Gaucho Argentina

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My programs in Argentina here

Quite by a chance, traveling in one of the mountain regions of Argentina, we came across a local event, most likely unknown to anyone outside the tiny town of Cumbre (Cordoba province). It was the annual gaucho procession dedicated to honoring Defunta Correa, a semi-legendary woman, not canonized by the church, but revered in Gaucho community in the rural provinces of Argentina.

First I'll tell about who are gauchos, then about Defunta Correa

The event seemed quite interesting to me - as everything is impressive while is sincere and real, not played out for the amusement of the tourists. So I would like to share my impressions, although in them there is no direct connection with the subject of my channel nor with my climbing job. Anyway, the photos are beautiful and worthy to have a look.

Creole horses have their manes cut, leaving a tuft at the withers - so that to hold on while climbing into the saddle.

In order not to confuse you, first I will tell who the gauchos are, and then I introduce to you the legend of Defunta Correa.

Gaucho Argentina

I can assume that the meaning of the word "gaucho" is not much known to you, or not entirely clear. So let's start from this point. The Gaucho community is a quite Argentinean phenomenon connected with the history and spirit of this country, all recent historical events here have taken place with the participation of this rather influential social group.

Gaucho is not a nationality, but belonging to the social group

Gaucho is not a nationality. This is a large social group of people who are partly or to a greater extent of European origin - their recent ancestors were born from the marriages of European settlers with local women (Creoles).

All participants in the procession of gauchos, including horses, looked very cute

To date, gauchos are not associated with any national identity. Gaucho is a form of life, following and preserving traditions and folklore, having its own, supranational culture. Like almost all of Latin America, the gauchos speak Spanish, which may have some regional differences, but generally remains a common language.

Gaucho Argentina

Historically, the life of gaucho has always been associated with various forms of agricultural production. On the plains of Argentina and Uruguay, the gauchos were and are still engaged in sedentary agriculture. In the mountain regions of Chile, Argentina, and partly Brazil, the main occupation of the gauchos was and remains animal husbandry.

Representatives of all 4 generations took part in the procession of gauchos dedicated to Defunta Correa - the elderly, young, teenagers and very small gauchos as well

Most of all, the gauchos valued their own independence, freedom and culture. Gauchos, having all the features of a European race, have always led a nomadic lifestyle, for a long time did not obey any national laws, did not recognize state borders.

Traditional Gaucho outfits, as well as festive details of horse harness, are passed down from generation to generation and are used only on the most solemn occasions

Actually, gauchos in Argentina and Latin America now are the same as in the 19th century in the United States was a social group of cowboys - it was not a nationality, but at the same time - much more than a profession.

Gaucho Argentina

Just like American cowboys, well known to everybody from the classic Hollywood movies, gauchos were very weekly controlled by the state administration, always were ready to defend their own interests and independence with arms in hand. To the fullest extent, these features also can be applied to the modern social groups of gauchos in Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil.

Creole horses are the most popular breed among gauchos of Argentina. These are tall, powerful and very beautiful animals

Gaucho culture in Argentina is alive and original, definitely not adapted for tourist consumption. Therefore, it is difficult for the strangers eyes to see the culture of the life of gaucho, at least for a short time, immerse in the atmosphere of the real life of Argentine cowboys.

Gaucho Argentina

So as I have explained to you the meaning of the word gaucho, now I can pass to the second part of my story and tell you what became the reason for these people to ride their beautiful horses in the festive harness in the center of the town in their most elegant traditional costumes. Let me remind to you that the procession was dedicated to honoring the memory of Defunta Correa.

That's what means to be a born rider in the literal sense

Defunta means dead. Correa is the surname of a woman whose full name, according to the legend, was Deolinda Correa de Bustos. The story brings us back to the time of the civil war in Argentina in the middle of the 19th century. The Correa family lived in the small town of Angaco in the province of San Juan. During the fights in the region, Deolinda's husband was forcibly taken away by soldiers. Or, as they say today, he was mobilized. The woman, in the desperate condition, decided to follow her husband, and, taking her little son and some provisions, she set off.

Annual gaucho procession dedicated to Defunta Correa

Having lost her way, she died in the desert from thirst. However, after some time (in different versions of the legend it is from 1 day to a month), her body was discovered by the local shepherds. A living child was found next to the deceased woman, who survived by drinking milk from the breast of his dead mother.

It is believed that the woman was buried near the place of her death, in some distance from Vallecito town in the province of San Juan, about 1200 km from Buenos Aires. In this town is located the main sanctuary of the Defunta Correa cult.

Sanctuary of Defunta Correa in San Juan, Argentina

The cult of honoring Defunta Correa spread from the province of San Juan and today is quite popular even in the most remote regions of Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. Followers of the Defunta Correa cult build small shrines in which the bottles of water are left so that the traveler in the desert can always quench his thirst.

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For me, any kind of the alpine or rock climbing journey is, first of all, an opportunity to touch a foreign, unknown culture, which, as a rule, in the remote mountain regions has preserved its bright, sincere national forms. It is an opportunity to meet new people, get acquainted with their history. To get close to the values with which these people live in other, distant countries, regions - I'm sure that this is the most valuable and exciting thing in any kind of travel.

Travelling in Argentina

After all, any disrespect, conscious neglecting of the culture of other people, directly leads to the loss of one's own. It is for this reason, I think, that the propaganda of faceless and meaningless entertainment is so strong in the world. After all, “conscious tourism” is dangerous for any destructive processes in the society. That is working against the tendency of creating a mass market and goes against the interests of global commercial trends. Because that kind of travel unites people instead of dividing them, teaches the tolerance instead of violence, compassion instead of malevolence.

So please do not confuse this form of travel with a mass tourism production, which has the same relation to the real tourism as a rubber woman to a true love.

Sunset in Cumbre town, Argentina

The author of the text and photos - Alex Trubachev
Your mountaineering and rockclimbing guide in Argentina, Peru and Bolivia

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