The drive to Panagea took about another 20 minutes or so from our roadside collection point at kilometre marker 189. Juan told us a bit about his ranch, asked us about ourselves, then we pulled up at his house.

We were given a tour. Our beds were in an outhouse and the shower block across the yard which has solar heated hot water. The main house contained more bedrooms, as well as the kitchen and TV. The lights were all on, though the generator only runs for about 3 hours each night.

It was explained that lunch and dinner would be cooked for us, but for breakfast all the food is put out then we have to prepare if for ourselves. Really, what kind of place are they running here?!?

A group of 5 university students from the US and their Professor were also at the ranch when we arrived. They were fortunate enough to be able to obtain course credit after a 3 week trip around Uruguay learning about Latin American Economies, including a few nights at Panagea among other places. After a delicious dinner of lamb stew, salad and rice (we didn't even have to do the dishes!), we were invited to a game of cards called PIG which continued by candlelight after the lights went out.

In the morning, we were to be ready to go at 8.30 to start our first day of work as "gaucho's". A hearty scrambled egg breaky prepared us for the day ahead. We were each allocated a horse, and Juan explained to us how to saddle and ride the horses gaucho style (that's one handed), then we were on our way.

Our first task was to muster some cattle into the yards so the calf's could be tagged. We moseyed through the paddock rounding up the cattle whilst making a multitude of ridiculous noises to scare them into moving. Once we had them closed in the yard, we were on our feet with large poles with white flags, making more ridiculous noises, and moving the cattle in smaller groups into the "ring of hell". From here, the cows had to be separated from their calf's and pushed out through the race. Gatekeeper Fergus would then close the calf's in the race, where Juan and "Bilingüe", the bilingual Gaucho, would tag their ears.

It was then time for a lunch break. It's such a hard days work at Panagea that you are only given 2½ hours for lunch. Slavedrivers! After more delicious food and a swing in a hammock, we were back to work, returning the cattle to their paddock before enjoying an afternoon ride through the ranch.

The landscape was green with gently rolling hills and some rocky outcrops. Some parts of the paddocks were scattered with little pink, yellow and white flowers. We would have to cross small creeks every now and then where the horses would take their opportunity to have a drink.

In the evening, there was time for a little 4 on 4 basketball (the US contingent clearly more adept at the game than us Australians and a German) and some badminton before admiring a blazing sunset. The evening is relaxed before retiring to bed not long after the generator was turned off.

The next morning we were back on the horses, this time rounding up some sheep to give them a foot bath, a preventative for footrot, which had broken out in another paddock. We had them in the yards by lunch, after which we farewelled the students before Juan drove them back to Tacuarembó.

After lunch, we helped Bilingüe throw the sheep into their bath, quite a physical task given sheep hate water. They would have to stay in the water for about 5 minutes to allow the footrot treatment to work, then they would be let out of the water, possibly have some wool cut from their eyes or medicine wiped on an anal infection, before being released.

After returning the sheep to their paddock, we returned to another paddock where we had seen a potentially distressed heavily pregnant cow the day before. We rode all over the paddock but had no luck finding her again. Regardless it was good to do some riding at a bit of a faster pace.

We did end up finding another cow that was sick, so we ever so slowly brought her back with us so Bilingüe could keep an eye on her.

When Juan returned from Tacuarembó that evening, he had brought with him 14 people who were part of an Intrepid tour group. We moved rooms into the house to allow for a better use of beds. As usual dinner was plentiful and delicious.

Breakfast the next morning offered even more now the tour group was here! Filtered coffee, bacon, and an enormous breakfast cake! We were ready to saddle up at 8.30 and done by 8.35, then we waited while the tour group decided they would make their way to the yards by around 9. After they received instruction and got saddled up, we might have mounted by around 10? We swear we didn't take that long on our first day!

That only left time for a brief ride that morning. While riding one of the girls spotted a cow lying in the grass. I called Bilingüe who had a look. I asked if the cow was sick, to which he replied, yes, but it will be dead. It had obtained an infection and would not survive.

Lunch, more cake, then time to bring in some cattle for a bath. This process was similar to that of the ear tagging. The cows are pushed through the ring of hell, into the race, then into a narrow concrete pool where they swim through a treatment for ticks.

All was going well until one cow freaked out in the pool and tried to turn around. She was quickly pulled from the water but she didn't make it. It happened so quickly the cause may have been a heart attack rather than drowning. We asked if this happened often. Fortunately it was a rare occurrence.

When returning the cattle to their paddock, Fergus noticed one had a broken leg, so it was left behind to be treated.

The next morning we started the day by treating the cow with the broken leg. It was broken clean through, so each time it tried to move its leg would completely bend which was a really distressing sight.

Juan asked a few of us to try and get the cow into the ring of hell. As we approached, Fergus a few steps ahead of the rest of us, the frightened cow charged at us. Ferg was right in the firing line! He and about 5 others of us freaked out and almost had to clear the fence to get out of it's way. On that note we bailed out and left the job to the experts.

Juan and Bilingüe attempted to bring her down. Juan was pushed back quite a way as he tried to push her head down. In the end, she was lassoed and given a sedative. A few extra hands were needed to hold her down while the leg was bandaged and splinted, then she was left to rest.

We then brought in some more cattle for more tick baths, this time calf's and mothers. They were separated so the mothers could be bathed, but the babies were left untreated as Juan wanted them to get ticks. If they got one before they were 6 months they would not be affected and would develop immunity.

We enjoyed our last amazing lunch prepared by Susanne, Juan's wife. Susanne is from Switzerland, and after meeting in Tibet, she gave in to Juan's pressure and moved to the ranch in Uruguay 6 years later. They have 2 gorgeous daughters, Ambre, 4, and Abril, 3.

Today we managed about an hour long siesta in the hammocks before returning to finish the cow dipping, returning them to the paddock, then going for one last ride.

Staying at Panagea was such a privilege, and we felt very much spoiled by Juan, Bilingüe and their families. The food was delicious and particularly nutritious for a backpacker diet. Ambre and Abril helped with our Spanish. They were lovely people who share their way of life with travellers like us, and we didn't want to leave!

Alas we had to move on. After we finished for the day, we showered, packed, and Juan dropped us at a hotel in Tacuarembó.

LAPFWT