Visiting General Madariagi Continuation It really took me a long time to come to my senses after the meeting at the "Njegoš" home. I felt so many emotions, memories, warmth, honesty and sincere hospitality for my entire life only in Buenos Aires a few days before. Vaso Janković, our guide and main host, drove ahead of us in his white car. He led us through the pampas with a shortcut all the way to Marković's famous hacienda "Los Pinos". From all sides there was only an endless plain with a truly impressive number of cows and animals for which Argentina is recognizable throughout the world. Los Pinos

After ten minutes of exciting driving through the pampas from the exit from General Madariaga, we arrived at our destination. There we were met by the famous gauche and our host Pedro Marković. By the way, Pedro (Petar) Marković is the last Montenegrin from the first generation of emigrants in General Madariaga who was born in Montenegro. Pedro is a very lively and good-natured gentleman, full of spirit and jokes, always ready for good and nice company. Pedro also married a Montenegrin woman from Mrvaljević and found his wife even in the province of Corrientes, which is located several thousand kilometers to the north. The younger generations, who speak much better Spanish than ours, sat down on one side of the table, while me and our host, Pedro, as two old Montenegrins, sat down and got into the story of families, brotherhoods, King Nicholas and ancient times.

Since the others barely understood us, they left us alone to talk about the age of Argentine wine from Mendoza. Many things in the Marković house are reminiscent of Montenegro, from the wooden benches at the table to Njegoš's painting and the Montenegrin flag hanging on the central wall.

But in addition to the listed things, there is something else, something that a guest from far away Montenegro does not expect to find in the south of the province of Buenos Aires, on a ranch, in the middle of papmas. Pedro said to me: - Come on Gordan let me show you something-.

We went behind the house when he was smoking ham. Both externally and internally identical to the one in Montenegro.

This is Njeguški prosciutto - Daniel Marković and Basilio Janković told me.

And indeed, since the arrival of the first Montenegrins in these parts of the world, the tradition of drying prosciutto, kastradina, dry neck and sausages and many other dishes has been inherited. In addition, fiddles and many other items are made in General Madariaga, without which the life of Montenegrins, wherever they are, is unthinkable.

-Check, check Gordana, we still have something from Montenegro - said Pedro and pointed to the fig tree in the garden. And she was brought from Montenegro.

At that moment, while I was listening to jokes from old Montenegro that Pedro was retelling, while I was eating Njeguški prosciutto from the pampas, and I was leaning on a fig tree from Montenegro, I was trying to locate myself and project my presence and at the same time create an idea of ​​where I am, and how far it is from my house. God, I wonder if all this is possible, am I dreaming? Unfortunately, time passed at an incredible speed and the moment of parting was approaching. Tears again and parting with nice and good people again. I firmly shook the hand, hugged the old Montenegrin-gauche Pedro Marković, and promised him that I will do everything I can so that we who live in Montenegro never forget their courage to leave their mark and build a new world, so that we don't forget their work to preserve their customs, language, tradition and everything else they achieved! Our guide and main host, Basilio Vaso Janković and Daniel Marković, headed for the cemetery in Madariaga, where a large number of our emigrants rest, and we slowly followed them. Gordan Stojović www.montenegro.com Hotels Montenegro