Day 11 – Our last day in Argentina

The only event on the agenda for this day was a guided Fiesta Gaucho Tour with lunch.  This was an opportunity for the group to experience and interact with the Argentinian Gauchos (cowboys).   We travelled 45 miles to the Santa Susana Ranch in Los Cardales, Argentina.  As we entered the ranch, we each were given several varieties of Empanadas (you may have seen these hot pastries in some earlier photos), the true Argentinian appetizer/snack.  We entered the main house and smelled several different varieties of meats roasting on the coals.

Everyone in the group was excited, because we had heard that the entire group would be given the opportunity to go horseback riding.  For some, this may not seem like a big deal but for most of the choir members, they had never been on the back of a horse before – oh what fun!  The guide joked around with the group saying the horses were slow and low to the ground.  The horses only had two speeds, slow and slower!  Imagine a kid who has lived in the city all of their lives riding a horse for the first time.

After an afternoon of riding, we all ate in the big house.  We were concerned because the persons helping us get on the horses earlier were now our waiters!  I guess one had to multi-task on this ranch.  We enjoyed a great barbecue lunch of several meats.  After a huge lunch, we enjoyed a cowboy show of beautiful singing and dancing.   After the show, the host asked the choir to the stage to sing a closing selection for the international audience in the dining room.   After lunch, we went back to the stables to see a cowboy show, now with our waiters transformed back to cowboys!

The day at the ranch was a very relaxing way to spend our last day in Argentina, taking in rural Argentinian Gaucho life.

We returned to hotel to gather our things for our departure.  Our flight back to JFK airport was scheduled to depart Argentina at 11:00 PM.