Join our paradise ranch in Mar Chiquita, Argentina

Details

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  Description

  Aloha! We are an American/Argentine family located on the Atlantic coast of Argentina. We left our home in paradise Hawaii to settle our roots in our own paradise here on a 64 acre ranch, with a river, by the beach. We have a polo field, horses, cattle, sheep, cats, and dogs. My husband has traveled the world playing polo and in addition to being a professional is a teacher. We have an amazing six and a half year old boy who loves to be outside, work with his Papa, build, experiment, and play with legos. He is very smart, playful, and impressively energetic. We also have a sweet little girl who is obsessed with horses and wants to do everything that her big brother does. She is strong, helpful, and brave.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Language practice

  Help with Eco Projects

  Teaching

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Babysitting and creative play

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  Hospitality/Tourism

  General Maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Our ranch offers an experience unlike anywhere else. The beauty and the nature combined with the lifestyle here is irreplaceable to us. We left our home on a paradise island for the peace and tranquillity that we found here at this ranch. Being in a nature reserve means that it truly is a sanctuary, for birds and so many animals. We feel so incredibly fortunate to be working toward our goal of sustainability and being able to offer a unique experience, a farm to table polo retreat. We prepare traditional Argentine dishes as well as our favorite cuisine inspired from around the world. When possible we source our food locally, if we don't grow/raise it ourselves. We appreciate our homegrown veggies but we are nowhere near vegetarians. We speak both Spanish and English in our home.

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  The help that we need most is babysitting. I have a ton of cleaning and organizing to do, so having extra eyes on our little one is extremely helpful so that I can be productive. Our big boy will also want to play with you! He loves building, experimenting, helping with all kinds of things, and cooking (for real, and stealing things from the house for his outdoor mud kitchen). He is very creative, has a wonderful imagination, and is right at the age where he is testing and trying everything. He almost never runs out of energy. We do homeschool so that is another area that you can help with. He is learning to read, enjoys listening to stories, and he really loves legos!
  
  We are in the process of building our garden and growing our own food, so watering and tending to the garden would be another area of help, along with raking, grass cutting, and gathering sticks for fire. We are continuously improving the property and building new things so any of these skills would come in handy, and there is always something that could use some paint. Or if you would prefer to help inside the house we appreciate a good cook! We love good food, cooking, and sharing our dishes. When we have workawayers here we usually take turns cooking and enjoy meals from different cultures.
  
  Basic cleaning involves taking out the compost, doing dishes, daily sweeping, and occasionally cleaning windows and cobwebs. We are also in the process of organizing, finding a place for everything, so that everything can be in its place. This is one of my main areas of focus now, so I am looking for help to watch the baby while I organize.
  
  We now have two houses on the property so there is more space and privacy. The house available for workawayers is attached to a large barn which has been converted as living space and is considered a shared space where we sometimes gather and cook over open fire. Often times we have polo grooms or other visitors who are staying in the barn rooms, sharing common space.
  
  We don’t enjoy telling people what to do all day long and it is usually easier to do things ourselves, so a person who can see what needs to be done and takes initiative is certainly appreciated. These are just some examples of the many ways you could help us here on the ranch. We are flexible depending on your skills and interest.
  
  If you are interested in working with the horses, then experience is highly recommended. My husband is a master and a teacher, however he does not have the time to train someone who is just passing through. He starts his days early and expects competent, alert helpers, who are aware of their surroundings, watch and learn, and take initiative, otherwise he would rather do it himself. He actually would prefer to do it himself. Basic tasks would include catching horses, grooming, mucking, cleaning tack, picking up poop, watering and feeding.
  
  * If you are interested in learning polo, or riding in general at any level, we offer a discount on lessons for workawayers *

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Fluent

  This host offers a language exchange
  We speak English, Castellano, and Spanish and have interest in learning other languages as well
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  Accommodation

  Our home has a large barn connected to it that is an extension of our house. One corner of the barn has been sectioned off as a private bedroom for up to two workawayers to stay. We live off the grid with solar electricity and a windmill that pulls up water from our well. There is no wifi.

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  What else ...

  Our ranch is located 30 minutes outside of a major city, Mar Del Plata, on the edge of a cozy beach town famous for kite surfing and kayak fishing. There is a large lake that meets the ocean that is a great place for fishing, and you can also fish from the river that runs through our property. We are also located inside of an internationally protected nature reserve with amazing birds and other wildlife. We are most happy living a simple life, more natural, and less stress. We love to sit outside at night with a fire under the stars. Our sunrise and sunsets are spectacular! We get the very first sun of the day, we can literally see it rise up out of the ocean, and we also get the same red sun as it goes down into the horizon, and the moon! Our neighbors are mostly cows but we are on one main road so it is very easy access to get to town. It is only a couple of miles away and the road is flat so it is a very pleasant bike ride to the beach. We love to enjoy good food and wine, relax, and listen to music. We also have a few guitars, ukuleles, an accordion, and a few other instruments.
  
  * We are NOT near Lake Mar Chiquita in Córdoba. We are near the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, a few hours south of Buenos Aires, near Mar Del Plata *

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Space for parking camper vans

  We have plenty of space

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  Can possibly accept pets

  This host has said they are willing to accept those travelling with a pet.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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