Riding, Wednesday & Thursday 23^rd  -24^th September

After breakfast there were just a few of us who were going riding, John, Nicole, me, Zoe and Seb plus Geo our guide. My horse was called Smokey, not surprisingly as he had a speckled grey coat.

We set off and had a great ride for over two hours. Our aim was to reach a flooded cave where we would be hiring canoes to explore the cave by canoes, with powerful lights to see the stalactites and various Mayan artefacts.

Nicole and Fuego

John

Me

We passed a termites nest and although they were edible we didn't stop.

We had a packed lunch after seeing the caves we got back on the horse but without Nicole who and hurt her back galloping earlier in the day so she went back in the truck and her horse was turned loose to find its own way home.

It had rained all morning and my camera was damp and won’t focus so we rode home without any photographic evidence of the afternoon’s ride.

But there was plenty of wildlife to see.

Th lodge was a great place.

The next day was another relaxing day on the ranch and this time only Zoe and I opted for riding with Riego on Smokey my horse from yesterday who was to be our guide had Bamboo again and I had Fuego. We went to Pine Mountain Ridge an looked bcak down on MET. Mountain Equestrian Trails.

Then it was into jungle and a little later into pine forest. I tried some termites and though that they were like peanut butter, and not the crunch followed by a minty after taste as had been suggested.

 The trouble with live food is that sometimes they escape the intended target and I had to chase some across my face.

It had started to rain and we were thoroughly wet but had a good ride out in the morning with long canters and gallops. We stoppe every now nd again to discover more medicine trees or trees that were useful to the loal community. For roofing,blisters, hyper tenion etc.

We reached the waterfall and left the horses at the edge of the valley and walked down to the waters edge. The water was refreshing. There were three pools, the largest under the main waterfall some10 – 12m high. There was a strong current from where the water cascaded over the waterfall to fall into the pool below and the next low waterfall, more of a cataract.

It was lunch time and it had started raining gain so rather than eat in the rain we made our way towards a house owned by a local business men who had a business in San Pedro and this was his holiday home. Allegedly it was usually left open but it was firmly locked. We left the horses under the trees but luckily the boiler house was open, a palm frond roofed out house housing a propane tank. It continued to rain whilst we had a picnic lunch.

Next it was the long journey back off the ridge, through pine forest that turned slowly to jungle until we came out on a road. We turned along it and as we approached home we picked up the pace and cantered all the way back to the lodge. We were completely soaked through but had had a great day.