(Pre-Wedding) Honeymoon, Part XX - Back in the Saddle...

Time for our morning horseback ride.  This was sold as an excursion that would allow for beginners and experts to go together and break up over some long stretches.  Seemed perfect for us.  

Unfortunately, with a group of 8 people of mixed skills and one guide and one gaucho, we weren’t getting far in two groups.  We walked a lot.  There was a brief moment where they let us trot and canter but I had no idea how to stay stable so I was hanging on for fear of falling out of the saddle.  GG was a bit dismayed as well since the expert break off ride never happened (probably because of me and my scarily limited skills).  For the moments where I wasn't focused on how to survive the ride, I looked around and reflected.  It truly was amazing to be riding this beautiful Arabian horse around a surreal desert.  Unfortunately, those moments were fleeting as reality set back in and I had to not fall off my horse.  Tough morning.

I look much more in command than i actually was...

Our afternoons were lovely – plenty of time to swim, nap, eat lunch, email, etc as the afternoon excursions don’t go out until 5p at earliest.  Any earlier and the desert heat, sun, and wind would ruin us.

That afternoon, we did the “Cactus” hike – it was special as we would be hiking along the one main valley that has a supply of Andean water and therefore has green bushes, trees, and, unsurprisingly, many cacti. 

(Pre-Wedding) Honeymoon, Part XVII - Goodbye Wine, Hello Big City

We awoke and soon were greeted by Oswaldo and a maid from the vineyard who proceeded to the kitchen to cook us breakfast – eggs, fresh bread, juice, etc.  Also, cocoa puffs.  An al fresco meal on our patio seemed perfect, until the swarm of bees descended upon us, so we finished up inside.

Pre-Bee Swarming

After packing up, we headed back to Matetic for our horseback lesson/ride.  We were not sure what to expect, but upon walking back in, we met Emilio, our guide and we were off. 

(Pre-Wedding) Honeymoon, Part X - On the (Patagonian) Lamb

So, after our full day excursion experience, we were back to half days, preferably not too draining half days.  GG left me to take an experienced horseback ride through the country while I went on the “easy” animal hike – some ups and downs while we observed guanacas, flamigos, rheas, and possibly a puma in their natural environs.  We would then rendez-vous at the estancia for a traditional Patagonian lamb bbq – I was very much looking forward to this.

That "easy" hike - not so easy!  Not contemplated in that intensity level assignment was the 120 km/hr winds blowing that day.  However, miraculously, this was the only hike of our stay where I did not take a fall!  We did spot all of the animals cited, except for the elusive puma.

Here are some of the highlights…

(Pre-Wedding) Honeymoon, Part VIII - Conquering the Paine!

We awoke early and after a quick breakfast we headed off with Miguel, our guide, and only two other guests – a couple from San Diego – who also had the guts to sign up for Ferrier - the difficult hike, day 1, morning 1.  We found out soon along the hike that both of them are actually quite fit, marathoner/equestrians.  Yet, somehow, GG and I kept up the pace.  The first part of the hike was steep and rocky and afforded us amazing views of the icebergs that broke off the gray glacier.  

yes - those are icebergs - just the tips...