6 days and 5 nights of horseback riding and estancias (Part 2 of 2)

Day 3: We woke up at Irvin’s a bit sore from sharing the tiny bed that sinks in the middle, and certainly in part from 2 long days of horseback riding. Seeing the location by daylight, however, was illuminating.  Though the small house was similar to how it looked by candlelight, the scenery around it was a pleasant surprise, as it was on hill overlooking the lake.  Once Fabian returned from a ride to the neighbors to buy some bread, the four us had breakfast, I helped Fabian remove a big splinter from his hand (thank you big tree from … Continue reading 6 days and 5 nights of horseback riding and estancias (Part 2 of 2)

6 days and 5 nights of horseback riding and haciendas (Part 1 of 2)

Day 1: We woke up early in the lodge after a freezing night’s sleep that was often interrupted by crazy dogs barking all night long. We had a quick breakfast and then Fabian arrived to take us to his barn to meet our horses and load up the pack horse. Fabian and his dad introduced us to La Pinta, a very cute, gray and white smaller horse, and Al Tivo, a large, brown, beautiful horse. They were concerned about giving me Al Tivo because he often scares tourists with his intense desire to run, and more importantly, his tendency to … Continue reading 6 days and 5 nights of horseback riding and haciendas (Part 1 of 2)

As promised…

Sorry for the week-long teaser! It wasn’t really intentional – we just ran out of time to write and also had no access to our computer or Internet all week. So, here we go… 1. Getting pulled over by la policia after drinking a bottle of wine – In Santa Cruz we drove out to a lovely dinner in a rural area at a traditional family owned restaurant. We shared a really nice bottle of Montes wine (for $13) and asked the owner/waiter to order for us (meat for raj and fish for me-although I’m eating meat on this trip, … Continue reading As promised…

10 Things we will tell you about next weekend (after we get back from #10)

1. Getting pulled over by la policia after drinking a bottle of wine 2. What Santa Cruz Wine Valley is like 3. Wine tasting by horseback 4. GPS getting directions to Santiago airport wrong 5. Raj giving away his burger to the needy 6. Charter plane to Palena 7. Ride to Futaleufu Valley 8. “The Lodge” in the Valley 9. Why Tovah is no longer interested in Kayaking 10. Our 5 day tour through the mountains that have not been ridden this season (due to volcano eruptions that wiped out a town last year) and staying at haciendas with locals … Continue reading 10 Things we will tell you about next weekend (after we get back from #10)