One of the first things about you notice in Argentina is the mate culture (🗣️👂“mah-tay”). Everyone has his or her own little mate cup, sometimes a glass or metal mug, but often a traditional gourd wrapped in leather. You fill the cup with the tea leaves in the morning, and bring a giant thermos of hot water with you throughout the day, pouring a little water and taking a few sips when you need a boost. Native people drank it through their teeth and spit the leaves, but now people use a metal straw with a wire or mesh filter at the bottom. Even on our domestic flights, we see plenty of mate, sometimes with the gourd, thermos, and snacks all in a little square leather carrier with a handle. I had my first mate at La Esquina here in El Chalten, and it was an experience. I’d been warned to be careful, as it is “quite stimulating,” but still I wasn’t ready for the amount of caffeine—I was wired and my head was swimming! The taste is super bitter, definitely something I’d need to get used to. They encourage newbies to add honey, but of course I had to be hardcore.

Later we went for a short hike for a different view of Cerro Torres, then had dinner with our friends Claire and Cenk, and more of what our new friend Leo called “the best ice cream in the galaxy.” He may be right, it is that good!

Tomorrow we’re looking forward to a pre-dawn hike to see the sunrise hit the Fitz Roy range, then driving back to El Calafate for our next stop.

This morning we left bucolic Bariloche, flew south, and had an epic drive from Calafate airport to El Chalten, a tiny town of ~500 people. This is a no-frills place, full of hardcore hikers and climbers (and us). Looking at where we are on the map, we were feeling very far from home; so it was a welcome surprise to bump into friends from Chicago and join them for lunch. The restaurant where we saw them is on the lot directly between our two hotels.

Tomorrow we’ve got a full-day trek, and I’m already up too late. More on the big hike tomorrow!