The Mysteries of Saddling Up Gaucho Style in Argentina Revealed!

Nothing more comfortable than a gaucho saddle

Many of our guests who come to La Margarita come specifically to ride horses. There is no doubt the estancia is a great place to come and do just that.  I remember when I first came here to Argentina I went to a few estancias near BA.  There is no doubt they were beautiful estancias but often the riding left a lot to be desired. The horses were tied to trees and you just got on one and it took you for a gentle stroll around the park – great if that is what you are looking for but not if you were looking for the exhilaration of riding over the famous pampas with the wind in your hair, a big blue sky over head and herds of famous Argentine grazing in the fields – believe me it is an exhilarating experience and that’s what we aim to offer on La Margarita - course we can’t always guarantee a blue sky but there is one more times than not  

When guests on the estancia first come to our saddling up area to take their horse out the saddles we use often surprise them.  Its not a surprise really since they are totally different from those saddles used in say USA or UK and some of our more experienced riders are a little bit cautions about them at first. However, once they get used to them all say how comfortable they are leave La Margarita full of enthusiasm for the gaucho saddle and how comfortable they are.

Recently we made a video one our gauchos saddling up here on La Margarita so you can see what is involved even before you get here as regards the saddles we use. The video is now on La Margarita and here is the link. I hope that you enjoy it ( just click on the link to view it ) 

This is David Cummings alias The English Gaucho  hasta la vista 

Ever Wondered How You Make Those Delicious Empanadas? – here at last on video the secret is revealed…

Raquel with her team  on La Margarita preparing to make some very tasty empanadas

Ignacio cooking  the asado on La Margarita 

Argentina is without doubt well known   for its steak famously cooked on a parrilla. Coming to Argentina and not eating an asado as its know here  is the same as going to Italy and not eating pizza – it’s simply a must do. Often when people eat an asado the starter will be empanadas, which before you come to Argentina you may never have heard of. They are sort of like an English pastie only tastier.   They are simply delicious and usually come in a number of fillings such a beef, chicken and vegetable. Many guests who have come to La Margarita and eaten them here have asked us how they are made. With this in mind we decided to film Raquel on La Margarita lovely making this typically Argentine specialty. To be truthful I never realized what goes into making them and I found it fascinating to watch Raquel go to work and make them. The video of her making them  has now been uploaded to YouTube and if you are interested in cooking it makes great viewing –here is the link I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed the empanadas Raquel made.

This is David Cummings alias The English Gaucho hasta promto   

La Margarita the Star of the Film - along with Staff, Guests and the Fabulous Pampas.

As I mentioned a few blogs ago La Margarita was chosen as one of the locations for the Argentina short film Salome y El Forastero directed by Jorge Perez . It was an honour for me that the estancia was chosen as one of the locations for this story of love and ultimately tragedy about an event that happened in the pampas the 1930s.  The reason I was particularly happy about being chosen was that as the director and writer explained they were, of course, looking for authentic film locations and that La Margarita fitted that need perfectly. In all the years I have owned La Margarita one important ambition for me was to keep the estancia as authentic as possible – I think the fact that it was chosen for this film has helped rubber stamped that ambition.

The filming took place over the past two weeks (Sept /Oct) and it was great to see the story acted out. One scene that was particularly important was the birthday of Salome – it was a big fiesta and for the scene the film director chose our staff and some guests who happened to be on La Margarita to be extras in the film - along with a few hundred more!

If you have a look on our Facebook page you will see some great photos taken by Susana (La Margarita boss) and Geraldine (the estancia volunteer) who both appear in the film. I will let you know in this blog when the film gets release- must say cant wait

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000784894713

This is  David Cummings alias the English Gaucho saying hasta la vista