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ADAM PITLUK
Editor
Prosperityon
thePampas
THERE’SSOMETHINGOVERTLY
romantic about
boardingagiganticwide-body jet, takingoff and
leveling out seven miles above the Earth, and
peering out the window as the pilot gradually
turns thenoseandpoints it straight south. Twelve
hours later, you’re in a landunlike any you’ve en-
countered:where the floraand faunaare thekind
not found in your neighborhood; where the sun
sets at half past 6 o’clock in the evening; where
dinner is servedat 11.
Along with extensive reading about the
goings-on in theSouthernHemisphere, I hadmet
plenty of people over timewho experienced the
friendly, invitingSouthAmericanculture. Despite
thearticulate folkswhosang thepraisesofBuenos
Aires, Argentina, none were able to adequately
verbalize the city’s grandeur andmajesty. None
until ImetMichael Luongo.Buthold that thought.
I set out on a trip to this jewel of Argentina
when I startedworking for American Airlines in
2007. I would only have five days before the do-
mesticgrindpulledmebackStateside, yet I com-
mitted to doing all those things you can’t do in
NorthAmerica, orat leastnotwith thesamestyle.
Inaddition to sightseeing, therewere twoeques-
trian activities I needed to accomplish so I could
say: “I knowwhat it’s like tobeanArgentine.”
This isasocietypredicatedon ranching.Many
estancias
(countryhomes)open theirdoors tovisi-
tors, and theone I chose, EstanciaVillaMaria,was
only a 45-minute drive into the interior Pampas
region.My first equestrianexperience— learning
to rideahorse—wouldhappenhere. I thought I’d
just climbonandworkupa latherwith it. Instead,
I got on the horse and trotted the feeling out of
my lower half. Still, I had enough saddle hours
logged (about two) that I felt ready to entertain
mysecondequestrianwish-list item:playingpolo.
Argentina isconsidered thepolocapital of the
world, claimingmore international championships
thananyother country. El Rincondel PoloClub&
School is regarded in ridingcirclesas theHarvard
of polo. Owner/operator Estani Robledo Puch
and his two brothers are former professionals
who have competed in every countrywhere the
sport is played. Theypass their knowledge on to
patrons of the ranchwith lessons andmatches,
called “chuckers.” Experts and novices alike are
welcome. Even novices with only two clocked
hoursonhorseback.
I listenedwith rapt interest as Estani gave a
tutorial.Hewalkedme (actually,walkedmyhorse)
throughall the scenariosencountered inamatch,
thenhe tookme toa familymeal tomeet theother
players. Later that evening, I donnedmy redpolo
shirt andwhite jeans andplayedanofficial game
of four-on-four. You can guess how that turned
out. Fiveyears later, I’m still saddle sore.
Still, when the trip came to an end, I hated to
leaveArgentinaand thehorseculture. I had those
same romantic feelings as I boarded the wide-
body jet for my ride home. Truthfully, theywere
more intense, since folkloregaveway to reality.
Whichbringsusback toMichaelLuongo. Inad-
dition tobeinganaward-winningwriter, he splits
time between Buenos Aires and New York, and
hewritesaboutArgentinamore thoughtfullyand
thoroughly than anyone I’ve ever read. Enjoy his
story on page 42. Perhapswhen you’re through,
you justmight logon toAA.comandbuya ticket
ononeofourwide-body jetsandgosee foryour-
self. I’m sure Estani will have a horse saddled up
and ready for you.
10
APRIL 15, 2012
AA.COM/AMERICANWAY
