GAUCHO IN TRAINING IN URUGUAY
I arrived a day early to spend recover from jet lag and to enjoy an evening in Montevideo. I wanted to see as an authentic tango so I made arrangements to see a dance show at El Milongon. I took a taxi from the hotel in Montevideo and arrived at El Milongon early. I enjoyed talking with a family from Chile sitting at the table who also loved horses as much as I did. What a wonderful beginning for my Uruguay adventure!
It was amazing to see the best of Uruguay’s performing arts at El Milongon, El Milongon provides an evening featuring a diverse show of tango, milonga, Candombe, and other dances from folklore. If your hungry and in the mood, you can also enjoy a candle-lit dinner accompanied by fine local and imported wines.
The unforgettable show took me on a journey through Uruguayan culture, tradition, and its powerful African heritage. The talented performers included dancers, singers, and musicians. I watched the Candombe, a traditional form of dance and music created by African slaves in the 1800’s. It is recognized as a significant cultural heritage by UNESCO and is characterized by its heavy use of drums.
I was enchanted by the elegant tango and milonga performances since I am a ballroom dancer with no talent. The evening ended with everyone being invited to get up and dance together on the dance floor. Seeing an authentic tango was something I could now cross off my bucket list. 🙂
Day 1 April 2nd
I was picked up at the hotel about 6:00 in the morning and driven to the bus stop where I met my riding buddy, Kath from Scotland. We then met our guides, Mauro and Macarena of Cabalgatasvaliceras located in Valizas. We then went to meet our horses and was introduced to my horse called Ping.
Our afternoon ride to a hidden lagoon, riding out in the shade of pine woods and returning to the beach. We had Dinner at a local restaurant that served delicious Mediterranean cuisine and unpacked our bags at Posada Valizas, a charming small hotel that was run by a lovely hostess, Cecila.
Day 2 April 3rd
After a tasty breakfast from Cecilia, the ride started by taking the horses across the mouth of a small estuary. Then we had a full day ride through an amazing dune system that was part of a national park. We rode towards a fishing village with an important lighthouse sitting on the point due to the seas. We had lunch at at beachside restaurant with fresh fish. After our siesta, we rode back to Valizas via the pine forest and a wonderful dinner prepared by Cecila’s daughter at the Posada Valizas
We crossed pastureland and arrived at a wooded area with ombyu “trees” situated on the shores of the Castillos lagoon. The ombu is a very unique shape and, despite its size, is actually a shrub and not a tree. Mauro, our knowledgeable guide educated us about the flora and trees along the way. Lunch was “gaucho style” with a feast of “chorizos criollas” or local sausages and empanades or filled savory pasties.
After our siesta, the afternoon ride took up to the working ranch, Estancia Guardia del monte. We crossed wetlands and saw black neck swans, herons, and flamingos. We then rode to the estancia house, Estancia Guardia del Monte, for our overnight stay. The original building was built here over two centuries ago and manned by soldiers to prevent the Portuguese from taking over the Spanish territories further south. What a wonderful house that was so full of history. We were met by Alicia who is the owner of Estancia Guardia del Monte and our dinner was a traditional “asado.”
Day 4 April 5th
We started our day with a tour of the Estancia from Alicia. Then Alexis saddled our horses and rode into the rolling hills crossing meadows and wetlands and a palm tree forest. We met Mario Servetto and had a picnic lunch at La Barra Grande. We were then given a tour of a natural conservation zone called Durante El Sendero Disfrutaras De. We then rode into rockier mountain areas towards the farm called “Tres Lunas.” While riding we were watching vultures soar overhead and colorful parakeets screech as us as we passed by.
After reaching the farm, we had was a comfortable night at the farm called “Tres Lunas.” In the evening we were told how earlier in the week Cesear had killed a wild boar. The dogs on the farm had cornered a wild boar and then Cesear bent down and put the boar in a headlock and cut his throat. The gaucho’s told this was the last test required of a “gaucho in training” to become a real gaucho. (It was at this moment I knew I would never become a real gaucho…:)
In the morning we helped Gaucho Cesear to separate a sick steer from the rest of the herd. He had a disease Bichera on his rump as a result of an infection and had to be sprayed with a medicine to kill the worms.
Day 5 April 6th
I took the day off riding to relax and rode with Macarena down the mountain in the jeep to help her set up our campsite while Mauro, Alexis, and Kath rode to meet us at the camp. We set up individual tents for everyone while Jose built a campfire for dinner. Each tent had a camp bed and mattress. After everyone got settled in their tents, Mauro, Kath, and I hiked up a nearby mountain for a view of the landscape before having a hearty meal of lamb and potatoes. We all got a laugh when Mauro told us that most gaucho’s would only eat meat and potatoes. When there was a salad served, a gaucho thought that was just decoration on the table…LOL
Day 6 April 7th
In the morning we mounted up on our horses and rode to Palmar de Lucas where we enjoyed riding through the palm forest and had a delightful lunch. After our siesta we rode all day into the rolling hills crossing meadows and into a palm tree forest. What fun it was watching vultures soar overhead and colorful parakeets screech as us as we passed by.
We continued our ride to the ocean and watched the sun setting into the ocean. We spent the night at Los Nativos where the chef cooked us a delicious dinner with the best mushrooms I have ever eaten.
Day 7 April 8th
We got up early and were riding by 7:30 because Mauro said we had much to see. In the early morning we rode along the coast to the top of a small hill, where there was a reserve that gave turtle protection called Green Hill.
Then we rode to the Santa Teresa national park and saw the restored historically important fort. This fort exchanged hands a number of times between between Portuguese and Spanish armies. Along the way also saw capibara which is the largest rodent in the world. We also stopped and saw a beautiful auboridium where Mauro pointed out special plants that were just in Uruguay.
We had picnic lunch and then rode further up the beautiful national park beaches. I will never forget cantering gaucho style on the empty beach.
We stopped at midday and said goodbye to our horses, our gaucho Alexis, and our tour guides, Mauro and Macarena. After a delicious lunch and dessert, we caught our bus back to Montevideo.
Reflection on the bus back to Montevideo…. Our horses were criollo horses that were well trained , steady, and moved together at the walk, trot, and good canter on demand. These horses belonged to Mauro and he and Alexis watched them carefully. We always had a spare horse that was occasionally used if one went lame due to a sore hoof. The style of riding was western and as an english rider, Mauro took me under his wing to show me the differences. I had to learn to communicate with my horse using new signals because that was the language they knew. Traditional South American saddles and bridles were utilized with thick sheepskin covers to make the saddles more comfortable. We were also given saddle bags to carry our water, ponchos, and sunscreen. Alexis, our gaucho, accompanied us and did all the tacking up and was extremely helpful. At the end of the ride Alexis put the horses in the pasture while Kath, Mauro, Macarena, and I shared a glass of sparkling wine to celebrate reaching the end of our ride. While sitting on my sheepskin I reflected on how this ride was one of the best I have taken. It offered so much diversity….riding on the coast with the sounds of waves breaking…riding on the sand dunes….riding through the wetlands…riding deep in a lagoon to reach the other side with our horses walking in water up to their bellies…riding in the forests…riding up into the mountains…working with the gaucho’s to herd cattle. We enjoyed having picnics next to beautiful trees and lagoons and staying in warm and comfortable estancia’s, along with one night camping under the starts. This ride exceeded my expectations because of our itinerary, the knowledge and planning that Mauro and Macarena provided, our friendly estancia hosts, and the beauty of Uruguay. Tom Yeager