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| Feria de Matederos |
La Fería de Matederos is considered one of the best- and one of the most authentically Argentinian- markets here; and there are plenty of reasons to back that statement up! Here's what the Fería had to offer:
- Shopping: like stated before, Ferías are big (I mean HUGE) markets, selling everything from traditional handicrafts, to clothing, to knock-off designer watches, to souvenirs. The most popular craft/souvenir sold is the "mate": Mate is a popular traditional drink in Argentina, made out of dried yerba mate leaves and hot water. I have yet to try it, but it is on the list of things to do before I leave! Anyways, mate is drank out of a special cup (also called the "mate"). The mate is a hollowed out gourd, paired with a metal straw to drink the beverage with. At the feria, there is every kind of mate cup possible: carved mates, painted mates, mates enclosed in taxidermy cow hooves, ceramic mates...the list goes on! Anywho, la feria is the perfect place to loose hours just shopping around, seeing what catches your eye!
Mate, mate, everywhere! - Traditional folk music and dancing:While wandering from booth to booth at the feria, you can also stop to rest and see a few dances while you're at it. The Tango and the Zambas are the two local dances from Argentina. The Zambas is particularly interesting: It is danced in pairs, where the man and woman dance towards each other, then twirl away while waving handkerchiefs. Zambas dancers also wear traditional clothing from the countryside, which is often colorful. The dancers also stomp their feet in rhythmic patterns, while wearing gaucho boots! Ole!
Zambas - Gauchos: Every now and then, out of nowhere, a gaucho (the Argentinian cowboy) on horseback would ride by, dressed fully in gaucho gear. Seeing that happen definitely made me feel like I was in Argentina!
Giddy up! - Food: Ahh, authentic food from the countryside of Argentina, made by the
locals themselves! With so many local dishes to choose from, it was
hard to make a decision! I ended up eating a Boripan or
Bondiola...something like that- I can't quite remember the name, because
I ordered this having no clue what it was or what they would hand me!
Haha! It ended up being a grilled pork sandwich was was made over open
flame, a traditional specialty in Argentina. It was served complete on a
large piece of pan (bread), with Chimichurri sauce- the national
condiment here! Chimichurri is a sauce used for grilled meat, made from
made from "finely chopped parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, oregano,
and white or red vinegar." (that's a quote from Wikipedia, as my foodie
knowledge is not that advanced!). The sandwich was kind of like a really
good Philly Cheese Steak...minus the cheese. YUM.
My mystery lunch- a good kind of mystery - "Es Una Ganga!" (What a Steal): Nothing compares like making out like a bandito at the market! My deal of the day? A real leather belt, that was cut and finished to my exact size by the belt-maker...for about $10-12 American Dollars. Boo yeah! Next time, I'm on the mission to find a real llama sweater made by the cute Peruvian women...look out!
Cusco, I'm coming for your sweater next time!!!
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