Posted by JohnP
04/13/2008 at 08:42
- Gaucho tour is the plan for today. Everything is included in 1 price except things from the store.
- Drive there. First we walk about 2 miles to a hotel to meet the tour mini-bus. Then we head north out of BsAs into the country. It feels a lot like Nebraska, except slightly flatter. 2 hour drive if my memory is correct.
- eat a pastry. When we arrive at the tour-farm, it isn’t a working farm anymore, they have a small reception. Pastry and …
- drink a cup of wine. Argentine wine is fairly good as wines go and reasonably priced for us.
- horse and/or buggy ride; The other guys went horse back riding, but my knee was hurting, so it didn’t feel needed. Seeing parrots in the wild was strange. They are considered pests – like rats here. Their nests are larger than you’d expect and seem like bundles of crud.
- chase geese; there was a small pond with some geese and swans. I needed to chase them.
- art – they sell paintings and other locally made art in a little shop. Some of it is odd for American culture/expectations, but most of it is cowboy-like.
- lunch – BBQ – eh; you always here about Argentine beef. I wasn’t impressed, but the Europeans were. Personally, I like my beef with meat, not half fat.
- gaucho games riding a horse and using a stick to get a ring; it was getting colder and drizzling a little so they did 20 minutes worth. It was enough. Galloping at full speed trying to put a pencil-like stick into a ring tied from a pole by a string. Only 2 out of 10 tries seemed to work. It was windy and the ring was spinning.
- art – they pushed the artwork again … Al bought some balls.
- ride home – 2 hours more. We shared a matte; that’s a drink shared throughout South American cultures. It is a tea-like drink that is drunk from a special cup through a special metal straw. The sharing is important. Uruguay, Chile, Argentina cultures all drink matte. Paraguay may as well. If offered, you should accept the matte cup. You will probably be offered it.
- get caught in a downpour walking; Since it is Sunday, local artists have a flee market on the edge of Recoleta. We have the minibus drop us off a short walk away in hopes of picking up a few trinkets. 30 seconds after getting off the bus, is downpours. We are still closer to our apartments here than at the official drop off point. Punt on the art idea and grab a cab back to the apartments.
- Siesta – as usual, we need a nap to make it to dinner around 11pm.
- Pizza dinner – fantastic Done around 12:30a and head to …
Shamrock Irish pub with Al, Jim and me; We had a good time, so the receipt implies. *I believe that was a bunch of alcohol. This bullet point is the understatement of all time. I think Al left before Jim and I did, but neither of us recall that. I vaguely recall Jager-bombs, martini, LITea (my favorite), and probably 10 other drinks for me. We bobble home around 5am and I keep 1 foot on the floor to stop the bed spins. Much thanks to Luna, Chicago and the other bar tenders. Al, you suck for telling all the bar tenders that I thought their drinks were weak. I think the total cost for that tab had to be AR$400+ (US$130).
