Gaucho Town, My Top 3

After a weekend away last year in Colonia, Uruguay ('Colonia' rhymes with 'ammonia': and that is more interesting than anything else there), I thought I might never do anything new again. Fortunately Katie ignores me on all such matters, so last weekend we found last ourselves in Gaucho Town, and a cracking time we had.   

Gauchos! 

When we came to Argentina I wanted to see three things, and they all involved Gauchos. I didn't know a lot about the country, but I did know about Gauchos. Real live cowboys who hadn't changed their ways in a thousand years, leather skinned studmeisters nonchalantly riding the Pampas, cooking over fires and eating from the blade.  

And over a weekend, San Antonio de Areco, aka Gaucho Town, a sleepy little place disturbed only by the tumble of weed, represented a good chance of completing the aforementioned treble. 

In the event, I didn't even come close. Beneath, Colonia-esque in its failure to meet expectations, is a breakdown of my disappointment.   

Ambition 1: To see a Gaucho whip the top of a bottle of beer off without so much as spilling a drop of froth. 

Closeness to Fulfillment: Not close at all. It turns out that Gauchos don't do this, and never have done. We did see a Gaucho order a bottle of beer, but far from reach for the whip, Indy style, he waited patiently whilst the barmaid opened it with a modern gadget. He wasn't even trying: at least use your trusty blade, or failing that your leathery teeth. Come on.   

Disappointment Factor: 8/10. Rubbish. Bad Gaucho. 

Ambition 2: To see a Gaucho take a siesta by simply pulling down his cowboy leathery hat over his eyes, the way John Wayne would pull his leathery hat down if he was a Gaucho.

Closeness to Fulfillment: Not at all close. Concluded that Gauchos are a wide awakey people.

Disappointment Factor: Very high, 9/10. This was my banker. How hard is it to become sleepy? Bad Gaucho.

Ambition 3: To see a Gaucho gun fight.

Closeness to Fulfillment: Not even close - did see a gun but it was in an antique shop, possibly the last one used in a gun fight. SHAME ON YOU, Gauchos. Bad Gauchos. 

Disappointment Factor: 3/10. I never really expected this to happen. 

However, in the antique shop I got to walk through those chest high swing doors, which would have been on my original Top 3 but I'd forgot. And as further consolation we did go to a bar that felt like at any minute Antonio Banderas would walk in and shoot the place up with a violin! That didn't actually happen either (but we were there at 7pm, which is maybe a bit early?) 

So here are some rather unrelated photos...

Katie with Leah drinking her first 'mate'  

I put this in cause I thought I looked very cool

Hmm. Cute. 

(L to R) Tree. Viv. Horse. Gaucho. Horse. Katie. Tree. 

Long story to go with the above photo - those guys are crazy - but suffice to say that they caught those horses, tamed them, and then ate them. How Gaucho is that!? 

PS A response, as many of you have emailed in, rather pedantically, regarding the final caption. I know there are 3 horses, and only two mentioned in the caption. Technically, a Gaucho is rather like a centaur - so you don't count the horse separately.  I hope that clears things up, and you continue subscribing to the blog. DF.