the gauchos!
The parade started and ended with gauchos...
• gauchos on horseback with their babies
• gaucho families all riding separate horses (One mom/dad had 4yr. old twins riding their own horses!)
•the most gorgeous looking horses
•amazing looking stirrups
•gaucho boots in various shapes, sizes, materials
•stunning dresses on the women riders
•riders seemingly floating down the street
•gaucho families in a buggy
•youngsters riding adeptly, even the young ones had the macho "look"!
Here's a bit of info on the gaucho. It's from my survival guide book called, "Culture Shock Argentina!" It says... "Someone who wouldn't dream of going to the supermarket is the gaucho. Argentina's answer to the rough, tough American cowboy and the ultimate Argentine macho. The gaucho, and the romance that surrounds him, is one of the strongest symbols of Argentina. He is considered nothing less than a national hero and his antics both on and off his beloved horse are admired throughout the country."
We loved the gauchos the most, but the rest of the parade watchers loved the queens even more. At the parade's end, the crowd dwindled and only a sparse group of people were left to watch the gauchos who were at the back end of the parade.
A note... in America, parades always end with the fire trucks. In Argentina, the parade ends with scores of men with brooms sweeping up the debris into big piles, followed by men with huge garbage bags who scoop up the piles, followed by numerous garbage trucks, and lastly, water trucks wash the streets. Amazing!
Here's bit of gaucho video I took at the parade (calle)...
That video is great, Mary! Both the little girl and the horse seemed interested in you. In fact, you were probably their favorite part of the parade.
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