We drive about an hour into the province of Corrientes to visit the mate plantation of Las Marias. Mate is the main ingredient of yerba mate, the Argentine staple drink that's served hot or cold in hollowed-out gourds, goat horns, or rather boringly, plain old mugs. Although it's a shrub, which sounds small, the mate plant can grow to be 50 feet tall.

We check out the well-produced corporate video of Las Marias while sipping welcome mates, then Fernanda takes us on a tour of the nursery, drying rooms, tasting rooms, and packaging facilities. The latter is my favorite because I am a big fan of watching automated machines in action. The ballet of pistons, cogs, wheels, robotic arms, and conveyor belts is something to see, as are the quality control people in their sweaters, slippers, and goggles, somehow not going insane despite doing the same repetitious job, day in, day out, for years.

We also see the cemetery and chapel, nestled in a grove somewhere in the thousands and thousands of acres of the property. (The company also provides schools and housing for its 1,500 employees.) We grab lunch at the company parrilla, and I leave feeling like I just ate a bag of rabbits.

Meanwhile, back at the rancho: Andrea and Boga at Estancia Santa Ines.

Roberto takes us to the Estancia Santa Ines, in Misiones. We are met by Andrea, the great granddaughter of the original homesteader, outside the very cool 100-year-old ranch house, and are introduced to Boga and Gamba, the nutty family dogs. After a refreshing pitcher of iced watermelon juice, we stroll around the property and spot howler monkeys. Boga chases an iguana. We tour the house, then go riding on two small horses named Muchacho and Pequena. Now about 5,000 acres, the ranch used to cover 40,000; on our gaucho ride, we cover about 10 acres, tops. At the house we meet up with Andrea's grandmother Carmen and uncle Ricardo, and we sit and enjoy homemade cake, cookies, and fried bread served with guava and banana jams, while Carmen recalls the old days with simultaneous joy and sadness.

Argentine tea time.

Roberto picks us up in the evening, and we do a quick drive by of the riverfront in Posadas. (Just across the Parana River is Paraguay. I have to go there someday.) Later we have some fantastic pizza at a place called Tono, a block away from Flor House. We are beat, so crash at 11:30.