I was heartbroken over my camera, so much so that I didn't want to take part in any more activities. We had horse back riding and a catamaran trip to complete still and I didn't have anything potent enough to capture those moments except my phone. But I didn't trust its grainy pictures to do my memories justice. And I didn't trust myself with my cell in my hands without a cord to secure it around my wrist.
But the show had to go on. I now had to make sure my phone was fully charged at all times for the next three days, at least. I took a deep breath and told myself it would be okay.
As Mexican as I am, I had never ridden a horse. I was looking forward to it since Jackie said it was a calming experience in the beaches of Mexico. But I was afraid. My horse was big and tall like me. The distance to the ground was great and I anticipated only hard falls.
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| Me, on a horse! (Compliments of Jackie's new Samsung) |
The ride started on a paved road. It was hard putting all my weight on the stirrups to stay upright the way the owner had instructed. Occasionally, my horse would take off after others, making me land hard on my tail bone. I started to like galloping until I felt the chafing developing on my thighs and inside calves. Trotting helped us reach the forest quick. There, we replaced the asphalt with a mud infested stream.
Poor horses. The muck was a foot deep. A few of them ahead of us slipped and slid, looking like cheerleaders doing synchronized splits. At one point, my horse trotted too close to a rock wall and I scraped my elbow. Sometimes we didn't anticipate the mud being so much that, horse and all, we almost fell forward. I saw myself landing on my back in the mustard-colored sludge with a couple of dozen horses trampling me thereafter.
We went on like that for an hour until we reached the promised waterfall. I was glad to leave the mud behind and see a clean stream for the horses to wash their legs and feet in. But their priority was not their limbs but to quench their thirst. The horses gulped down water as we parked and got off. Our guides also provided us with water and cookies. After a short break, we hiked through a wet rocky path towards the cascade. There, some girls stripped to their bathing suits and played in the water as they posed for pictures.
I scoped out a good rock to sit on, a good rock to envy the girls in their fit and hairless bodies from, when my waterproof shoes betrayed me. I slipped and landed on my bum, hard. A few of the group members saw my misfortune and politely asked if I was okay. I really was, although my ego was as bruised as my butt. Between horseback riding and falling on a rock, I did not know how I'd be walking later that night.
The ranch owner we had borrowed the horses from came to my side and sat next to me. He knew I was Mexican based on my Spanish accent, he said, and the proceeded to ask me a few general questions. He was so kind that I wanted to take him with me so he could be my grandpa. He was proud of me for being a teacher and then shared a bit about how he acquired his ranch. Then he stood up and ordered it was time to head back.
The pain was unbearable on the way back. My butt was sore, along with my inner thighs. I didn't know which position hurt less, sitting on the saddle or riding standing up. Drizzle turned into light rain and we were done riding horses emotionally. Usually coming back from a destination feels faster than getting there. Not this trip. The discomfort was intolerable. I don't know why I didn't get off and walk side by side my horse.
Eventually we did arrive, soaked and exhausted. We washed up and were served dinner by ladies in an outdoor kitchen. The beating had us famished and most of us devoured our food in just a few minutes. The ride back to the hotel was almost silent. We would have knocked had the road not been so bumpy to rock us to sleep.
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P.S. That night we went to a local club invaded by American tourists. Drinks were a dollar but the DJ sucked and the selection of men was nonexistent. Bored, we left prematurely without having gotten our groove on.
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