Argentina
Argentina
El Sol de Despierta
Monday, September 19, 2005
The sun woke up and that’s why we’re a few days behind in writing. For the first time, we were able to shun jackets and hats and enjoy the sun.
The rays of warmth hit us in Tigre first. Tigre is a small town on the Rio Lujan, north of Buenos Aires. It sits on the edge of the Parana Delta, a huge system of natural canals. We hired a boat and got a whirlwind tour of the back waters where houses are built on and driveways give way to piers where the family boat is parked. Because boats are the only transport available in the delta, there are water taxis that make regular routes up and down the canals. You stand on a pier and wave it down just as you would a taxi on any street. Along the main river, the houses range from simple little cottages to very, very nice and swanky structures with elegantly planned landscaping. All of them built just several yards off the water.
There really isn’t much more to say about Tigre and the delta. That doesn’t mean there isn’t more to it. Its biggest advantage is that it was out of the city. Buenos Aires was wearing on us and it got to be time to get out. But when the weekend came, that attitude changed. Buenos Aires on Saturday was at its best! The sun was out and we strolled through the huge weekend artisan market outside of Recoleta cemetery. We sat in the park adjacent to the market with hundreds of portenos (a term for Buenos Aires residents) and watch a reggae band that had set up shop under a fat palm tree. All around us, smiling groups laughed and chatted and passed the mate around. Mate is a strong tea made from the plant yerba mate. It has a ritual that is important to follow. Traditionally, mate is drunk from a hollowed gourd, but today there are mate cups made from wood, bamboo, silver and gourds adorned with all kinds of decorative artwork. You can even find them covered in Argentine leather. This cup is packed with the mate leaf and hot water (never boiling) is poured from a thermos over the leaves. A silver straw is inserted into it and then it is passed around and each person sips from it. The straw is closed at one end and has many small holes to keep you from sucking the leaves in. Looking around us as this ritual played out, you couldn’t help but feel like you were at a Grateful Dead concert watching people pass their drugs around their small circle of friends. We haven’t had the opportunity to try mate ourselves, but others have told us it is bitter and an acquired taste. It isn’t like the roasted or dried teas that we are used to. W’«ll let you know when we get a taste first-hand.
Well, this was short for covering a few days, but we’re off to the Sunday market in San Telmo. The San Telmo barrio is home of the tango and if you go at the right time, you’re guaranteed to see top street performers dancing this sultry dance. We’ll also try to make it into the barrio of La Boca, where we saw the soccer game. We’ll talk to you this evening when we return.
The Boys