Estancia El Venado - The Pampas
Trip Start
Dec 01, 2008
1
16
17
Trip End
Mar 01, 2009
The Pampas,
Argentina
Friday, March 6, 2009
But before that, and believe me I had no desire to wish away the remaining days of this trip, I had embarked on another "once in a lifetime" treat... aka a stay in an estancia in the pampas.
I'd done a bit of research online and had settled on Estancia El Venado (www.estanciaelvanado.net). It looked amazing on the website, it's prices were affordable to me for a short break and the people who managed it seemed to have personality. For my payment I had a beautiful room in the estancia, all meals and drink provided for free and the opportunity to take advantage of the many horses (over 250!) roaming the grounds and a swimming pool to boot. Absolutely amazing. All this approximately 170 km from Buenos Aires.
My first mistake was to get into the wrong car. I had got a bus from Buenos Aires to Lezama in the Pampas where I was to be met by a driver from the estancia. So far so good you'd think. Not for me though, no, I got off the bus to be met by a strange old crusty man who seemed to summon a car out of nowhere. "Estancia El Venado? Charly?" I said, in my excellent Spanish. "Si" he affirmed so in I jumped. I then spent the next 20 odd minutes slowly working out that this was in fact a random local and not the driver sent to meet me. He had no idea where he was going and I was getting increasingly frustrated. Finally, I managed to get hold of Charly whose family own and manage the estancia (and who also runs a polo school at the estancia and in New York where he plays professionally) who after a few swift words managed to get the random local to stop the car and let me out where he could find me. Oh dear. Luckily Charly and his brother Ramon were just near by, having a beer at the local bar which was, of course, attached to the local petrol station. What an idea! Why haven't we done that in Britain? A beer (or two) later and my nerves were calmed. Charly and Ramon got into this crazy truck and drove me back to the estancia via a mud road which due to the rain was extremely slippery. The car spun if they drove faster than 20kph. Ramon suggested I sit in the back after demonstrating how the door opened on my side of its own accord each time they tried to turn the corner. I took him up on his offer.
When I arrived I was met by Patricia (C and R's mum) and Amrita and Lina, two girl polo players who were brushing up their techniques at the estancia. All the women (and that includes Lydia the cook) were amazing at the estancia and really made my stay special, I immediately started considering whether I could lengthen my stay.
Everyone in the house ate together which meant that there were usually 6 of us at our table, Patricia, Ramon, Charly and another gaucho/polo player Luca along with Lina. Wine was also served at all meals. This led to a very relaxed atmosphere. The first night became a little too relaxed after I was challenged to a game of pool in the pool room with the gauchos and we drank the estancia dry. The next day everyone got told off for letting the dogs into the pool room as they had made the place incredibly dirty. We didn't play pool again during my stay. We didn't drink quite that much again either.
I loved staying at El Venado. For a few days I fantasised that I lived this incredible life. I would ride at least once a day and would just pop round to the stables and they would saddle up my mount and do all the dirty work once the ride was over. Wonderfully indulgent. Then, in the afternoon, I managed to fry myself by the pool. Since I had avoided this all through Rio this was a bit of a shock to me. Oh well.
On the day I left for Buenos Aires it poured with rain and the road to the bus station was extremely dodgy. Although we managed two 360 turns in the mud and nearly turned over in the very old Clio Ramon was driving and endured 4 (yes 4) engine deaths en route to the small town where I would find my bus it was worth it. What a great place to go. I think that the bus breaking down within 15 minutes though might have been pushing my patience a little.
Unfortunately there was a catastrophe the day I left the estancia. Charly and Luca had trucked 11 polo horses up to Buenos Aires to train for a tournament the following week in Pilar and they were in a compound awaiting their arrival. Overnight, somehow, the horses escaped the compound and went onto a busy road. Four of them crashed into a van and died. So, the tournament was off, and the loss of four of the horses was felt greatly. A very sad time for everyone at the estancia.
xx
