Patagonia, Chile Day 3

A wonderful morning of horseback riding. We drove thirty minutes to an estancia (ranch) where H and I, two girls from Denmark, and two guides mounted sturdy little horses and rode through the hills to a lovely lagoon (lake) and back. We saw a variety of birds, including conddors, black-headed Swans, and woodpeckers. We also saw animals: rabbits, a fox, and plenty of cows.

The ride was tons of fun. The gauchos called my horse lazy and hard to get going, but I had no problem controlling her. When I wanted to run she was game and gave me a good fast romp a few times. Only once did I feel I might be thrown. Even then I just held on and let her run, We rode for three hours. After, once I was standing on my feet again,  I found it difficult to walk. 

Back at the ranch house, the gauchos cooked us a traditional lamb soup. Simple but very tasty. I loved eating with them. Then we spent a few hours in town—which is a typical tourist town—before walking back to the hotel.

A good morning of horseback riding in the valley. 

Three hours on a horse can take a toll on your body.

Fly. A great worker at herding cows.

The gauchos shared their lunch of lamb soup with us after the ride.

Puerto Natales, the gateway to the Chilean Patagonia, where we end our visit to Chile.