Texan at last

Well, I did it. I rode a horse as you can see. Now, I need to explain a bit about the picture. It seems that I am smiling, but I am actually speaking sarcastically to the idiot. I dubbed my horse Wow-I'm-Stupid. He liked to stop walking every once in a while at which point he would get whipped by our guide, yet he continued to stop. Then he would decide that he could fit in a two inch gap between other horses. Needless to say he was not the brightest creature. I am glad to be able to say that I have taken part in this famous Texan stereotype (even if it took leaving the country to get me to do so), but I don't think it's an activity that I will be taking part in again anytime soon. Not that I don't wish cars could be bumpier and smellier, but they are just so much faster.

The estancia was a lot of fun. Aside from the horse ride we got to simply enjoy the scenery and relax for most of the day. We chased some geese like 3-year-olds (don't worry, I led the chase) and fed bread to various types of birds. We were also fed lunch there. Let me tell you about this lunch. There was bread to start with, always a good sign. Then they brought out sausage (an appetizer). Then they brought out piles of beef and chicken. . . mounds of it. And there were some baked potatoes in there. There were too many different kinds of food. If you know me, then you know that I like to get a bit of everything. Well, that made this meal the biggest meal I think I've ever had aside from Thanksgiving. By the end of the meal we were all ridiculously full. That's when they brought out dessert. Crepes rolled up around dulce de leche. Take a moment and let that idea sink into your brain. It was awesome. Then we all threw up. . . not really but close.

The rest of the weekend was pretty uneventful. I went to the market down the street on Sunday to check out the book vendors. I thought I might be safe from my addiction to buying books when I came down here, but apparently I love really old books at cheap market prices. I've only bought one so far, but the temptation is growing.

Speaking of addictions, the coffee here is not good. I know what you're thinking: "Wait, I thought you were in South America. Isn't the coffee supposed to be great?" We have been mislead my friends. There is good coffee in some countries, but here it's nasty. The cooks here try to brew it "American style" but it doesn't quite make it (although it is really strong so that part is good). This is one of the factors that has lead to my new addiction to mate. It's not as good as the coffee I'm used to but it is more fun to drink. I found out that there is a website that you can order it from in the States so I'm pretty pumped about bringing this crazy beverage to ACU.

Well, that's about all for now. May you continue to seek the Lord and have the courage to wrestle with your Father. May you be lost in His love, found in His salvation, dead to your sins, and alive in His mercy.

Blessings,
Matt