Being in Chile is always full of adventures; some of those adventures are more painful than others.
The last week of March, my amazing friend Erin came to visit for a week. We had a great time and, for the short time we had, we were able to fit in a lot of activities. Other than classes at the Casa and in the community, where Erin played paparazzi, we went to Isla Negra, to the campo to ride horses and check out the grape harvest, and to the beach of Cobquecura where we were serenaded by the unearthly grunts of sea lions sunning themselves.
It was riding horses in the campo, however, that really left a mark.
It all started out just fine. Erin, David, and I rode through heavily laden vineyards. We enjoyed the stunning view of the Andes mountains stretching into the distance while tasting green, purple, white, and red grapes. I was reminded again of how lucky I am to be here in Chile, and how there is an adventure around every turn.
Little did I imagine what kind of adventure was coming my way! After a short break from riding horses, we went out to ride again to visit Spirit, a wild young stallion kept in a separate field. This time Fernanda, David's 6 year old niece, wanted to join us. David hoisted her up on a horse and led her on a rope. As soon as we entered Spirit's territory, Fernanda started to panic. Despite her fear, we continued into the field. Within seconds, Spirit bounded up to Erin's horse and began huffing and pawing at the ground. Turns out Erin's horse was in heat, and Spirit was desperate for a little action. Well, Fernanda began screaming incessantly like a banshee possessed by demons, and David could do nothing to calm her down or keep Spirit away from Erin's horse.
As Spirit repeatedly attempted to mount Erin's horse, I realized I would have to do something. So I put on my huasa (cowgirl) hat and maneuvered my horse between Spirit and Erin, weaving in and out to keep Spirit back. I honestly impressed myself - I have basically zero knowledge of riding horses, but somehow I was able to gallop around, keep Erin from being mounted, and get David to haul Fernanda out of the field, all while staying on my horse!
Spirit, however, was becoming more and more frantic. He began to rear up and down, snorting in frustration. Eventually, after rearing up, Spirit came crashing down - right on my knee! I spent a week or two enjoying the rainbow of bruises play across the swollen surface of my knee and filter down into my foot. A visit to the doctor determined that one of my ligaments had snapped, and so I'll be doing physical therapy for the next couple of months. Almost a month after the accident, I'm walking much better and looking forward to the day when I can break it down on the dance floor.
Moral of the story: stay away from horny stallions!
