From the small town of Tres Valles we made our way to Loma Bonita’s Pineapple Fair. The 43 km day was excruciatingly long, but once again the Mexican people were there to make it better.
In the morning I set out with Yassil and a good friend of his. Together we rode the first 8 km’s of the day to a small town called Onze. There they passed me off to Dante Solano who introduced me to his family and took me to eat breakfast at a friend’s house. After devouring delicious tacos, I continued my ride with Dante accompanying me by car.
Just after noon we met up with another rider who guided me through the backcountry. We followed a big river all the way to a ferry. I was a bit nervous at first because my ponies had never ridden in a ferry before, but knowing that my new friend’s horse had made me feel better. He walked his horse on first and the ponies followed his lead. As the metal platform began to move Frenchie started to dance a little but I quickly managed to calm him down.
Floating across that beautiful river is something I will never forget. It’s moments like this that remind me of the scale of the adventure I am on. Sitting on Frenchie as we made our way to the other side of the river I thought about all of the extraordinary things we have already done. Crossing suspension bridges in Yellowstone National Park… Riding over the Million Dollar Highway in Colorado… Entering Mexico City horseback… It all seems like a dream – a dream I am currently living.
On the other side of the river we found ourselves in Tlocojalpan where the mayor and new friends awaited our arrival. Over a BBQ, the horses and I took a break from the sun while I chatted with the locals. They begged me to spend the night in town, but unfortunately I had to continue to Loma Bonita.
With a new vaquero by my side we rode towards the Pineapple Fair through corn, sugar cane and grain plantations. It is so much better to ride through the backcountry! I am so tired of cars and transport trucks blowing by us all day. It makes it so much more stressful to ride. The problem is that it’s very easy to get lost out here by yourself. And you cant always find a local who is willing to ride horseback with you to the next town. So when the opportunity arises you have to thank the heavens!
Just after 7pm we finally arrived in Loma Bonita. The ponies and I were exhausted. I rode into the fairgrounds and was received by the Cattlemens Union and Raul Zucolotto. Of Italian descent, Raul has a cattle ranch and pineapple plants. The region from Loma Bonita south to Seyula de Aleman is made up of fields and fields of pineapples. Hence why the fair celebrates this delicious fruit.
Im super excited to see what a fair is like here in Mexico and let my ponies rest for a few days.
