Ranching in Uruguay

6.30am wake up call. The hotel staff, good as their word, make us an early breakfast, then we are off to the Buquebus ferry terminal. Here we pass through an efficient airport style check-in, clearing Argentina and Uruguay customs in rapid succession. After a short wait we board the Rapido Ferry to Colonia Del Sacremento on the opposite side of the Rio de la Plate. The journey takes exactly one hour and costs about $60 US each.

I have pre-booked a car hire for the next 5 days, and we easily find the office a short walk from the ferry terminal. Formalities over, the Avis rep helps us load the suitcases into the car, and exclaims at the weight of the larger case. Upon learning it belongs to Anni, he sighs, and says it is a universal truth that the wife always has the heavy case!

Driving in Uruguay is extremely easy. There is very little traffic and the roads are generally well signed. The siting of the occasional toll plaza appears to follow no logic, one is at the end of a stretch of dual carriageway, the next in the middle of nowhere on a back country road. There are few towns, mainly the land is used for grazing for cows or for growing fodder crops for the cattle. The landscape is never flat, never hilly, but constantly gently undulating, and except for the eucalyptus trees strangely reminiscent of some rural parts of England on a fine summer's day.

 After a little over 3 hours  steady driving we turn  on to a dirt track road and 16k later reach our destination. Anni has no idea where we are staying and has been speculating for the last hour, the latest thought being that I have booked us into a spa hotel. That notion is soon dispelled as we pass between two white gates and over a cattle grid into the dusty yard of Estancia El Ceibo. Three dogs surround the car and a smiling gaucho and his wife come to greet us. They speak not a word of English, we speak not a word of Spanish! We don't let these minor difficulties defeat us and a little later 

we are eating home made cake and tea, nodding vigorously whilst not understanding a word that is spoken. At this point I remind Anni that she once said she wanted to go horse riding in South America and now her wish has been fulfilled. Neither of us can ride but we are staying on a ranch for the next two days!

I'm wondering at this point whether I have made a dreadful faux pas. But things start to improve when, Josello, the owner arrives and speaks a little English. There is no time for second thoughts. Twenty minutes later we are both saddled up and astride our horses and we set off to explore the estate. We ride Latin American style; the reins are tied together to leave a long trailing single strand that is used as a whip. The reins are held only in the right hand whilst the left hand can gently encourage the horse with the whip when required. Our horses quickly sense our inexperience and use every opportunity to stop and eat the grass. Our challenge for tomorrow is to show the horses that we are the masters.




Dinner is taken en famille. We are joined by Josello's wife, Carmen, and their son Martin, both of whom speak perfect English. Dinner is served by the farmer's wife, also Carla, with a local red wine from a nearby Estancia. We retire to bed very happy!