I
divide my time between La Margarita and Buenos Aires. Usually spending a week
in the city working in my office until the sheer chaos of the city has me
tearing what little of my hair I have left out. At this point I reach for my
backpack and head for the bus at Retiro and catch the Pullman bus service to La
Margarita. Sometime I drive but I like the bus, it gives me space to calm down,
breath deeply and daydream looking out at the pampas as the bus speeds its way
to Tapalque.


The
other day I did just that. I had had enough for a while of the heat and noise of
the city. I headed down to Retiro, purchased a bus ticket and boarded the bus.
I pushed the seat back and settled down
to enjoy the trip. On arrival at Tapalque Raquel, our chef, picked me up and we
made our way to La Margarita. It’s always such a feeling for me when we pass
the white columns of La Margarita. It’s like entering a magical world, a
feeling that never goes away. On arrival I had a quick chat with the guests who
were on La Margarita and as always I headed out into
the campo to walk
with the dogs. I always take the same route (man of routine me). It was around
8.30 when I past the famous white columns of LM, which take you out of the park
and into the glorious pampas. For me it’s a breath-taking walk.
Last night the moon was crystal clear
and lit up the night sky in glorious silvery blue. I doubt that anywhere in the
world you can see so much sky as you can see here in the pampas. Its like being
in a film set of The Wizard of Oz. I walked on and everywhere the fireflies
danced their illuminating dance for me like fairies dancing in the dark. I
stopped for a minute on the curve and listened to the approaching night and listened
to the callings of the huge open campo. A cow calling her baby calf in the distance,
the orchestra of insects calling each other, a horse galloping heard but not
seen, lights twinkling in the distance of our neighbours houses (the nearest
house is some 5 or 6 kilometres away) and the sounds of the frogs clattering to
each other.
On
the way back I stopped and sat down by the two white columns and looked out to the open countryside. The stars were now just starting their spectacular
show with the odd shooting star leaving a glittering trail behind it. Give me a
Malbec wine and a piece of Keith Jarrett music and you could be forgiving for
thinking you had gone to heaven and were now living in paradise. OK it’s an exaggeration
but its not far off it.
If
you come to LM don’t forget to take this walk – you won’t regret it I promise
This is David Cummings alias The English Gaucho hasta pronto