Saturday

I was reminded by my son that I was due for an update. Well, a lot has happened since yesterday lunch. I was having a nice lunch. Maybe posted this pic

Then the German guy, Dieter came by. He had just dived and was going back. On the walk back to the bungalows, I saw the fellow divers Gary, his brother Blair and Gio. I wanted to buy them a beer. Dieter left, still making me feel like a bad person for my wanton behavior, as if! Even my Mother tells me to talk to strangers. So I bought them a beer, they thanked the waitress, who didn’t bring my drink to me, so I gave them a hard time, because I bought the beer. And then told them it was my birthday. They may have sang a bit, but they were awful!! Craig is an acupuncturist in Canada, not sure about Blair and Gio was Italian and did camping trips with kids in the Sacramento area. Blair was missing a tooth which bugged the hell out of me.

Pretty much all there is to do in Little Corn is dive, snorkel, fish and drink. I was doing well fitting in. I walked back to the other side, the East side, the windy side, the quiet side, the side with the elusive hammerhead shark. Too rough to go see the hammerhead this trip.

More pics on the way home. It was feeling like home, I rarely stay in one place for more than one night or two so seven nights in one place was good.

A margarita upon arrival, and a shower.

And the waiting for my prince to come. I knew this was the lucky day, my Birthday. Soon I saw him!

I missed them on Wednesday, I was drinking with friends, Thursday they ran overtime so today was my day. Shane is my prince and he told me that I could name the horse. And he just washed the two year old for me. Check out the saddle! The foam was old and not so padded. First hurdle was getting on him. Why don’t my legs do what I ask them! When he asked if I had ridden a horse before, I said sure! I should have just said, yes, I am an excellent horsewoman. But he wouldn’t have known the joke. I have ridden before, like bare back at a nearby stable when I was probably 8 and several times after that, with a saddle.

So I get on the horse and Shane leads the horse down the beach, about five minutes later the unnamed horse took off down the beach. I pulled on the bridle, I clutched his mane, but he was going as fast as he could down the beach in a terrifying, yet exhilarating pace. As we approached some dense trees I had to jump off or die in a split second. I heard my neck crack and Jake’s face passed before me. Jake is my sons amazingly positive friend that had a life changing diving accident. Shane was running, screaming down the beach. The horse was walking around. I am pretty sure Shane was checking me for a possible concussion. My brain seemed fine. He kept apologizing. My neck hurt, but kinda felt like I just had a really good adjustment by my favorite chiropractor. My tail bone hurt. I had broke it before. Both of my ring fingers hurt and the bottom of my foot. Shane took the horse up and down the beach to tire him, out I cringed at the speed.

These pics speak for themselves…

Here, at the trees which I found myself under

I realized that I lost my sunglasses. They were there, in the sand, undamaged. After Shane made sure I was ok, he told me to rinse off in the water. I had sand head to toe, even in my ears! I said that I could walk back but, he would not hear of it! I struggled to get on the horse again and fell off again! What is wrong with me!?! Finally got on and we rode together, me in the front. We were a little closer than I thought we should be and his arms were a little tighter around me than they should be and then the whispering in my ear… and he picked a flower for me… ok back to reality. I am just thinking of how much pain I am in, with my probable broken tailbone hitting the bones spine of this damn skinny horse, trotting in the beach, over rocks and sand and sometimes wading in the water so much that my feet were dragging in the water. He waved to friends and laughed with them. We stopped for a bit then back on the horse. Several times I told him that I could walk, but he delivered my right to my door, well close enough. At long last we had to depart. It was hard to say goodbye but we did. Lol he was 27!

Back at the ranch, barely walking, I advised the owner of the place that maybe he should check out the horses on the island. He said that there were only four. Margarita, another shower. A great dinner of Chicken Florentine with lobster. My Kansas friends joined me and we toasted to my ride and my Birthday. Another birthday to remember!

I started to pack. We had to be ready at 5:30 am. But around midnight I heard a knock on my door and my named quietly whispered…. I went to the window, no way was I unlocking the door. The windows are screened with chicken wire! So Craig, the acupuncturist from Canada brought me a birthday drink! I didn’t open the door so he slid his business card through the chicken wire, told me that I was pretty and hoped that we could be friends. I said thanks and went back to bed. The funny thing was that I left my card at Dieter’s bungalow a few hours before. Hopefully all of us can exchange pictures etc. what happens in Little Corn, ah nothing happened.

Up early to get the panga, where the locals gave me sympathetic looks. Everyone knew that I was “the girl that fell off the horse and almost died!!!” Some even asked how I was feeling and that Shane felt so badly.

I am going to miss this place.

I hung out with Gio, we took the panga, taxi and the plane to Managua. He helped me with my bags and even unlocked my seatbelt, because I couldn’t. I was worried about the landing on the plane so I gingerly put one hand under a butt cheek anticipating a big bump and painful landing, but the pilot was spot on No pain. And I was right behind him.

Now in Managua at the Camino Real.