We two were on an early morning tour to go horseback riding today in the large Chilean island of Castro. Jim and Gail were walking ashore on their own as far as I know.
After tendering off the ship and bussing to the stables about 9 ageing Princendamiens were allotted horses and saddled up and on the trail.
We had two guides, a handsome young gent called Pablo and his attractive young assistant Cimaron. Cimaron in front and Pablo in the rear. The horses were well kept and quite handsome and well trained, some were more spirited than others. Mine was a bit on the restless side but I did quite well I thought in controlling him. Fellette's horse's name was Luna and the mother of three horses in the herd.
We travelled through varied countryside for an hour and a half, open fields, bush trails, cattle pastures and peoples fields. We stopped by a river for a snack and a break, well deserved, the horses were free to browse while we rested and nibbled.
Soon we were on the trail homeward bound back to the stables. After a short ride we were back in town, overheated and needing a shower. But first we hiked up the 30 yard hill to the top of town to check out the handicrafts by locals in an array of tents at the centre of town. Nice to see but no purchases.
Down the hill we went and caught the Tender back to the ship where a shower and a bite to eat got us back into shipboard life again.
Today was certainly about the best day of horseback riding we have had for many years. We are certainly not 'Horse People' but get on horses any opportunity we get. It goes back to 100 Mile Cabin Days I guess.
Wally phoned this afternoon and we got caught up on affairs at work and home.
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We are now heading down to the tip of South America to names like The Magellan Strait, Beagle Channel and all the places that early explorers were trying to find their way through without going down to Cape Horn where the weather apparently can be brutal.
It is a bit like Cook looking for the Northwest Passage in the arctic. Remember those early sailors did not have maps or navigation aids.
We were all given very detailed maps of the route we will be sailing the next three days where we next go ashore at Puntas Arenas. The weather is becoming definitely cooler however the seas may be calmer in the Fiords and channels
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If you are interested, the passenger mix is as follows:
Total passengers: 639.
418 USA
61 Canadians
40 Aussies
28 Dutch
27 Brits
10 Germans
7 Kiwis
2 Russians and the rest assts.
Ready to roll.
Ditto.
Snack by the river.
Picnic area while horses grazed.
Cimaron, Fellette and Pablo.
Gaucho?
Passing through a Farm.
World heritage church in town.
Fruits seller.
Tender spot with ship at anchor.
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