Today was for sure one of my favorite days so far! We had a long bus ride to go to the Don Silvano ranch. When I heard we were going to a ranch, I did not really know what I was expecting. When we got there, the greenery and layout was gorgeous (there were so many mosquitos). We had the opportunity to walk around and explore the ranch for a long period of time. We were welcomed by the people of the ranch and served probably my favorite empanadas so far this trip. They were delicious! Shortly afterwards, we could still walk around. We were given the opportunity to meet all of the animals of the ranch, my favorite was a cat and the horses. They were also doing carriage rides by the horses around the plots of land, which was super bumpy but cool to see everything they had to offer!

Sometime between, we were given a short presentation on the history of Gauchos in Argentina. Gauchos came alive sometime from the mid-18th to the mid-19th century in Argentina and the Uruguay Pampas. A Gaucho is also referred to as a skilled horseman, or in other terms, a cowboy! Gauchos are known for the bravery, courage, and mighty power to fight. They are significant to Argentine culture because they are known for their national symbols of masculinity, honor, bravery and freedom. They worked to their advantage and were some of the biggest fighters in the war, endlessly defending their people. They never question a good fight! When Argentina was fighting for their independence, they were the leaders of the war. They fought strong and hard. Besides their bravery, their other jobs are to care for their livestock and raise and tame wild horses. Learning about their significance to Argentine history was super interesting because we got to experience it first hand!

After the presentation, we were still given some walking around time. My friends and I hit the obstacle course and zipline, which was definitely one of my favorite parts. We were served a delicious lunch full of a variety of meat, while being sung and danced to. A man playing the guitar and a couple tango dancing was such a fun thing to watch during lunch! Afterwards, we watched a Gaucho show and the horses raced each other. That was super entertaining. To end the day, they served us sweet, fried pastries and I got to try Mate for the first time!

Also, happy mother’s day Mom. I hope you are reading this, but if you are not, I hope your day is full of smiles, love, and plenty of dark chocolate. Can’t wait to celebrate Mother’s Day and your birthday when I am back home. Love you!

If I am ever back in Argentina, I will make it my goal to come back and visit Don Silvano. See you tomorrow in Recoleta!