When in Argentina...

Buenas Noches! The full moon has risen over the Andes mountains! I am still in Junín with little plan of leaving. I may just have to move here. Seriously. Friday, I went to buy groceries on a bike Tay (Vanina´s brother-in-law) lent me and biked from the fruit market to the veggie market to the pharmacy never once having to lock my bike when I went in to buy fresh foods and lotion for my ridiculously dry skin. Everyone gets around on bikes and spends much of their time paseando (like in Pasman, but here there are actual stores to shop in and quite a few more people to run in to and chat with). It feels like a town out of a 1950s movie. I love it!

Plus, yesterday in the course of 18 hours and all within 50 km of the house, I hiked along a path of sculptures depicting a combination of Mapuche legends and Christian events to a cross high above the city with an amazing view of the surrounding mountains, kayaked along an 8 km stretch of completely undeveloped river with nothing but the hulking Andes in my view and the sound of the rushing water - no people, no cars, no buildings, and watched the sunrise from high in the mountains while sipping maté with Tay and his friends after a hunting expedition with "the guys" that involved James Bond like tactics to avoid the police as we headed off in the van to do what dad describes as the great Redneck tradition of "shootin´ from da road." I have never once had any desire to go hunting. Ever. But you know what they say, "When in Rome (or Argentina, in my case), ..." So off I went. And somehow, being a Redneck in Argentina just feels so much more glamorous! So, yep, Im in love with this place.

And on the "When in Argentina, ..." note: I have now been in South America for 9 weeks, and the majority of that time has been spent in Argentina. And in this time I have learned a thing or two about what one (typically) does when in Argentina. I will share such little tidbits with you now...

1) Argentinians do not stop at stop signs. Why? Well, there are NO stop signs in the entire country (ok, so maybe Im exaggerating a wee bit, but I mean a very teeny tiny wee bit because I think each town Ive been to - including hulking Buenos Aires - has one token stop sign). How can that be? Hmmmm, I continue to ask myself the same thing everytime I meander through an intersection looking both ways and praying I make it through alive and wonder how there aren´t accidents at every turn. But somehow it works.

2)Argentinians eat LATE. Very late. And now, so do I! It´s a miracle of ginormous proportions, really. I like to eat. And I like to eat on some sort of schedule. But what the experts say is true, the body can adapt. And after nearly four weeks of living with an Argentinian family, my body has adapted. I eat lunch around one, and dinner no earlier than 10:30 (last night we didnt eat until after midnight). And the miraculous part is somehow I make it until this hour without feeling like I am going to die of hunger - go figure!

3) Argentinians stay up VERY late. The babies, the teens, the middle age folks, and the oldies but goodies. Late late late. And seeing as how I am currently writing this at 2 am and didnt go to bed until 6 am last night, it looks like I also stay up late - woohoo!

4) Argentinians drink maté like it´s their job. I have yet to build up a tolerance for the HIGHLY caffeinated beverage, but have learned how to properly prepare it, as well as drink it in moderation. More than two to three rounds and I am jumping off the walls, but again, the body in adapting....

5) Argentinians (and again, this is in MY experience) love to mix alcohol with soda or juice. And in ways that I never even imagined one would think of drinking. For instance, red wine with coke (and ice sometimes). I have yet to try this combination, but Ill report back.

6) Argentinians LOVE to eat lots of mayonaise. And I mean LOVE it. A salad isn´t a salad without a nice glop of good ole hellmann´s mayonesa. And I HATE mayonesa. But in the "When in Argentina" spirit, I have succumbed on more than a few occasions to inhaling large amounts of the white creamy stuff.

7) Argentinians eat TONS of red meat. And this is where I have had to draw the line. Due to the fact that I often have a very sensitive stomach, I have opted to stay away from red meat. But I understand that I am missing out on one of the richest parts of the culture and, perhaps, will change my ways in the weeks to come. But this has not kept me from developing a healthy appreciation for their wholehearted devotion to red meat. I have been to some 10 asados in the last 4 weeks and find myself in awe of just how much they LOVE red meat.

8) Argentinians make some of the best pizza and ice cream on this planet. These two surprised me. I have eaten more pizza in the last 9 weeks Ive been here than in the last 2 years back in the states. And this is saying A LOT because I ate far mroe than my fair share of some super tasty pizzas as the Bangert casa last year:)!

I think that about sums it up for now. Tomorrow, Im off to do some biking to a nearby glacial lake. VIVA!