One of the most haunting experiences of my time in Argentina was an impromptu visit inside this defunct Casa Grande (the "big house" of an estancia or ranch). This was the only photo I took of the house - any more would have felt intrusive & disrespectful to it's history. The house had been unoccupied since the early 1980s, but everything was just left inside. Patagonia was a prosperous area around 1905, when Estancia Bon Accord was founded, and the ranch boasted the first short-wave radio in the district when they became available. It was a hub of life around El Calafate, and close to 100 people lived in and around the activities of the ranch. The big house hosted dances and parties. Now, it sits, filled with treasures collecting dust. I itched to give it all a shine and set the place up as an interpretive centre. The ingredients were all there - they just needed a nudge. I guess when I make my million dollars and perfect my Spanish, I can go back & put my plan into action...