San Antonio de Areco and El Umbo Estancia

(Robert) After spending three weeks confined to a 5-kilometer radius within Buenos Aires, a side trip was in order. For our vacation from our vacation, we planned to spend two days and one night in San Antonia de Areco, where, by two-hour bus ride, one can experience Gaucho country life far removed from the blaring horns of Buenos Aires. San Antonio is best known for being at the epicenter of the Gaucho tradition. As skilled cattle ranchers with a reputation for living in solitude, Gauchos are Argentina's answer to the American cowboy. Our plans included first hand experience of the Gaucho tradition at an estancia (ranch) located just outside of downtown San Antonio.

The day prior to our departure, we decided to perform transportation recon since this would be our first use of Argentina's massively popular bus transit system. It turned out to be a good decision since we were quickly overwhelmed by the immensity of the bus station. Part train station, part bus station, Retiro Estacion, can easily take 20 minutes to cross by foot. There are hundreds of shops, cafes and food stands to choose from, as you wander down one of its three sprawling levels. There are two bus services that cover the route between Buenos Aires and San Antonio - Chevallier and Pullman. A round trip ticket is approximately 50 pesos. After about 30 minutes of searching, we located the Chevallier booth, fulfilling our primary goal for the recon.

The following afternoon we missed the Chevallier bus by a few minutes but were kindly informed that Pullman could immediately take us for roughly the same cost. While the bus had clearly seen better years, the seats in the semi-cama cabin were soft leather and allowed me to fully extend my feet - no small feat (no pun-intended) for 6' 2” guy. When the bus pulled into what we could only guess was the San Antonio station we looked around for any landmark that could indicate we got off at the right stop. From our vantage point the bus stop could have been located in any city. There were no street signs as far as the eye could see. I approached the bus driver and pointed to a map of San Antonio de Areco in our guide book and in piss-poor Spanish asked where we were. A passenger approached me and confirmed in English that we were in San Antonio and helped us to determine the general direction to our hotel.

As we turned the corner from the bus station we entered a modest neighborhood that, while appearing relatively safe, looked nothing like the charming country town that we read about in our guide book. I could see the disappointment in Katherine's eyes as we made our way towards the town square. For a moment I wondered if I blew it – taking us two hours outside of BA to hang out in a desolate dust bowl. A few blocks later we shared relief as we could see the town square whose small-town appeal became evident even from a quarter-mile away. Without much difficulty we found our hotel, Paradores Draghi, a bed & breakfast that had received rave reviews on Trip Advisor. At first we found the hotel to be deserted, until a man by the name of Mariano greeted us from the hotel's silversmith workshop (I'll get to that later) and kindly showed us to our room. With a level of trust that would have been unheard of in BA, Mariano asked us if we had a reservation and then handed us the key. We found the room to be extremely charming and surprisingly large. After dropping off our bags we set out to explore downtown.

As we began our leisurely stroll down the street, the first thing I noticed was how crisp and clean the air smelled. I inhaled deeply, enjoying the absence of diesel exhaust. The second thing I noticed was a feeling of safety absent from much of Buenos Aires. All around us children were playing in the park and riding bicycles. It was clear that we were in a small-town that continued to retain its small-town ideals. The fact that for the first time since we had arrived in BA, cars drivers patiently waited as we crossed the street before them, made this evidently clear. Countless times I've observed Porténo drivers impetuously honk their horn as an elderly woman cross the street - on a green light no less!

As we stopped to sit at a park bench, an adorable black and white dog approached us. We pet the dog as we observed a school teacher leading a class of young school kids on a tour of the town square. As we got up from the bench the dog ran across the street and stood before a pleasant-seaming cafe. Was this dog trying to tell us something? We ignored the dog's suggestion and continued on our walk, searching for a cafe to rest our feet. The dog continued to follow us, one block after the next. As we eventually made our way back to the dog's favorite cafe, El Tocio, we realized that he had exceptionally good taste. With open arty décor, Wi-Fi, delicious Argentine food, great coffee and a respectable HD LCD TV set, El Tocio is, without-a-doubt, the best cafe in town. Once inside we enjoyed a bottle of Malbec as we watched a World Cup match.

With just an hour or so of sunlight remaining we left the comfort of our cafe to check out a park just four blocks from the town center that, according to our map, ran along a “rio.” As we entered the park we appreciated why the recreational site is an extremely popular tourist destination in the summer. On one side cafes line the street, while the outer edge is boarded by an extremely charming stream that is accompanied by a handful of bridges. Along the stream a semi-paved walkway provides easy access to stroller-pushing parents and joggers. After soaking in the soothing scenery we made our way back to the hotel to explore its esteemed silver museum.

The Paradores Draghi is, first and foremost, a family-operated silversmith craft house. The bed and breakfast, according to Mariano, is owned and operated by his mother. A lady named, Maria, provided an intimate and personal tour of the workshop and the adjoining museum. The tour covered the history of Gauchos, their reliance upon various tools and ornamental silver, and even the family's silversmithing techniques. The crafts shop is considered is among the finest in the country if not the world. Their customers include aristocracy and even US presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. Fortunately some of their jewelry was available at more modest prices. For a very reasonable price, Katherine purchased a beautiful silver necklace with a coral stone centerpiece. After the tour Maria kindly made a reservation at the Gaucho estancia and ordered a ride to take us there in the morning.

For dinner we once again walked the downtown perimeter until we settled on Almacén de Ramos Generales, a quaint parillia located just a block off the town square. We found our dinner to be not only delicious but more affordable than what we usually encounter in BA. After dinner we made our way to La Esqina de Merti, where we followed through on a tip from the Paradores staff that the bar and restaurant would be hosting live music and tango dancing. When we entered the bar, the proverbial record come screeching to a halt as the locals laid their eyes upon the gringo couple. We made our way to a table in the rear from where we could comfortably watch the tango band perform. The band members were almost certainly teenagers and while the keyboardist and guitarist played their instruments somewhat clumsily, the lead singer demonstrated a surprisingly strong voice and a commanding presence. A half dozen or so locals would get up from their tables to dance to their favorite tango tunes. Katherine and I deliberated the sexual orientation of the tango singer as we finished our respective glass of wine and bottle of Stella. After an hour or so, we made our way back to the B&B and called it a night.

The following morning we rushed to pack as we had a taxi on its way to take us to El Ombó de Areco, a historical estancia that continues to honor Gaucho traditions by offering tourists the opportunity to partake in a variety of Gaucho related activities including horseback riding, ranch chores and a classic asado (BBQ) lunch. When we arrived at the ranch we were greeted by small gang of friendly dogs. An elderly lady who spoke only Spanish hastily provided a tour of the grounds which included a lounge room with TV and pool table, elegant dining room and an finally an outside patio where we accepted an offer for fresh empanadas and a glass of red wine. The ranch and its surroundings are truly splendid. The buildings are well preserved and maintained considering they were built in 1880. The landscape closely resembles the flat plains of the American Midwest. After scarfing down perhaps the most delicious empanadas we will ever encounter in Argentina, we snuck back into the lounge to watch the last few minutes of a World Cup match. After the match we joined a group of new arrivals for horseback riding.

It had been many years since Katherine and I last rode horseback. Once saddled up we slowly made our way down a dirt road, passing an occasional cow. The weather had the feeling of late-November in Northern California - that time when the trees have lost most of their leaves and the air is fresh and crisp without at all feeling uncomfortable. The slow pace of the ride was a stark and much needed contrast from the frantic energy of Buenos Aires.

Upon our return to the ranch we were seated at the patio for the much anticipated Gaucho asado meal, accompanied by a musical performance by one of the ranch's gauchos.  Another round of wine was served, soon followed by healthy portions of sausage, blood sausage, skirt steak, rib-eye and chicken. Dolce de leche ice cream and coffee followed as dessert.  As we drank coffee we were given a "surprise" performance by the younger of the two Gauchos of an Indian-style horse breaking. This method of breaking is completely non-violent and involves coaxing the horse into a submissive position on its back. Anyone who knows anything about horses would know that it is nearly impossible to get a horse to agree to do such a thing. Once on its back, the Guacho invited guests to lay alongside the horse. Rather than go into any more description of this awe-inspiring talent, I posted a YouTube video below that captured the entire performance (see below).

After the Gaucho's demonstration we accepted an offer to go out for one last horseback ride, this time at a trot and gallop. It had been nearly seven years since I had galloped. Katherine had never galloped before and nearly fell off the horse had not one of the Gaucho guides come to her aid and help her back onto her saddle. We agreed to split apart for the remainder of the ride so that she could continue at a slower pace with while me and a guy from Georgia head down the trail at a faster pace. Completely out of practice, I had to strain to keep up, leaving me sore for the next couple of days. By the time we returned, our cab driver was waiting for us and we said our farewells.

Back at the B&B we grabbed our backpacks and made our way back to El Tocio to watch yet another exciting World Cup match. When it was time to head to the bus station we were, yet again, greeted by the black and white dog who insisted on accompanying us.

We estimated half a mile to the bus station. A few blocks into the trek, it had become dark and we found ourselves somewhat directionally-challenged. Katherine plotted a short cut through an open field that appeared to provide a straight line to the highway along which the bus station resides. Without streetlamps or another soul in sight, I was on high alert for trouble. Even in a relatively safe neighborhood this was a prime location for something to go awry. Our canine companion provided comfort as we made our way across the field. Could this have been our animal spirit guide? I figured if he could find the best cafe in town then perhaps he could help us to be bus station as well. Katherine's short-cut proved to be successful. The dog sat patiently at the curb as we made our way onto the bus.