Wednesday, 24 February 2016

Estancia Peuma Hue - "Land of Dreams"

Photos from our holiday with Bryce and Delwyn staying in a lodge on the shores of a lake near Bariloche - absolutely idyllic! 

Views of our cabin.
And with the owner, Evelyn Hoter
Main entrance gate.
Inside our cabin
View from my room
Down by the crystal-clear lake

Inside the main lodge where we ate every evening
View from dining room looking over lake
Food, glorious food
Things we did...






Oops, Gringa has come to call... and we're right out of carrots!

This little thing won everyone's hearts! "Tehue", 6 days old here
Friendly animals everywhere
These birds are very typical of Patagonia, buff-necked ibis 
Walked up to a view-point one day, here you can see me as a tiny blue blob against a massive rock
The viewpoint is right on the Continental Divide. The water from this lake flows into the Atlantic Ocean, and...

Looking to the right of the lookout, over the highway south.  The water from this lake empties into the Pacific Ocean.


wild fuchsias
The pilot of this boat is the great-grandson of an Australian who came over and farmed in Patagonia. He took us across to the other shore where we had a picnic and walked back through the bush.

Hard to find a more peaceful spot than this!
The estancia is in the clearing amongst the trees on the shore.  

The Cauquen goose
















Monday, 8 February 2016

Some pix from convention time 2016

We had the unexpected visit from Bernard Manning who came over to Buenos Aires to renew his Aussie passport.  Monica and I took the poor man traipsing around the streets in the pouring rain, with a 50kg pack on his back, full of coffee and other goodies for me from Gus!  The three of us got soaked to the skin as we ended up with one brolly between us.  Not to worry, the passport was obtained, and so was mine (before his πŸ‘).  Pictured also are Keith Drury (England), and Walter Goodridge.

Many cooks! Buenos Aires convention with many helpers.  Kevin making pizza bases, Florencia and Karen turning out some Hassleback spuds with a twist; Arlene Garcia and Ronda Stidolph standing in kitchen; Jenny Connelly and Marcela; Floppy making bread; Floppy and Marcela mocking my dud porridge buns.
Waiting to leave at the bus station.
Cooking at Rio Cuarto
Three Aussies: Beverley Loechel, Bernard, Wendy Cornthwaite
Four members of the extended Barjacoba family who are in the work: Patricia Oberto, Mirna Barjacoba, Sara Barjacoba, Walter Goodridge.
Norma Justus and I, co-workers this year.  We were together in 2011.
Bernard's "mongrel dog" that wandered in after the meeting and made itself at home.
Bryce and Delwyn arriving at Neuquen airport, with Jenny Connelly who knows Bev's family well!
This was GOOOD!!! Staying at their hotel with them, it was so hot, just what the doctor ordered!
View from my hotel window - very typical of Neuquen!!
Lunch out with Jenny
And Marcela Salgado
Marcela's twin Gisela made a 7-hour bus trip and turned up to the meetings on Sunday as a surprise. First time she's been to a meeting since Marcela went in the work.  She was pretty happy!  
Workers all having tea together before catching their respective buses to their fields/back to their countries.  For the visitors it's the last of their 3-month round of mtgs.   It's always a huge rush!