Sunday

Sunday we didn't start class until 11am so had time to sleep in & have leisurely cafecitos y bizcochos (little breakfast breads) at home. I think the people in the corner panaderia undercharged me for leche y bizcochos but I couldn't get the translated arithmetic done in my head fast enough to question it. The milk here comes in plastic bags that we decant. Our teacher congratulated me on getting our groceries cheap.

We went to the little planetarium down the road this afternoon (many of the museums here are free) and listened to a professor of astronomy talk about the constellations in the southern sky in spring. So we've seen a representation of the southern cross but not the real thing yet. We had a nice conversation with Hectór, the guy at the door. He kept saying "Enjoy my country!" very heartily.

We also visited the little museum under the planetarium with interactive displays to explain scientific phenomena, laws of physics, etc. for kids. A number of the exhibits were illustrated using mate paraphernalia. Mate is a tea drunk constantly by Uruguayans. Many people carry around thermoses of hot water under their arm and hold a gourd filled with mate leaves. They add hot water to the leaves over the course of the day, using the bombilla or perforated straw to filter and drink the infusion. We haven´t drunk mate in Uruguay yet though I have not loved the mate I´ve had in SF.