It was in a small village during my trek from Tenant Portela to Santa Rosa, Rio Grande do Sul that I received my first “no” of the trip.
After a long day in the saddle, I rode up to a church on the left side of the narrow dirt road I was travelling down. A beautiful, trimmed yard of grass surrounded the white building. Next to it, about 20 metres apart sat an old school house, no longer in use. My hosts the previous night told me this would be the best place to set up camp and spend the night.
I untacked the mares, offered them water and let them graze on the low grass. While they munched away I laid atop my saddle pads and stared up at the big, puffy white clouds navigating the dark blue sky – the sun setting into the horizon in front of my dirty cowboy boots.
Lost in time, daydreaming about eating a bagel with cream cheese and tomato from Tim Hortons, I felt the presence of someone watching me. When I turned my gaze to the side, the image of a tall man startled me. I shot up to my feet, embarrassed I had not seem him walk up and immediately began walking towards him with my right hand extended.
“Good afternoon, my name is Filipe, I’m riding my mares from Barretos to Patagonia and was hoping to camp here for the night,” I said to the cold-faced man.
“No, no you’re not,” he shot back.
I was left flabbergasted. Completely in shock. I didnt really understand what he had just said.
“Sorry, what,” is all I was able to muster together.
“You heard me, you are not staying here tonight, you must leave” he said.
I was tired, cold and sore. I was ready to eat something and set up camp. All I wanted to do was rest. But next to this catholic church, I would be forced to tack the mares back up and continue riding south.
“I just want you to know that I have been on the road for 3 months and you sir are the first person to refuse a place for me to sleep,” I said stepping closer to his sorry existence.
I saddled life swearing under my breath and walked back to the dirt road leading the mares. With dusk now swallowing us, I wondered where we would sleep that night.
