Adventure at the Estancia

Hola everyone! I am so excited to contribute my first Bates Field Hockey blog post about our trip to the estancia this past Sunday! An estancia is similar to an American ranch, and our team was able to travel there and enjoy an authentic experience, complete with horseback riding, Argentine song and dance, and an amazing gaucho show.

The estancia was located about an hour and a half north of the city of Buenos Aires. It was really nice to get outside of the city for a bit and see some of the countryside, or campo. We were greeted at the estancia by a a large group of gauchos, all offering us delicious empanadas. The entire ranch was absolutely stunning, and it was a sunny day to boot. First up, a short, easy horseback ride around the estancia. I myself chose not to ride, but almost everyone on the team did. There is no need to panic, as there were plenty of pictures taken of the gals getting on their horses. Needless to say, it was pretty hysterical.

After a smooth ride, the team laid out in the sun and watched some polo players practice on a large field next to one of the ranch´s buildings, which was amazing. Polo is such an incredible sport to watch because althougth it is so difficult, not to mention very dangerous, the players appear entirely composed as they whack the ball around.

After a bit we heard a bell being rung, which meant it was time to chow down, gaucho style! As we were entering their dining hall, you could see the long grill outside the house packed with all different types of meat. As soon as we sat down, the entertainment began, complete with traditional Argentine tango, and many classic songs that everyone appeared to know quite well. All the while, the gauchos were coming around again, and again, and yet again with chorizo (pork sausage), cuts of beef, ribs, and blood sausage, which is exactly what you think it is. The blood sausage did make some a bit queasy, but I thought it tasted delicious. I most certainly would not want to eat two or three of them, but one definitely hit the spot.

Dining in the gaucho hall was a really wonderful experience because the emcee of the afternoon entertainment read off all the different countries that the guests were from, so you could look around and interact with people from all over the world. Some of the countries included Peru, Chile, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Austrailia.

After feasting, everyone moved outside again to watch the gaucho show. In the show, a group of 4 or 5 gauchos led a group of 6 or 7 horses around a large ring. What was so spectacular about this was the fact the gauchos led their specific group of horses very close to the other ones and yet the groups never broke their composure or stride. Then, the gauchos would lead their group to a resting position in front of the crowd, and all the horses would automatically line up, standing right next to one another. It was pretty amazing to see such strong, beautiful creatures quietly lined up right before your eyes. The most exciting part of the show was the traditional game the gauchos played, which involves charging full speed at a dangling ring, no larger than a wedding band, and using a pencil-size spear to catch the ring. Some of the gals on the team were lucky enough to receive the rings from the oh-so-handsome cowboys. More important, three lucky ladies got to take rides with gauchos after the show for a quick spin.

The trip to the estancia is one I will not soon forget. The countryside was truly beautiful and the food at the estancia was incredible. It was an awesome way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon.

That´s it for now! I better get to packing because we head home so soon! Keep on reading and posting to the blog. It has been great to read your comments!

See you back in the Lew this fall!

- Zoe