¿amargo o dulce?

in the south-eastern zone of South America, primarily Argentina and Uruguay, there is a tea-like hot drink shared among friends by the name of mate. it's pronounced "mah-tay" and in actuality, it's more than a drink. it's the embodiment of a culture. a culture that values relationships and people over time and money...something most American's can't even wrap their minds around. in the same way that a boiling hot cup of mate warms your body (and considering it's currently a frigid winter down here that's a really good thing), the passing of a mate gourd and a common "bombilla" (metal collinder straw thingy) warms the heart. uruguayans in particular don't go anywhere without their mate..."matero" slung over the shoulder with all the necessary equipment (thermos, gourd, bombilla, extra yerba...) and the typical uruguayan is prepared for cualquier (whatever) situation. most mate-drinkers would argue that a true yerba fan takes their mate "amargo" - bitter - without any sugar, but I much prefer it "dulce" - sweet. while in Uruguay this past weekend I couldn't resist but to take some shots of a few calabasas between sips!