Happy Birthday America

Today I had an absolutely awesome time on our second weekend excursion. After waking up and getting ready to leave, I hopped in a collectivo and rode to the Plaza Central to meet up with the group at the Teatro Municipal. There were a few vans waiting for us and another group of unfamiliar gringos standing around nearby. We were told previously that there was going to be another study abroad group of kids who all go to a university in North Carolina there as well, and since we're all exchange students at the University, they figured why not just combine them. They ended up being really cool people, and it we all bonded fairly well during the ride.

Once we arrived at the place, we had a quick meeting around a fire where they explained some things to us about where we were going, what to be careful about, and then had us sign forms saying they aren't responsible for our deaths. I didn't even bother reading it since they all say the same thing anyways.

Next, we headed out to the corral and met up with our horses. One by one, all 40 of us or so got on a horse and the majority of us just sat there wondering how the heck to get our horses to move. Luckily, I was a fast learner and got mine moving right away.

The next three hours or so were absolutely amazing. We started off by crossing through a river to get to the main sand dunes. Then we rode through some easy trails until reaching the base of the actual dunes. We rode up a huge dune and then proceeded to ride up and down dune after dune, crossing the river every so often (it reminded me of playing Oregon Trail. We obviously said screw taking a boat, we'll just ford this river!). Some dunes were crazy steep, so much so that at one point a girl's horse sat down because it didn't feel like going down anymore. She quickly hopped off and waited for a guide to come help her out. I had already made it down the dune earlier following a young boy who was one of our guides when the few of us who made it down were told that some of the others were too scared to go down, so we had to go back up another way to rejoin the group. Well, the way we decided to take was even steeper than the way we came down, and my horse bailed on it part way up, heading down a super steep bank. I managed to stop it and turn it around, and luckily got it up the hill on the second try.

I've been on sand dunes many times before, but I have never been able to ride a horse through them and it was such an awesome experience. We had great views at the top of the city and the Andes Mountains in the distance. After riding for a couple hours, we eventually crossed a railroad track and rode over the top of a small hill to see the beautiful ocean. The next part of the ride was definitely one of my favorites. Up until this point, we were only able to trot a bit on the dunes every so often. But on the beach, we were allowed to have our horses full out gallop along the ocean. I've ridden horses before like many people I'm sure have (though never through terrain like I did today), but I never have actually ridden a galloping horse before. I don't think quite as many people can say they've done that, especially along the beach. I was having such a great time that I couldn't stop laughing and smiling. I probably looked really funny with this big goofy grin while my horse was sprinting alongside some of the other horses, but I didn't care. I was having a blast.

At one point, we came across a sea lion on the beach. It was extremely weird since it was all alone and about forty feet from the water. It looked so funny, and it didn't even do anything when it was surrounded by a bunch of horses.

After riding for a while, we reached the end of our time on the beach and headed back home across a railroad bridge. After crossing another few rivers, we could finally see the end and the wonderful barbecue that was ready for us. It was a spectacular ride, but after three or so hours of being on a horse (especially while it's trotting), the pain really starts to get to you. My back, inner things, and knees are going to be super sore tomorrow...boo.

The fun didn't stop there though. Next up, the amazing barbecue complete with all sorts of salads and lots of different types of barbecued meat. I had potato salad, a traditional onion and tomato salad, corn salad, carrot salad, rice, beef, pork, and amazing cooked onions and potatoes. I also had super satisfying water (they had some wines available, but I'd choose water over wine any day since they never seem to drink it here). After, I had some good tea to help wash it all down. They had another fire going right near the tables, so we all just hung around talking by the fire for the next hour or so. It was a wonderful day, and a great way to spend the 4th of July while not actually being home.

On the way back, I was able to get dropped off right near my normal stop rather than head all the way into town just to spend money to get on a micro and head back. I had my once a little later with my mom and my two siblings, then I headed to my room to rest after the long day. I got invited to go to a discoteque (a dance club) and another group of people were going to the 'Merica party at the bar, but I passed on both since I'd much rather prefer just resting tonight than going out till super late. Plus, bars aren't my thing and I'm only a fan of dancing if I know I can just dance like a crazy fool by myself without having to worry about people getting all up in my grill.

I posted photos of the day on my facebook, and I also got the ones uploaded from the graffiti tour. But for now, I'm extremely tired and I need to get some sleep soon. Happy birthday Grandpa, hope you enjoyed it! And happy birthday to you too America, I miss you and all of the crazy things that make you what you are. Ok there's a lot of things I dont miss as well, but I figured I should sound a little patriotic since I really am proud to be American. I did wear my red, white and blue today though, so there. Speaking of being patriotic, check out one of the cheesiest videos I've ever seen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8GaO6L9WpA&feature=related

Amazing. Have a great night America, and be safe. Chao mis amigos.