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THE PAMPAS, introducing those never ending horizons....

 

 

What exactly are the pampas that  we know as a valuable source of income and green pastures for open grazing?   It is an area covering  Buenos Aires and La Pampa and partially  Santa Fe and Cordoba, each region with distinctive features of its own, ranging  from  humid and semi humid to semi arid or dry.  The pampas have experienced  great changes of climate along the years,  in a way as a consequence of previous irrational "cleaning" of indigenous plants (e.g. caldenes and algarrobos) to prepare soil  for production and also for introducing game animals.   Today ecotourism is gaining grounds in the whole area, with greater respect and care for nature. 

The pampas today are still the source of  some of the best beef in the world and good crops,  but they are also becoming home to new ways of national and international tourism.   The town of Buenos Aires extends into  immense plains  covered with green pastures and thistle,  doted  with splendid and comfortable estancias  (a mix of ranches and lordly manors) some transformed into comfortable country hotels for enjoyable stays,  day visits or business meetings.  This landscape of cattle,  horneros and  ombues provide a  flavour of its own and different kinds of silences to work,  rest,  enjoy and discover yourself in nature. The gaucho  with his attire,  his horse,  his mate,   his spirit and sense of freeedom,  his country wisdom and generosity gives the land its  personality and distinction.   "Mateadas" (sipping mate) and "guitarreadas" (listening the guitar)  are  the right scenario for a peculiar  type of literature typically Argentinean, the gaucho tale,  a song to his quality of  heart and communion with keens and nature.  It is not by chance that we say do me a  "gauchada" implying  connotations far beyond a mere  "do me a favour" and  giving a helping hand without distinctions. 

 

 

 

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