Something Blue

One of the hardest parts of writing this blog is actually coming up with good titles. Of course I want them to reflect the content a little, but I also don't want them to be too literal. And I like them to have a double meaning. I was staring at my previous blogs and this popped in my head, a bit cheesy but it'll have to do, so here we go!


So yeah, the ideal scenario would be if I could write about my visit to the Blue Lagoon. But unfortunately I can't, so I guess I'm cheating a little with my title. Of course the Blue Lagoon is a must see when in Iceland, the top tourist attraction and all of that, but what the beautiful photos in travel guides don't show you, is that it is super busy, super expensive (I am after all travelling on a budget) and the water is not even naturally blue, they put chemicals in it! Of course it's still a great spot to visit while in Iceland, it's just not for me. Instead we went to the Secret Lagoon, which is actually not so secret as there were quite a few people there, but still quite cool. The 'pool' is made of rocks and heated by the hotsprings surrounding it. The steam rising from the water and the old changing rooms which are now a ruin give the place a very rustic feeling. It was very nice to let our muscles relax and soak until our skin was all wrinkly.

In case you were wondering, I'm not just galavanting around Iceland. I work at a stables here for two months. My friend Ilona, who I met in South Africa three years ago, is here for five months and suggested it to me. Besides her, there are two other girls: Mary from Germany and Kathi from Austria. We spend our days doing stable work, training horses and taking guests out on tours. Same thing as before but a very different environment. The first week I really had to get used to the temperature, I was freezing with six layers of clothes on! But I'm a bit used to it now and it has warmed up quite a bit as well. The area here is beautiful though. Lots of hills and beautiful mountains and volcanoes in the distance. Every night we do a short workout so I'm already getting started on the Derby training a little ;)

Here in Iceland they only have Icelandic horses, which sounds very obvious but I think it's quite interesting: as soon as a horse leaves Iceland, it's not allowed to come back. This is to prevent them from bringing in diseases as the horses here don't get vaccinated. As you may know, the Icelandic horses also have two extra gaits (speeds at which they can go), the tolt and flying pace. I did it once before on my friend's horse, but it's actually a lot harder than it looks. We get weekly lessons though,  so now I feel a little less like I have no clue what I'm doing and like I'm making the horse worse. It's a lot of fun thoug and I think every riding style can teach you something useful. Riding Icelandic horses is teaching me to really have a deep seat.


As a tour guide, I've also learned a lot of fun facts about Iceland. This is my top five:
1. A majority of Icelanders believe in elves (there was an actual research done on this)
2. There is a volcanic eruption every 4 years on average
3. Beer remained illegal untill 1989
4. Mosquitoes don't exist in Iceland
5. First names not previously used in Iceland must be approved by the Icelandic Naming Committee

Something new

Photo by TheAdventurist

It has been a bit quiet on the blog the past month but now I’ve got a lot of exciting news to share. I’ve been working on a lot of different stuff lately and it’s been a lot of ‘behind the scenes’ work but now things are moving forward in a big way. I won’t keep you in suspense for too long so here’s the first reveal: I got accepted to compete in the Mongol Derby! The Derby, which will take place in August 2019, is the longest and toughest horse race in the world. The 1000km long course recreates Chengis Khan's legendary postal system that was created in 1224. Every year, around 45 competitors from countries all over the globe take part in the race (and usually half of them finish it).

Photo by TheAdventurist

I will have 10 days to complete the course, it will take not just horsemanship skills but survival skills and determination. I will ride 25 different, semi-wild horses through rough terrain including mountain passes, open valleys, wooded hills, rivers, wetlands, sandy dunes and open steppe. Besides it being an awesome adventure, I will also raise money for different charities and the Derby supports local people in Mongolia who play a huge role in making this race possible. If you want to support me, have look at this link: Aly's Mongol Derby Horse Race

Of course I will be blogging about the preparations leading up to the race (not looking forward to all the hours I will have to spend in the gym to get in shape). 

Photo by our partner in Montenegro

In other exciting news: Heleen and I are starting our own company! It’s called ‘Centaur Trails’ and focuses on helping people find the perfect horse riding holiday. This project is something Heleen and I have been thinking about for a few years now as something that ‘would be cool to do in the future’. I often get asked if I have any suggestions on destinations and stables, with all the travelling I do, so we decided this would be a good time to get started and see if we can make this into a business. In the first phase, we will focus on Dutch clients but over the years we are hoping to expand to an international market. We will be offering horse riding holidays worldwide and will also organise tailor made trips with or without your own horse. 

We are planning the official launch for May but of course there is a lot of preparation that needs to be done. We are busy building our website, social media and of course with finding the best companies to work with. I am super excited about it, it’s the perfect combination of my two passions: riding and travelling. I realize how lucky and privileged I am to be able to do both right now and have all these amazing experiences, sometimes it feels like a dream. I hope that we will be able to help people a little in living their dream. Of course I will keep you posted on our progress on the blog! For now, check out the new Centaur Trails logo, done by Heleen!

And in case you were wondering, I’m in Iceland at the moment and it’s pretty amazing. I will tell you all about it in next week’s blog so stay tuned ;)

The Broken Road

I’m trying to distract myself by writing this so I don’t have to think about the fact that I’m actually leaving South Africa. I already said goodbye to Hluhluwe last week. It was so weird to leave the place that has felt like home for the past months. Last time I left, I knew I was coming back. This time I don’t know what’s going to happen. Thankfully I had another week in South Africa, in Hoedspruit to be exact. After only two hours of sleep and not feeling too well on the plane, I finally arrived and went to pick up my rental car. I was feeling quite shitty so when the attendant told me he couldn’t give me the car because of a problem with my card, I was ready to break down in tears. There was nothing they could do for me so I was basically stranded at the airport. Thankfully there was a really sweet American couple who offered to give me a ride into town where I would meet Christine. She and I tried to come up with a solution but we couldn’t think of anything that would work. Eventually I called the lodge I was going to stay at and they have honestly been amazing. They have gone above and beyond to arrange the car for me. I am so grateful that there are people who care so much!

So yeej, I had a car! Christine and I made good use of that little car by driving it up to Mariepskop, we really didn’t think we would make it without 4-wheel drive but the car was strong and made it all the way up. The view from up there is breathtaking. We sat there for hours just chatting and laughing. Being so high up and far from everything makes you feel like there is nobody else in the world and nothing else matters, exactly what I needed ;) The next day we got up at 4am to go to Kruger for the day. I think we saw over 30 elephants during our drive, including lots of babies, but the best sighting that day (possibly ever) was of three lionesses with their six cubs right next to the road. We sat there watching them for over 30 minutes (no other cars!), the lionesses were very relaxed and the cubs were running around, playing and nagging their moms. Such a special sighting and an experience I will never forget! On the way back to Hoedspruit we almost got stranded without petrol but thankfully we found a gas station just in time, lucky again.

I spend two nights at Wait A Little, where they do horse safaris in a big five reserve. I had been emailing with them about their work experience program but since I was in the neighborhood I decided to ask if I could come by, and they said I was more than welcome. Everyone there was so lovely. They have some great horses and it's a beautiful area. They work hard but there is a nice atmoshpere and they all hang out together whenever they have some time off, I felt right at home and will definitely go back in the future. The highlight was bumping into two Rhino on a horseride one morning, such a special experience! My last night I stayed with Christine at Umlani Bushcamp in Timbavati, where she works. It was a beautiful lodge, very nice people and Hyena that walk around the camp as if they are pets ;)

It's weird to be away from the horses. In my last week in Hluhluwe I rode Attila to the plantations one afternoon, and just sat there for almost an hour watching the sun set behind the mountain. The view there is amazing and it is so quiet and peaceful. Another day, I rode Bullet along the lake in False Bay with Flamingos flying next to us. You just don’t get that kind of experiences in the Netherlands. I taught a few more lessons. Ka’tia has made so much progress over the ten lessons she’s had. Bundu made it hard on her during the last lesson, trying to turn around, stopping, even bucking, but she handled him perfectly and even though it was frustrating, she kept going. The whole Druce family came out for a little trail ride with Evan riding Tshoks without any help and even Emma was on a horse (Heleen and her were on Bundu together), so special! On my last day, Heleen and Mariette took me out for lunch and that night we went to Amorellos for the last time. It was a perfect day to end my stay with.

The hardest part about travelling is saying goodbye, to the place I’ve gotten quite attached to, this amazing country, the weather, the animals but most of all the people. Six months (in two three-month intervals) might not sound like a long time but so much has happened in these months that it feels like years. I’m grateful for everything it taught me but mostly for all the amazing people I’ve met. To everyone who helped me with the horses, who came riding with me, shared their stories, inspired me, encouraged me and was just there to listen and laugh with: thank you, I will see you soon!

Resolutions

Happy belated new year! Can’t believe how fast this year flew by, never had I ever thought I’d be where I am right now. If you had told me last year that I’d be celebrating New Years in South Africa I would have laughed. It was an interesting experience to celebrate both Christmas and New Years in the heat, I must say it just doesn’t have the same feel to it. Next year I want the cheesiest Christmas ever, with snow, markets, decorations, carols and everything to make up for it. It’s been a pretty awesome year though, mostly because of all the great people I’ve met on my travels. I’ve also learned that you don’t have to physically be close to someone to be really close to that person. So to all my friends: thank you for being there for me and always listening to my rants.

I’ve spend most of 2017 travelling and I hope to be doing that in 2018 as well. On that note, my next destination is *drumroll* Iceland! That will certainly be different climate wise ;) I’ll be going there over March and April to work at a stables, similar set-up as here: horsecare, training and trail guiding. But with Icelandic horses! And to make it even better, Ilona will be there as well! Remember her from my first South Africa adventure almost three years ago? Can’t wait to travel and work with her again. I don’t really do New Years resolutions but I do have a lot of plans for the coming years, and they involve travelling and horses. It’s still very tentative but I will definitely keep you posted!

We’ve been quite busy over the holidays. I’ve had a lot of trailrides with some really nice guests and I had some company on my training rides as well. It was nice to have some people to chat to and to help with the horses as it can get tiring sometimes, no matter how much fun it is to ride out here. For New Years we had a ‘recycling’ theme party where everyone had to dress in plastic (let me tell you, that’s not the best thing to be wearing in 30 degree Celsius weather). And of course half the people there (including me) ended up in the pool. Last week I went to Richards Bay with Trienke to do shopping. Being in the mall made me realise how secluded we are here, it was so strange to see ‘normal’ shops again, I felt like someone from a tiny remote town in the middle of nowhere who goes to the big city for the first time.

I had a few days off this past weekend and Heleen had invited me over again so I went back to the park. It was so nice to get away from everything for a while and I love spending time with Heleen and her family. It was very warm but we still saw loads of buffalo, rhino, giraffe, zebra, antilope, warthog, birds, monkeys, baboons and the lions (having a nap next to the road). We went to see the horses again and this time I worked with the third horse that I didn’t have time for on the last visit, while Heleen worked with Spirit. Storm was very grumpy and nippy but as I worked with him he got a lot better. He’s a sensitive horse but he was good when I rode him (after a few bucks) and Fi and I even took him and Spirit on a little ride into the park. Both of them were very alert but they didn’t spook or try to run so I was quite happy with that. Ow and we didn’t get eaten by a lion ;)

Year of summer

It’s hard to believe it’s almost Christmas. Listening to christmas music in 30 degree weather just doesn’t have the same feel to it as drinking hot chocolate at the ice rink or your train being delayed because of the snow. And I do love Christmas, the cheasier the better. But I must say it is nice to still be able to walk around in shorts and sit outside in the evenings. It’s different.

I’ve had a busy week with lots of trail rides and horse riding lessons. I’m happy the trails are a bit busier now, I’ve met so many interesting people, I love hearing everyones stories. And I went riding with Stefanie! Even though we ended up riding in the rain (felt just like home), we had a lovely ride and chatted the whole way. The riding lessons went great as well. I’m teaching a ten year old girl named Ka’tia. She just loves being with the horses, adores Tshoks and she’s doing great with her riding. She went from being nervous about riding without me holding the horse, to trotting around the arena over one lesson. After just three lessons she already knows how to do a rising trot and she’s even cantered. She is so excited about everything and very eager to learn. She made me the cutest card saying I am the best riding teacher ever, so sweet! Both Meghan and Evan have also come by for a few riding lessons and they’re making great progress. 

Even though I love working with the horses, it was really nice to get away from everything for a bit as well. I spent a weekend at Heleen’s, in the park. It was by far one of the best experiences ever. We saw so many rhino, elephant, giraffe, zebra, antilope and what not, we spend almost an hour looking at lions sitting about three metres from our car, I got the chance to see cheetah and wild dogs (they’re so beautiful, I loved watching them interact with each other). I also got the opportunity to work with three horses of which nobody knew anything, not even their ages or breed. The park had acquired them to use in the field but they didn’t have anyone to train them yet so they didn’t know if they were even ridable. One of them couldn’t even be caught at first. I worked with him for two hours and after that I was able to ride him around the paddock. It was such a rush to realize I had given him that trust and a very rewarding experience. It gave me some confidence in my abilities as a trainer.

  

I made some progress with our own horses as well. After training Bullet with the bitless bridle on the trails and training him to ride without a bridle in the arena I decided to take him for a ride around the property with just a rope around his neck to steer him. He was amazing, it felt no different from riding him with a bridle, he still responded perfectly to my steering and I could stop him just fine. Since I’m possibly insane, I decided to then try it on a proper training ride in the plantations as well and it went amazing! We even cantered without a bridle, made me really proud. Meanwhile, Lancelot’s training is going very well, Daphne and I started riding him at the beginning of November and he’s been very good. On some of the rides, he bucked during trotting but on my last ride with Mariette he was perfectly fine. I think I’m going to take him on a guesttrail this weekend, it’s just walking so that should be fine.

As for my plans for next year, I’m pretty sure about what my next destination will be. It’s something horse related but it’ll be in a very different environment, about 30 degrees colder for one. Any guesses on where that’ll be?

Lemons

A lot has happened since I left Wyoming so it’s about time I give y’all an update *fake cowboy accent*. I’m back in Hluhluwe but it didn’t go exactly as I had planned. A couple of days before I was supposed to fly here, I was told that the volunteer project I had been working on since I was last here, was cancelled. For various reasons it was decided that we wouldn’t continue our work on it. For me, that meant one of the main reasons I was coming back, was gone. On top of that, Christine sent me a message that she was leaving Hluhluwe and wouldn’t be there once I’d get back. You can imagine I was a bit doubtful about going back after that, but I figured I didn’t know what to expect last time I came and that turned out great, so it would be fine this time around. And when do things ever go according to plan?

So yeah, I’m back and it does feel good to be here again. In a way, it feels like I never left, taking care of the horses, riding through the bush and enjoying the African weather. A lot has changed though, for one it is a lot more quiet, without Christine, and of course Mariska (who left this summer) and everyone else that visited. Michaela and Nathan are still here though and we’ve had some fun nights at the bar already. Heleen comes by as often as she can, to help me with the horse training. It’s so great to see how much her riding has progressed since I was last here and how much she enjoys being with the horses, and of course I love our chats. Basically what I’m doing now is everything that has to do with the horses, I feed them, take care of them and train them and since there is no guide at the moment I also take out the trails with guests. I spend half of my day in the saddle as I try to ride three horses a day, so I can’t really complain about my life right now (the great weather is a bonus ;).

As most of you know, I was planning on being here for at least six months, but likely longer, to work on the volunteer project. Obviously that didn’t happen, which brings me to the next big change (drumroll): the lodge is for sale. So yeah, anyone interested in buying some property in South Africa? It includes eight lovely horses (and a groom/trainer/guide if you give me a good offer ;) Like I said, a lot has happened. I have decided to not extend my visa for now and to leave at the end of January. Don’t worry though, I probably won’t bother you guys for long over there in the Netherlands. I have a couple of different things I’m working on for next year (most of which involve travelling) so I’ll keep you posted!

On to the good stuff! I did do something other than riding ;) My first two weeks, Daphne was still here so I got to spend a lot of time with her. Martijn’s friend Albert was also visiting for a few weeks, which made for lots of laughs. Michaela, Daphne, Albert and I went to Bayete where we got to touch and feed three giant elephants, I’ve never felt so small in my life! Christine came by for a visit, with Jaenette and Michael, her friends from Sweden. I went to St. Lucia with them, where we spend two days exploring beaches, eating sushi, lounging by the pool and (much needed) catching up. Christine and I went for a drive through the park where we apparantly drove right past a couple of lions, I guess we were to busy chatting to notice them. As for the aforementioned barnights, you know it’s been a good party when it ends with people being thrown in the pool fully clothed (at least they had the good sense to take my phone from my pocket ;)

Last time for everything

My last two weeks at Horseworks basically came down to this: we lost the horses about five more times. I’m not even kidding, they kept escaping and we still don’t know how. Somehow they managed to go down the North Ridge (which is basically just a rocky cliff) and run around in the oil field. It does make for interesting rides. The second time they escaped, we looked all morning and couldn’t find them but stumbled upon them by chance on the way to the rodeo. When trying to catch them we could only get one so Alice had to chase the rest around the pasture to get them into a corral. Another time, only three of them had escaped and we all split into teams to go looking for them, saddle-bags packed with wire cutters and vet wrap, just in case. Thankfully they were just waiting for us on the other side of a gate. The last time they escaped (for now) the interns were gone so I tried to wrangle them on my own, which resulted in a mad gallop through the oil field on Spice while Rachel and MaeCile chased them in the truck. As you can probably guess, I loved that ride ;)

Even without the horses there was loads to do, we fixed fences, delivered a calf, got the cows back from the neighbours (they took a page out of the horses book and decided to escape again as well), we went to the Hotsprings during a thunderstorm and we explored old Grass Creek town. I still think the old school has a nuclear fallout shelter in the basement (maybe I’ve been watching too much tv?). We went to two beautiful lakes in the mountains of the Shoshone National Forest where Doo and I danced on a log in the middle of a lake and we had to spoon in the truck bed to keep warm on the way back, but the views were worth it. When the horses were there, we went on loads of fun rides around the area and at Wood River. Unfortunately Pirouette was still lame, despite Helen’s physio sessions with her, but that gave me a chance to ride some of the other great horses (and I still beat everyone at barrel racing ;)

The Cody riding club organised a trail competition (an obstacle course for horses) and I decided to compete with Poncho, our most chilled out horse, which seemed like a safe bet. As you can probably guess he was completely not chilled at the competition.. he was scared of everything, from flags to holes in the ground. It was fun anyway and I was really proud of him for doing the ‘seesaw’ obstacle, which I was scared of myself. Rachel came with me as my groom and we met some really nice people so it was a great day, except for that awkward moment when I hit a Pronghorn on the way there and managed to drag it a couple metres between the car and the trailer.. hunting season has started.

The past four weeks, I’ve been working with one of our young horses named Missy. With the help of MaeCile I’ve been training her to accept a saddle and to get used to weight on her back. The first time we worked with her, it took us three hours to catch her and she was scared of everything. By the time I left I was able to put my foot in the stirrup and lean over her back, I’m so happy with all the progress she’s made. She’s going to be a great horse. I’m sad I didn’t get to work with her more, but as always, the summer was over way too soon. It’s been an unforgettable experience, I’ve learned so much, met truly amazing people and laughed more than I had in ages. Thanks for the memories! It’ll be hard to get used to life back home but at least I’ve got another trip to look forward to ;)

To be continued