Argentina Newsletters

During the 19^th century when the first European settlers arrived in Argentina they brought their horses and cattle with them. Some animals escaped domestication and quickly populated the fertile pampas, and from these free resources emerged the gaucho, relying on the cattle for food and clothing and the horses for transportation. It is said that the real gaucho is recognized by his bandy legs as he is seldom out of the saddle and when a gaucho was without his horse he was without legs.

Sunday was cold and rainy, and we walked what seemed like a lifetime (carrying all on food and drinks) to another part of the river. We enjoyed our time together talking, while Nelson made chorizo sausage on the parilla for choripan. After a quiet day together we made our way back to the office tired but happy.

Mate. It's everywhere. Families slurp it down, at home, friends share it in parks -any time there's an informal social gathering or a long journey to be made, you can bet there is time for mate. What is this drink that Argentineans love so much; that seems to run through their veins as tea runs through the veins of the British? Without it, society might grind to a halt, so it's time to find out a little more.

We were up in a hostel in Cordoba where I picked up some leaflets for 'Paracaidismo' (skydiving). There were lots of pictures of people falling out of planes. I turned to the other volunteers and said "I'll do it if you do it", half joking. Everyone agreed to it without really knowing what they where getting themselves into. The following weekend we all trooped off to Alta Gracia (birth place of Che Guevara, which is worth a visit if you have time).