First, I said hello to our incredible neighbors , El Cordon del Plata, a chain of mountains that surrounds us to the west that depicts the most incredible view as the white from the snow increases in the advance of the winter. I had never had such a living art gallery like the one we have in this place.
We then walked to the end of the property where the creek goes by with a wonderful flow that creates nice music to your ears.
Now, there is an adventure related to this area that I have not mentioned and I should as what happened change the land and the way we viewed the place.
A couple of hours before signing the papers in the lawyers office, we decided to go to the property as Peter wanted to measure the small construction existing there.
We parked our car in the street and proceeded to go over the water channel for irrigation that goes in front of the property , walking over some old wooden beams that barely hold on. We then walked trough the poplar tree plantation that runs from the front of the property a couple hundred meters back to the little house and as we arrived we noticed tractor tracks that went to the creek.
By now the feeling that something was really wrong started growing in us taking over how fast we moved to the point that we found ourselves running to find out our worst fears, the beautiful magical ecosystem created by the creek, had been destroyed by a huge bulldozer that in order to clean and improved the flow of water that goes by to the properties that use the water for irrigation, had deepen the channel. Now instead of walking to the creek as before we look from above at the water bellow going by much faster than before since it went from a lovely creek protected by trees to and small river that we can't walk to it at less we build some stairs that can takes as there about ten feet down a steep muddy embankment
After our first stupor we looked around and saw the amount of trees that had been cut down and tears started flowing down my face as our lovely space had been transformed into something completely different. Desperate we started climbing trunks that were in our way to the bulldozer trough big mountains of mud and branches in our effort to stop what was being done. Half way into the neighbors property and after we had fallen down a few times, we realized that there was no way we could make it to the operator and his destroyer machine that kept taking over the space with its horrible sound.
I told Peter that we had to stop and call the real estate agent, so we did. He promptly called the owner, who knew nothing of what was going on. In about twenty minutes they were in the property, I had already thoughts of backing off the deal as I waited for them to show up. When they arrived and walked towards the area and saw what had happened, the owner explained that in twenty years that he had the property, this has never happened despite the fact that many farm owners that depend on the water carried by the creek to irrigate their properties had asked to be dug and clean many times.
He said that what had been done was a very expensive job of cleaning the area and that even though it destroyed the beauty of the place, it has help the community and since no one was living in the property to tell them not to cut so much in the way of the bulldozer, they just did what they had to be able to drive trough an area impossible to even walk across.
They really tried to comfort us with all kind of explanations of why it was really good what had happened, they even talked to the machinist that works for the irrigation department and was their friend, as they all know each other for many years of living in the area. He apologized for the destruction that had to be done and explained how he felt bad about knocking down trees to make his way into a place that used to be part of his favorite childhoods fishing spot.
We finally let good of our feelings of despair into an understanding of the greater good that had been done and went to the town to sign the papers. I was happy to let go of the big bundle of money that is needed for cash purchases of property in Argentina, I been carrying over my shoulders in a computer bag I had trough out the whole ordeal.
Here are some pictures of before and after:
This is the road they made to make it to the creek also before and after. I must said that this pictures were taken with a few weeks difference when they were still leaves in the trees to being completely bared.
Now going back to the beginning sentence of this new blog regarding visiting our property a week after the purchased, I must said that we are deeply in love with this place and the destroyed area is going to be rejuvenated and we have great plans for it and the inspiration I mentioned just keeps flowing and I will get into the next blog.
