Seriously Horsing Around

We finally left San Marcos after a couple of days of practice rides with and without all are equipment. Lots of lessons there especially around the packing and repacking of our bags on or pack horses' "Aquellos" (similar to saddle but made to haul gear). Getting them tight enough is key. We also gave away or mailed back about 1/3 of unnecessary gear to lighten the load.

Our new friend and neighbor Rodrigo helped guide us through San Marcos and San Pedro (a neighboring town. He walked about 10 miles with us through various short cuts that we never would have found and down side street with less traffic until we got on to the main road to Quetzaltenago. At the end of the day we discovered that he had been walking with varicos viens and his legs must have been throbing but he discounted it.

Him and his wife Fidelia have 10 kids have been (as the other neighbors have been) incredably gracious, offering us help with the horses, meals and showers and even asking to washing our laundry. These families have no internal plumbing, heat or phones all things we take for granted. Most shower at hot springs that are comunal bathing areas. For private showering water is heated over a wood stove and then you have a sponge bath of warm water and a cold shower. They do have electricity but it is used for lights and very little else. One little girl had a birthday and we were invited to the Pinata celibration. It was fun to watch. I was there when various neighbors got together to make the Pinata out of wire, newspaper, flour paste and some colored paper then heated over the wood stove.

About 8 1/2 mile out of San Marcos we had just crossed another small town San Antonio when we had been walking our horses (after 1` hour of riding we walk for 15 mins, this is for both the horses' benefit as well as our own) when we saw some great grass. We pulled over for them to eat. When we were "ponying" our horses we tie our second horse to the horn of the saddle with about 8 -10' of slack so that the the second horse is close to the lead horse. Well everyone was tired and cranky. We had been doing a lot of climbing. Gabriela and Angelica (my two horses) wanted the same blade of grass and started to fight. Foolishly, I tried to stop them and I got kicked. I was blessed that the blow hit me on my hipflexor muscle and missed my joint and the Illiac crest bones. That could easily have been the end of my trip. She drew a little blood and some bruising I still am sore yet I can still walk and ride. The lesson I so acutely learned is to never tie your lead so tight that in a moment of angst your partner (horse) can't find independance and a space. Additionally, nature has a way of resolving issues on its own and if I try too hard to get in the way I may just get kicked.

I was a little in shock but I/we wanted to get riding again ASAP so that I didn't stiffen up or get skiddish with my horses. We did fine and I honestly felt that it was my fault not the horses'. However, I didn't notice that in all the commotion that my hip pack buckle had broken. My pack fell off some where and it was at the next stop when I was looking to check our SPOT device that I realized that it was gone. I was freaking a bit because I thought I also had lots my wallet and Passport. Randy & Rodrigo took off back to look for the pack. Randy let Genesis gallop. She loves to run! Rodrigo flaged a minibus. After they left I discovered that I had taken both my wallet and passoprt out to make room for the GPS & SPOT devices. I was relieved, yet still concerned. About an hour later they returned forlorn saying that they did find it.

It was getting late the sun was about to set with in the hour, had so we decided to find a campsite as close to where we

 stopped as possible. Christian, a 10yr old boy, who live in the nearest house had come to visit and ask questions about the horse with me when I was waiting. He offered when we asked about a field to talk to his parents. They said that there was an abandonded house next to the field that we could stay in and the horses had good grass to eat. Randy made camp and took care of the horses and I went with Rodrigo to the Police office in the nearest town to report my loss. Rodrigo was emotional and felt personally responsible becuase we were in his charge. I a big hug and tried to explain that it was ok and we would be fine. He still had a hard time with it.

At the Police station it was comical because we couldn't explain well enough what happened. I wanted to show them on their computer the SPOT map so we might be able to pin point the pack but their internet was down . When I asked if I could use their phone to call our friend Eddie, who could translate, they said that their phones don't work either. Besides the only had one police car and it was 20 miles away and wouldn't be back until the morning even if we could locate the pack.

Rodrigo had a rechargable cell phone with no mins so we went to a "Tienda" (small store) and loaded some mins in his phone and called Eddie. He just happened to be aboupt 5 miles away and said he would be there in about 10 mins. I told Rodrigo he need to go home and have diner with his family, he reluctantly went. Randy had stuffed about 2 days pay in his shirt pocket as additional thanks even though he was very reluctant, he did keep it. We were so thankful for his kindness. I know that our paths have yet to end crossing.

Eddie arrived and we talked again with the police. Then we went to an internet cafe, with a slower than death conection, in an attempt to locat my pack. We did locate the last location but it was on the road near where the incident may have occured. I sent a couple of emails and we gave up. Heading out the door Eddie was propositioned by the woman, who had over heard him speaking english to me, to give her english essons twice a week. In the middle of that discussion he had recieved a phone call.

A farm hand had picked up my pack on his walk back home. He looked a the contents, poked several of the buttons (actually activating the SOS emergency button!). He also read some of my papers one of which had the local phone number of a man that Eddie and I had been talking to the day before. This guy called that guy, that guy had Eddie's number and he called Eddie. It truely was a miracle in our eyes. How can one man have so many blessings? I was shaken, yet this whole trip has been filled with similar acts of generosity and kindness.

Eddie and I drove about up a huge mountain rough cobble stone road to get to the famer's home. The gave me back my pack with everything in it all working :). I gave him a big reward, a huge smile, garbled spanish words of gratitude and a handshake. At first he as well didn't want any money, but I insisted and he reluctantly accepted.

When WEwddie and I returned to the campsite, Randy was sitting by a fire content talking to Christian and his father. Randy had been invited up to their house earlier and had diner. They also offered to have us up for breakfast and a shower for the morning. Of course we happily agreed.

By staying open and not judging if something is "good" or "bad", but looking at is as an experience to be lived opportunites have become far more amazing that if I had gotten upset and shut down about it all. What a wonderful life it is we are living!