Cowboy for a day

Early this morning, boarding a 4AM bus destined for the Argentinian border, I bid a fond farewell to the unforgettable country of Bolivia. The experiences I have had in the past three weeks are some that I will forever consider to be among the most exhillarating and rewarding of my entire life. Despite crippling poverty and a history of unstable governmental rule, Bolivia is a country with much to offer. I can say with certainty that, having visited this place, I am now a more fulfilled person with a broadened global perspective.
I only have a few minutes before I must board another bus, but I wanted to take a moment to tell you about my final adventure in this remarkable country. From Potosi, Garreth and I made our way south to the tranquil town of Tupiza. Surrounded on all sides by the spectacular multi-colored hills of the Cordillera de Chicas, Tupiza is the type of dusty town that you would expect to find in an old cowboy film. So, in accordance with the everpresent Wild West theme, G and I opted to get horses and a bottle of whiskey and pretend to be cowboys for the day. We were joined by a young Bolivian guide, a definite necessity in the proper navigation of the complex landscape. For those of you who have been on horse tours in the states, you may have memories of riding a designated path at a snails pace, never quite escaping the scenery of the horse´s butt in front of you. In Bolivia, the land of startingly few rules, regulations, and safety precautions, things operate quite differently. Throughout our 7 hour, 15 mile excursion, we free at any time to belt out a ¨yeehaw!¨ and encourage our steeds to unleash their power in an all out sprint. As a result, the entire lower half of my body is tremendously sore, but I will never forget the thrill that I felt in those moments. One particularly action-packed stretch of the journey called for repeated river crossings, the second of which involved Garreth´s horse losing its footing, nearly drowning, and tossing G into the water. Luckily, I was carrying all of the electronics and both horse and human emerged from the incident unharmed. All in all, this was a truly unique adventure and a wonderful way to say goodbye to a country that has given us everything we could have hoped for and so much more.
I have to catch my bus, but I promise to respond to reader comments the next time I log on. Goodbye for now!