Day Twelve: Horseback Riding!

Today we went horseback riding and it was probably one of the best days ever. We drove out to the ranch around mid morning and had some time to look around before beginning our ride. The ranch had boars, pigs, and chickens at one end, many cats and dogs running around the grounds, and of course horses. After we were given some chaps to protect our legs, we were assigned to horses and given instructions on the proper way to sit, how to control the horse, etc. We had a few minutes to practice walking around the farm and then we began to ride down to the beach! Two young horses without riders and a pack of some of the ranch's dogs joined us on our ride, bounding all around and entertaining the group. There was a fast, two lane road separating the farm from the beach so it was quite a sight to see twenty some horses crossing the road as cars and trucks waited for us. We walked along the beach for a bit and then turned to ride through the forests and the sand dunes. The views were always beautiful and when we were only walking it was quite relaxing and peaceful. Once we reached the dunes we began riding more quickly, especially when the horses needed to go up the dunes. The dune landscape almost reminded me of being on the moon or some unexplored part of the world. After riding for two hours we took a short break to give the horses some time to rest and to have some time to snack on clementines. We hopped back on our horses and walked over a few more dunes until we reached the beach.

Riding down the beach on Sarseul! (phonetic spelling of what our guide told me his name was)

We now had a straight shot with plenty of room to ride on the last leg of our journey. We all began riding at a faster pace and then began galloping! When the horse is between walking and galloping it's pretty bumpy and shaky, but once we began to move faster it simply felt like we were flying down the beach. I could not keep the smile off my face as my horse and I traveling down the shore line. After speeding down the beach, crossing the highway again, and heading back up the hill to the ranch, we returned from our three hour adventure and were ready to eat.

There were tables and chairs and log benches set up outside around a campfire and the ranch prepared a delicious meal for us. There were grilled sausages in bread similar to what we ate at Dr. Werner's house on Saturday, grilled steak, pork and vegetables cooked in a mud oven, and a variety of salads and rice. The weather was a little chilly, but perfect around the fire, and all of the food I tried was wonderful. We continued to hang around the ranch, eating, playing with the cats, and warming ourselves around the fire. When coffee and cookies were brought out for dessert, we asked the owner of the ranch if people ever toasted marshmallows in the fire. She seemed surprised at the idea but had some marshmallows and fondue sticks, so she handed them out to see us prepare this American dessert. Eventually it was time to leave so we thanked the owners of the ranch, said goodbye to all the animals, and returned to our favorite Hotel America.

One of the cats walking along a table as we were leaving the ranch.

 Tonight we're going to get dinner with Chilean students and Dr. Werner as a final goodbye. I've loved my short time in Chile and would love to come back someday. Our horseback riding adventure was the perfect way to end a trip that could only be described as unforgettable.