Today, we boarded the bus at 9 in the morning, as we had a another long ride to Don Silvano, a ranch! Immediately after we got off, we were hit in the by a swarm of mosquitoes, which never seemed to go away no matter how much bug spray we used. Regardless, the environment was beautiful, as it was a peaceful ranch filled with metal sculptures, colorful building, and ANIMALS!
The first animal we encountered was a cat, which was unofficially named Meow Meow. He was the sweetest cat, who unfortunately seemed be suffering from mosquito bites, just like us. Next, was the horses! There was so many of them packed in a fence, and they quite stinky! One of them was very eager to be pet, and even stuck it’s head through the fence! He was very friendly, and we visited at least five times more during the trip. We also saw many peacocks, which were absolutely beautiful, and full of colorful feathers.
We got to take a carriage ride around the ranch, where we saw ostriches and sheep, before we sat down to get the full history of the gaucho culture. Originally, the people were of Spanish and Indigenous descent. Their original purpose is to care for livestock, but slowly they became known as the more common name of cowboys! We actually got to watch a show of them, and got chosen to kiss one of the cheek! The horses were definitely trained more vigilantly than those of the United States, as they rode with much more grace.
We went zip lining! We ended up finding a ropes course behind the gift shop, and it was so much fun! We ended up having to do a mini-obstacle course, that definitely tested some people’s fears of heights! The ropes course was honestly pretty hard, as many of the spaces were gapped, but at the end, the zip lining was very fun and one of the highlights of the trip!
Lunch was pretty fun, as we had a show to accompany it! It was two dancers, each with their own sets of unique talents. Lunch was extravagant, as it was the perfect Argentinian barbecue! They had lots of salads and bread, and continuously brought out every type of meat you could imagine. Unfortunately, I could not eat any of it as I am a vegetarian, but they accommodated me by bringing me a plate of pasta. Once dessert came, we were all invited by the dancers onto the floor to practice our tango, which we were experts in due to our previous classes, so it was a lot of fun.
Next was the gaucho show! We all gathered to a little field to watch them all ride their horses and compete in various different ‘competitions’. One of these competitions actually involved a rings, in which whoever one got to kiss the woman of their choice! Now, gauchos are a very important part of a Argentinian history, as they are the epitome of masculinity for the Argentine people. They hail form cowboy culture, and while they do not have as much of a presence today, they are still very important symbols and a part of history. Today was a very fun day and a change of pace, so safe today I thouroughly enjoyed it! (except for the mosquitoes)