Gatos y Gauchos
Good question, stilllifeinbuenosaires! (SLBA asked “So a question about the botanic garden: to pet or not to pet the cats?”)
Pet the cats. Definitely. The cats at the Jardin Botanico seem to be abandoned house cats who rely on the kindness of the portenos for food and water. These cats are well fed and clean, not matted and skinny. That said, you should only pet the cat if it will let you. Hold out a hand, and if the cat comes forward, then you can pet it. Do not treat it like you would your own cat (pick it up, pull its tail, etc.). If the cat looks irritated, stop doing what you are doing. Wild cats may have rabies, and if it bites/scratched you, look forward to a series of seven shots in the stomach.
Exposicion Rural 2008
The ER2008 is a livestock/agricultural show that takes place in Buenos Aires every year. The ER consists of tents filled with sheep, horses, chickens, cows, pigs, and rabbits. Some of these animals win prizes (1st, 2nd, and 3rd place) and others go home losers. Another feature of the festival is farm machinery and technology. I saw at least 3 tractors that were taller than houses.
The ER2008 was especially exciting, because Catherine and I were given personal tours. I smiled at a young boy working with the cows. He ran up to me and asked me if we wanted to drink mate with him and his pals, a bunch of young, rather attractive gauchos. (Apparently this boy was appointed the task of asking young people to come hang out with the gauchos.) We went into the corral with the cows and joined them. One of the guys filled up a cup of mate that they had been drinking from and handed it to Catherine. After she finished, he filled it up again and passed it to me. Mate is a very bitter drink. At first, I hated it, but after a few sips it became more bearable. After we had finished drinking, a few guys took us on a tour of the fair. Damian, a nineteen year old and future veterinarian, was my guide. He took two years off during high school so he could work on a farm with cows. He described the campo in such a way that it made me nostalgic for something I had never experienced. In the campo, you wake up with the dawn, and it is completely silent except for the mooing of the cows. And, of course, there are those hansom gauchos with berets, boots, and small silk scarves. Definitely worth going.
