We fit around 15 people in the truck. I sat in the bed with
a lot of other people. It was definitely an interesting ride up because the
road was so steep I had to grasp the railing of the truck in order to stop
myself from sliding into the kid next to me. Chris and another lady were able
to stand up, and I quickly decided this would have been the better option
because my arms were getting tired after 45 minutes. The view was great along
the way and the top of the mountain was definitely cooler than down below.
Soon after we arrived, a lot of people from the community
did also. What we thought would be a private meeting with the mayor quickly
grew and soon there was a crowd. The mayor was running late however. I was
wearing my new cowboy boots in the hopes of breaking them in a little bit and
people were noticing since women typically do not wear them here. Soon the men
were making jokes about it. I was eventually asked if I would like to ride a
horse (another joke), but since I am an Iowa girl who has ridden before I
accepted the offer.
I was put on a little work horse first and led around. I got
the horse into a trot and made the guy leading me run, which was enjoyable for
me. However, the horses are trained a little differently here. I am not sure
what exactly happened, but the horse spooked and started to buck. I held my
ground and eventually just grabbed around its neck to hold on. When I did this,
it immediately calmed down though. Then, I was given the honor of riding the “real”
horse since I was taken seriously.
After the mayor arrived, we all ate some really good chicken
soup with a lot of vegetables. The cooks had prepared two cauldrons full of it
so everyone was able to enjoy it. Then, since it is election season, the mayor
gave a speech about his ambitions for next term and answered questions. I
essentially attended a political rally in Nicaragua.
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| The road and a view of La Trinidad |
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| On the "real" horse |
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