Los Patos to Mendoza

Day 3
February 8, 2014

Los PatosWe spend a morning in the small town of San Miguel del Monte, founded in 1864 on the edge of the untamed regions of eastern Argentina. We find an internet cafe and a shop with blankets and bridles and bags of the gaucho. At a small adobe hacienda,  Angel explains the lifestyle on the frontier from the view of the ruling Rosas Family who were in opposition to his own forefathers.

JuditThere is is interesting travel plan circulating: not for a person but for a horse! Judit is planning to take Girlie back to Austria. She has “found” a new farm for the young horse that will join her other horse there. Angel says she can breed her here and have a colt there.   As the plans sound preposterous, Judit continues her devotion to the horse: three times a day, she nurses Girlie’s leg.  Every day, her mane braided in a different style! Girlie has found trust.  Judit’s energy is infectious. Angel calls her crazy!

The life of the household was a joy to join. As we pack up, huge storms roll over the skies the morning we are leaving. We make a dramatic exit to our van that is here in a deluge of rain.

Learning about Los PatosHistory of Los PatosLos Patos HistoryWe are off to catch a plane to Mendoza. We are on to new and different climates:

From: the first nights in the flat and hot pampas region with excellent horses, beautiful riding and warm loud generous Argentine hospitality – that means bigger than you can imagine…

To:  today, flying from BA to Mendoza amidst huge T storms.

Michael boards the plane

Flooding had closed the finest sections of BA so luckily we were out in the flat prairies – equally drenched. All the planes were delayed. The six of us were bumped from our reservations by Aerolineas Argentina to a  LAN flight 3 hrs later?! The delay of two hours tired all 3 couples who will be traveling these 8 days: Ed and Wendy are  from Lenox. Wendy’s sister Gail and her husband Richard from CA and Mass (bi coastal snow birds) are also in their 70’s; and Michael and I.

The PlaneWe are having a great time – nonetheless.

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