Day 3 June 18 Liendo- Noja 16.26 miles walked
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Ascending the hill separating the beaches
Narrow trail steep cliff, had over hand scramble
Unsteady oversized pack
Sweat streams from every pore
Then there are the horses
This is a one lane thread of a trail
They tower; young shirtless riders
Oozing bravado y machismo
"Brambles to the left of us
Ocean to the right
Stuck in the middle with hooves"
We later parodied the Steve Miller Band classic rock anthem*
Un momento
Detras
Por Favor
(Detras means behind not backwards or back up but I think he caught my drift)
"No you" they pointed in the direction we had come
They were not negotiating
Each step its own achievement
We were not about to give up hard earned ground
Pushing our backpacks into the brambles
The pale horse with smirking rider
Squeezed past with three feet on the trail
Wait! Espera! I shout to rider number two
Boldly advancing forward feigning confidence
I move just to the left of a boulder; a turn out so to speak
My fellow pergrina tries to flatten
The rider positions the glistening horse for action.
Head up the black horse is over six feet tall
Head down we are nose to nose his nostrils twitch and flare
Hot powerful breath on my face
Velvety muzzle (I want to nuzzle but I am far to sacred)
At the rider's wordless command the horse is up on the rock
I brace for a foot crushing blow followed by a fall but he's
Down the other side and past my friend
Before I can let out a scream
We laugh with the adrenaline fueled tears of crazy near misses
We consecrate this moment with carbonated holiness**
We are giddy with survival and aghast in disbelief
In this thin space between the beaches
The horses bid us a "Buen Camino"
On behalf of their impatient riders
Protection and provision once again.
*"Stuck In the Middle with You" Preformed by Steve Millar Band but originally recorded by Steelers Wheel.
**"Laughter is carbonated holiness" Anne Lamont
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