We got back from our R&R time yesterday. It lasted Saturday and Sunday. We wish we had more time just to relax but there was a bunch of stuff packed in. The team had a lot of fun, though. First, on Saturday, we had lunch at a local restaurant, La Pista, and then went on a short driving tour of Sante Fe along the water. After that, we stopped to pick up the kids of our hosts, Daniel and his wife, Sara. Then we made our way to the Cabana de Sol. It was just like summer camp but for adults. The team was split up into three cabins. Within minutes of arriving, we were all in our bathing suits and hanging out by the pool drinking beer and soda. On these trips, you truly don´t realize how tired you are until you have an extended amount of time to sit back and just chill. That night, we played Bocce and had an amazing dinner, followed by Argentine folk dancing and music. After dinner, we all just hung out some more, staying up and chatting until real late. But it´s all good: We get extra time to catch up with everyone, as you are split up during the work days on whatever task you are doing.
Sunday morning we were slow to rise, but really got going once Kirk made coffee and Lindsey, James, and Gloria got breakfast. After this very brief stay at the cabins, we packed up and headed to another area. There was also a traditional gaucho festival going on. There we saw the gauchos break horses. It was all very ceremonial. We then got to do some horseback riding. It was so great to be back on a horse. I forgot how much fun I used to have all of those summers out at Montauk. Got into a good gallop at one point. There were not a lot of experienced riders in the group so those of us who knew what we were doing were allowed to get to the front of the pack and pick up the pace. That was followed by a great lunch. We ate cow that had been slaughtered the traditional way and grilled at the festival. Apparently, they just split the cow down the middle and gut it and lay it right down on the grill, tail and all. Even tried instestines. But just two small bites. Not the greatest but not the worst. Just not totally agreeable, squishy filling and all. After that some of us climbed a short rock wall, about 10 meters high. That was a total blast as well. Have not done that in a few years. But I did get up the fastest.
Two distinct customs of note about Argentina:
The kiss greeting: You always go to the right cheek, and it´s more of an air kiss.
Maté: This is a tea drink with a very ceremonial mannter about it. It´s also known as Yerba Maté. (I know this is available in the States.) It tastes like green tea, is loose in the cup, and is always drunk through the bombillo (straw). The straw functions as the strainer, and you have to rinse it out at the end of the day. When you get the cup, the straw has to be towad you--just as it is when you are finished and hand it back to whoever served you. Also, it´s not impolite to slurp when you are finished. And you never say "Gracias" because that implies you didn´t like the tea or how the person prepared it. It´s all very formal.
Today on the site (working day 6), I painted some more. Then we cut out at 3:00 and visited the local Habitat office in Recreo, where we´re actually building. Tomorrow will be another short day followed by a great team dinner with Mariano and his wife at a nice restaurant. There are only two days of working left before we head back to B.A. and fly home on Friday night. It´s also been very warm here, although the season is Argentina´s Fall. When the next team arrives in June, it will be much cooler.
It is strange how quickly the trip has gone by. It feels like just yesterday that the Romania trip was ending in 2006 and Val was announcing that Habitat had asked her to lead a trip to Argentina. But this always happens because you start having a fantastic time and the days just fly by.
This has been a very long entry, so I think I´ll sign off for now. But before I go, I have to ask a favor of my parents: Two team members, Rebecca (my co-leader) and Sue have a five-hour layover at JFK on our way home. Can they hang out at the house for a while and then I´ll drive them back? This is a lot better than being stuck in the terminal for that long. Plus, they´ll get a shower after an 11-hour flight.
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