I Do I Do I Do I Do

In the center of photo are Katherine and Hrvoje

Ok I apologies in advance for using an Abba song for my eye catching heading but not too much because I love Abba and in this case it’s really relevant. I am sort of heading back in to that coincidence or destiny territory for sure - a favorite subject of mine that I have often talked about on my blog. As ever you have to make your own mind up on this one so here goes…………………..

Last week we had a lovely couple come and visit La Margarita. There names are Katherine and Hrvoje. Luckily enough I was on La Margarita when they came to stay and I got to meet them. As we were talking over afternoon tea they mentioned that they were interested in the Virgin Mary that is located in the small chapel on La Margarita. They explained that they were interested because there is a small sign on it saying that it is from Croatia – which indeed it is. Enriqueta’s family the original owners of La Margarita had gone to Croatia and brought back this particular Virgin Mary many many years ago– not an easy feat since it is pretty big and very heavy. How they did it I am not sure but I am pretty sure they didn’t put it in their hand luggage - mind in those days maybe they did!! It was no doubt a challenge to get it in one piece to Tapalque but achieve they did it.

Now the reason Katherine and Hrvoje were so interested in the Virgin Mary was because the village it was from was very near to where Hrvoje was born and yes you guessed he was born in Croatia. In fact Katherine, although born in USA was born of Croatian parents. It’s many a time I have gone and had a quiet sit down in the chapel and wondered if we would ever have any guest from Croatia - after all we are a long long way from the Virgin Mary’s origins. It took a few years but hey it happened coincidence or destiny ummmmm ok hands on the buttons…………… hey but wait ………….

Now for sure the above in its self makes a nice story but hey there’s more. I had to leave the La Margarita before Katherine and Hrvoje did. I rang them from Buenos Aires before they left to make sure that every thing was ok for them and that they had been well looked after. Hrvoje said that everything was great and that they had had a lovely time and hey, by the way, he said, I proposed to Katherine while we were out riding the horses across la pampas !!!! Blimy I nearly dropped the phone. Not only did we get guests from Croatia but before they left Hrvoje had proposed. Champagne was on the house and duly delivered and we had our first marriage proposal toast on La Margarita – did Katherine say si – yes yes yes .

I would like to wish good luck to you both and I wish you all the happiness in the world and a big big thank you Hrvoje for asking Katherine to marry you on La Margarita

This is David Cummings alias the English Gaucho raising a blog toast to Hrvoje and Katherine – saludos to you both from the end of the world

Hasta pronto

Shhhus it’s a Secret

I have now been in Argentina longer than I thought I would be if that makes sense. It sort of qualifies me for the question “where is your second favourite place in Argentina to visit”. Well I must confess that in spite of living here for over 6 years I still haven’t visited some places that the average tourist will have visited after a 3 week stay. I will one day get to Calefate believe me it’s just that it always seems so cold there and since I am from the UK I have had my fair share of cold . I have however been to Mendoza and tasted the wine and very fine it is too, I have also been to Iguazu and I loved it even though a storm was blowing when we were there. I have driven down to Puerto Madryn but the car was so slow by the time we got there the whales had gone -it was still a great experience though.

However there is one place that I have visited in Argentina that I go back to constantly because I love it so much. It was a place I visited with Vero my ex girl friend . Her brother had purchased some land in this tiny sea side villagette. She rang me one Christmas in 2003 and asked me if I fancied a visit to see his land and experience Christmas in a small villagette in Argentina. I didn’t need to be asked twice and the next day we piled into Sebastian’s car and off we went. Vero was at great pains to explain that it was pretty rustic but that since we were only staying two nights we would be fine.
We arrived 6 hours later after a 600 kilometre drive. Now some places in life just catch the imagination and so it was with this villagette by the sea. I just loved it from the moment we arrived. The dirt roads, the lack of chain shops, the beautiful windswept beaches, the sand dunes stretching on forever and the friendliness of the people. It was a magic combination. When the two days were up I said to Vero that if she didn’t mind I had no wish to head back to BA and that I was happy to stay for as long as my 300$US I had with me lasted . She happily for me decided to stay with me. We stayed at Humberto's rustic rooms located right in the sand dunes. It was for me a time I will never forget. My money lasted two heavenly weeks before we had to make the long trek back by coach to BA. In that time I got to know Humberto and his wife really well and we would often have a mate and a chin wag. In the preceding years I have been back a number of times to the villagette but always Humberto's was closed. I later learnt that his wife had sadly died and for a while he had not come to open up his rustic rooms. Last week I was once again in the villagette to do some fishing and I went to see if by any chance Humberto was in residence and low and behold he was. We immediately booked in for three nights of rustic bliss. The first night we had dinner together with him and his new partner Ava and we reminisced over a bottle of wine about my first trip here when I was almost certainly the first English person ever to visit. Even now I am a bit of a celebrity there only because of my nationality I have to say (although I did play guitar in the local restro on 31st Dec 2003 I seem to remember). By the time we had to leave I was already planning my next trip back Humberto's.

So there you have it my second favourite place in Argentina is a villagette which is not even mentioned on a map - the first of course being La Margarita. It is a place so small and unknown that Maradonna came here to escape the press when he had his drug problems in Italy. Ask any local to show you a picture of them with the great Diego and out will come a streak of photos with them fishing with him or kicking a ball around with the great one. By the look on Maradonnas face in the photos he loves the villagette as much as I do.

The villagette is not easy to get to and it has no hotel only very rustic rooms to stay in. Its restaurants are mostly some ones living room (although I did see what looked like a real restaurant being built this time).
If you fancy going send me an email and I will very reluctantly send you its location. Sorry about the secrecy but well it’s the sort of place to be keep secret I am sure you will understand once you get there -writers for Lonely Planet etc please don't ask me where it is!
This David Cummings alias the English Gaucho heading back to my favourite place in Argentina La Margarita and looking forward to my next trip to the villagette

Hasta Pronto

Its Childs Play

Sarah,Brandon,Luke and Elliot on Estancia La Margarita





Some people in life you have to admire just because it’s impossible not to. People who climb mountains with one leg, people who at 60 swim the channel or walk backwards around the world. Others who decide to visit every pub in the UK - ok ok not much to be admired about that but sounds more fun than walking backwards around the world

I sometimes think back to decades ago when I was a curious young lad of 20 on my first real travelling adventure hiking around the around the world with my mates. On this trip I meet someone I immediately admired who I have never forgotten in the years that have passed since I meet him. It was in the 70s and we were on the border of India and Pakistan. We were waiting to clear customs when up cycled an English bloke who turned out to be 61. Amazing eh what was he doing at that age cycling up to the Indian border. I got talking to him. It turned out that his wife had died and he had been made redundant. He had a choice. Go and collect his dole every Friday and have a drink down the local or cycle around the world- eh what! For him he said there was no choice he had always wanted to do this and so he grabbed his chance. I have no idea if he made it but I have no reason to believe he didn’t after all he had already made it to India but one thing is for sure he was a man to be admired.

Just a few weeks ago I meet on La Margarita two guests Sarah and Brandon who were also to be admired. They had both decided to take sabbaticals since they both had the ambition to do some really serious travelling. Sounds simple after all they were young and all they had to do was make a few plans. What wasn’t so easy was the fact their two young children were to travel with them. They wanted to travel for a year with the kids ending up in a ski resort in Canada. Now I remember when Jodie my daughter was two I went with my ex on a caravan holiday in Cornwall. It rained everyday and four days later we threw the towel in a booked a holiday in a 5 star in Spain. There is no doubt about it travelling with two children for a year is madness but what wonderful madness. Most of us would think of every reason why we couldn’t do it but in the end they would just be excuses. Sarah and Brandon decided to do it. I have no idea if they will make it but you can find out since they are writing a blog on their travels. Check it out here is the link I am sure it will be inspiring.
http://www.childfriendly.co.uk/first-hand/round-the-world


My guess they will make it over finishing line. They decided to stay on at the La Margarita for an extended stay before there next part of their grand adventure. I Ieft them on La Margarita making plans since I had to head back to the Capital. I wish you luck guys and thanks for making La Margarita a part of your adventure

This is David Cummings alias the English Gaucho of to buy a bike!!

Hasta pronto