5 March 2010One of the most typical sights in Argentina is the maté culture: most people carry a special cup of the bitter-sweet herbal tea with the special silver drinking straw. Special leather bags exist to carry a thermos with hot water for a refill. Friends share maté in the evening sitting by the river, we see people driving cars, the wheel in one hand, the hot mate in the other, and of course the assistant of the bus driver has a very important additional task in Argentina - looking after the driver's maté. Maté seems to be a private affair - it is never offered in restaurants. This tradition appears to stop at the border though. Once we crossed the bridge into Brazil, not a single maté drinker in sight - and if there is one, it has to be an Argentinian tourist.
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