The purported airport workers strike didn’t affect our travel, and we flew back to Buenos Aires from Iguazu Falls yesterday. That was our 8th flight since arriving in Argentina, and our last. Melissa’s sister Patty and husband Steve have rented a nice apartment in the Recoletta neighborhood for three weeks, so we’re settled in for a week with them.

We’ve got several exciting events scheduled for this week. Today we’re going to a Maté tasting to learn more about this traditional Argentine beverage. Tomorrow evening we’re going on a bike ride through Buenos Aires with a guide. Thursday it’s a cooking class.

Our Maté tasting includes a discussion of the history of Maté, which was first used by the indigenous Guarani people of the Iguazu Falls region over 2500 years ago. Today it is grown primarily in that region of Argentina and Brazil, where it is a large shrub. The branches and leaves of the plant are harvested, dried, ground and aged for 6 months to two years to make the Maté. It is a very social drink, served in a Matè cup with a metal straw called a bombillá which is shared communally.

Maté contains caffeine in amounts more than coffee, but is consumed in small quantities at a time, and many people drink it throughout the day for energy and focus. Famous maté drinkers include soccer star Lionel Messi, Pope Francis, and actor Viggo Mortensen.

After our tasting we walked to nearby Florida Street for some shopping, which was interrupted by an afternoon downpour. We Uber back to the apartment, still hyped up from the Maté. No nap likely today.