Sunday, 26 January 2014

Pampa Grande - 17th to 25th Jan


Uneventful flight to Salta from Cordoba – biggest revelation was how cheap excess baggage is (GBP20 for 30 KG).  Arrived and were met by the congenial Santiago – an ex marketing bod from the banking industry turned guide/driver.  Of the 3-hour drive to Pampa Grande (PG), half was spent on a dirt track, on windy mountain roads in the dark.  By the time we arrived at 9:00pm we were literally quite shaken.  Were met by the staff (of 4) on the front steps of the estancia – like something out of Downton Abbey, and escorted through to a rather grand dining room, with a roaring log fire, where a table that could have seated 16 was laid up (silver and the works) for 3!

Front of Estancia

We hence discovered that despite the copious number of bedrooms, we were yet again, the only guests (same philosophy as Max at El Puesto).  This time we weren’t so thrilled, as we felt intuitively felt  that this place called for a much larger group in order that we didn’t swim in it. 


We awoke the next morning to glorious sunshine and had the opportunity to do a little exploration.  What a magnificent place!  The main house is set amongst 60,000 acres.

It is one of the most important estancias in the Salta region.  It has over 6,000 head of cattle, around 350 horses and 63 staff.  It was bought 8 years ago by a Belgian man who runs a globally well-known beer business from that country.  He has subsequently invested in the infrastructure of the place and in particular has made the lives of the Gauchos and their families much more palatable.  Before he bought, the place had been in the same family for 5 generations.  The Gaucho families lived in primitive cottages and all shared one shower and one loo for the males and another for the women – and there was no boiler.  He has since installed  a proper shower room/loo in each dwelling and is attempting to improve the education of the children. 


The Carniceria
The Gauchos on this estancia live a relatively simple life.  Many were born here and will die here.  It is a true way of life and things are done in traditional style and passed from father to son.  Hitherto education has been minimal.  The Carniceria (butcher’s shop) in the Gaucho’s village has to be seen to be believed.  
Every other day a cow is slaughtered as part of their staple diet, and the bits (the head is first to be bought – for boiling) sold cheaply to the Gauchos.  I won’t go into the process of slaughter, but suffice to say that no technology of less than a thousand years old is used, and there is little the current management can do about it!


Central courtyard
View from sitting room
The main house is built around a courtyard and has the most wonderful views to the foothills of the Andes.



The kitchen is the equivalent to an old Victorian kitchen and the main Aga-style oven and cooking “rings” are still fuelled by burning wood in the main body of the stove.


The sitting room has a great atmosphere, with a wonderful mixture of the modern with antique Argentine artefacts.  It is incredibly comfortable with an open fire, and all of the sofas covered with furs of the Guanaco – an animal now protected, but whose fur is  soooo comfortable.  The whole place has a very welcoming feel to it.







We have now been here for 5 days and the routine is fairly simple:  get up, go riding or walking, have a swim, have lunch, fall asleep, check emails, teach Jemima, have drinks followed by dinner, go to bed – repeat process.

Lunch on the terrace

Our morning coffee spot


Pool area with main house in background


On our first morning we were taken for a 2 hour ride by Sebastian, our non-English speaking Gaucho guide for the week.  Our horses were very disappointing, to put it mildly!  20 minutes into the ride, we had still not moved from a walk.  When Philippa asked if we could move it on a bit faster, he looked slightly bemused and said fine.  5 minutes later we knew why:  The horses could barely manage a canter, Philippa’s she swore had 5 legs, and they all nearly collapsed at the end of a very short run! We then discovered from him (Philippa’s Spanish is now pretty good) that

these horses we were riding were “for the tourists”.  By ‘tourists’, he meant guests who didn’t know how to ride, which he assured me applied to most (surely not you Nick and Cherry!) “Tomorrow, I want your horse” she semi-jokingly demanded – his horse hadn’t stopped prancing for the whole ride, and he clearly had to rein him in when we did that one canter.  Much to her surprise, he said “fine”.  And he promised us fine steeds for James and Jemima who he could see were also good riders.  The next day we had the most fabulous horses.  


Pip on Favorito

We have subsequently tried out Andean as well as European breeds – these Andean horses have an extraordinary gait: they kick their front legs out to the side as they walk or trot (not sure what they do at the gallop), it really has to be seen to be believed.  They are also particularly renowned for having great stamina – and boy do they go on and on and on at the gallop.
James on Rubio

What is so refreshing here is that our “minders” Sebastian and Carlos, have no problem just letting us loose.  At virtually every available opportunity, Jemima is asking if we can gallop; Philippa asks “Vamos?”; they say “sure” and off we go.  And the fields/tracks just go on for ever….  It really is riding as it should be.
Sebastian & Carlos


















Jemima on Lorito (& Mrs D)
Wednesday was a very special day.  We were on our horses by 7:30am, and a fast ride for about 4 miles, followed.  We caught up with several Gauchos, entered a field and then had the task of helping to round up around 600 head of cattle.  These we then drove about 1 km to a corral for inspection, where we left them and continued on yet another fast ride.  The wrangling was very special and something we have always wanted to do, but there is limited opportunity. 



These we then drove about 1 km to a corral for inspection, where we left them and continued on yet another fast ride.  The wrangling was very special and something we have always wanted to do, but there is limited opportunity.

















Every night at 7:30, Philippa has a half hour conversation in Spanish with Gabriela and Rocio, the 40 year old guest manager and her deputy.  They are both very capable, intelligent and charming women for whom nothing is too much trouble and they have added greatly to our enjoyment of this week. 



It is at dinner that the problems usually start – when, that is, we eat outside.


Every evening, just after darkness has fallen, the bugs and frogs come out – not tiny frogs, but one’s the size of your hand.  They seem to find their way into the rooms and we are constantly on tip-toes trying to spot them.  Of the bugs, whilst most are moths or the equivalent thereof, there is one, highly populous breed of flying beetle, up to 2 inches long.
We have named these Doodlebugs after the German ‘flying bombs’ of WW2.  Often we hear them coming (similar sound to the original bombs) – they then bump into anything and everything, then silence until suddenly, there it is, having fallen, silently like a bomb, to land in your soup with a splash – or as happened to Philippa last night, into her cleavage. I have never seen her move so fast (food everywhere) or Jemima laugh so much.  Tonight we eat inside!
The birdlife here is also exceptional.  We have now done a couple of 3 hour walks near the river (our water carried for us by an accompanying rider!!) and have seen a wide range of our feathered friends.  They seem remarkably at ease with us around and allow you to get really quite close.

 ………Today is Friday, and we have just had our last ride.  We feel we have to make further mention of our horses: Lorito (Jemima’s), Favorito (Pip’s) and Rubio (James’s).  Philippa, who has done a lot of riding over the years, even went so far as to say that she had never ridden such a wonderful horse: for comfort, control, responsiveness and pace.  James felt exactly the same about Rubio, and with the exception of La Corada (at El Puesto), Jemima felt similarly about Lorito.  The bad news is that we are unlikely to ever come across such great horses again!

As the ride finished, the heavens opened, the temperature has fallen sharply and we are left to pack in what seems like a typically depressing January day in England.  I hope this makes all of you back in the UK feel better!
Tomorrow we leave for a small village called Tilcara - a 5 hour drive due North of here.  On our way we will pick up a hire car in Salta city and then have a week to ourselves in a rented house.  No more horses for a few weeks (thank goodness I hear you say) and hopefully, we will also have a mobile signal!

PS: forgot to tell you, there is also a beautiful lake near the house to walk round, boat or fish!



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