Los Pinos is situated 4 km from El Bolson, the so-called hippie town in the Lake District of Argentina, and boasts a beautiful setting, especially during the Autumn months where everything is littered in ORANGE. A family and their 14 year old daughter run the farm and live off its produce. They were not very happy to discover the latest recruit, a stray rotweiler puppy, who has been squatting at the farm for the past month, was tucking into their prize chickens. She was suitably punished and locked up on a lead as a result, poor little thing was just hungry (forever supporting the underdog). Fortunately a photo I took sold her to a family who will adopt her, let's hope they can handle her hyperactivity and need for 24/7 love and attention! She is very sweet. However, the cutest members of the family by far have to be the two ginger kittens, Rumplestiltskin and Co. I have adopted them and Gordon is sick of hearing me goo and gaa and feed them all our milk. (Photos to follow and you will see what I mean!)
There have been some other Wwoofers volunteering here as well: 2 Americans, a Spanish and a French chap, and as the latter do not speak English, we have taken the opportunity to use some 'Spanglish', or rather Gordon prefers to wave his hands about and make strange gestures, as you can imagine everyone is always in fits of laughter.
Lastly, the most exciting job yet has been inoculating the sheep, something out of a slapstick comedy watching the boys rolling around trying to grab at their kicking legs (sheep don't like to be handled), haul them over and hold them down (photo of their fear-stricken faces to follow). Pure comedy, especially with Gordon's added Irish rolling comentary to add to the ambience.
So we will leave you as Gordon is currently salivating as we speak, as we are about enjoy our 'asado' (bbq/braai) and the meat is soaking up the marinade, smelling 'rico' (delicious, but much more in Spanish) tick tock tick tock ...
Gordon embracing El bolson
Gordon and Mafalda (a popular comic strip character in Argentina)
To rent a horse, call this number.
Here is the horse you can rent.
Home needed please: the chicken eater 'Perrito'. Very cute. Very hyper.
Typical breakfast, bread and homemade jam
One of our 'vistas'
The path leading up to La Cassita. Our dorm for a couple of weeks
One week in hippy El Bolson and Gordon is already embracing his inner zen
Susan cuddling her new pellie
You would think this is natural, Susan tricked the cat into this image
Rumplestiltskin and 'Co'
Got a problem, what are you looking at?!
Frambuesas (raspberries), in the raspberry field. A successful afternoon
Another haul by Susan
These bags may contain nuts. A lot of nuts.
Drying the nuts post peel, getting ready for sale
Roly, the boss of the farm. Always content on his tractor!
Javi (foreground) and Gary in the field picking potatoes..
Now you see her....
Now you only see part of her! (The mini slaughter shack!)
Vicky the mother sheep dog.
Gary and Lauren being towed home by Roly after a long afternoon picking potaotes
Gordon ready to relax after work
Javi and Tom head down the field to the farm
Susan in a completely natural, certainly not posed for, shot
Tasty Mate
Analia, Arriana and Roly before Arianna's kayak lesson
Strolling the shores of Lago Puelo
These girls are all looking at something that is going on...
... because they are next in line
Tom flirting with one of the sheep
Roly injecting, Gordon wrestling
Gary catches one
Homemade burger time
Javi and Tom warm themselves on our parrilla/asado/bbq/braai
Tom, Gordon, Gary, Roly and Javi enjoying the bbq
A local relaxing in Lago Puelo