Living like a gaucho ... Argentina
I had compiled a list of what I wanted to experience during this trip and I am glad that I have been able to tick a fair few off. Surprisingly to some, being in Gaucho-landia Argentina was right up there on my list. Maybe it came from having spent 1 year living in Texas amongst the cowboys but being on an estancia appealed to me.
What better place to do this than Patagonia. The landscape is one of the most beautiful I have seen and well let´s be honest...you may not like CowBoys but G-a-u-c-h-o-s are hot (in a horse-smelling, rugged kind of way!). Check for yourselves!
I had met an German girl called Silky in El Calafate who also wanted to be a Gaucho. So we took the day to go visit an Argentinian Estancia and do some horse riding. After a brief introduction about the history of the Estancia (over tea and cookies...thank you very much!) we were taken to our horses. I was told that dear ol´"Paloma" would be my friend for the next hour.
I saddled up, excited but slightly worried that I had not been on a horse since I was 9. It started nicely enough, Paloma (aka My Jolly Jumper) was calm and seemed quite happy to be going for a walk. We rode through the most breathtaking scenary I have seen whilst on a horse; snow capped mountains surrounding huge turquoise lakes, condors flying above, the scent of blooming flowers and cows mooh-ing as we approached them. I think if all my senses could be triggered at the same time this would be it!
By the end of the ride, my confidence has increased tenfold. I was really getting into it. No, right..no, left...go...stop...yikee..yakee...go! As the ride was coming to the end I could also sense that dear ol´Paloma had had enough of having a city slicker on her back and wanted to get back to her cosy barn. As we approached the estancia, the walk became a trot (painful) which then became what I think is a galop (think of indians galoping in a spaghetti western and you would be close !). As the speed increased I held on for dear life, trying to "enjoy" this moment of wind-in-hair-on-a-horse.
Pure freedom ... really.
What better place to do this than Patagonia. The landscape is one of the most beautiful I have seen and well let´s be honest...you may not like CowBoys but G-a-u-c-h-o-s are hot (in a horse-smelling, rugged kind of way!). Check for yourselves!
I had met an German girl called Silky in El Calafate who also wanted to be a Gaucho. So we took the day to go visit an Argentinian Estancia and do some horse riding. After a brief introduction about the history of the Estancia (over tea and cookies...thank you very much!) we were taken to our horses. I was told that dear ol´"Paloma" would be my friend for the next hour.
I saddled up, excited but slightly worried that I had not been on a horse since I was 9. It started nicely enough, Paloma (aka My Jolly Jumper) was calm and seemed quite happy to be going for a walk. We rode through the most breathtaking scenary I have seen whilst on a horse; snow capped mountains surrounding huge turquoise lakes, condors flying above, the scent of blooming flowers and cows mooh-ing as we approached them. I think if all my senses could be triggered at the same time this would be it!
By the end of the ride, my confidence has increased tenfold. I was really getting into it. No, right..no, left...go...stop...yikee..yakee...go! As the ride was coming to the end I could also sense that dear ol´Paloma had had enough of having a city slicker on her back and wanted to get back to her cosy barn. As we approached the estancia, the walk became a trot (painful) which then became what I think is a galop (think of indians galoping in a spaghetti western and you would be close !). As the speed increased I held on for dear life, trying to "enjoy" this moment of wind-in-hair-on-a-horse.
Pure freedom ... really.
Labels: Argentina, Gaucho Land, January 2008, Patagonia
