La Estancia Santa Susana, located roughly an hour outside the city of Buenos Aires, was our break from big city life. After exiting the highway we were greeted by bright pink buildings and sprawling land, an oasis away from the bustling city. While the surrounding area developed, Santa Susana’s nearly 3000 acres remained, a peek into Argentina’s guacho history.

We toured the pink house as well as the chapel, which provided confession to the families. Pictures scattered throughout the house gave a glimpse into the people that used to live and ranch here. There was an abundance of crosses and religious figures, showing the integral role of Catholicism in the daily lives of Argentinians.

After touring the home, we were offered empanadas and wine (yes, at 11:30 in the morning). Beef empanadas for those so inclined and humita (mashed corn) for those not. We devoured our snacks and were ushered towards the horse arena. The pen was filled with stocky polo horses ranging in color and size. Once atop the los caballos (with a jsa sound) we set forth to take a loop around some of the land. Although it was cloudy, windy and a touch chilly the land was flat and vast, not unlike the Midwest. Wagon rides were also offered and provided a faster (and bumpier) tour of some of Santa Susana’s grounds.

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Lunch was next on our agenda and we were directed into a large dining facility. However before entering, we walked through where the meat was being cooked. Later seven variations of this meat was served, but instead for me, I was given a cheese omelette of sorts on a bed of rice. We were treated to live music as well as traditional tango and Northern Argentina dance.

Our final event at la Estancia was a guacho show. The cowboys rode around the ring herding groups of horses and performing tricks like picking up a ring while galloping. They even took us for rides cantering, and in some cases galloping *cough cough Leah* around.

The festivities concluded and we boarded the bus to return to the city. It was a fun day for all and an interesting look into a different aspect of Argentine life. Thus far, it has been my favorite day. Being on the ranch made me realize the similarities between gaucho culture and culture of Western cowboys and that maybe we weren’t so far away from home.

After a laborious and at times uncomfortable flight, I (as well as all my fellow Buckeye classmates) arrived in Buenos Aires on a beautiful day. Our first adventure in Argentina’s capital? A boat tour of the Tigre Delta and Rio de la Plata. Although exhausted, I enjoyed the bus ride to the Delta, learning about the city and being able to see different parts of it. We also had our first immersive experience at the Puerto de Frutos, exploring the market and attempting to communicate with locals. Suffice to say it was a success because no one got lost, so we made our way to the boat tour. Once on board the lofty barco we cast off, searching the horizon for information regarding this place. Well, to start it was iterated time and time again that the water of the Delta was not polluted. It is brown because of the sediment brought in from the Iguazu falls and other sources that feed the river. Many people rowed down the river and it was shared that the Delta is Argentina’s rowing capital! The river was lined with a plethora of diverse and historical buildings. One such building a replica one of Domingo Sarmiento’s three houses on the “islands”. Further down the river interestingly enough was a child’s amusement park (Parque de la Costa), serving as a form of entertainment to draw crowds to el Tigre. We passed many houses on the banks of the islands, however these houses don’t have running water! They take water from the river and treat it themselves with chlorine or bleach to use. But for drinking and cooking, bottled water is used. For residents of the islands to get basic societal needs, boats bring doctors, dentists, groceries, there’s even an ice cream boat! El Rio de la Plata is integral for Argentina, but despite its functionality, there exists a wide variety of activities and lifestyles along its banks. Although all of us were drained from our travels, gaining this insight into Argentina and Buenos Aires was well worth the weariness.