Colonia Carlos Pellegrini does not have an ATM so Christi and I stock up on cash before our 3-hour bus ride. We also pay our fixer Graciela A$2230 for the bus to Pellegrini plus 4 nights’ accommodation at the Rancho Ibera with full board and 4 activities (a 2-hour boat ride; a 3-hour boat ride; a night-time walking tour; and a horseback excursion). This works out to be US$150 per day for 3 nights and US$50 for the last night (where there will be no activities), but we are promised relaxation and a little bit of luxury. And Christi and I do so enjoy our brief moments of luxury.
First, though, we have to get to Colonia Carlos Pellegrini and we are promised rough roads – roads that can become impassable during severe weather. The windows on the lime green bus are caked with red dirt so we really can’t see where we’re going – hopefully the bus driver has better luck. The good news is that there are no animals being transported, although there are plenty of groceries for the locals in CC Pellegrini. The bus rocks from one pot-hole to another kicking up even more red dirt as we make slow, uncomfortable progress. The engine strains and struggles over the terrain; the noise is unbelievable. I’m more than a little relieved to finally reach our destination.
Colonia Carlos Pellegrini resembles a collection of mud huts, with gooey, muddy, red unpaved roads. It definitely feels undiscovered. Cows, horses and chickens wander the roads, eating the lush abundant grass. Rancho Ibera, our ‘luxury’ accommodation is however a disappointment. The place has definitely seen better days – both in terms of the staff (who are not particularly friendly) and the accommodation (our bed is ancient, but there is air conditioning – indeed the air-conditioner almost fills the room. It’s loud, but effective). The ranch does have cable TV with some English language programs. We watch for a while as a sudden rain storm pounds the roof of the house, floods the garden, and turns the main road to tomato soup. It’s VERY wet.
After an admittedly pleasant lunch, the sun returns enticing Christi and I out to explore the town. But it’s like walking inside a sauna. My camera lens becomes fogged with condensation every minute or two making photography a big problem while Christi and I are dripping sweat. The town is a series of dirt roads and grassy intersections where road maintenance consists of letting the cows and horses munch on the juicy stalks to keep it from growing out of control. Within 30 minutes we struggle back to Rancho Ibera and collapse blissfully onto a couch in the TV room all the while being blasted by air-conditioning. Now that is luxury. As the heat finally begins to dissipate we walk down to Laguna Ibera to watch the sunset. It is beyond spectacular. Possibly the best I have ever seen.
Blog post by Roderick Phillips, author of Weary Heart – a gut-wrenching, heart-wrenching, laugh-wrenching tale.
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