The roads in the campground were gravel so no more slipping and sliding. We followed El Griego to the A frames and pulled up across the path from them. We would be able to run a hose and an electrical cord from the A frame to the motorhome. All the comforts of home - well almost any way.
Randy and John Mc would stay in one cabin and we would use the other for storage for all the stuff we had on the trailer. We would end up staying here for almost a month.
We settled in and adjusted to life. It was very different from home.
The owner of the campground also owned a grocery store and butcher shop so we did most of our shopping through him. We would tell him what we needed and he would bring it to us.
About once a week, if there was no threat of rain in the forecast, we would load up and take the motorhome into Mar del Plata just to look around or go to the post office or use a phone. - Phones - another story. Not everyone had phones like we were used to. They were very hard to get with long waiting lists. So long that if I ordered one, my son might get it - someday….And the phones stayed with the apartments or houses. If you wanted to sell an apartment with a phone you could ask an outrageous price. Another strange thing - the newest phone book was over five years old. The explanation was - “People move or die and other people get phones so the numbers wouldn’t be right any way.” Okay!
In Mar del Plata itself everything was closed from noon till about 4 or 5. Even the grocery stores! . Here there was no problem buying milk and beef. Chicken was harder to get, they didn’t believe in freezing anything and refrigeration was not as good as we were used to. The produce was very good, it smelled and tasted wonderful. It was right from the farm dirt and all. One of our first grocery receipts was for $11,850.00 I almost fainted. By now the peso that was 750 to 1 when we got here was 800 to 1 - it changed daily.
May 1st was a holiday and Mecha and her family along with Rosalia came out to the campground for a BBQ. A real Argentine Asado -good food and lots of fun. Of course everyone had to go in and look around the motorhome. One of the things we had on the Pace Arrow that no one was used to was a screen door! - So it didn’t get closed as people went in and came out. Well let me tell you. Argentina has the biggest, blackest, loudest flies you have ever seen. They have millions of them and just about every one of them was inside the motorhome by the end of the day. John was afraid if they all took flight at once the motorhome would go with them. I didn’t doubt it. It took a full can of fly spray to get rid of them. We had a sack full of dead flies by the time we were done cleaning up.
May 16th was John’s birthday. He turned 13. Randy and John Mc went into town on the motorcycle to get him a present. When they got back they hid it on the campground and gave him a treasure map to find it. It took him about an hour of traipsing all over the woods but it was worth it. They got him a 1 kilo white plastic container (about 2 pounds) of Dulce de Leche - it is a caramel sauce something like we would put on an ice cream Sunday only thicker. We all loved it. Now he had his very own supply.
There was a laundry room of sorts on the campground. A couple of wringer washers and big cast iron sinks. All the washing was done in cold water. The water came from a wooden tank on the roof. I could agitate the clothes in the washers but had to rinse them by hand. Only small items would go through the wringer, everything else had to be wrung by hand. The laundry had to be done early in the morning so the clothes would dry before the afternoon rain. I tried to wash at least every other day. If not it took forever. I learned how to wring the water from jeans and towels by using a small tree to wrap them around. Something I had never thought of before - at home the kids went through a couple of outfits a day, no problem, washer and dryer. Let me tell you they changed their ways here. And if they played in the mud - they washed their own clothes.
The kids loved living out there. They were outside and busy every minute of the day and slept like logs every night. There were dogs and cats and horses to play with. One pony in particular they fell in love with. They learned to ride bareback and to take care of him. He was about 18 years old and in his old age had developed digestive problems. His name was Petiso (Shorty) and his claim to fame were his farts. When he was ridden he would fart, when he was chased he would fart. Guess what the new favorite game was.
When they weren’t ridding or chasing poor Petiso they were gone somewhere on the tractor with Carlos or one of El Griego’s other sons. They went into the forest to chop wood for hot water and they went to the dump to find a pig. They were also helping to build a couple of bathrooms. All great adventures for boys. Paul was doing great with Spanish, he talked to everyone who would stand still and listen. Gil and John were less outgoing and quieter, especially John. Down at the office was a Fulbito (foosball table) game. They all became proficient at it. Including Bill.
While there we were in a really bad rain storm. Hail stones the size of golf balls and thunder and lightening right on top of us. We were watching as it came towards us. It looked like the earth was coming to an end with the darkness and lightening and rolling clouds. It passed over quickly though.
Randy and John Mc went into Mar del Plata with another of El Griego’s sons, Oswaldo, and spent the night at his place. I guess they toured the town. Both seem to be having a good time. By then both could carry on a conversation in Spanish.
We had used up most of the food supplies we had brought with us. Had a half a can of peanut butter left and finally finished the coffee. There in the grocery store if you bought coffee it already had sugar in it. ICK!! You could also buy it in a coffee store, where they ground it for you. That would be have been okay if it didn’t cost $5.00 US per pound! - Guess I'd either start liking sugar or stop drinking coffee.
Bill’s cousins were visiting in Mar del Plata and would be going back to Buenos Aires soon. We offered to take them. We will leave the trailer and motorcycle in the A frame and drive into the city. We had just found out Bill’s brother was back living in Argentina. So we would be seeing him too.
Randy and John Mc would stay in one cabin and we would use the other for storage for all the stuff we had on the trailer. We would end up staying here for almost a month.
We settled in and adjusted to life. It was very different from home.
The owner of the campground also owned a grocery store and butcher shop so we did most of our shopping through him. We would tell him what we needed and he would bring it to us.
About once a week, if there was no threat of rain in the forecast, we would load up and take the motorhome into Mar del Plata just to look around or go to the post office or use a phone. - Phones - another story. Not everyone had phones like we were used to. They were very hard to get with long waiting lists. So long that if I ordered one, my son might get it - someday….And the phones stayed with the apartments or houses. If you wanted to sell an apartment with a phone you could ask an outrageous price. Another strange thing - the newest phone book was over five years old. The explanation was - “People move or die and other people get phones so the numbers wouldn’t be right any way.” Okay!
In Mar del Plata itself everything was closed from noon till about 4 or 5. Even the grocery stores! . Here there was no problem buying milk and beef. Chicken was harder to get, they didn’t believe in freezing anything and refrigeration was not as good as we were used to. The produce was very good, it smelled and tasted wonderful. It was right from the farm dirt and all. One of our first grocery receipts was for $11,850.00 I almost fainted. By now the peso that was 750 to 1 when we got here was 800 to 1 - it changed daily.
May 1st was a holiday and Mecha and her family along with Rosalia came out to the campground for a BBQ. A real Argentine Asado -good food and lots of fun. Of course everyone had to go in and look around the motorhome. One of the things we had on the Pace Arrow that no one was used to was a screen door! - So it didn’t get closed as people went in and came out. Well let me tell you. Argentina has the biggest, blackest, loudest flies you have ever seen. They have millions of them and just about every one of them was inside the motorhome by the end of the day. John was afraid if they all took flight at once the motorhome would go with them. I didn’t doubt it. It took a full can of fly spray to get rid of them. We had a sack full of dead flies by the time we were done cleaning up.
May 16th was John’s birthday. He turned 13. Randy and John Mc went into town on the motorcycle to get him a present. When they got back they hid it on the campground and gave him a treasure map to find it. It took him about an hour of traipsing all over the woods but it was worth it. They got him a 1 kilo white plastic container (about 2 pounds) of Dulce de Leche - it is a caramel sauce something like we would put on an ice cream Sunday only thicker. We all loved it. Now he had his very own supply.
There was a laundry room of sorts on the campground. A couple of wringer washers and big cast iron sinks. All the washing was done in cold water. The water came from a wooden tank on the roof. I could agitate the clothes in the washers but had to rinse them by hand. Only small items would go through the wringer, everything else had to be wrung by hand. The laundry had to be done early in the morning so the clothes would dry before the afternoon rain. I tried to wash at least every other day. If not it took forever. I learned how to wring the water from jeans and towels by using a small tree to wrap them around. Something I had never thought of before - at home the kids went through a couple of outfits a day, no problem, washer and dryer. Let me tell you they changed their ways here. And if they played in the mud - they washed their own clothes.
The kids loved living out there. They were outside and busy every minute of the day and slept like logs every night. There were dogs and cats and horses to play with. One pony in particular they fell in love with. They learned to ride bareback and to take care of him. He was about 18 years old and in his old age had developed digestive problems. His name was Petiso (Shorty) and his claim to fame were his farts. When he was ridden he would fart, when he was chased he would fart. Guess what the new favorite game was.
When they weren’t ridding or chasing poor Petiso they were gone somewhere on the tractor with Carlos or one of El Griego’s other sons. They went into the forest to chop wood for hot water and they went to the dump to find a pig. They were also helping to build a couple of bathrooms. All great adventures for boys. Paul was doing great with Spanish, he talked to everyone who would stand still and listen. Gil and John were less outgoing and quieter, especially John. Down at the office was a Fulbito (foosball table) game. They all became proficient at it. Including Bill.
While there we were in a really bad rain storm. Hail stones the size of golf balls and thunder and lightening right on top of us. We were watching as it came towards us. It looked like the earth was coming to an end with the darkness and lightening and rolling clouds. It passed over quickly though.
Randy and John Mc went into Mar del Plata with another of El Griego’s sons, Oswaldo, and spent the night at his place. I guess they toured the town. Both seem to be having a good time. By then both could carry on a conversation in Spanish.
We had used up most of the food supplies we had brought with us. Had a half a can of peanut butter left and finally finished the coffee. There in the grocery store if you bought coffee it already had sugar in it. ICK!! You could also buy it in a coffee store, where they ground it for you. That would be have been okay if it didn’t cost $5.00 US per pound! - Guess I'd either start liking sugar or stop drinking coffee.
Bill’s cousins were visiting in Mar del Plata and would be going back to Buenos Aires soon. We offered to take them. We will leave the trailer and motorcycle in the A frame and drive into the city. We had just found out Bill’s brother was back living in Argentina. So we would be seeing him too.
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Living at El Griego Campground in Mar del Plata
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