It was nice to leave the city of Buenos Aires for a day trip today when we ventured two hours out to a ranch known as Estancia. After getting much needed rest on the bus after a weekend full of shopping and B.A. night-life-ing, we arrived on a beautiful farm for a full day of fun in the sun.
I think it’s safe to say many of us had no clue what to expect on today’s adventure, but as soon as we get off the bus we were greeted by dozens of dogs ranging from chihuahuas to German Shepherds. We then spent the first hour roaming la tierra on horseback, taking in the beautiful scenery and admiring the wonderful animals. Everyone was having a great time, and damn did I look good in my New Mexican cowboy shirt I got at a thrift shop a few days before the trip.
The clothes did not stay on for long for some of us guys as we gave in to the blazing sun (keep in mind it is their winter, but it must have been 70 degrees today) by swimming in one of the ranch’s pools. Sun-tanning and chilling with the horses filled our afternoon until we enjoyed a feast full of freshly cooked meats, empenadas, and of course, vino rojo (red wine). Being a vegetarian my entire life and never trying steak, I decided to take a bite out of Tobias’. I figured if there was ever a piece of steak to try, it’d be on a ranch in Argentina.
While some of the group took some time for a post-meal nap, the majority of us enjoyed a show of the ranch’s gauchos. They showed us gaucho-style musical chairs, raced one and other, and showed some other horse tricks that resurrected my long lost dream of becoming a cowboy, gaucho style though. We then took another round at riding los caballos, with some of us learning how to gallop without falling face-first into the mud.
Our time at Estancia closed with a 9 on 9 Benton futbol match that left all of us sweaty and ready for the two hour ride back to the city life. The match’s top scorers were Jerod, Susan, and Tobias who all put in two goals a piece. Kevin’s long range 150 yard (exaggeration) goal will definitely be on your Top 10’s in the morning as well.
All in all- the week got off to a great start with a day at Estancia. Tomorrow we’re back to hitting the books with a morning lecture at Ditella. Each day brings new adventures and cool insights into the country and its people. I’m incredibly grateful to the Benton Scholars program and Colgate for this amazing opportunity in South America.
Until next time,
Adam
Nice ! Thanks for such a great post !