[RC] Argentina- friends - Steph Teeter(finally - my last S. America correspondence!)Another Endurance Tour is coming to a close. As I write this I'm flying over Santiago, Chile, and can see the incredible snow capped Andes to the East, the coastal fog to the west. This long and narrow country is truly beautiful. Now I will return to Buenos Aires, have an 8 hour wait in Ezeze airport, and then take the long flight back to USA. USA to Argentina to Uruguay to Chile to Argentina - how fun to see the South American countries, compare the cultures, hear the different accents This trip started with our wonderful friends Mercedes Tapia and Eduardo Becar Varella. Mercedes asked me to come to help and cover the Argentine National Championship, which they were hosting. And of course I said yes! And of course John had to come too! (I think Mercedes and Eduardo are our 'parallel lives' - so many things in common with John and I, such similar views and values. I had just finished managing our (USA) National Championship, so to offer Mercedes support as she hosted theirs, well of course! My first correspondence with Mercedes was almost ten years ago, she wanted to join ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx . Since then we've had many adventures together - in Idaho, in Argentina, in Dubai, in Malaysia... and since then Mercedes and Eduardo have built a life around Endurance. They are both veterinarians. Eduardo is one of the country's best equine orthopedic surgeons - having spent many years working with horses in the polo world. His relationship as a veterinarin, and a friend, with Argentina's polo great - Gonzalo Pierez- led to the vision, and building, of Cazon Endurance Village, the only Endurance venue of such scale in the country. Mercedes specialized in equine reproduction, and much of her work has also been with the polo world. She previously spent many years in the more traditional world of Argentine Criollos - the native horse, descendants of the first horses brought to Argentina by the Spaniards centuries ago. As a rider and performer as well as veterinarian, Mercedes' life has always been with horses. ...more.. full story: http://www.endurance.net/international/argentina/ 2007NationalChampionship/ (or www.endurance.net - click on Argentina link) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|