Mad for maté

After several days wandering around Buenos Aires, we headed north to Iguazú Falls, on the border of Brazil and Paraguay. It’s impossible to convey the size, grandeur, and beauty of the falls through our pictures, but I’ll include a representative sampling of the different waterfalls.

We were in the middle of the jungle, so lush and green and humid and hot, with a completely different color palette and weather pattern than we are used to in Lima. Vines grew and curled around everything, creating funky shapes. 

Animals and insects, too – we saw monkeys, coatis, parrots, gorgeous butterflies, iguanas, and the biggest ants I’ve ever seen in my life. 

We hiked out to La Garganta del Diablo, the first and second photos in this post, which involved a 30 minute train ride, which Simon adored, and perhaps a 45 minute walk across metal trails & bridges. 

I thought the guys with the umbrellas and stands above were lifeguards, which doesn’t exactly make sense (how are you going to save someone who’s just gone over the waterfall?). When I got closer, I realized they were all photographers, asking everyone who walked by if they’d like their photo taken with the falls… and with other tourists crammed in on both sides. 

I was slightly mystified why so many people were carrying thermoses and/or coolers on such a long trek. When I am out and about, I want my hands free and stuff everything in a backpack. But everyone had a thermos. 

I figured it out when a woman next to me on the train poured some dried green leaves into a silver cup, poured hot (hot! It was over 100 degrees outside and she was drinking hot!) water over it. Then she sipped the tea with a silver straw. Ah, maté. I had seen it on menus but hadn’t tried it yet. 

And after seeing her drink it, I saw the straws, the maté, the special carrying cases everywhere. Even the train conductors kept a stash at the train stations. Vending machines, too. 

I wanted to try it, to see how it could inspire such devotion that families lugged it around this gigantic park in the heat of the summer. I ordered it once and it came in a tea bag, which I don’t think counts. It tasted like green tea. Now that we are home in Lima, I’m on the lookout for a maté opportunity here. Hopefully my next post will not be about the new thermos I've just invested in, to carry around my new favorite drink!