I left Mendoza and headed back north to Salta. After so much time in cities, I was ready for some nature AND HORSES! I made a reservation with Sayta Ranch to pick me up and spend a day horse back riding and eating delicious asado after.
The day before, I joined up with two guys from the hostel and went to explore the town, climb a million stairs, and eat an extremely spicy sandwich.
stairs up Cerro San Bernardo
the view of Salta
San Francisco Church is one of the tallest in the Americas
I woke up the next morning and waited for two hours for them to show up. Nothing. I asked the hostel owner to call them for me. They forgot me! They asked if I would still like to go, but be picked up at noon. I agreed and went to take a siesta until then.
At noon, a driver arrived to bring me to the ranch. The asado was supposed to be after the ride, but since they forgot me, I had a special backwards day. I sat down with two other visitors, the owner of the ranch, his daughter, and the whole Sayta crew. The table was covered in amazing food! Salads and pastas and potatoes and MEAT! The owner continued to put slabs of amazing steak and chorizo on my plate and wouldn't allow my wine glass to get even half empty.
Now that I was stuffed full of meat and a little tipsy from all the wine, I went to meet my horse. I was a little nervous since I hadn't been on a horse in 10 years and I've actually never really enjoyed my horse experiences. I was in Argentina though! I wanted to be a gaucho, so I got on a beautiful blue horse and rode off into the sun with my own personal gaucho (that spoke absolutely zero English).
no buildings or cars here
I'm on a horse!
my gaucho and personal Spanish instructor
the hat makes it official
through the trees
some wild horses tried to join us and my horse almost had a heart attack
(which means I almost did too)
After three hours and a terrifyingly exciting gallop, it's officially true Ray, I love horses...
