Kevin and I finally buckled under the pressure today… That is right we finally decked ourselves out with the complete mate equipment (pronounced ma-tay). Actually we got everything (filter straw, cup, thermos) excluding the leather carrying sack. Seriously, even a week in this culture is enough. It is not just tea, it is not just a drink… it is a lifestyle! Google 'yerba mate' or 'bombillia' for some info and pictures about people drinking mate. Basically it is like strong tea and you just keep adding hot water… so you need to walk around with a thermos. Finally, no more stares.. we fit right into the South American culture. It is great! Other than that we haven't been doing a lot. We traveled along the north side of Uruguay and we are now in a border town with Argentina.
Next it looks like we are going to go to Cordoba where a friend, Mariana, lives. Hopefully she'll hook us up with some good adventures and maybe a place to stay. Alright, back to mate and fresh pasta!
-steve
