The road south from Campo Grande was a tough one. As the highway tightened, the influx of large trucks grew.
“If I don’t die riding on this road I will never die again,” I told Emma as we arrived at a small farm 30 kms from the city.
A very simple family welcomed us with open arms! As I untacked the horses the children asked many questions about the horses and fell in love with Emma.
“Sir, they don’t speak portuguese where she came from,” the youngest boy of the 5 children asked.
I explained to them how she came from Canada and that they spoke English there. They looked up at me in awe trying to figure out just where this faraway land might be.
After taking the saddles off, the kids took over the lead ropes and walked the ponies to a pond for a fresh drink of water. After I put the tack away, I was overwhelmed by one of the most beautiful scenes I have seen during this ride. The children had walked the three horses into the water and were splashing them and swimming around Frenchie, Bruiser and Dude. It was such a beautiful moment. As the sun kissed the water, silhouette of children and horses became one. Laughter could be heard over splashing water. The stress of giant trucks flying by us disappeared with the purity and attitude of these kids!
The next morning we hugged our new friends goodbye as the youngest boy rode his horse with me for a few meters. It was back to the highway of hell. Again I cringed all day with each truck that flew by loaded with eucalyptus wood. At some points, one truck would over take another right as I rode on the side of the road. The horses would tense up and shoot off to the right as the cabs came straight for us side by side. I simply put my head down filled my mind with positive thoughts.
By the end of the second day I had at terrible kink in my neck from riding so tense and turning around to see the approaching trucks. Luckily we made it to the small town of Ribas where we were welcomed with open arms. I was forced to buy medication for my neck from the intense pain. After 2 years on the road, I’m not sure how much more of this I can take. The world is no longer made for a Long Rider.
