I guess I have to admit that I am pretty easily annoyed… And I will often start a sentence with “Lo que me da bronca es que…” or, “What really annoys me is…”. Here are a few of the things on my grouchy list:

• Argentine drivers. Sorry guys, I will lump you all into one big group of annoying drivers with no compassion for your fellow man. Today was the end of a holiday weekend so there was lots of traffic on the roads around Cañuelas. I was not going on the highway, but nobody seemed to want to let me cross, even though they were all snailing along to get on the ramp and could surely let me go through. I know I have written about this before but it really, really gets to me!
• Travel agencies. Agency bookings only constitute about 15% of our total bookings, of course they are important, and I understand why they exist, but sometimes they really annoy me. With hotels, the agency usually gets 20% commission. Fair enough, since they can reach people we may not be able to reach. (In most cases, this means 10% to the agency in Argentina and 10% to the agency in the sending country.) You’d think that this percentage would be enough, but some agencies add on a lot more on top of that. And the problem with that is that it makes our product seem much more expensive than it really is. Of course I think we offer something wonderful, but I think the actual price is the right price, and if people are paying much more, they might think “Is this all I am getting?” One example: Our Country Day is priced at USD 85 per person – this gets you a full day at the estancia with a big asado, afternoon tea, unlimited water and softdrinks, horseback riding, bikes, pool, and access to all polo games. Not a bad deal – but I have heard of agencies charging as much as USD 150 for this, and that is a lot! I also prefer the direct contact with the guests before they come – I always feel much better prepared, their expectations are managed correctly, and there are fewer surprises.
• People who tell me “You have lost weight. It suits you.” WTF? First of all, I only lost a couple of kilos from not eating meat anymore, and secondly, my previous weight was totally fine and what I have been most of my adult life. Reminds me of how at the IDB, random women I did not know would, in the bathroom, tell me I had lost weight and looked good. So weird! Personally I think complementing someone’s weight loss is only OK if you know they were actively trying to lose weight.
• The list is probably much longer but it feels pretty good having said all of this! 🙂