Its Time to Throw Another Log on The Fire, Pour Another Glass of Wine and Open a Great Book on La Margarita

Books waiting to be read on La Margarita

Summer is now well gone, the pool has been closed for a while now and its  time to start to light the fires in the living rooms and bedrooms for guests in the main house and the wood burning stoves in the self catering rooms. I love this time of year. Being English I am used to the changing of the seasons and for me  the drawing in of winter can be a beautiful time of year. To take a ride across the pampas on a chilly sunny winters day is an exhilarating experience believe me.  Arriving back at the house after your ride its great to throw another log on the fire, open a good book and just   chill out. On La Margarita many guests do just that but just what are they reading. Umm it’s a good question but easy to answer since I try to read most of the books guest leave on La Margarita. Here are five great books that in my opinion are a must read that you can find today in the library on La Margarita.  It is a great reason to come and stay here, as they are  all excellent reads. Ok ok I know it will be cheaper to buy them on Amazon but hey Amazon doesn’t have a log fire, lunch and a glass of Malbec waiting for you when you get back from your ride as you settle down in  front of the fire!....................................................

One Day by David Nicholls

Book of this year and last year for me. The story of 80's children  Em and Dex’s on and off twenty  year  romance will put you on a roller coaster ride that will have you keep putting logs on the fire as its pretty hard to put down it and you may have a few tears rolling down your checks so make sure you have a hanky nearby – I quite simply loved this book  and you will too -  bet you

Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow by Peter Hoeg

All you ever needed to know about the science of snow mixed up with a great moody crime story that only Miss Smillia can solve  - or can she ? – it’s fascinating  stuff

Confessions of an Argentina Warrior by Horacio Verbitsky

This is must read to all who come to Argentina. It’s tragic and bloody but it happened and it was such a short time ago. Hard to believe that the Military controlled this county  so brutally  and it’s hard to believe it really happened – but it did

Stoned by Andrew Logg Oldham

If you ever wondered what the swinging Sixties were like don’t ask Andrew Logg Oldham since he was stoned most of the time but his story of how he managed the Rolling Stones at the tender age of 19 is absorbing – the best autobiography on the music industry (ok it only my opinion but it is really really really good). He now lives in Columbia by the way

Bangkok Days by Lawrence Osborne

This is an absorbing travel book read taking you through the sometimes murky but always fascinating expats world of Bangkok and the cities exotic history with some great eccentric characters. By travel writer Lawrence Osborne who has spent quite a bit of time in Asia - it’s definitely worth a few logs the fire  

Hurry up and get here, as these cracking books will be snapped up quick. Course the sapper uppers will no doubt leave some great books in there place if they have to take them away with them if they don’t manage to finish them so you will always    find some great reads on La Margarita

This is David Cummings alias The English Gaucho until the next time

Hasta Pronto 

If You Are Just About to Hire a Car Out in Argentina This Will Scare the Life Out Of You -he he

Susana smugly satisfied after passing her driving test first time 

Now I love Argentina. It’s a great big country full of great things to see and enjoy  - including   La Margarita. It’s is a country that has its quirks and there are some things you need to get used to if you come here . One of those things  is the driving. Now if you have ever been to a go-cart event or the dodgems then that gives you an idea of the type of driving you will find here at the end of the world.  So when Susana who is my commander in chief  and all round hard  worker  re La Margarita said she wanted to learn to drive I felt a little chill run down my spine having experienced the standard of driving here - after all she would be learning in the estancia vehicles. However, it was no doubt a good idea that she drove - all we needed was someone  brave enough to teach her. Off I  sent her to a driving school in Belgrano in Buenos Aires. The theory being that if you can drive in the city of Buenos Aires you can drive anywhere. After six or seven lessons she asked if she could practice in the Discovery we have in La Margarita - I felt nervous however, how could I refuse. With heart in mouth off we set from La Margarita to terrorize the poor people in Tapalque.  As it turned out she did really  well. She handled the 4x4 well as huge as it is and I was confident enough to let her drive regularly after her first outing. After twelve lessons in the city she said that she was ready to take her test. She decided to take it in Tapalque since no doubt the standard of driving is more on the sedate side here than in BA  - umm that’s an understatement. Last week we both went to town to do some chores when she said she needed to sign a form so that she could get a date for her driving test. On entering the porta cabin which was the driving test center a  very nice lady who runs the office asked   her to   sit down while she gleaned some info from Susana in readiness for her exam. As we were sitting down in walks some chap and the very nice lady asked Susana if she wanted to take her test now. Now I remember my test as long ago as it was in the UK and I never remember anything like that happening -  more like a six month wait for some stern faced task master to take you through the test. 'Ok' said a surprised Susana and off she went to take her test. Off they set and five minutes later they came back eh what! . See I thought, knew it couldn’t be that easy. Ok said the guy to Susana fine you’ve passed. And that was that - a test in five minutes. Turns out the guy asked her if has had taken some lesson and she said yes and he said ok good enough – honest its true no reversing, no parking, no emergency stop no nothing. She re-entered the office and the very nice lady said to her ok you need to go to have a medical exam tomorrow. When its done bring the result to be me and if its ok you will get your license. The next day Susana went to have her medical exam. The doctor asked her if she wore glasses – she said no and the doc said ok examination over here is your conformation everything is ok – honest that’s what happened. Off Susana went to the office with the very nice lady and the very nice lady said great that’s it in ten days you will have your license. In two days it arrived!  Its amazing but true  - makes you think eh!!

This is David Cummings alias the English Gaucho hasta luego

What a Great Ride Out To The Little House On The Prairie!

Getting the asado ready ummmm

Wide open spaces- wonderful

Many guests who come to stay on Estancia La Margarita come here to ride horses. The great thing is even if guests have no experience of riding they still   get a great kick out of riding out on the famous Argentina pampas surrounded by grazing cows and big wide open flat spaces in true gaucho country.  Experienced riders love it here and have a fabulous time galloping across the famous pampas– it is a wonderful experience without doubt. Over the years we have offered long rides as well as the normal shorter rides to guests who like to ride.  Lately we had been talking about offering another ride to try to incorporate a famous asado midway though the ride.  It’s a funny old world because three weeks ago Max my neighbour, who owns the estancia next to mine, came to stay on his estancia and we got together as we always do to have a whisky or three. He mentioned that he had a small house far out in his campo, which is empty. Historically the house would have been used by a gaucho whose duties would have been to look after the cattle in the area of the house. The house is tiny (its called a puesto in Spanish) with a kitchen, bedroom and eating space (think Little House on the Prairie). Max said he would like to see it used and did we have any ideas for it – err what err yes we sure do. I said why don’t we arrange to have a ride out to the house   and have lunch in the way of an asado to see how it all goes. Max enthusiastically agreed and the date was set last week and everything was organized. Last Wednesday excitedly ten of us set out to  the little house on the prairie from La Margarita to La Torcaza and then on for the long ride to the   Little Joe’s house ! It was a fantastic sunny day and the ride was a dream.  Two hours later we arrived at the small house. The house is truly in the middle of nowhere – the setting is beautiful, it’s a place where you can forget about the rest of the world and all it’ s troubles – it’s a place where time has stood still – wonderful wonderful wonderful.

Getting lunch ready 

The steak from Max’s estancia   was already being prepared by Max’s staff who had gone out before us in true gaucho style to cook the asado and thirty minutes after arriving we all sat down to enjoy a great lunch of steak, chorizos and a couple of Raquel’s delicious salads, of course washed down with some great malbec wine . After lunch we all sat around chatting, drinking mate (or tea in my case) and taking in this great day and ride. The ride back was equally exhilarating and a couple of hours later we arrived back on La Torcaza and La Margarita tired but so happy we had the chance to enjoy this true gaucho ride out.

So happy were we with the ride and lunch we have decided to offer the ride to guests who stay on La Margarita. We are still in the planning stage but we felt that since many of our guests love riding and eating an asado this was a ride we just have to offer. Next week we are doing it all over again and I can’t wait. There may even be a possibility that guest can stay the night in the house  - what a great experience  – me first though!

This is David Cummings alias The English Gaucho saying a big  thanks to  Max for the use of the little house on the prairie  - I owe you a whisky or two!

Hasta pronto

Time for mate ( or tea)

Lunch gaucho style meat and wine 

Getting ready for the ride back 

        

A Sad Goodbye But Also a Happy One

Some guests when they come to La Margarita ask me what’s it like to live and work on La Margarita. Probably instead of asking me they should ask Ilona our latest volunteer who has been working on La Margarita for the past 4 months.  Originally from South Africa she had been travelling around Latin America for the past four years finally ending up in Buenos Aires where she saw our ad for a volunteer to work on the estancia. She contacted us and hey presto she got the job after all she had all the qualifications – she spoke good Spanish, she could ride horses and she was free to dedicate some time to La Margarita. She originally was going to stay for 2 months but as we all know when one is enjoying themselves time flies and that’s what it did for her so she decided to stay a bit longer. That bit longer was two months more. During that time she has meet lots of interesting people who came to stay on La Margarita and has ridden horses nearly every day which is great for her since that is one of her great passions. Now sadly her time has nearly come to leave – not quite but soon she will be moving on to pastures new. It will be sad to see her go but life moves on, as it must.

Ilona’s leaving means we will soon be looking for someone to replace her so if you fancy a change of lifestyle or you always dreamed of seeing what it was like to work on an estancia in Argentina now could be just the time to do it.  The pay sadly is zero but you get your own room, you get  to live free and if you love horses and people its not a bad way to spend a few months. If you want to know what its like to live and work on an estancia I am sure if you send an e mail to Ilona via estancialamargarita@gmail.com she will be happy to relate her experience to you.  As I mentioned it is a sad goodbye but also a happy one in the sense that it was great to have Ilona here working with us on La Margarita.

This is David Cummings alias The English Gaucho until the next time

Hasta Pronto