It has been a little while since we have posted. With the rise in COVID numbers as discussed in the last blog, life got a bit more restricted and a blog about my latest exploits with online shopping and not leaving the Condo much seemed a little dull. But numbers are dropping dramatically and life is starting to return to normal, although the beaches are still shut. Most importantly for us, schools are now open, so the children are going to school three days a week, which is the most since we arrived a year ago.
We were away last weekend on a horse riding expedition. I have to be honest, experiences of riding horses (as a non-expert) in the UK have involved plodding very slowly along narrow country lanes on a horse that goes on autopilot. And is highly trained to ignore everything the rider requests. But here, it’s quite a different world.
Our trip started at and was run by El Paso. An amazing place. A western town placed in the middle of the Mozambican dune scrub. Miles of sand, bushes, thorny plants, lizards, snakes and a western town complete with a post office, saloon, stables, well and a water slide. To get there was an adventure in itself, given the recent flooding, especially when we set off late and were chasing the setting sun. Once off tar roads and onto the sand there was water everywhere. We first passed a truck knee-deep in thick mud. Further on the local villagers had done an amazing job building bridges through the deepest road flooding using sandbag sides and filling the bridge in with sand. This made getting around the places that were probably too deep to get through no trouble at all (although on the way back once of these had collapsed which made for an interesting drive through some very deep water).
We arrived, settled into our room in the pony express post office and headed to the saloon for a 2M (local beer). Another family joined us a while later having done the drive all the way in the dark and we had a fantastic Mexican feast for dinner. The kids then went out and were entertained playing “the lantern game”. I’m still not quite sure what happens, but they do it at night, they love it and they come back filthy and tired.
The next morning was a quick breakfast, loading our overnight stuff into the 4×4 that was driving ahead of us and then getting onto our horse. I was riding Logger who was described as slow and steady. The children decided this was a perfect fit for me. Given my riding skills (I have had 4 or 5 lessons now) I thought it seemed fine for me.
We set off through the dune scrub, ducking under overhanging thorn bushes and following the dry sandy tracks until we came to the beach. The Mozambican coastline, as I have probably mentioned before, is simply stunning. Endless white sand, clear warm water, beautiful surf and almost no people (even when you are allowed on the beach). As an aside, we were exercising on the beach which is an allowed activity.
We rode down to the water’s edge to try and find the hardest of the soft sand for the horses and headed on our way. The horses do a range of rides, but the most common is a beach ride, coming the way we had come, riding along the beach, before heading back over the dunes to home. As we were got to the turns that the horses usually took home most got (not mine) jumpier and jumpier and keener and keener to turn off the beach and head for home. Harriett’s horse who was small and quite lively decided enough was enough and headed at high speed up the steep dune. Harriett brilliantly managed to slow him down and turn him back. But he was still very agitated. At the next turn, he did the same again, bolted up the bank and reared up onto his back legs (at which point Harriett neatly slid off the back into a standing position) and ran. Harriett missed the reigns and the horse left. Our leader followed the horse at high speed hoping it wouldn’t run at full speed back to it’s stable. Luckily it slowed down to a slow walk and she was able to slowly creep up on it and get the reigns. So she appeared back five minutes later or so, with us wondering if the trip could continue.
Once back there was some re-arrangement of horses. Harriett got something a little calmer and the other Dad with us, with a lot more riding experience behind him than me, and more weight on the horse than Harriett, took the horse. But it was a jumpy ride for him most of the way.
Once the horses were well past the final turn and realised they were in it for the long haul they (mostly) settled down a little and plodded their way through the hot sun. The day was supposed to be cooler than recent ones, but with no shade and the sun beating down it got hot. The horses were sweating and it was warm for everybody. We got a few sips of water, but drinking while on the horses wasn’t that easy. It was easier for me than anyone, sat on the steady Logger. Although catching up with Imogen to give her a water bottle proved more difficult. Especially, as when Imogen’s horse saw mine trotting (to try and catch her up) it would also pick up speed and trot, making the whole exercise quite challenging.
We mixed trotting, walking and a little cantering as we made our way down the beach. It was a long hot ride. But eventually, I started to recognise some landmarks and realised we were getting close to Lugar de Ceu. We soon turned off and were back through the dune forest heading to our accommodation which is a lodge we know well. It’s nestled in the dunes about a kilometre back from the beach.
I certainly felt relieved to arrive and was ready to get a drink and relax. But of course, the horses needed to come first. An army of grooms and helpers seemed to have come ahead of us, but still, all hands were needed for getting off saddles and washing down the horses to cool them from the ride. Once the horses were washed, watered and stabled we walked, or slightly hobbled, over to our house and for a much needed cold shower, which felt amazing.
We then hobbled back to the bar and the pool for a cold drink, a snack and a gentle nap by the pool. The rest of the day was equally relaxed. By about three, once we had eaten and snoozed again we headed in a couple of 4x4s (with us stood on the back of a pickup) down to the beach. The kids and I had a bit of a paddle in the sea. Harriett got put off after she stood just on the lip of a sand ledge where the sand suddenly dropped away and consequently it’s where all the waves broke. A huge one came down and broke on top of her, leaving her rather bedraggled and wet. From there we headed up to the top of one of the dunes where we drank gin and tonic enjoying the view over the endless Mozambican dune forest. There were no signs of people for as far as you could see. Lugar is tucked away in a dune valley and so was out of sight.
For dinner, a beef and chicken potjie was cooked on a fire. This was like a layered stew cooked in a traditional three-legged cast-iron pot. A South African classic.
Sunday was very similar to Saturday but in reverse. We all switched horses which made me rather worried as all the other horses seemed rather more lively than Logger who I had been pottering around at the back with the day before. Imogen was given Logger as the old boy was finding the trip hard work. So giving him the lightest load seemed a good option. Imogen did look quite funny perched on top of this huge horse. I then took Uma. She seemed to want to get going from the moment I was sat on her. Which wasn’t helpful as I was almost the first on. But, with a few goes at getting her to turn complete circles (I picked that up the day before from those with jumpy horses) and some distractions from the nice grass to eat, we managed not to set off without everyone else.
The day was cooler than Saturday. There was some cloud providing shade, there was a breeze and the sand was firmer for the horses’ hooves. This made for much quicker going. There was more trotting and cantering than on the way out. The horses were feeling desperate to run all the way home and a lot of time was spent keeping them calm and stopping them trying to get back as quickly as their legs could carry them.
I found Uma wasn’t as wild a beast as I had imagined and I had a good ride. She still was near the back when everyone cantered. I took this to be linked to the high level of skill I have on a horse compared to everyone else on the ride who seemed to have had rather more lessons on a horse than me! I suspect the horse realised the person bouncing around on the saddle didn’t have that much clue what to do.
With the regular cantering and trotting, we made it back an hour quicker than it took us to get there. Through the bush trail back we let the horses guide themselves as they all clearly knew their way home back to the stables.
After another refreshing cold shower, there was an amazing seafood lunch of clams, Mozambican prawns, snapper, salad and bread. It was an excellent way to finish a great weekend.
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