45 Minutes outside of BsAs...

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In between our trips outside of the province of Buenos Aires, we're still enjoying our time in the city (eating/drinking, cooking class, relaxing at the pool or in the park, exploring different barrios, visiting museums, food truck festivals, and jazz clubs), but also in the countryside. Just 45 minutes away from the busy centre, there are some amazing beautiful and tranquil places to be found.

On Sunday, 13 December we went to a gorgeous estancia (200 horses) to learn more about polo and play some ourselves. Yes, on horseback - honestly (see pics). Some basic knowledge:

- Polo is played 4 against 4 (4 player/horse combinations that is) On a field that is 300x160 meters.

- A match is divided into 'chukkers', each chukker lasts 7,5 minutes.

- Depending on the tournament, 4, 6, or 8 chukkers are played (the tournament we went to several weeks earlier - "world cup" - has 8).

- The team that scores most goals wins.

- Polo is a contact sport, so pushing is allowed - and there is a lot of that. By both players and horses (some 500 kg of push).

The good news is that both of us were able to stay on the horse. The bad news (for us) is that we couldn't walk for 3 days. Nevertheless, we had a great day and can it recommend to anyone.

The whole day was filled with wine, food, meeting new people (the owner of the estancia had some friends over who we had lunch with - a famous asado), playing an amazing game and relaxing in the pool afterwards.

This Sunday, we had a similar, though very different activity as well. We went kayaking in Tigre, which is the portal to a great river delta just outside of BsAs. Many Portenos go here in the weekend to relax. Tigre itself is kind of a circus, but if you take a boat slightly further out, you end up in a beautiful scenery of water, swamps, islands and quietness. We kayaked for a few hours and then went to a beautiful lodge on one of the islands to have lunch and relax at the pool (returning theme, isn't it?).

In our opinion, the delta is totally undervalued, but what to expect with competition like Patagonia, Iguazu, and Mendoza. Nevertheless, if you're going to BsAs, take the time to do a full day kayak tour in the delta ( the guide by the way, is really nice Argentinian/Durch guy).

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Comments

[Clarissa]

Wow, dit ziet er goed uit ! De rivier doet me een beetje denken aan een tocht die ook oit in de Amazone rivier deed... Wel ware er daar jacaré's, (soort van Braziliaanse krokodillen). geen enge beesten in de Tigre ? ;-). De asado is waarschijnlijk de Argentijnse variant van de Braziliaanse churrasco, lekker hé ?

[MiandMa]

Geen kroko's in Tigre
Haha, clarissa. Heb ik gevraagd. Geen krokodillen of andere enge beesten in de delta. Wel schijnen er soms beesten vanaf het noorden op waterplanten naar het zuiden te drijven. Een paar jaar geleden is er zo een jaguar gespot! De asado is idd de Argentijnse variant vd churrasco. Blij dat ik geen vegetarier ben! ;-)