Caballero

May 11, 2007

Hi Everybody,

I feel like I just fired off the my last email full of mutilated goat private parts, but it's been almost two months now. Time has been flying by, and I can hardly believe that I've been here for over 8 months.

Let's see, what's new? On Cinco de Mayo, I bought a horse and named her Mamacita. She's a big, beautiful, well-mannered, brown and white horse, and she loves to run. I'd been thinking about buying a caballo for a long time, and was finally convinced the other day after I mounted El Morro, my neighbor's black stallion. I had been invited to ride with my three host brothers and a few others to a farm about 18 km away to look at some baby cows that they were thinking about buying. I always jump at the opportunity to ride horses here, even though this time I was told that I had to dress up, i.e. put on a shirt (I never wear shirts) and don a hat (cowboy up!).

Don Bene, my neighbor who lent me his horse, saddled up El Morro and told me that just a week ago, El Morro bucked and threw off Don Bene's wife, Nina Emerita, breaking her wrist. Having close to zero experience riding horses, I took a deep breath, and got on anyway. As soon as my feet dug into the stirrups, El Morro started to buck, and the more I yanked on his bridle, the angrier he seemed to get. We rode out of El Pital and down the hills until we reached the sugar cane fields, where there is a straight, flat dirt road that lasts for about 3 km. As soon as we reached level ground, El Morro took off into a gallop, building up speed and breaking into a full run. During the first five minutes I was sure that I would fall off and break my cowboy-hatted head, and I had all kinds of visions of being dragged along the dirt road by my big, black horse, just like in the movies. But I eventually learned to loosen my body and adapt to the motion of a horse at full speed, and I was hooked. I left the others far behind as El Morro and I charged through the countryside, villagers scattering at the sight of us and wondering (I imagine) why a strange gringo would be hollering and yelping and streaking through their community on a peaceful Saturday afternoon.

It's funny how opportunities like my ride with El Morro pop up at every now and then, how seemingly boring days suddenly transform into harrowing adventures by simply saying yes to an invitation. I have so much more to tell you, so many more details about my life and work here, but it'll have to wait until next time (gotta catch the bus). I think about you all at night, when I sit in my house, listening to the thousands of bugs create an eerie, pre-historic buzz outside my window, watching the trails of ants coming and going, coming and going, taking huge junebugs and other detritus out of my house and back to their little ant-nest (I don't even have to sweep anymore thanks to these little garbage men). I've got some interesting things (work-related) coming up in the next few months, so stay tuned... I promise I'll get better about sending these emails out with more frequency.

Ciudense,

Ben

P.S. I just sent of the next batch of greeting cards to the US (about 350 cards in all). I'll be sending off a photogallery with some pictures of the artists, among other things (unfortunatly, didn't get any photos of the cards before they left). The kids still love the work, and I'm sure that you all will love the next batch - they're beautiful! Just let my mom know ( sbwms5@cox.net) and she'll hook you up while supplies last (although she'll be out of the country, visiting me and my sister until May 27).