Un Día de no Trabaja

Saturday was our first real day off (which still included a few hours of administrative stuff, plant photos, etc., and a trip to the office for me), and we tried to enjoy it as much as we could.

We started off the morning by watching the cats go ballistic over the birds nesting in the cracks within the stone wall of the main house exterior. Tontin ended up climbing to the top of the grapevine trellis nearby, and tried to swat the birds as they attempted to dive-bomb him. Laisa just sat on a nearby chair, meowing desperately.

We then enjoyed a homemade lunch of chicken and rice curry, the seasonings of which I might have to buy down here and bring home. The curry flavor is really tasty, and very subtle. Sonia combined the rice and chicken with some tomatoes, carrots, tomato sauce, and I’m not sure what else. It was really great.

After lunch, Kike saddled up their horses, Pinta and Patti, for us to ride around the area. It took Kike awhile to bribe the horses with treats before they allowed him to rope them up and get them bridled.

Then, in the middle of the process, Kike got a phone call. There’s something kind of hysterical about the traditional and the modern here – a local guy saddling up horses, talking on his cell.

Kike then had to take them down to the gauchos stable area below the house to get the saddles. We followed him down there and watched the process. Luana, some friends, and Sonia’s little niece, Catalina, joined us. She may be the cutest 2 year old I’ve spent time with. She calls me by name in her high-pitched voice, and waves to me whenever I say “hola!”

Back to business, we mounted the horses. Kike told us to put my left foot in the stirrup, grab the back of the saddle with my right hand, and a chunk of the horse’s mane with my left, and hoist myself up. Unlike my first attempt last year, I actually made it up on the saddle the first try.

I had the unfortunate luck to ride Patti, Sonia’s horse. She and I were okay together, but I wasn’t giving her clear commands, and she was pretty stubborn. Instead of turning smoothly and heading up the road, we often just turned in circles along the road (literally) while Cat and Pinta enjoyed their stroll.

Kike told me later that Patti really just likes to eat, but doesn’t so much enjoy any work. He then traded places with me, while we were waiting for Cat to finish her successful ride, and rode Patti around the pasture. I had no idea he was so comfortable with horses – he hopped right up, and commanded her to a pretty fast gait. I think he was having fun.

We ended the day slightly sore, tired, and extremely sunburned. Even with sunblock, riding horses in the middle of the day, wearing a tank top, may not have been the smartest decision. I am going through the after-burn lotion like crazy, but it was totally worth it. Next time, though, I get dibs on Pinta.