Driving up to the ranch, we saw acres upon acres of land illuminated by the rising sun - I was beginning to get the idea that we were going to be riding in some very large circles. When we first got to the ranch, we were greeted by the family that owned the ranch. The mother told us all about what we were going to be doing. She told us that we were going to take about a three-hour ride over sand dunes to the beach where we could gallop if we felt comfortable. After riding on the beach, we were going to ride to a picnic and finally, after being out on our horses all day, we were going to ride back to the ranch. Finally, she told us that he six-year old daughter was going to be out with us and that we shouldn't try any of the tricks that she did because she was a very talented rider. I didn't really believe that a six-year old girl could be all that amazing at horseback riding until I later saw her galloping all around and going crazy on her horse. I am still fascinated by how that little girl knew how to ride horses so well by her age. Anyway, by this point, all previous negative thoughts about horseback riding were erased from my mind and I couldn't wait to start. We even had to sign a release form, so I knew that this was going to be some serious horseback riding.
After the woman finished speaking with us about what we were going to be doing, we walked over to meet our horses and one by one, we were paired up. When it came time for me to get on my horse, I was amazing by the size and strength of the animal. Granted, he was probably one of the bigger horses at the ranch, but I felt insignificant next to him. I never did know his name, it was unfortunately not on his saddle like many of the other horses but I liked to call him Speedy. As a group, we took a practice round of riding on our horses around the gated yard and after we felt relatively prepared, we set out on our "journey."
At first, Speedy didn't really want to cooperate with me. He enjoyed bringing up the very rear of the group (he wasn't being so Speedy) and when the group stopped for a moment, he made sure that we stayed at a distance from the group so that I couldn't talk with anyone while waiting. At one point, he started going off in a different direction and I couldn't stop him. One of the guides had to come help me and point us back in the right direction. he told me that I couldn't be afraid to show the horse that i was in control and he showed me how to be more firm and how to show the horse that I was making the calls. Its crazy, but after that conversation, I got the hang of it, and I had no more troubles with Speedy. You could even say that Speedy and I had a really good relationship after that. In fact, from then on, we rode closer to the front of the group and even had no trouble going into a full-blown trot.
While crossing some sand dunes and trotting, another guide was trying to give me some more general direction on how to position myself while going a little bit faster. He was trying to explain but was having some difficulty getting his points across because he didn't speak that much English and I don't speak that much Spanish. He told me that he spoke Spanish, French, and Italian, but that his English was shaky. I told him that I spoke French and we were able to have an entire conversation in French. Throughout the rest of the trip, he even had me translate for him. It was really exciting for me because this entire time that we have been in Chile, I have felt really useless not being able to speak Spanish in a Spanish speaking country. But here I was, using my French to communicate with a Chilean! It reaffirmed for me the importance of language, my love of French, and my desire to double major in French and Marketing.
When we finally arrived at the beach, the horses all broke out into a gallop, Speedy being no exception. He was incredibly fast, and I don't mean to brag, but he was definitely one of the fastest. The first time he decided to sprint, I thought I was going to fall off, but at the same time, it was such a high to be galloping with this amazing animal along the beach on a beautiful Chilean day. I can't explain the feeling, just to say that it was incredible.
At one point, we were galloping with the beach to one side and a little pond on the other side. Ian's horse was just in front of mine and all of a sudden I saw his horse inching closer and closer to the pond until finally, they both went straight in and under the water. I felt Speedy trying to follow him but we were fortunately far enough away from the pond that I was able to stop him in time. When I got the chance to look back, I saw Ian running out of the water asking if the horse was okay. Thankfully, both of them were fine - Ian lost his glasses and his camera is broken but other than that, he is okay. Although the horse got a little bit wet, he was fine as well. Seeing as I was terrified by the whole thing, I can't imagine what it was like for Ian, but he was a good sport about it and got right back on his horse as soon as it was cleared that they were both unharmed. Unfortunately, Ian wasn't the only one who fell off his horse today. Earlier, after crossing the first stream, Daniela's horse buckled and she fell off backwards into the water. I wasn't witness to this, but she was thankfully also unharmed except for some bruises. However, he camera is also broken.
Finally, after about three hours of horseback riding, we arrived in the forest, parked our horses, and sat down to a prepared lunch of choripan, grilled pork, salad, rice, couscous, potato salad, pisco sour, and wine. It was absolutely gorgeous with the sun shining through the trees and the horses in the background while we ate a fabulous lunch. I know I said that it would be hard to top the Mercado Central lunch but this comes pretty close. After finishing our meal, we stood around the fire and took in the warmth while also drying off Daniela and Ian's clothes. And when the time came, we hopped back on our horses and rode back to the ranch. I didn't really want to day to end and I didn't really want to get off my horse - I felt like Speedy and I had formed a relationship and I didn't really want to say goodbye. At the same time however, my derriere was getting pretty sore and I was ready to sit on some cushioned bus seats. We said our goodbyes to the family at the ranch and headed back to the hotel. Now, I am exhausted and sore, but I am incredibly happy to have just had this amazing experience.
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