Rhonda: Today we went to a Gaucho ranch about an hour and a half outside of Bueno Aires. I cynically thought it was going to be a lot commercial and a little goofy but some good rope tricks and steak. I could not have been more wrong. I don't think it could have been more authentic unless they had us round up the cattle. I also naively thought a gaucho was just what they called a cowboy in Argentina. I was this many years old before I learned it is a race created by the mingling of the Spanish and the indigenous people. When they weren't at war with each other, I guess they were having sex. And they don't wear boots they wear little felt shoes that look like Tom's shoes and a beret sometimes instead of the sombrero.
We had a very nice group on our tour. We have been lucky so far. There was a family of 3 from Australia that had just gone to Antarctica and were making their way home. It's a man and wife and his 86 yo mother. She celebrated her birthday in Antarctica and is so thankful for life, her family, and the memories she will treasure from this trip. It was lovely to spend time with them. The other couple we talked to a lot is from Idaho. The wife travels the world for business. And the two of them are very well traveled for pleasure as well. And the husband is a snazzy dancer. 🕺🏼 We had much in common and the conversation was easy. That's one of the travel bonuses when you meet people you would love to continue the conversation.
The first stop was at San Antonio del Acorn, a small little UNESCO protected indigenous town. We tasted hand made salami ( one made it into my bag), we went to a Gaucho museum, and a store where the Gauchos come into town to buy saddles and equipment and those little shoes. Back on the bus.
We turned off the highway onto a dirt road for about a mile and then through some gates and in front of us was a beautiful property with lots of huge shade trees several buildings and smoke from a cooking pit. A Gaucho on a horse with a flag greeted us and welcomed us to the ranch. They waved us to a table filled with empanadas, sausages, salami , eggplant dip, breads and wine, sangria, lemonade, water and more. After we had the appetizers they had us move over to another shady area with lots of lawn chairs in a semi circle for a demonstration of their horse whisperer skills.
Chris: The horse whisperer was a gaucho in traditional attire except for the horse demonstration he wore white riding boots. He looked pretty cool really, especially on the horse. The white knee high riding boots over the bottom of the pants is a good look, I may get a pair before we leave.
They explained that the horse is a prey animal and is constantly wary and afraid, he said the horse has been afraid for five thousand years. The goal in training a gaucho horse is to remove the fear and replace it with mutual trust and respect between the rider and horse, and the process takes one and a half to two years depending on the horse. The process must work because this horse was pretty chilled and seemed very close to the gaucho. The gaucho stood on him then crawled all over him hugging and petting him. He laid the horse on it's side and snuggled and spooned with him, the gaucho then rolled him on his back and rubbed his tummy. The gaucho never uses fear or intimidation or pain to bend the horse to his will. There are no bits in the horses mouth and if the horse does not want to cooperate or work on a given then he gets the day off. I'd like having a deal like that. It's really impressive and I like to think that it's all true and the horse is really treated that well, I expect that it is true. There was a time when the horse was the most important thing in a gaucho's life and if they found that that was the best way to get what they needed from the horse I'm pretty sure that's what they did. He went on to explain that the gaucho usually wore the riding boots when riding but not always. The boots are made from horse hide and not cow hide because it's softer and easier to move in. I'm sure they don't tell the horse that though, you know, out of respect.
Earlier they took us to the pit where they cook the food for lunch. It was a big hole in the ground maybe three feet deep. It looked like at one time the sides of the pit had been lined in stone but now most of the stone is gone. On one end of the pit was a rack with pinion wood burning on the rack. As the wood broke up and fell through the rack they shoveled it up and put it under another rack that held sausage, blood sausage, ribs and various other cuts of beef. It looked and smelled delicious. There was also an iron pot under another open fire full of onions and various peppers and a clay oven held baking potatoes. We were saying this is exactly what I have always imagined Argentina to be.
After the horse demonstration we sat down for lunch at long wooden tables under huge shade trees. It was an idyllic setting.
Rhonda: Here is the unbelievable list of food they served to us. The meat just kept coming and coming :
Sausage
Blood sausage
Salad
Potatoes, Vegatables
Chimi Churrie ( pass me the curry)
Steak
Pork
Lamb
Ribs
Chicken
3 different kinds of sausage
Baked potatoes
Bread pudding with mango Carmel sauce
Coffee
Pastries
They entertained us with Gaucho music and dancing. And then we had a carriage ride in a 150 yo horse drawn carriage. It was an amazing amazing day . One we will never forget.
Love y'all.
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