Heading for the Pampas....leaving the City of Buenos Aires behind for a couple of days. Prediction of up to 40 degrees centigrade urban heat, 'tormentas' with high winds...a good opportunity to head into El Campo to live at a slower pace, stepping back into history.
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| San Antonio de Areco is a small colonial town in the vast Pampas, just a 2 hour bus ride away from the rush, noise, heat and bustle of the Big City. Tradition lives, Gaucho culture and folkloric dance are alive and thriving, artisans ply their crafts, soya and corn fields stretch to the far away horizon under a big 'prairie' sky, siesta is a serious business, old 'almacenes' (grocery stores) and boliches (low life bars) dot the corners of the quaint village, which is slightly decrepit, but has an immense civic pride matched with small town welcoming warmth. |
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| The Ponte Viejo, which spans the Rio Areco (at normal high level after plenty of rain earlier in the Austral summer) does not look quite 'viejo' - old, as the brick structure has been covered some years ago with cement and painted pink. But, local fishermen cast their rods, families cool off beside the stream, and gauchos commute from the little town into the outlying estancias. |
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| Artisans of any kind, not just silver ware and leather goods, and equine equipment...here the village salami butcher and some of his product. |
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| He also sells fresh country cheese, condiments and confitures. Some are displayed on shelves dating back a couple of centuries, or a converted sewing machine or roughly hewn wooden tables. No digital scales in sight - weighing is done with weights and balances. |
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| A local restaurant had fired up their roasting pit, fragrant wood is turned into glowing ashes, almost smokeless, and beef, pork and lamb roast to perfection... |
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| Flowering trees line cobble stoned streets.... |
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| Tempting aromas waft from a little shop and cafe, which makes and sells delicious chocolate concoctions... |
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| Orange rinds dipped in chocolate...not overpowered by loads of sugar, just tasty chocolate and tartly sweet orange... |
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| Downtown Areco, Calle Alsina, the main 'shopping centre'. No traffic lights, some cars, a few camionetas (half ton trucks), mostly bicis (bicycles) and mopeds make up traffic. People take time to chat, people greet each other - even strangers, and life flows on tranquilly and contentedly. |
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| Silversmith store front, with the owner and artist gossiping with a friend - his means of transport parked right beside his entry door. |
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| An example of some modern design, which co-exists beautifully with traditional silver work. As life is a little slower here, there is time to become maybe a little bored - as a result, creativity thrives. |
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| Intricately crafted traditional Mate cup (Argentinean tea) |
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Local artist and historian Miguelangel Gasparini. Not only is he a painter of note, but a fountain of local knowledge. He seems to be related to every citizen of note (historic, literary, gauchesco and artistic) and his lively stories capture the imagination, and he tells them with unbounded enthusiasm and stimulating passion.
Here he shows on the left a symbolic painting of Don Secundo Sombra, who was a local analphabetic gaucho of high honour and courage. His story was eternalized in Guiraldes Novel of the same name, which became one of Argentina's most revered pieces of literature. And Don Secundo represents all that is noble, courageous and honorable in a simple man.
The right painting represents Martin Fierro, a fictitious character, living during the freedom fights and early tempestuous years of less than just Argentine politics. A poor gaucho, conscripted by force into the Argentine army where a life of desperation, hunger and humiliation awaited him. Forever persecuted for the mere fact of being gaucho, he spent long suffering years fleeing and hiding in the unforgiving Pampas, imprisoned for years by Natives who only showed gentleness to their criollo horses but treated each other, especially their women and their enemies with horrendous cruelty. A symbol forever, in all Argentina, of a fight for freedom and an escape from repression. The book Martin Fierro, is the most famous writing of gaucho history, all captured in hundreds of 'coplas', verses, in the almost forgotten language of the almost extinct historic gaucho.
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| The coplas live on. Thursday Night in the Esquina Merti, a little bar/restaurant, a relic from historic colonial and gaucho times. The advertised band sings and plays Chacarenas, Sambas, Waltzes, quite often joined by another guest, who takes over the drums, the guitar or the microphone...all blessed with musical talent to burn. The patrons clap, whistle, cheer, sing along, ask for encores or other guests to sing or play....but most of all to dance. Young and old, fit or heavy, all light on their feet will not sit down for a minute, and the little corner bar throbs with life - until two in the morning. People are welcoming, friendly and warm, in a genuine way. Visit our table, welcome us three 'damas' from Duncan, chat with us, and invite us to a Chacarena, a Waltz or even a Tango or two - country style. |
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| Friday, another big night, kitty corner from the Esquina Merti, is Cafe Tokio. Another band, more singers from the public, and some of the same dancers from Thursday's night out turn up, and a lot more new ones. The little town is hopping, laughing and dancing another night away until the early hours of the next day. |
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| And then the town is quiet, not a bird song, not a vehicle, not even a dog....all tranquil. |
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| A sweet and gently place...may it maintain it's charm, warmth and kindness for years to come. |
