The bad part. I have a hitherto unknown phobia of horses. My eagerly anticipated horse trek today was a disaster! I leapt excitedly into the saddle and was immediately overcome with absolute terror. Sheer fear.
Nothing in my Pandora's box of anxiety reducing tactics stood a chance against this, I was a quivering wreck. My horse, sensing weakness, grew increasingly wayward, taking off into the trees reducing me to tears as I clung on to the saddle.
After half an hour the non English speaking guide, the horse and I came to a mutual decision to turn back. The horse just did anyway, frankly, and I was more than happy to head 'home' where literally fell off her back in a shivering, shaking, heap.
The good part. The mystified guide (Nicaraguans ride from infant hood) refused payment, bless him, and the remainder of my final day here was great.
On the plus side, I now know I have a genuine phobia of riding horses which is useful as this is one fear I am happy to leave unconquered. I don't have a problem with being around horses, so the issue is obviously letting them take control, on reflection not surprising given their size differential.
I spent a lazy few hours lying in the hammock regaining my equilibrium (I gave up worrying about my pride years ago) and then ventured into the lake for a proper swim. The little beach I have splashed about it turned out to be deep, cool and calm. I swam on my back staring up at the volcanoes, little and large, the birds, the monkeys, the fish jumping around me, the fronds of the palms waving in the gentle breeze.
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| Lunch with a view |
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| My personal beach |
A last walk through the villages, waving to the friendly locals, the women washing the laundry, on the lake shores, children cycling home from school, animals everywhere, pigs, chickens, dogs, cows...horses, everyone here has a horse or two...birds, butterflies, monkeys, lizards, so much wildlife. OK so some I would rather stayed outside my cabin but they were here first, I guess.
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| Local laundry |
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| Walking home |
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| Rush hour |
One final sunset, a perfect blazing orb dropping like a stone. The stars here are amazing, constellations appearing close enough to touch, hundreds and hundreds of twinkling silver dots dancing above my head.
I have loved Ometepe and my stay in Finca Mystica, a remote hideaway here on this rural island. Time to move on from this very special place, but I will take away a glorious kaleidoscope of memories.
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| Final sunset at Finca Mystica |
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