“This sun is killing me.”
This is the only thought in my head as trucks blow by at 120 kms an hour to my left. Like my ponies, I too have learned to block the chaos from the roads. An 8 month Long Ride in the midst of the 21st century will do that to you. But this day, like many in Mexico, we had other riders joining us, on horses that get ridden a few times a week at most.
“Oh my god.”
This is the thought my mind shouts as everything dives into slow motion before my eyes. A horse and rider are headed for the road faster than I can manage to put words together. As they reach the centre of the highway the horse slips and falls on its side. My heart is about to explode. I look behind my shoulder and see a bus and car coming fast. Somehow the rider manages to stay on and the vehicles have enough time to stop before the stunned boy rides off. I couldn’t believe what had just happened.
“This boy is young so he has no idea the danger he just faced but today he was born again,” my father looked back at me and said.
This is the absolute truth. For some reason, right as his horse spooked the road cleared. It had been jam-packed for hours. But at the exact moment he found himself on the pavement there was a break in traffic. I don’t know if it was a miracle or just luck but one thing is for sure, this 18-year-old escaped death by a very small margin. Thankfully!!!!!!
With this huge scare my father and I entered the state of Guanajuato. I know it seems impossible, but somehow the amazing hospitality we have been experiencing here in Mexico went up another notch in this beautiful state.
“In Guanajuato your tent will stay packed away… you and your father will be taken care of every city you enter.”
These were the words Juan Manuel Vidal Romero left me with in Monterrey as we parted ways. An engineer, Vidal is an avid horseman and loves the cabalgatas. He promised me that we would be treated like royalty in his state. Having heard many promises in the past 8 months, I simply smiled and said thank you. What I didn’t know is that Vidal is truly a man of his word!
From Aguascalientes my father and I rode into the state of Jalisco finally entering Guanajuato a few days later through the city of Leon. We were welcomed by Rafael Alvarez and his family. My father and I rode into the historic downtown where we were interviewed by the local media. We learned that this was once the “Camino Real” used by the Spanish to travel from Southern Mexico all the way to Sante Fe, Albuquerque. It felt pretty cool arriving there on horseback just like the Spanish did long ago.
From Leon to Celaya, Vidal had everything orchestrated to perfection. Every afternoon we arrived to cabalgantes, police cruisers, flowers, alfalfa, hotel rooms, dinners… It was insane! In the beautiful city of Celaya we rode into the historic downtown accompanied by over 20 riders! The mayor welcomed us to the town and we were given a bag of goodies as a welcome gift.
“I told you, you were going to be treated like royalty in my state,” Vidal said as we sat on our horses waiting for our photo to be taken.
Once again I simply smiled and nodded back at him, but this time in complete awe and respect for this man who went out of his way to help my father and I. I don’t even know how to begin thanking Vidal! I will never forget the gorgeous state of Guanajuato and its kindhearted residents.
Vidal was born in Southern Mexico and has lived a complete different reality from my father’s and mine. But today we are brothers! Thanks to the most majestic animal to ever grace the earth – the horse.
I’ve said this before and I will say it again, the horse is a common language. The horse unites people from different cultures, beliefs, social economic backgrounds. The horse has the ability to motivate a better world!
Muchas Gracias Guanajuato!!! Muchas Gracias Vidal.
