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Dale
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
Gaucho Steeze
The Cisnes River valley, where I work, is ranching country. That means there are cowboys. The cowboys down here are called gauchos. The gaucho lifestyle and culture is actually Argentinean at its root. However, since the first settlers in this area came from the East instead of the North, and Chilean Patagones in general feel more connected with the rest of Patagonia than with Northern Chile, the cowboys here are gauchos.
In the remote parts of this region of Patagonia, like the Cisnes Valley, the gaucho culture and way of life is still very much intact. These guys are cowboys. Some are caretakers of larger ranches, some have their own little campos, and pretty much all of them do freelance work. In the spring and in the fall they run cattle drives up to and then from remote grazing areas in the mountains. They live very simply. They don’t own cars, and some don’t even know their own age.
Though I still have a lot to learn about the history and culture of the gauchos in the area, I enjoy the aesthetic feeling their presence brings to my daily life at the lodge. They are a unique and interesting culture of people living a lifestyle that is largely non-existent in the United States anymore.
Here are some photos of the gauchos of the Cisnes Valley.
In the remote parts of this region of Patagonia, like the Cisnes Valley, the gaucho culture and way of life is still very much intact. These guys are cowboys. Some are caretakers of larger ranches, some have their own little campos, and pretty much all of them do freelance work. In the spring and in the fall they run cattle drives up to and then from remote grazing areas in the mountains. They live very simply. They don’t own cars, and some don’t even know their own age.
Though I still have a lot to learn about the history and culture of the gauchos in the area, I enjoy the aesthetic feeling their presence brings to my daily life at the lodge. They are a unique and interesting culture of people living a lifestyle that is largely non-existent in the United States anymore.
Here are some photos of the gauchos of the Cisnes Valley.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Big Rainbow Mission
On Sunday I went fishing with my friend Gabrielle. The plan was to check out a nearby lake rumored to have big rainbows. And while the word was that there were not many fish, we heard that if you found them they'd be big. So, with a single minded devotion to large rainbow trouts, we threw the float tubes in the truck, rigged up the sink tips, and went fishing.
The mission was deemed a success.
The mission was deemed a success.
On the way home we ran into some Argentines having a little car trouble. Everyone was alright and their friends were on the way.
And, in true patagonian fashion, we brought home a little dinner with us.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Chilean Pig Wrangling
There are many reasons to come to Patagonia Chile to fish. It is beautiful. The people are nice. The food is delicious. It is full of rivers. These rivers are large and not crowded. Many of these rivers are full of trout. These trout are also beautiful. And on many days, these trout will not think twice about chasing a large rubber legged piece of foam fifteen feet off the bank before launching themselves three feet in the air as they inhale it.
However, there are also other reasons to visit Patagonia Chile to fish and one of these is the chance to watch pig wrangling. Now, some of you country folk may be thinking that pig wrangling is no big deal and that you definitely do not need to travel to the southern hemisphere in order to witness it. But let me set the scene for you.
You have just finished a fairly quintessential Patagonian fishing day. You fished on one of the beautiful rivers, you caught some of the beautiful trout, and some of those trout did backflips as they ate your giant rubber legged piece of foam. But you also battled wind and rain and had a bumpy four wheel drive in and out of an improvised boat ramp. You are tired and looking forward to pisco sours at the lodge.
First, however, you need to stop and pay the caretaker of the farm where you launched your boat. You know that he has some wild pigs and that these pigs have little baby wild pigs, and that they are cool. You ask if you can see them. He says, sure, but first he and his buddies need to capture one of the grown ones. You ask to watch, he says, of course. Then, in a kind of Latin American ‘hold my beer watch this’ moment, he and his two buddies grab lassos and head for the pig.
What ensues involves three guys, one older gaucho in a beret, two very excited farm dogs, chickens, a large angry wild pig, and lots of yelling. What you learn is that pigs are real fast, that dogs aren’t afraid of pigs but should be, that old chileans in berets rule, and that a good old fashioned pig wrangling is really the only way to end a day of fishing.
However, there are also other reasons to visit Patagonia Chile to fish and one of these is the chance to watch pig wrangling. Now, some of you country folk may be thinking that pig wrangling is no big deal and that you definitely do not need to travel to the southern hemisphere in order to witness it. But let me set the scene for you.
You have just finished a fairly quintessential Patagonian fishing day. You fished on one of the beautiful rivers, you caught some of the beautiful trout, and some of those trout did backflips as they ate your giant rubber legged piece of foam. But you also battled wind and rain and had a bumpy four wheel drive in and out of an improvised boat ramp. You are tired and looking forward to pisco sours at the lodge.
First, however, you need to stop and pay the caretaker of the farm where you launched your boat. You know that he has some wild pigs and that these pigs have little baby wild pigs, and that they are cool. You ask if you can see them. He says, sure, but first he and his buddies need to capture one of the grown ones. You ask to watch, he says, of course. Then, in a kind of Latin American ‘hold my beer watch this’ moment, he and his two buddies grab lassos and head for the pig.
What ensues involves three guys, one older gaucho in a beret, two very excited farm dogs, chickens, a large angry wild pig, and lots of yelling. What you learn is that pigs are real fast, that dogs aren’t afraid of pigs but should be, that old chileans in berets rule, and that a good old fashioned pig wrangling is really the only way to end a day of fishing.
Friday, January 23, 2009
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