By Stephanie Lee For TimesUnion.comBUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- The horse stomped the earth underfoot and tossed its black mane in the summer wind. It was a glorious sight to behold. Unfortunately, I happened to be sitting on the horse.
As I clutched the reins for dear life, I wondered whose bright idea it had been to send a total novice horseback-riding. Then I realized it was mine.
I could have imagined no brighter morning on which to confront death. Hours earlier, in a backpackers' hostel, my friend Justin and I had watched the first wave of golden light sweep through Buenos Aires' tangled streets.
A car soon arrived to take us to our destination for the day: a ranch in Zarate, 60 miles from the capital. We rolled down the windows, sea breezes rolled in and the city rolled by -- apartments piled high, clusters of cars, billboards hawking McDonald's in Spanish.
In their wake emerged the pampas, the fertile plains that dominate 300,000 square miles of the South American landscape, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Andes. Long stretches of yellow and green grass were punctuated by trees. Eventually, the road led us to La Estancia Los Dos Hermanos, a ranch with horses, hammocks, a pool and fields of soy and wildflowers.
Justin and I were ushered in by our host, Pancho, who owns the ranch with his sister, Ana, and enlists the help of his daughter, Rosa. They outfitted us in chaps and helmets and led us to the stables.
I was introduced to a brown horse who eyed me as if he knew he'd gotten the bad luck of the draw. Surely I would have learned this in Girl Scouts had I stuck around past fifth grade. "I've never done this before," I informed Rosa in Spanish.
"Don't worry," she said. She helped me awkwardly swing a leg over the saddle and twist upright before ascending her own horse in one fluid motion. Then our leader, Juan -- whose leather skin, furry sideburns and cowboy hat made it clear he was the real deal -- motioned for us to exit the pen.
I looked at Justin, which was difficult because it required...Read Full Article
