Jungle Love

Some days I wish I had the Winchester brothers on speed-dial. The morning started off with a series of bizarre events that began with my inability to sleep more than two-hours at a time.  Not only did I wake up constantly, but I also kept imagining tarantulas crawling in my bed.  At breakfast everyone confessed that they have all been having creepy dreams/hallucinations as well [we came to the conclusion that they must wash our sheets in LSD or we are living on an ancient Mayan burial ground].

On the way up to the horseback riding resort, we passed several Mayan villages and got to discussing the validity of the prediction that the world is ending in 2012.  Just as the conversation got interesting, our huge diesel van stalled ON AN UNPAVED ROAD ON THE SLOPE OF A MOUNTAIN.  We figured it was nothing that restarting the car wouldn't fix, and we were on our way again...at least for another 3 minutes.  Our car stopped again and we decided to STFU about Mayans and potential worldwide Armageddon.

 

  [SAVE US, BOYS]

Luckily we survived the mountain climb without getting attacked by pumas/jaguars/yetis and made it to the ranch [where we exchanged manual labor for free rides through the rainforest].  We started off treating a 10 day old foal who had run into a barbed wire fence and had open wounds all over her front.  After applying iodine to clean the injury, our group split into two with Me, Serina, and Hot Sauce going with Dr. T to perform spays and neuters on the owners dogs while everyone else took the first ride in the woods.  

[The filly who we named Isis getting her wounds cleaned]

[Closing up "El Tigre"]

The resort fed us a delicious lunch of chicken, rice, and beans [drenched in Marie Sharp's Hot Sauce, my new vice] before saddling up and taking our turn on the trails.  Serina and I were the only experienced riders in our group, but the guide let everyone canter through the open fields and trot in certain areas [reminding me that I do not have $420 to spend on lessons at UConn *cue depression*].  At then end of the trail they let us dismount and take a break at a stream far back in the forest [IT WAS SO GREEN].  The ride took about two hours, and while I have a feeling we'll be walking sideways for days it was totally worth it.

[Me and BuenAmigo and Serina and Smokey]

After our ride we got back just in time to learn how to draw blood from the jugular vein of a horse.  When taking blood in a horse, only the needle is inserted into the neck and then a syringe is added after you "hit" the vein.  However, we didn't have gloves with us so our hands were covered in blood during the transition of adding the syringe to the needle that was dripping blood [Erika said she felt like Lady Macbeth].

 

Tomorrow we are doing another spay/neuter clinic in the town San Antonio and afterwords we are going to have a relaxing afternoon river tubing in the jungle.

Cheers!

 [The view from my horse]