I have done a lot of things in my life, but riding a horse was never one of them. It's not that I never would have like to try, I just never had the opportunity or any real strong desire. That is, until Thursday. Our last big activity of the trip was to go to a local stables and take around a three hour horse ride across the sand dunes and down the beach. I was excited but really nervous at the same time because I had no idea what to expect and I didn't want to make a fool of myself. But once I actually got on the horse and learned how to control him, I suddenly realized that not only was it fairly easy, but it also was a whole lot of fun.
My horse did not have a name, or at least our guide could not remember when I asked him, so I christened him Diego. I don't really know why, but the name popped into my head and it just kind of fit. He was a very independent and excited horse; he always had to be at the front of the back and once he was comfortable with me on him it was extremely hard to hold him back. We started out our journey wading through a rather deep river, which was kind of nerve wracking but got the worst part over at the start. Then we set off through some shrubbery till we reached the large sand dunes. It was at this point, that we began to trot and then sped up into a full out gallop. Trotting is not so much fun, because all you do is basically get thrown up and down the entire time and it is quite a pain in the ass, literally. But galloping is one of the most exhilarating experiences, especially when you are racing off at the front of the pack, speeding across sandy plains and up and down dunes. We made our way down the flat beach where we had plenty of room to gallop some more and then crossed another, even higher river to make our way back to the campsite for a barbecue. The whole trip was so much fun, and even though I am already very sore as a result it was one of my favorite activities of the trip. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous and the ride was new and exciting. I definitely would like to ride horses again in the future, especially if I can take as great a trail as the one we rode.
After horse back riding, I passed out for a two hour nap, which was excellent, and then we went out for our final, farewell group dinner. Almost all of our Santa Maria friends showed up and we got to eat and talk with them. We were even given a special gift: a Santa Maria sweatshirt with the Pitt logo and industrial engineering logos on it. It looks awesome and I was really happy I have something to remember them by.
My Boy Diego
I am going to miss them all so much, and this country even more. As I sit here writing this, I am only about three hours away from starting off on the journey to get back home. While I think I am ready to get some rest and see everyone back home, I really love all the things we have done and people we have met in Chile. I hope I can stay in touch with them and maybe even come back to visit them all the future... Until then, I want to thank everyone at the University of Santa Maria and all our friends who welcomed us in to their homes with open arms. We love you and we will miss you. And if you ever come stop by the University of Pittsburgh, we will be glad to do the same for you.
Adios Chile!!! I will be back home manana!
Over and Out.
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