Like water for mate

I'm flashing back to El Bolson for a moment -- perhaps because it's cold here and I'd like to reminisce about those halcyon times (a few days ago), when I could wear a bathing suit outside, instead of several layers of wool and puffy material.

Or maybe it's because that's where we finally first got to have mate!



In that laid-back little town, we mostly ended up getting swallowed by the hammock or spending all day riding bikes into town to buy vegetables. (This took all day because the verdulerias close for the afternoon... but our efforts resulted in a very fine, and well-earned, salad.)

But one day we did actually propel ourselves out of the hostel for a hike up the river Azul into a deep canyon.



The trail was arduous, but the rewards were sweet. We couldn't resist the water and stopped twice to jump in and then dry off on a warm rock.

Leaves floating in the sunlight -- but don't be fooled, it's cold

Explaining that it's not the frio that's the problem, it's that the altura suddenly seems higher...

At the end, we arrived at a sort of enchanted valley, where we entered a dark little refugio and were offered water by the gnome-like innkeeper. We drank it down gladly, then realized it was no doubt straight from the river. Oops.


Glug glug

They said the water was potable, and as far as we can tell, it was. Phew.

Then the innkeeper offered us mate, which we hadn't gotten to try yet. I was very excited. My excitement left the Argentinians a little bemused.



Mate is like extremely strong tea. You drink it out of a gourd, pouring more hot water into it from the thermos that (if you are Argentinian, Uruguayan, etc.) you have with you at all times. The straw has a filter in the end of it, so you can poke it down among a stew of leaves and water, but just drink liquid. Very clever.

Unfortunately, while chatting with our new friends John and Lisa in the shade at the refugio, Marty and I realized that it was almost 6. That was when we were supposed to pick up our laundry. We were leaving early the next morning, so either we left with our clothes or without 'em. But it had taken us five hours to get where we were.

So we hiked out really, really fast. It took us just two hours to get back. We got our laundry, so we still have (slightly) more than one shirt each... and mate under our belts.