El Calafate, Argentina

The New Gauchos of Patagonia


Horseback riding in shades of gold
El Chabón Gustavo Holzmann gallops after his herd of horses, which is accompanied by dogs.
Argentine from the Golden Pampas
Worker from the Nibepo Aike estate dressed in the good gaucho style of the province of Santa Cruz.
In full clipping
A sheep is shorn, trapped between the legs of a gaucho from the Nibepo Aike estate.
soaked homestead
View of the Nibepo Aike estate on a rainy day in Patagonia.
a lonely sheep
Sheep investigates the entry of humans into a stable on the Nibepo Aike estate.
of patrol
Bird of prey scans the plain for prey.
Pure Argentina: Mate & Parrilla
Gaucho from the Nibepo Aike estate enjoys mate tea while controlling the slow roasting of a lamb parrilla.
ready parilla
Ready-to-eat parilla after long roasting over hot coals.
fast stream
A stream fed by rain and melting mountains crosses the yellowish pampas near El Calafate.
Dead nature
A hare hunted by Gustavo Holzmann's dogs, hanging from his saddle.
bovine deco
Decorative detail of the "estancia" Nibepo Aike.
ride break
El Chabón - Gustavo Holzmann savors the gentle sun that falls on the Argentine Patagonia area around El Calafate.
intrigued sheep
A small herd gathered in a yellow plain pasture around El Calafate.
In full clipping II
Gaucho shears a sheep from the Nibepo Aika farm, following traditional Patagonian methods.
Anita in Argentina
The entrance to another one of the many "estancias" in this inland area of ​​Argentine Patagonia.
costumes at will
Another of the gauchos from the "estancia" Nibepo Aike, this one in more relaxed clothes than composed.
Conforming costumes
Detail of gaucho fashion on the waist of one of the gauchos from the Nibepo Aike estate.
Around El Calafate, instead of the usual shepherds on horseback, we come across gauchos equestrian breeders and others who exhibit, to the delight of visitors, the traditional life of the golden pampas.

We stopped in the middle of a South American nowhere, determined to contemplate the golden immensity of the steppe.

Five minutes pass. From the confines of that very nothingness, a galloping herd of horses appears, accompanied, side by side by a pack of dogs, all of them determined either to control the herd or lead the race.

In the tail of the bizarre cavalcade, a gaucho with a whip at the ready urges them.

When he sees us on the side of the road, the gaucho abandons the pursuit. Come and greet us.

We noticed that a hare that the dogs had hunted bloodied the saddle and the fur of the mount and we warned him as a joke: “These dogs still break out with such dedication!”.

"No, they're more than used to it." answer us. “When we return, they will eat a lot. Afterwards, they sleep for a good few hours. It's beautiful around here, isn't it? If you want to come on a horseback ride one of these days, ask for me downtown. Everyone knows me. I'm El Chabón.”

We talked a little more and said goodbye. El Chabón, its herd of horses and dogs are back on the run. Vanish over the horizon. We got back to the car and the soggy road.

Later, we would discover that that brave but courteous character, wrapped in leather and something missing in a black hat and a beard as or as darker, had the name of Gustavo Holzmann.

It was an Argentine of Hungarian descent, born in Buenos Aires who moved in 1985 to the outskirts of El Calafate, with the plan to breed horses.

El Chabón was the Argentine term equivalent to the Spanish uncle, the Brazilian guy, and the Portuguese guy because he had become known in the region.

Over time, Gustavo became a kind of local king of horseback riding.

According to the descriptions and compliments that we learned about, he dedicated himself to his business with all his soul, proud to provide clients with moments of genuine adventure, good mood and socializing in the extraordinary scenarios of Patagonia.

It didn't stop there.

He gave himself over to permaculture and began giving hippotherapy sessions. So fruitful has his relationship with horses become that Gustavo has come to consider a “horseman".

We return to Provincial Route RP15 departing from El Calafate towards the Andes and glaciers to the south.

Slowly and, from time to time, to those about the gravel (area) slippery, we advance along the huge cliff that shelters the city and the steppe carpeted in yellow by the countless bushes from the cold, the crowns.

We travel through the endless space where herds of sheep and herds of horses roam at the leisure of the pasture. And where rabbits jump, frightened by the birds of prey and the predatory dogs of El Chabón.

The continuation of road 15 leads us to the entrance of emblematic sheep farms in the area. El Galpon del Glaciar, Nibepo Aike, Anita, among others.

Against good pesos, euros or dollars, almost all of them pamper outsiders with a soothing Patagonian warmth and the best roasts and barbecues from the country. Aware of the reputation of Grill Argentines, we didn't want to be an exception.

We pass under the portal of resort Nibepo Aike decided to undergo one of these treatments, overlooking elevations sprinkled in white. Snow still fell in the higher lands. The rain irrigated the lower lands.

Upon arrival, a trio of gauchos, each dressed in their own style, welcomes us, all within the standards of the gaucho tradition of Santa Cruz province.

They guide us on a short tour of the wooden buildings closest to the property. Afterwards, they are led to an unobstructed but dismal stable where several sheep are waiting for them.

In three times, two of them collaborate to capture and dominate a sheep. They tie her paws and lay her on the floor. With the animal wrapped around, we almost only see a white snout that sticks out from a large ball of cream fur.

The scissors that follow steal most of the sheep's plentiful wool. They leave her looking youthful and innocent, covered in a thin layer of almost white fur.

Against the intermediate cold and torpor, another good-natured and picturesque gaucho in a felt hat, khaki shirt, buttoned maroon vest and apron from the waist down, sips mate tea.

drink it from bulb traditional that you hold with affection as you run your eyes over the grill still roasting over coals.

This is followed by a long lunch much more deserved by these Patagonian cowboys than any of the visitors, who simply admire their work, the scenery of the Nibeko Aike resort and, wherever it may be, find out about their curious past. .

According to what they tell us, the estate originated in the settlement and partnership of a group of Croatian emigrants, at the beginning of the XNUMXth century in which Santiago Peso (the name adapted to Argentina, not the original) and the Trutanic and Stipcic families formed a society in which Santiago participated with his work and the other partners with the purchase of sheep, other animals and equipment.

In 1936, Santiago Peso died of tuberculosis. Six years later, his wife Maria Martinic – who continued to explore the estate with her three daughters – bought the parts that belonged to her husband's partners.

In 1947, he decided to change the name of the resort from La Jerónima to Nibepo Aike. Nibepo was a composite of the first letters of the affectionate nicknames of her descendants, Nini, Bebe and Poroka, followed by Aike, an indigenous term tehuelche which means “place of”.

In 1976, Doña Maria died. Nini bought part of the sisters' homestead. It is Adolfo, one of his sons who is currently in charge of the administration.

Times have also changed across the vast Patagonia. Sheep farming is no longer the livelihood of the estates, especially around El Calafate where the visits and stays of the many tourists who arrive are attracted by the imposing beauty of the Perito Moreno glacier they yield incomparably more to owners.

Accordingly, even if in smaller quantities, some Gauchos see their jobs intact. Instead of taking care of flocks with thousands of sheep, as before, they employ their arts only a few dozen.

Hundreds at best. To compensate, they improve their social skills and talk like never before, with people like us, arriving from across the oceans and from all over the world.

A fine, fluttering snow falls. Gauchos know the treacherous instability of the RP-15, even worse for the small SUVs rented in El Calafate where we used to move.

António, one of them, makes a point of warning us about what awaited us with the best humor he remembered: “well friends, if you were already slipping on your way here, get ready, now it will be much worse!. Don't you want to go back on one of our horses? They get a little wet, but they go much safer! "

We laugh and laugh at the improbability of the suggestion and refuse with any joke that doesn't measure up.

We got into the car with our head and shoulders already covered in flakes and once again we did it at random.

As expected, along the way, we skated and corrected run-off trajectories over and over again.

It took us an eternity, but there we arrived at El Calafate safe, safe and dazzled by the whims of that endless Patagonia of Rio Grande do Sul.

Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina

The Resisting Glacier

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El Chalten, Argentina

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Monument Valley, USA

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Ushuaia, Argentina

Last Station: End of the World

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Iberá Wetlands, Argentina

The Pantanal of the Pampas

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Perth, Australia

The Oceania Cowboys

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The Great Water Thunder

After a long tropical journey, the Iguaçu River gives a dip for diving. There, on the border between Brazil and Argentina, form the largest and most impressive waterfalls on the face of the Earth.
San Ignacio Mini, Argentina

The Impossible Jesuit Missions of San Ignacio Mini

In the century. In the XNUMXth century, the Jesuits expanded a religious domain in the heart of South America by converting the Guarani Indians into Jesuit missions. But the Iberian Crowns ruined the tropical utopia of the Society of Jesus.
Beagle Channel, Argentina

Darwin and the Beagle Channel: on the Theory of the Evolution Route

In 1833, Charles Darwin sailed aboard the "Beagle" through the channels of Tierra del Fuego. His passage through these southern confines shaped the revolutionary theory he formulated of the Earth and its species
Ushuaia, Argentina

The Last of the Southern Cities

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hippopotami, chobe national park, botswana
Safari
Chobe NP, Botswana

Chobe: A River on the Border of Life with Death

Chobe marks the divide between Botswana and three of its neighboring countries, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia. But its capricious bed has a far more crucial function than this political delimitation.
Prayer flags in Ghyaru, Nepal
Annapurna (circuit)
Annapurna Circuit: 4th – Upper Banana to Ngawal, Nepal

From Nightmare to Dazzle

Unbeknownst to us, we are faced with an ascent that leads us to despair. We pulled our strength as far as possible and reached Ghyaru where we felt closer than ever to the Annapurnas. The rest of the way to Ngawal felt like a kind of extension of the reward.
shadow vs light
Architecture & Design
Kyoto, Japan

The Kyoto Temple Reborn from the Ashes

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Passengers, scenic flights-Southern Alps, New Zealand
Adventure
Aoraki / Mount Cook, New Zealand

The Aeronautical Conquest of the Southern Alps

In 1955, pilot Harry Wigley created a system for taking off and landing on asphalt or snow. Since then, his company has unveiled, from the air, some of the greatest scenery in Oceania.
Ceremonies and Festivities
Military

Defenders of Their Homelands

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good buddhist advice
Cities
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300 Wats of Spiritual and Cultural Energy

Thais call every Buddhist temple wat and their northern capital has them in obvious abundance. Delivered to successive events held between shrines, Chiang Mai is never quite disconnected.
Obese resident of Tupola Tapaau, a small island in Western Samoa.
Meal
Tonga, Western Samoa, Polynesia

XXL Pacific

For centuries, the natives of the Polynesian islands subsisted on land and sea. Until the intrusion of colonial powers and the subsequent introduction of fatty pieces of meat, fast food and sugary drinks have spawned a plague of diabetes and obesity. Today, while much of Tonga's national GDP, Western Samoa and neighbors is wasted on these “western poisons”, fishermen barely manage to sell their fish.
MassKara Festival, Bacolod City, Philippines
Culture
Bacolod, Philippines

A Festival to Laugh at Tragedy

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Spectator, Melbourne Cricket Ground-Rules footbal, Melbourne, Australia
Sport
Melbourne, Australia

The Football the Australians Rule

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Twelve Apostles, Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia
Traveling
Great Ocean Road, Australia

Ocean Out, along the Great Australian South

One of the favorite escapes of the Australian state of Victoria, via B100 unveils a sublime coastline that the ocean has shaped. We only needed a few kilometers to understand why it was named The Great Ocean Road.
Ethnic
Pentecost Island, Vanuatu

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Rainbow in the Grand Canyon, an example of prodigious photographic light
Got2Globe Photo Portfolio
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Salto Negao, chapada diamantina, bahia gema, brazil
History
Chapada Diamantina, Brazil

Gem-stone Bahia

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Early morning on the lake
Islands

Nantou, Taiwan

In the Heart of the Other China

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Passengers on the frozen surface of the Gulf of Bothnia, at the base of the "Sampo" icebreaker, Finland
Winter White
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It's No "Love Boat". Breaks the Ice since 1961

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Visitors to Ernest Hemingway's Home, Key West, Florida, United States
Literature
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Ostrich, Cape Good Hope, South Africa
Nature
Cape of Good Hope - Cape of Good Hope NP, South Africa

On the edge of the Old End of the World

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Sheki, Autumn in the Caucasus, Azerbaijan, Autumn Homes
Autumn
Sheki, Azerbaijan

autumn in the caucasus

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Iguana in Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Natural Parks
Yucatan, Mexico

The Sidereal Murphy's Law That Doomed the Dinosaurs

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The Dominican Republic Balnear de Barahona, Balneario Los Patos
UNESCO World Heritage
Barahona, Dominican Republic

The Bathing Dominican Republic of Barahona

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View from the top of Mount Vaea and the tomb, Vailima village, Robert Louis Stevenson, Upolu, Samoa
Characters
Upolu, Samoa

Stevenson's Treasure Island

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view mount Teurafaatiu, Maupiti, Society Islands, French Polynesia
Beaches
Maupiti, French Polynesia

A Society on the Margin

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Religion
Djerba, Tunisia

The Tunisian Island of Conviviality

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The Toy Train story
On Rails
Siliguri a Darjeeling, India

The Himalayan Toy Train Still Running

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Tombola, street bingo-Campeche, Mexico
Society
Campeche, Mexico

A Bingo so playful that you play with puppets

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Ditching, Alaska Fashion Life, Talkeetna
Daily life
Talkeetna, Alaska

Talkeetna's Alaska-Style Life

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Flock of flamingos, Laguna Oviedo, Dominican Republic
Wildlife
Oviedo Lagoon, Dominican Republic

The (very alive) Dominican Republic Dead Sea

The hypersalinity of the Laguna de Oviedo fluctuates depending on evaporation and water supplied by rain and the flow coming from the neighboring mountain range of Bahoruco. The natives of the region estimate that, as a rule, it has three times the level of sea salt. There, we discover prolific colonies of flamingos and iguanas, among many other species that make up one of the most exuberant ecosystems on the island of Hispaniola.
Full Dog Mushing
Scenic Flights
Seward, Alaska

The Alaskan Dog Mushing Summer

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