Wednesday 6/15

We decided to go into Tamarindo and either hike or horseback ride. We found a place but got stuck waiting for quite a while. We milled about and finally got a truck and a car to take us to a house that had horses. These were by no means thoroughbreds. They were pretty beat up as they're ranching horses and have the scars of alot of barbed wire. Plus these horses were sweating worse than me. Pretty gross but I got my horse to trust me pretty quickly and I was up and going. The countryside is beautiful, and lush.




All this country is owned by the local people and seems almost communal the way they work it. The cows are alot different than in the states but they smell and sound similar. Oyie kept ahead of everyone else as his horse (which he named Karl) didn't want to ever be behind. We crossed a tiny airstrip and back into wet prairie. A few points we got to fly. Jaime and Darren mostly chilled at a nice slow pace, but Oyie and I flew at full gallop a few times. The land was so open it was easy to do in quite a few places. But at times my horse didn't seem to want to go very fast at all until it saw Oyie's horse take off. Really happy I did it cause it was really really pretty country.




We were filthy afterward and I don't think I was bitten all that much. The daily bathing of bug spray was pretty standard. I got to the point I had no problem spraying on my face and head but it was my ankles that got it the worst. Afterward we got back and cleaned up and were able to swim some more. I was then able to figure out the phone a couple more times and call home. Still haven't talked to mom but have talked to everyone else. Our phone cards didn't work but the phone cards that we purchased there did but only for minutes at a time, and I'd end up getting cut off and laughed at by the local crabs and iguanas that inhabit the road to the phone. Juan Carlos took us to a bar tonight that was about 50/50 locals/tourists. Shit was pretty cool, they played a mix of hip hop and latin music, girls were cute too. He tried to hook me up with his friend Nicole while he tried to hooked up with her 17 year old sister, yeah, i know but i guess it's socially acceptable there. It was freaking hot, oyie layed in the car and vic and I chilled. Hell Juan Carlos got me out on the dance floor and if it isn't ballroom or waltz or something formal, i don't know it other than the butter churn, running man or electric slide. My robot sucks. Over all cool night, no hook up even though that girl was cute as anything even though she said her english was good (it wasn't) and she was of age (she was by plenty). Beers and shots were cheap atleast from what I remember when i was sitting talking to the Columbian girl (who's english was much better).