Argentina.

Patogonia

Estancia Peume Hue

25th march 2011

We're going horseback riding!! And not just anywhere but in beautiful Patagonia. Although we will be accompanied by some tough local Gauchos I'm still a bit nervous: It's my first time on a horse. And they're quite spirited here apparently. Just like their masters. Still it sounds like a great adventure and we're looking forward to it. Together we drive down to the Bariloche Country Club where the horses are and our Gauchos await. We get cool horse clothing and everyone is appointed a horse. Mine looks like a horse. Nothing special. I say hello to it, give it a tab on the back and mount. Everything seems fine. It's nice to look at the world from this point of view. Yeehaa we're off!

We ride out of the city and into the mountainous surroundings. At first there's forest but later the countryside changes into the pampa, the Patagonian steppe. The nice thing about horseback riding is that it's quiet. People barely talk. You ride in single fold so it's hard to talk anyway. The rhythm of the horses strut is soothing. And all around are the massive mountains and wide plains. It's perfect. To perfect..
I don't know why and I never will, but suddenly the whole crowd out of nowhere starts galloping! This is obviously a skill I haven't mastered yet! So I'm all over the saddle trying to hold on. To make things even worse the girl in front of me looses a bag while galloping in front of my horse which scares the horseshit out of it! While galloping it suddenly jumps to the right to avoid the bag. By this time I'm holding both arms around it's neck not to fall off! I start screaming from sheer fear to stop the horse! They finally do. What the hell! Still trembling a little from this way to sudden change of mood I again tell my Gauchos that this is my first time on a horse..! No more galloping. The trip continues.

In the afternoon my horse starts to become more and more grumpy. I don't have a clue why. It stops walking all the time and starts to eat leaves from trees. This is not the way to go. So I have to be firm. Show the horse who is the boss. But it has attitude. Suddenly it starts to lie down! I have no idea what's happening nor what to do about it. I just look at my Gauchos and say: What the hell man!! Now the horse is on it's knees and starts to roll over. On top of my leg for Christ sake! To break my fall I put my hand in a bush covered with thorns. Jezus!! Now I'm stuck between a horse and thorns. Everybody is just staring at me. The horse is quite heavy.. It decides to get up again. It decides it got rid of me. But I don't think so. I have seen this in movies. When it starts to get up I throw my other leg over it's back, hold on to it's manes and get right back on it..! I don't think so horse. It didn't see that one coming so it tries to throw me off. But I hold on tight and manage to calm it down. Quite a rough start for a first time on a horse..
What the hell!!! Lovely trip though.