Like, seriously, they carry around their cups specificall for mate. In fact, the other day I saw a young man stop in the middle of the street to light a cigarette and he also took a sip from his mate that he was just carrying around. Moral of the story...I need a mate cup! I saw some cute ones...they design them and stuff, so I'm sure I will find a very stylish mate cup, which will be very cool.

For merienda we stopped at a very beautiful restaurant that overlooked the river and you could see the city. Que bonita! We had submarinos, which is their version of hot chocolate, medialunas, grilled ham and cheese sandwiches and some little pastries. It was really quite delicious. Then we got to take some photos. Rio Plata is the WIDEST river in the world. There were lots of sail boats and some big tanker boats, too. People were making out like crazy and playing soccer. Argentinians lead a very interesting lifestyle.

Tomorrow we are going to the Feria de Matedores which is another sort of fair thing. The barrio that it is in is home to butchers of the world famous Argentinian beef. There is music and dancing and shopping...so that will be fun also.

After I got off the bus I talked with some girls about their plans for tonight...some might be going out, which I hope that they do so that I can go with them. I would like to meet Argentinian people and I know the city well enough now to figure out how to get home and everything. I also stopped at a shoe store near my apartment because it is always CRAWLING with people...now I know why. They have great deals on very fashionable boots. I bought a pair of like heeled ankle boot things...they are super cute, and very reasonable. So I had some exciting buys today. :)

Can't wait to see what kind of deals I snatch up tomorrow. Also, can't wait to fill you guys in on my first true Buenos Aires night...if I have one! Hasta mañana chicas!!!