After spending almost a week resting the mares in Santa Rosa, it was hard saying goodbye to our new friends. On an extremely cold morning, with frost all around us, I tacked up the mares in silence as the guys watched. The tips of my fingers throbbed in pain.
“We are going to miss you Filipe, if there is anything you need, anything, don’t hesitate to ask,” Ivan said before giving me a strong hug.
I said goodbye to everyone and climbed onto Life’s back. The first day in the saddle after a few days off is always the hardest. The mare’s are off their rhythm and I’m off my game. Mixed with the low temperatures, the morning was a painful experience.
Luckily, by lunch time, I was joined by a group of riders from Senador Salgado Filho, who warmed up my day. We chatted the afternoon away as we rode south. They told me about their small community, their love for the criollo horse and asked many questions. It’s amazing how much faster the day goes by when you have someone to talk to!
just before 4 pm, we were met on the road by even more riders. A group from Guarani das Missoes, the town where I would rest that night, came to meet us on the road.
“Filipe welcome to our lost corner of the world,” one of the riders yelled out handing me a plastic bottle full of cachaca.
I took a sip of the alcohol much to everyone’s amusement. We said goodbye to the riders from Senador Salgado who returned to their town and continued south. Before the sun set we arrived at the CTG in Guarani.
I put the mares in two separate stalls and gave each a mountain of hay. At the end of the barn, there was a wood oven which the gauchos were already tending to. We drank mate while they prepared a delicious dinner.
“We want to give you this poncho as a gift to keep you warm in these freezing temperatures,” the mayor of the town said before we ate dinner.
Wearing my new poncho made in Uruguay, I ate the chicken and yuca dinner while musicians played at the other end of the barn. The horses could be heard neighing and eating all around us. The thick smoke from the fire filled the low building making it hard to breath at times.
For a second I looked around and simply registered the scene before me. Who gets to experience this? Being in a horse barn full of Gauchos and horses eating a dish cooked in a wood fire, while an accordion and guitar are being played. #IFeelBlessed
