Reality Tour, South America: Shopping and Mate
After arriving in Buenos Aires and checking into our room at the Panamericano Hotel & Resort, right on the famous Avenido 9 de Julio (9th of July Boulevard), it was a welcome respite to have the afternoon free before this evening’s home hosted dinner. Avenido 9 de Julio is the widest road in the world and home to the Buenos Aires Obelisk monument which we had a great view of from both our room and the fitness center/pool on the top floor of the Panamericano Hotel.
Obelisk on 9th of July Avenue
It would be hard not to notice the obelisk, the pencil-like structure standing at 220 feet at the intersection of 9 de Julio and Corrientes Avenue, two of the world’s largest streets, in the center of the Plaza de la Republica. You might be reminded of the Washington Monument back home. Construction of the Obelisk took only 31 days back in 1936 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the first founding of the city. It is the site where the Argentine flag was flown for the first time in Buenos Aires. By the way, you’ll see me use the word Porteños which Kevin has told us refers to a person who is from or lives in a port city. It is usually applied to Buenos Aires, and since the end of the 19th century Porteños has come to be the name of the people from here.
Because I was hungry and coerced by Debbie, we lunched around the corner from our hotel at the American Embassy known as McDonald’s. I know, I know – but sometimes even what they consider a quick lunch in South America can take upwards of an hour. And we had shopping to get to!
Buenos Aires is full of bargains right now and the city is famous for its shopping. Tomorrow when we take a city tour, I’m sure we’ll see the glitzy avenues reminiscent of New York’s Fifth Avenue or Champs-Élysées in Paris. Calle Florida is the well known mall-like pedestrian-only street nine blocks long. Here you’ll find leather shops and chic boutiques from around the world including famed Harrods. For now, however, we are sticking close to the Panamericano Hotel on Lavalle and Viamonte where there are plenty of souvenir shops selling trinkets and post cards as well as plenty of leather stores to peruse.
Here we are trying on leather jackets which can be altered in about an hour for a perfect, custom fit. 
Another popular souvenir are gourds which are essentially containers to hold the beloved national Argentine beverage called mate (mah-tay), which is also the name for the container…confusing, I know. Many stores sell ornate mates, often embellished with silver. Mate(the drink) is made from dry yerba leaves resembling powdery grass that are steeped in hot water. People often add sugar. It is passed around and shared through a communal straw (uh, oh Debbie!).
- Maté Gourd
I have already tried mate back in Rhode Island when one of my co-workers, who had just returned from Peru, decided it would be fun to share at our marketing staff meeting. Maybe it’s an acquired taste but I am no fan of mate which tastes like bitter tea, only worse, like drinking dirt. I’m sure we’ll be subjected to it on this tour… maybe this time I’ll enjoy it.
Click here to read about Collette’s Wines & Wonders of South America tour!
–Melissa
posted by Melissa McKee
Collette Vacations
Tags: Architecture, Argentina, Arts and Culture, Reality Tour, Shopping, South America
