After a kinda restless sleep in my new bed in Colonia Suiza, Uruguay, I woke late morning to all the other girls checking out and heading towards Montevideo. Glad to have just the animals and M as company, I bid them farewell and tucked into the 2nd anti-contamination stab at my hair. I would like to think it´s working but who knows...

Nestling down with my Dan Brown book, I was interrupted almost immediately by a curious cat and dog, who clambered all over my line of sight and nudged me incessantly until I gave in and patted them. Well, it didn´t take long, they were so damned cute. Ahh, I miss animals...

So the only thing on my agenda, now I had washed my hair, was to go riding with M on his Criollo horses - a typical breed for Argentina that are not too tall, sturdy, stocky and good for endurance, similar to Icelandic ponies I guess. I was explained about each one...now this is the calm one, this is the good one but she is a bit lame atm, and this one here, she´s crazy. Do you want to ride the crazy one?

I guess all my talk about my experience on horseback had led him to believe I could handle anything, and I suppose by this stage I like to think that is mostly true. At least I no longer let myself refuse a ride, even if it is a bit bonkers. So after a quick jot around the paddock bareback on the partially lame one to test her foot, then another quick lap with the crazy one (they all had hard Indian names I can´t remember) that was anything but quiet, and I made the snap decision, fuck it let´s take this one out on the open road. Haha...oh dear.

So the horse liked to run. No problem. After our first gallop, I was exhilerated, and M outstounded. He started gabbering on about how good a rider I was, and I was slightly miffed about why he thought I was so good... until he told me I ride like a gaucho, lounging deep into the saddle at full gallop - and this horse GALLOPED like all hell had broken loose. Wow. I love it.

Next gallop was a little less successful...after seeing the main highway looming ahead, I was pulling her back and we came across some bumpy land, I lost a stirrup and therefore my sense of balance, and meanwhile she saw some friends across the dirt road we were on and broke to the right straight into the fence. It was at this point I chose to sacrifice myself, breaking my fall on the fence before sliding into the grass and rolling away from the massive beast about to descend on me from above. Gracefully, the horse also saw me and veered away, avoiding me with her hooves. Like all good horses should.

M was understandably concerned, not knowing what the hell had gone on in the 5 mins since he was proclaiming my brilliance as a rider. I got up quickly and walked over, ensuring him I was totally fine and by this time in my life I am an expert faller, and we sat for a bit in the countryside next to the oldest cheese-makers in the town. It is so beautiful there, quite similar to Australia in landscape (except greener), with hardly any cars and such beautiful weather.

After the ride, which was longer than anticipated, we relaxed with dinner, a bottle of red and eventually, a joint, which was unexpected but nice. I was the only guest there that night so I guess he felt a little more at ease. Funnily, one of the girls staying earlier had asked me if I had any so obviously the same courtesy had not extended to her during her stay. I guess this little rasta woman has that effect on some people...

All in all, a fantastic day with fantastic company...despite my niggling feeling of uneasiness sitting by the fire drinking wine stoned with a really nice (and not that old) Uruguian man... maybe my female paranoia getting the best of me... who knows. But he was nice and didn´t do anything wrong, really, so I shouldn´t be feeling that. He told me I was a nice girl and the best rider he´d had in the year they´d been operating, so that is a good thing at least!