Hola! Today was our last full day in Argentina and we spent the majority of it at the beautiful Santa Susana Ranch. This ranch is located in the district of Campana, Buenos Aires province and has been owned by the same family for over 100 years. Mr. Francisco Kelly named the 2965 acres of land after his wife, Susana Coffrey. The land was mainly used for agricultural purposes, but in the last 25 years it has also become a tourism resort for people all around the world.
When we first arrived at the ranch we were greeted with a glass of wine and homemade empanadas. The “gauchos” or as we call them in the US, “cowboys”, then took us to see the horses. There was the option to either ride a horse individually or take a horse drawn carriage ride but almost everyone chose to ride a horse on their own. For some, this was their first time riding a horse, which only adds to the growing list of new things we were all able to experience while on this trip. The land was beautiful and the horses, while a bit intimidating, were overall gentle and kind.
After horseback riding, we went inside for a traditional Argentinean meal called an Asado. It contained a vast variety of grilled meats with side dishes of different vegetables. A typical asado may also contain other items like grilled cheeses and grilled vegetables. The variety of food is cooked over a parrilla which is lit by pinecones and wood. The point of using this type of material is to cook the food over hot embers rather than on top of a flame. The meal ended with flan, which is a typical desert served in Argentina.
There was a show for us to watch after lunch that was conveniently located in the same hall lunch was served in. It started with a tango dance, which was cool to see after we had just taken lessons the day before. Then live music started, two men playing a guitar and an accordion. The accordion wasn’t a typical instrument used in Argentinean tango music however is regained popularity in the early 21st century after Chango Spasiuk, an Argentine artist, brought it international attention. Quickly after the music started, couples got up to dance. Soon everyone began to show off their new tango skills on the dance floor. After a while of dancing, the next act came on, two Argentinean malambo dancers. The malambo is a traditional folkloric dance that was born in Argentina in the early 1600s. They use a lot of tap steps and leg flicks similar to the tango, to create this historic dance. The last act of the show was a boleadoras dance. A boleadora is a primitive hunting tool used by native south Americans. It is a projectile weapon made of a chord with weights attached to either end. The boleadora dance uses the boleadora both as a percussion instrument and a juggling tool. It is most popular is circus acts, but it was very cool to see it performed at the ranch.
Next up was the horse show. We gathered outside as the gauchos rounded up the horses with the help of a trusty dog. We were then able to see them perform the corrida de sortija which is a traditional gaucho sport. The objective of this sport is for the gauchos to get a small ring on a stick about 10 feet off the ground, while riding a horse. It is much harder than it seems, however it was thoroughly entertaining. If the gauchos were successful, they would present the ring to someone in the crowd. A few lucky Bryant students were presented with a ring for the small price of giving the gaucho a kiss on the cheek.
The trip ended with a quick serving of yerba mate, a popular tea shared among friends at all hours of the day, and another homemade desert. This one was a sweet pastry filled with strawberry jam, pictured above. The ranch visit was a great way to end this trip because we were all able to spend time together creating new memories before heading home.
Check in soon for more updates to come!
-Gabby Giordano
SIE 2020, Latin America 