Natan's Farm

We called in to see Celeste's brother in law, Natan and his family on their farm. It's a big farm with Soya crops, cattle and lots of fruit trees. There are also plenty of dogs !

We sat around under a tree with the family chatting and drinking Terere, my first taste of the local delicacy. Drinking Terere is very much a social ritual where the cup (the Mate) is passed from one to another and the refreshing drink is shared among friends and family. Terere is made from the Yerba Mate leaves, the same leaves that are used for Mate, which is made with hot water. Terere is similar but made with iced water. Natan made his with iced water, lemon and mint. It was very refreshing in the heat.

Natan and his family are of German descent and definitely look more European than South American. Natan was a very gracious host and spent time showing us around the farm. Here he is pulling leaves from a Yerba Mate tree. This is how they are harvested .. by hand.

Natan has some areas of forrest where the native Guarani live and work for him. The trailer above, in the main picture is used for transporting tree trunks. It's huge. The wheels are taller than him and he's over 6 foot. It takes 6 bulls to pull the cart.

Natan also pulled some mendioca for us to bring home and we also picked some grapes .. It was a really lovely time at the farm, relaxed and sunny as a guest on a real live farm .. certainly not a tourist trail !