However when the rickety bus arrived we could see why it was difficult. Four hours of bumpy dirt track driving we arrived in the village of Pelligrini.
Stretching over 80 hectares and with a population of around 500 people, half of which are under the age of 12, Pelligrini was a world away from its closest town.
Shopping for food meant asking neighbours what they had going spare in the shelves or gardens. I must have visited at least 20 houses looking for vegetables and finally arrived at my best purchase, a couple heads of lettuce and spinach, which a woman plucked out of her vegetable patch for me. Finally some vegetables! It made a welcome departure from the standard Argentine diet of meat and potatoes.
We befriended a couple local chaps, Cesar and Fernando, who cooked us dinner in the evenings in return for lunch and both nights we had some sort of variation of meat and potatoes with bread. Although the food was not memorable, the place was.There is a great sense of community here with everyone sharing everything they have, however little it is, and in a village so small everyone knows each other.
Although the village 
was a charm, we really came for the wildlife. We took a boat at sunset to watch the nonchalent crocodiles, gracefull birds and entertaining Carpinchos (the largest rodent in the world, basically small child size guinea pigs).
was a charm, we really came for the wildlife. We took a boat at sunset to watch the nonchalent crocodiles, gracefull birds and entertaining Carpinchos (the largest rodent in the world, basically small child size guinea pigs).
A local gaucho took us out on his horses to wander through the Palmeras and we convinced Cesar and Fernando to take us out on the boat at night to stare at the dense canopy of stars and scare ourselves witless with the sound of crocodiles bumping into the boat and the knowledge of piranas floating beneath u
s.
s.It was a beautiful couple of days that made you appreciate the simplicity of life and nature.
No comments:
Post a Comment