Our Best Day So Far

After two days of rain and alternative activities, basically indoor swimming and sauna in a 5-star-hotel, some bowling, some cooking for friends and stuff, finally the sun came out inviting us back outside and to the horses.

With days not practicing we needed to get back on track, better, back on horseback and see if we didn't forget to much of our training. 

As a matter of facts, no! We not only didn' forget, as everything seemed so familiar. We really got into it and practiced a lot only one thing in mind, if the weather stayed firm we'd be on our big ride the very next day!

Kids went to bed early and after a long, long night we woke up early and immediately checked the window to see ... ... a partly clouded but in general sunny day! Yes! Our meeting was set to 2 pm, we had to rent two extra horses so we could all ride on one, that left us with the morning to prepare mentally for our adventure. We coocked us a delicious chicken meal, after all we had to be physically prepared too, stuffed the backpack with water and some snacks and of we went! 

When we got to the farm and saw the rented horses, that funny feeling from the first days came back. We knew Dolca and Pipo, after all we trained with them, but these new guys, Toto, a gorgeous light brown and particularly huge horse and a mustang like black and white beautiful horse, who's name I do not recall, were somehow frightening. But there was no time for formal introductions, we had to saddle them and get going so we'd be back before sunset.

At this point I could be writing in every detail how this trip went, so many emotions, a beautiful sight, abundant nature and a gorgeous afternoon. But no, I'd just like to resume it like so:

The best day ever, so far!

Unfortunately I have no software with me to edit all the pictures taken, but as soon as we are back home I will prepare an album and post it to my facebook account for you all to see. I will also edit these posts and add some pics, so if you want you can come back after the 7th of February and check it out. 

So far, thank you for being with us on this amazing vacation.

This was our view!

100% nature

always behind - for safety!

Happiest family ever!

My dear friend Marc and his almost mustang!

Me and my new friend Pipo!

And While it Rains Outside ...

This is what I call rain!

So we went bowling.

Made some BBQ

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And enjoyed our new friends!

It wouldn't be a real vacation if there wasn't a sudden change of plans. So what supposed to be one more day of horse bussines turned out to become a day of pure ralaxation, a BBQ, new friends, a bottle of wine - or two, can't remember - and a very good night sleep.

Why all that? Well, it started to rain! Pooring rain at first and a constant pain in the bottox rain since.

I am not shure, but somehow I believe that our horses have something to do with this unexpected wheather change. That look in Dolcas eyes the last time I rode on her, than her exchanging sounds with Pipo while looking at us and nodding heads ... ... noooo, that can't be! Or can it?

Well, since our plan B isn't that bad eather we took this opportunity to just relax a little and enjoy life on a different level.

It is supposed to stop raining this afternoon. If so, we'll be back on horses soon. Our big ride out, well, we do it tomorrow. Still have 8 more days to go.

You Never Stop Learning

Holly cannoly! You got to be kidding me! Honestly, I take care of my doughters nails (finger and feet) since they were born, as I do with their hair - but this is not the issue, and I don't really like it. It is kind of gross, for me - not as bad as pimple squeezing like most woman like to - but anyways, today I promissed myself never again to complain about doing it.

I mean, really? Have you ever seen how they change horseshoes and take care of them nails? Never ever would that be a job for me. It takes about an hour to change a horses irons and giving the nails a treatment, it needs a lot of strength to do so and you at any time are at risk to get your bottom kicked, and all this for so little money! And if I thought that my kids nails are gross, wait to see horsenails, they are the mother of gross, the grossest!

Yeah, by now you figured out that today we had a lesson about horse maintenance. I know, it is part of the fun, but ... Argh!!!

We spent the entire afternoon watching and helping to do horseshoe change and nail polishing! It was interestingly weird, strange, as I already mentioned gross, but anyways it was a great afternoon. Specially because for doing so, our reward was an extra hour of horseback riding and trainig for our great trip on saturday! 

Now I understand that german saying that goes: Das grösste Glück auf Erden ist auf dem Rücken der Pferde!

Don't wory, I am taking photos of everything and I will post them as soon as I am back home and have them edited.

Now I gotta go! Tomorrow comes more!

Meeting the Horses

I am 51 years old, love animals but the closest I came to a horse was to barely pet its nose. Never ever I had the idea to mount and ride one, I mean, have you seen horses? They are like 900 pounds of pure muscles ready to kick you in the bottom whenever you blink an eye. Come on ... ... ...

Well, but my girls want to ride them, already did a few times, on a leash, now they want to learn it for real, and that is why we are here - and I have to do it to!

So hello Dolca, Pimpo and Flamenco, these are the horses names, nice to meet you and please don't kill me!

Initially me and the kids were a little shy managing this situation, me specially, but very soon we (I) realised that these fellows actually aren't that bad and with a little dedication we could become real friends. Jennifer and Jessica couldn't be happier, they love every second they can spent among them horses and specially on top of them. Since they already had some experience it was easier and faster for them to get it going, but after a little theory it was my turn to ride ... ... ...

I heard many stories about people in near death situations having flashbacks of their life's, you might have to, well, now I know what they are talking about. You know, when you are standing at a cliff, about to jump, than realize that you have no shute ... or you are driving your car and suddenly see this huge truck coming in your direction and you remember that you forgot to buckle up ...
None of this compares to what I felt standing next to Dolca, a very sweet but huge horse, and about to mount it! But I did!

And what I felt next I haven't found a way yet to describe it with words ... ...

I died! I died because I felt I was in heaven, I felt peace, I felt strong, confident, at ease, I felt happy. Nothing I ever felt before, at least not all together and at the same time. 

Oh, I felt stupid to! What the heck was I thinking before! 

I don't know if you ever rode a horse, but if you want to feel close to nature, close to heaven, close to everything that is good for you, do it!

Just do it!

By the way, I am posting pictures of all this in my facebook page, in case you are interested, check for the album called: Férias na Argentina. Right now you will find pictures of our trip coming here. The horse pictures come soon!

 

First Day on the Moove

Like any other vacation, as far as I remember, ours started full of expectations. We had to be around 9AM at the airport so I decided we could leave the house around 7:30 and we'd have plenty of time to get there. 

At 6:20 AM everybody (but me) was ready pushing me to get out and going. 

We left at 7:27! No way I'd start vacation in a hurry.

At the airport everything went smoothly. Check in was fast so we had enough time to shop around and have a seccond breakfast, unfortunately I forgot to tell my babies that everything at the airport was tripple the price so they ordered as usual and I went almost broke even before vacation actually started.

3 and 1/2 hours later we stepped on argentinian soil at Buenos Aires international airport Ezeisa. Now we had to get our stuff becouse we had a connection to catch at Aeroparque airport witch is located downtown Buenos Aires, about 1 hr ride from where we were. No big issue since we had about three hours time. The only thing I needed to do was exchange some money, grab a cab and get there ... Easier said than done. At Ezeisa there is only one bank that would exchange money and the line was huge!

But, life is good to me. It took only a little over an hour for me and the kids in line to get to our turn and ... ... I am already bald. If not I would have lost all my hair.

The cab ride was  smooth though very expensive, of course, we got there in time even to have some pizza. I cannot imagine why for Christ's sake I would toss everything of the table and break a salt container the moment I touched the menu, but, well, you get the picture.

Another 2hr flight and we got to Salta where my good friend Marc picked us up at the airport. The rest was just fun and happiness. Yes, we had a good trip.

Next post I will tell you how our first day with the horses was!

Travel Diary

Here is the deal, after four years of being divorced, tomorrow I will go on vacation with my girls! For the first time overseas. Well, it is a big deal since Brazilian laws do not allow me to travel with my kids, although I am the legal guardian, without the authorization of the kids mother. My ex!

Since she firmly believes that I will kidnap the girls as soon as I leave the country, she never gave it to me. Until now!

Now we are heading to Salta, Argentina, to a friends farm - horseback riding, another thing I will do for the first time...

So, I decided to write a travel diary, starting tomorrow. A different kind of posts than I usually do, but why not, it could be fun. And you are very welcome to accompany us!

Let's see how that works out.

Seeya tomorrow!

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