You Want to Do What Throw It Away - How Dare You

It may be old but hey it works - my old 1978 Toyota with Lalo

I remember before I owned Estancia La Margarita when I was with Agnes once in France her printer (which was pretty old) wasn’t working. I causally said look its old throw it away and buy a new one (well in fact I said I would buy her a new one). She looked at me with those beautiful Gallic eyes and said a bad word in France which more or less meant piss off you English git it may be old but it will work when I get it fixed so why would I throw it away. I looked back at her sheepishly and said ok ok I get the message thinking really that it would be best to throw it away and buy another one.

Fast forward to Argentina and if I had been living more time here when we had that conversation I would have had a different opinion. Here nothing is thrown away – in fact I guess at some time things become unusable   but I am not sure at what stage that is reached here. This is a fantastic country in that it has recycle programme that beats any country I know – it is if it doest work for you it will work for someone else for sure. There is a system here that would have city councils in the UK having heart attacks.  If you don’t want it or it doesn’t work for you   just leave it in the street outside your house and hey presto in the morning its gone – you have put in the system of what doesn’t work for you will work for someone else. It never ceases to surprise me what junk (well to me it is junk but not to someone else) gets left on the streets and even more surprising that in the morning it’s gone. Yesterday I was walking home in the city and I saw old fridge that had been left in the street  – well it was the bare bones of a fridge really it was for the bin. But there was someone giving it the look over and after a few minutes he had balanced it on his bike (it was funny to see) carting it away. What he was going do with it who knows but hey hey he was going to do something with it for sure.  I just love this system its fantastic and it should be adopted in the UK for sure but will they  - no they wont which is a crying shame - there is probably a law against it or a health and safely rule god help us

A good example of not throwing things away is my old Toyota truck on La Margarita. Its 1978 and in England would have been thrown away years ago but not here. It’s not only working still   but has a price of 4000 US$ on its head – that’s what we are asking for it as we have now purchased a newish Ranger. Wow 4000US$ I cant believe it but that’s what Lalo says its worth and to prove it we have already had offers.

As the Searchers sang “Don’t Throw Your Love Away” they should have added nor your rubbish - just leave it in the streets and some one else will love it for sure – there is a lesson here - Argentina can teach us something and we should listen

This is David Cummings alias The English Gaucho of to repair something – anything

Hasta Pronto

Introducing our New Gauchita Volunteer on La Margarita

Geraldine ya una gauchita 

Geraldine ( right)  with Susana 

It’s always great when we have a new volunteer on La Margarita. Exciting for them and exciting for us. Exciting for us because its always great to see what new ideas they can offer us to improve La Margarita and what part of their culture they can introduce to the estancia. Just arrived on La Margarita is Geraldine Portier and a big blog welcome to her. All the way from France she has worked and studied in the hotel business for a few years. A few months ago she told her parents she was off to explore Argentina and America “what said her parents that’s miles away” “ doesn’t matter I’ m off” she said and packed her bags and waved “au revoir” to France for six months. After some travelling around for a few months she decided that she would love to be a volunteer somewhere for three months. She sent us an email saying that she spoke adequate Spanish, had lots of experience with horses and that she cooked a great crepe! – well of course she  does  she comes from near the Lyon region of France  which is one of my favorite locations in the world having lived there for a number of years and tasted the wonderful food from the region many times  - so that clinched it . We meet her liked here and she got the gig. She has been on La Margarita with La Casa Rosa our self catering rooms full and she has had her work cut out translating and riding out with the guests but she sailed through her first ten days - bravo . From the look in the photo it looks as though she has adapted the gaucho way of life quickly and we all get some great crepes to eat every now can again – que rico

Welcome Geraldine and enjoy your stay with us 

This is the English Gaucho hasta la vista  

Where The Streets Have The Same Names

No matter which city or town you travel to in Argentina you will find the same street names time and time again. That applies whether you are in Buenos Aires or Tapalque where my estancia La Margarita (www.estancialamargarita.com) is located. So fascinated was I by this that I was motivated to write an article about it   (next life I want to be Charles Dickens). Luckily enough Escape  From America  the well know on- line magazine thought it was sufficiently interesting to publish it. It’s always a thrill for me when that happens so have a peek hope you enjoy it Mel.

http://www.escapefromamerica.com/2011/07/a-short-history-of-argentina-in-its-street-names/ 

This is David Cummings alias the English Gaucho  hasta pronto 

This free photo slideshow made with Smilebox

It Never to Late to Learn to Horse Ride

One of the many reasons guests come to La Margarita is to horse ride (which is included in our price). Some guest come with a huge amount of knowledge of riding and come here to experience riding in the famous Argentina pampas. However, what often happens is that we get a couple come where one of the couple has experience and the other has never ridden a horse in their life. That’s what happened recently when David and Tibby Gold from the USA came to stay on the estancia. Tibby had lots of experience riding having owned a horse and having ridden many times before. David on the other hand had reached his 60s and had never ridden in his life before! It was understandable he was a little nervous about the prospect of getting on a horse for the first time in his life and riding out gaucho style on the Argentine pampas. However, he was game for it and decided it was not to late to give it a go. Off we went to where we keep the horses and without any hesitation up he got on his horse. I went riding with them and took some photos and put together this slide show of his first ride out. I am pretty sure he enjoyed himself – have a look and see what you think

This is David Cummings alias the English Gaucho hasta to vista

Hey Wait There’s Still One Minute Left!

Its all over and now  

Cheer up - always next season

As someone once famously said “nothing last forever”. It’s something that sadly River Plate, founded by the Brits in 1901 and arguable the most famous football team in Argentina found out last Sunday. The team had never in their entire 110-year history been in the B league– they had the chance to avoid the drop as I mentioned in my last blog. River of course blew it  – it was pretty predictable. This was a team that had only scored two goals against another team twice in the whole season so it was almost a certainty they wouldn’t do it last Sunday and so it came to pass – they drew 1-1. So after 90 minute of torture promotion was won by Belgrano from Cordoba and that should have been the end of it until next season  - but this is Argentina where the passion for football is probably only equaled by the Brits love of beer. In fact there wasn’t 90 minutes played there were 89 since the game was abandoned after 89 minutes due to rioting in the stadium and in the streets. That extra minute could have made all the diffence – if it had been Manchester United you could have counted on another goal or two in that extra minute and the added injury time that would have followed but the ensuing riot saw to it that that was not going to be the case in this match. The ref called the game off and handed promotion to Belgano.  No excuses for what happened after the game  - it was a war zone. Some fans of the team that now were in the B league for the first time in their history were expressing their extreme unhappiness about it in a most unpleasant way and they forget about the expression that nothing last forever.

Now Argentina is a beautiful country believe me but what happened after the game wasn’t beautiful - it was sad and reminded me of the state of football in the 70s in UK where violence was rampant. However, if this has put you off coming here or going to football match here don’t let it please don’t let it. As I mentioned in my last blog this is a country that is passionate about the game and sometimes it spills over onto the streets as it did last week. However, if you go to a game the chances of anything happening to you is slim but the chances of having a great experience with these emotional people is huge so please please don’t let these events or people warning you not to go to a match put you off – 99% of the River fans   who watched the game on Sunday in the stadium or in bars or at home were as you can imagine very unhappy - they swore a lot, shouted, they cried a River - but that’s all.   I hope they catch the stupid ones who caused all the problems and ban them from games - fingers crossed. As for River there is always hope they will be back and claim their rightful place in the A league – fingers crossed it happens soon - we only have August to wait for the first game and I can’t wait to get to a game and if you are visiting around that time get to game as well (preferable a River game)   - you will love the experience – I  promise (apart from Gaynor that is!)

Allez River

This is the English Gaucho saying sorry for the football blogs but that’s life in Argentina  y  hasta pronto