I love Argentina where I spent two years of my life as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. While there I spent all of my time in the province of Cordoba "El Corazon de mi Pais" where I learned to love the culture, the people, the climate, and everything about Argentina. I have decided to include some info. about this wonderful place on my webpage because I feel like Argentina is a part of myself and that my life would be incomplete without it.
A picture of me in Cosquin
Webmaster: Lynn Jacobs
Last updated April 2001
This is a really cool glacier in the Patagonia- Southern Argentina.
These are the Iguazu falls on the northern border of Argentina.
I really have fallen in love with the grand diversity of Argentina- in an area only 1/3 the size of the US, you can find everything from penguins to rainforests or from snow skiing to running through the sand of a desert. Truly a remarkable place.
Gauchos are an important time of Argentine Culture. They are the "cowboys" of the Argentine Pampas and live a very interesting lifestyle. As Gauchos, they live a very nomadic life traveling with the cattle they are in charge of. Typical gaucho life is in front of an open fire with a warm mate and some folklore music.
Here are some more pictures of gauchos with thier typical clothing.
Mate is a type of herbal tea which forms a huge part of Argentine Culture. The mate is a symbol of friendship and openess. Made from a native plant, mate is full of vitamins and minerals. It is made by putting the "YERBA" (herb) in a small gourd or wooden cup[some mate cups can be quite unique ranging from a simple gourd to an elaborate leather or silver covered cup. One of my favorite styles of mate is made in a green-colored wooden cup called "Palo Santo" (holy wood)] Then almost boiling water is poured slowly into the mate. You can add sugar, burned sugar, any variation of peppermint, or other common herbal teas. The variations are as endless as the imagination. The most important part of the Mate is the social aspect. Argentines get together as families or friends to drink mate and talk for hours on end about everything. No conversation in Argentina is complete without the ritual Mate drinking.
In Argentina, they have something called an Asado- it's like a barbeque on steroids. It is the best tasting food I have ever eaten. Here are some pictures of a couple of Asados that I went to. They put everything over the charcoal for hours on end (And I mean everything from steak to heart to liver to kidney's and everything else imanagable) I really learned how to eat just about anything hile down there in order to avoid offending the people who were so kind to share the little they had with me. And it really wasn't all that bad after all, once you got used to it!
Another type of food in Argentina is called Locro- it's like a stew that is made from all of the parts of an animal that you wouldn't want to eat. It can be really good when prepared correctly, but if not- watch out!
Folklore music is the traditional music of Argentina and is found
most commonly amongst the traditional "gaucho" lifestyle. I had the
privelege of staying in Cosquin, Cordoba, Argentina (Argentina's "Capital of Folklore music" for about
6 months and while there I learned to enjoy the culture of the gaucho.
In Cosquin, there is an anual folklore festival where all of the big names of
the folklore music industry get together and play music all day and all night. It's quite impressive as the sound travels for miles around the stadium where the concert is held.
This is a picture of one of thier festivals.
Some of the most popular folklore musicians are "Los Nocheros" and "Soledad". (click here for more info on music in Argentina)
Another interesting part of folklore music are "Los Danzas" or the dances that
are performed to the music. The dances performed are very elaborate and when the
performers are fully dressed in the traditional clothing, they are absolutely breathtaking.
There are many styles of music that can be heard in Argentina. In Cordoba, the most common form of music is "Quarteto". In fact, the city of Cordoba is known for it's amazing quantity of quarteto groups. Among the most famous are "La Mona Gimenez", "Tru-la-la", and "Rodrigo". Also typical in Argentina is the folklore music. As well, it is common to hear music from other nations while in Argentina. Some of the most typical music from "outside" are groups like "Shakira" from Columbia, and just about every group famous in the USA.
This is a "Panoramic" view of Cordoba from above a hill in Barrio San Vicente. It's amzing to think that not even half of the city is represented by this picture.
This is the central plaza of Cordoba. You can see the statue of San Martin and the Cathedral in the background.
This is a castle some rich guy built in a little suburb of Cordoba called Unquillo
This is a Jesuit-built dam in a place called Alta Gracia. The Lake is named Tajamar.
To see another webpage about Cordoba Go HERE
