Last Day of Summer

Sunday was the last day of summer here in the south. Today I get my first rainy day of the trip. So I am trying to catch up on my reading and writing.

The last day of summer was a celebration in Montevideo. It seemed like half of the city was hanging out on the Rambla drinking mate, people watching, and hanging out with friends.

The Ranbla is the road that runs along the beach. On the beach side of the road there are wide sidewalks and a low wall that makes a great bench.

Mate, pronounced mātey; rhymes with pate, is a traditional South American tea drink. The tea leaves are poured loosely into a stylized gourd cup, and hot water is poured into the tea leaves. To avoid drinking the mate leaves, the straw has a bulb like end with small holes.

On an average walk around Uruguay I have seen one in 10 to 20 people with a thermos under their arm, and a mate cup in their hands. There is also an over the shoulder mate kit bag, usually made of leather, that I have seen frequently.

Drinking mate is also a social event. People will not only drink mate in groups, they will pass the cup around to all of their friends.

On the last day of summer there was not only the standard beach events, pickup games of soccer, volleyball, and frisbee, but there were carnival rides, face painting, and other country fair like activities.

In one park I saw two inventive kids sliding down the hill on cardboard. That reminds me that people are still skiing in Idaho. Soon it will be hiking season again.

As the locals were saying goodbye to summer, I was happily thinking this is not the end of summer 2011, but just the beginning of spring in the north. I am looking forward to months of great weather in Boise.