Calafate Horseback Riding

We spent 3 hours on horseback prowling through the foot hills of the Andes mountains. We all met the Gauchos (cowboys) and their horses at a hut down the road from our hotel. The Gauchos and the horses were unforgettable characters! My horse's name was Rompe Culo (break your ass) and others had names like Asesino (assassin).
It was a fulfilling feeling to be on horseback experiencing the beauty of Calafate's landscape. The small city had so many views of the mountains reflecting off the icy blue lake and tackling the terrain on horses allowed us to experience those colors up close and personal. Of course handling the cool temperatures accompanied by an outrage wind chill was no piece of pie on our skin. Most of us left with wind burn but I left with a cold! Regardless it was a priceless experience.
After our 3 hour excursion we parked our horses at the post and joined the Gauchos in the hut for some pan and mate (homemade bread and tea from a gourd). There we met new friends from Israel who had just finished their 3 year term in the military. We all played around with a skinned bob cat and random other trophy kills in the hut.

All in all it was a very surreal day. I felt at home on horseback in the country side and very cultured after spending some bonding time in the Gaucho hut. Meeting so many new people from other countries was definitely a highlight as well. I LOVED IT!

-- Kimber