Visiting a Patagonian Ranch

A unique activity that Overseas Adventure Travel plans for tour groups is called A Day in the Life. The group goes to a location and learns more in depth about what life is like if you live there. Today we went to a sheep and cattle ranch only a 20 minute ride from the town of El Calafate where we are staying. The owner Gerardo was our host. First we were given gorro (hat) de (of) gaucho (skilled horseman) and the typical neck scarf (pañuelo) worn by gauchos.  Our lunch was lamb and we watched as the lamb was put onto a iron roasting spit to be cooked for 3 hours. 

 

 

The land is barren and dry. There is only about 6 to 8 inches of annual precipitation by rain or snow.  Gerardo does have some irrigation to provide water for the animals and to grow some alfalfa.

Jo Ellen and I, being two farm girls from Iowa didn't think the land looked too productive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We watched Gerardo's sheep dog herd the sheep into his barn. Then he sheared a bit of one sheep. 

Predators are a big problem and lambs are killed by stray dogs, pumas, and fox. There were a puma and a fox pelt in the barn. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before we went to lunch Gerardo demonstrated how to throw a boleadora. A  boleadora is a type of throwing weapon made of weights on the ends of interconnected cords, used to capture animals by entangling their legs. Gerardo demonstrated and the goal was to throw it around a pole. Most of the men in our group tried it and then I tried it. I tried several times to post a video of this but it didn't post so here is a picture. 

 

Notice that I nailed it! The boleadora is wrapped tightly around the bottom of the pole. Today there was hardly any wind and it was bright sunshine. We have been blessed with good weather.