Argentina
November 6-29, 2009
November 8: Fiesta de la Tradicion in San Antonio de Areco
San Antonio de Areco
San Antonio de Areco, 112 km from the capital city, is by presidential decree a historical town of national interest. Don Segundo Sombra, the first importand novel about gauchos, written by Ricardo Guiraldes, was written and set in San Antonio de Areco and is a huge source of pride and identity for the town.
San Antonio de Areco is not just a tourist town, but a town in which the criollo culture - the traditional culture of the countryside - is still well alive and a part of everyday life.
We wake up to Christine making us a pancake breakfast complete with bacon.
Mmmmmmm!
christopher is still sleepy.
A check out on the balcony shows it's a great day to go to a festival.
You can tell Argentinians don't start their day this early on a weekend... the highway is still empty.
I guess no one minds if you bicycle on the main highways in Argentina!
We thought "manual" meant that you pay cash, but maybe it's for the cars that have to be manually pushed through. ;-)
As soon as we get past the multiple lane highway,
the road becomes much smaller with lots of trees under which cars will pull off to enjoy the shade.
Apparently here the back of a pick-up truck is ok for carrying passengers!
Our own passengers seem to be doing all right in the back seat.
As we get to San Antonio de Areco, others are arriving too... by horseback.
The streets in town are all dirt roads.
We find our way to the main area just at the edge of town where the parking and all the horse trailers are.
Some cacti in the ditch.
The guy in the truck has the leader horse on a leash.
None of the other horses are tethered, they are just trained to follow the sound of the bell around the lead horse's neck.
Lots of folks arriving and milling about.
We've never seen so many horses and gauchos in one place!
Christopher is still sleepy and a little sick, but he likes seeing all the horses.
On our way we pass by a pulparia. According to the guide book, a pulparía is essentially
"provisions stores with a bar attached, which performed an important social role in rural Argentina and enjoy an almost mythical status in gaucho folklore."
Along the Rio Areco.
The sign indicates no parking as this is a passageway for horses and carriages.
The gauchos are all getting ready for the parade.
Someone found the cheap accomodations in town!
A couple of gauchos hanging out in the shade.
It's early but the local parillas have already started their barbecues.
Some beautiful houses along the streets of San Antonio de Areco.
This almost looks like Italy!
A monument along the way.
Some locals hanging out in the shade of a huge tree.
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