| Finca Enyhe | Rides and Riders | Dia de los Muertos |
My friend Carlyn and I have known each other for about 13 years now, since we were in grad school together at UC Berkeley. For pretty much that entire time, we have wanted to go on a horseback riding vacation together, but for various reasons (jobs, husbands, etc) we were never able to make it happen - until this year. We picked a time period that worked for both of us, agreed on our parameters (which included: no roughing it, both English and Western tack available, at least a moderate pace and intermediate riding level, and not insanely far away), and did some research with the various equine tour operators. The ride that quickly emerged as the perfect fit was La Sierra Cavalcade: 5 full days and 2 half days of riding in Valle de Bravo, Mexico, booked through Equitours.
We booked the trip, made our travel arrangements, and then both set out to try to get some riding in before the trip so that we'd be in some semblance of condition to do 6 hours in the saddle a day. It helped, but not enough. There's just really nothing you can do to prepare for that much riding, except...that much riding!
I arrive around 6 pm, collect my bags, and speed through customs to emerge into the chaos of Mexico City airport. I see a sign with my name on it (spelled correctly!) and manage to fight through the crowd toward it. The first thing the sign-holder asks me is whether I speak any Spanish. Nothing like jumping right in! Luckily, the three years I took in high school (20-some years ago) come back fairly quickly and we are able to converse enough to get to the car and have at least some degree of conversation on the way to the hotel. Which is good, because he misses a turn-off early on, leaving us stuck in heinous traffic for about 15 minutes before we make our way onto downtown streets. I notice right away that traffic signals appear to be taken as suggestions rather than mandates here, but we manage not to hit anyone and before too long we arrive at the hotel Royal Zona Rosa.
The Zona Rosa is a district in Mexico City full of shops and restaurants, so the hotel is ideally situated for our first night in Mexico. I meet up with a ravenous Carlyn in the hotel lobby, so we quickly drop my things off and head out to find some food. I have friends who live in the area (but are unfortunately out of town this weekend) and who have provided some restaurant suggestions, so we head to the closest: Cicero, about 3 blocks from the hotel. It turns out to be a rather up-scale place with opulent decor and live music, for which we are a bit under-dressed (and of course have no reservation) but they let us in anyway. We promptly learn our first lesson about dining out in Mexico City, which is that if they ask you if you want a drink when you sit down, say yes. Otherwise it will be about an hour before anyone pays any attention to you again. I eventually manage to flag down a waiter again and express our extreme hunger and thirst, and before long we have our first margaritas of the week and some food on the way. There are few vegetarian options (only appetizers) so I bend my rules a bit and order fish; Carlyn orders a shrimp dish that turns out to be half a dozen enormous prawns doused in mole sauce and sesame seeds. She proclaims it one of the weirdest things she's ever eaten.
By the end of the meal, I've got a lovely headache settling in so we take a short walk around the neighborhood but then head back to the hotel. I remember that Mexico City is at 6000 feet, so I assume that's where the headache comes from. It's 2 hours earlier for my body, but I manage to fall asleep around 11 nonetheless.
We start the day with breakfast in the hotel, all the time looking around to see if we can spot our riding companions. I thought I'd remembered seeing in an email that we were meeting up with another pair of women, so we ask one promising-looking set of ladies if they're here for the riding trip. They smile politely but have no idea what we're talking about. Oops.
Shortly after that in the lobby, we find our actual group - not a pair of woman at all, but rather a honeymooning couple from England, Steve and Judith. And of course Pepe, our host and driver. Ah, but there are two more women joining us - they just didn't stay at this hotel. Joan and Pat have cabbed over from the Four Seasons in time to pile into the van with us for the long, windy ride to Valle de Bravo.
During the drive, we get to know each other a bit. Steve and Judith were married a week ago, and have spent the past week sightseeing in Mexico City. Judith has been riding for years, but this horsey thing is new for Steve - he's taken a few lessons but that's about it. This must be true love, for him to agree to a horseback riding honeymoon! Joan and Pat are both from Connecticut and have taken many of these riding vacations together over the past 10 years. They both own horses back home and ride regularly. I feel slightly intimidated despite my 30+ years riding experience, and hope that my skills and endurance come back quickly.
After about two hours we reach the town of Valle de Bravo. Thanks to the cobblestone streets and the fact that there's a week-long fiesta gearing up in town, it takes about another half hour to reach Finca Enyhe, our final destination and home for the next week. We meet Lucia, Pepe's wife and our gracious hostess, and their beautiful daughter Georgina. The house is gorgeous, with a lush central courtyard on the main floor, and spacious, well-appointed rooms on that level and below. We are shown to our rooms downstairs, and after settling in for a few minutes we meet at the poolside picnic table for the first of many delicious meals to be enjoyed during our stay.
Once we've digested a bit and changed clothes, it's almost time to meet the horses and start riding. But first, Pepe and Lucia have some forms for us to fill out about our riding abilities, practices, and preferences so that they can be sure to match us with the best horses and equipment. They also stress that we can change anything that isn't working for us, at any time in the week. One of their questions asks what sort of horse you prefer, from very calm and relaxed to very alert and spirited. I indicate that I'd like something in between calm/relaxed and alert/spirited, a viewpoint I will revise as the week goes on. More on that change of heart later...
Finally we are off to the stable, starting with a tour of the tack room. They have dozens of saddles in here, of all types, literally stacked to the roof. We get our first look at the Mexican Charro saddle, which is a bit like a western saddle but with a really big horn and wide cantle, and a very wide, hard seat. Those of us who thought we might like to try it quickly change our minds and opt for what we're used to.
The horses are all tacked up and waiting for us in the grooming area. Mine is Chipotle, a well-built Quarter Horse named for his color (sort of a dark reddish-brown). I notice that I'm the only one riding Western - and in fact the only one not dressed in breeches and boots. Oh well - I guess I'm the token cowgirl for the week. I mount up (no, thanks, don't need the mounting block) and head into the arena to put Chip through a few paces before we hit the trail. Man, this horse really walks out - no lack of energy here. I'm pleased that I won't have to push him, but hoping I won't have too much of the opposite. A bit of jogging and loping, some stirrup adjustments, and we're ready to take it on the road.
Our first ride is a 2-hour jaunt in the hills above the finca, highlighted by a stop at the peak where the hang gliders all take off. The horses are amazingly calm despite these large, multi-colored objects launching into the air just ahead of them. Chipotle (whom I have now nicknamed "Chip") continues to have plenty of energy the whole way and I do have to hold him back a fair bit, even on some very steep uphill climbs and a fairly long canter, but so far we seem to be getting along fine. My saddle is less comfortable than I'd like, though, so when we get back I request a switch to something that will fit my short legs a bit better. They are happy to oblige, and Chip is quickly resaddled and ready for me to test the new gear. Several others try out different tack as well - anything that wasn't comfortable after 2 hours will surely be agony after 6!
After finishing up at the arena, we all change into swimsuits and reconvene at the jacuzzi - a practice that will become our routine for the rest of the week. We enjoy another fine meal, then all retire early since we'll be starting at 7:30 the next morning for our first full day on the trail.
The pattern of the next 5 days goes something like this: Wake, Eat, Ride, Eat, Ride, Jacuzzi, Eat, Sleep. Repeat. Each day we meet at 7:30 for a filling breakfast - either continental-style or a more hearty Mexican breakfast of eggs, beans, and tortillas. By 8:30 we are ready to go, meeting at the stable the first day and on subsequent days at the van that will take us to the horses. Somewhere between 9 and 10 we are mounted and ready for the 2.5-3-hour morning ride. By the 1-hour point most of us are ready for the first potty break of the day - too much coffee and tea at breakfast! Some time around 12:30 or 1 we break for lunch, usually somewhere with a breathtakingly picturesque view, and enjoy cheese and nuts and other snacks while the main course is prepared. Some days it's cold tortas (sandwiches); other times it's a warm meal cooked over the campfire. My favorite is the incredible mole sauce, although the quesadillas are a close second.
After lunch we resist the urge to siesta too long, and after one last trip behind the bushes we climb aboard for another 2-3 hours of scenic horseback touring. Pepe shows us mercy by not taking us into a canter too soon after lunch. By the end of the day, we have covered something like 25 miles (40 km) and are more than ready to turn the horses over to the grooms when at last we reach the spot where the red van awaits to take us back to our beloved Jacuzzi.
Rather than give a blow-by-blow of each day, here are some of the aspects that stand out for me:
We end the week with a 3-hour ride that ends back at Finca Enyhe. This one has some of the most technical riding yet, with some really steep descents and a bit of maneuvering around some slick rocks. At last we reach the stable - just as the first drops of rain fall. We have had perfect weather all week, so nobody seems to mind that we will have a fairly damp afternoon of shopping in Valle de Bravo. After lunch (which includes a shot of tequila for several of us), Pepe drops us off in town to visit the handcrafts market and some of the more upscale shops at the far end of town. Carlyn proceeds to buy far more than she can possibly fit in her luggage. :-)
Tonight there is a fiesta in the cemetery for Dia de los Muertos, but none of us has the energy to stay up late enough for it. Instead, we convince Pepe to stop there on our way to Mexico City in the morning. After a festive holiday meal (complete with candy skulls for each of us), we retire to finish packing and getting ready to go.
One last delicious breakfast as a group, and then we say our goodbyes to Lucia, Georgina, and Pablo (Pepe's charming younger brother who has been accompanying us on the ride). And of course there are equine farewells to say and carrots and sugar to offer to the horses before we go.
As promised, on our way through town we stop at the cemetery to see the incredible decorations that have been put up for Dia de los Muertos. The Mexicans embrace death as a part of life, so their celebration of this holiday is to bring flowers and favorite foods of the departed to the cemetery every year. It's a beautiful, joyful practice.
Finally, we tear ourselves away and hit the twisty, turny road back to Mexico City. Carlyn and I part company with the others at my friend Kim's house just outside of town. Kim and her husband graciously escort us to the incredible handicrafts market in the city, where we round out our haul of souvenirs and gifts: silver jewelry, embroidered purses, decorative housewares, etc. From there we head out for a traditional Mexican lunch, which lasts about 3 hours and involves plenty of tequila and/or cerveza. No dinner tonight - we are all far too full from lunch, so we end the day with some wine and light snacks by the fireplace. It feels weird to have spent a day without any riding!
Our suitcases aren't quite stuffed enough, to Kim takes us to a local supermercado to stock up on some Mexican treats to bring home. I pick up several sauces, including two kinds of mole, and some chocolate with cinnamon for my hubby. A quick stop at Sam's Club for tequila ($27 for the good stuff!) and a duffle bag for Carlyn to use for her overflowing treasures, and we're ready to head to the airport. Other than forgetting to put my sewing scissors in my checked bag - no amount of pouting on my part is going to convince the security agent to let me keep them - we get to our flights without incident. I have some excitement on my flight to LAX, in that when we arrive at the gate they ask us to remain seated so that the police can come on board and escort one of the passengers off....in handcuffs. Murmured speculations of escaped prisoner or drug dealer abound at the baggage claim, which at least helps pass the time. I fly through customs, despite my expectations that I will be interrogated because I checked the "I have been on a farm or ranch" question - there is literally nobody in line ahead of me when I get to the agent - and walk about three miles to my connecting flight, but make it with plenty of time. And I don't even get to finish my book on the last flight since I manage to sit next to a really handsome, interesting man and we end up chatting and drinking gin and tonics most of the way there. Now that's the way to fly!
