San Antonio de Areco is mopping up after devastating floods. The Fiesta de la Tradicion, which had been planned for the weekend when torrential rains caused the Areco river to rise several meters and flooded the town and surrounding estancias and fields, has been re scheduled for the last weekend in November....and I am going to be there. Hope springs eternal!
Old Oscar Pereira, one of the last of the 'old' gauchos who now lives and works at the Estancia El Ombu, will be the honoured flag bearer leading the grand gaucho procession through town. He still creates verses (coplas) telling stories of gaucho life, which he sings accompanied by his guitar. I had the pleasure of meeting him a few times in Areco, where we shared the driving bench of his horse and carriage, which he let me drive by the way. We rode in the pampas on criollo horses, and talked about 'Don Secundo Sombra', one of his famous ancestors and hero of the book of the same name and authored by Guiraldes, an Argentinian literary hero.
A special highlight for me will be watching the tropillas, small colour coordinated herds of criollo horses, which are trained to follow a 'madrina' lead mare and the sound of her unique bell. None of the horses in the tropilla team wear halters, but they keep literally 'in touch' with the lead mare, which wears a halter and is led from horseback by the gaucho who is the pround owner of his matched tropilla.
Learning to do the Zamba, and practicing my Chacarera, te be reasonably prepared to join all day/all night dancing in the streets.
Enjoy a little pre-view about the atmosphere of San Antonio de Areco, when the gauchos come to town!
