Chapter 120: Introoooduuuucing......

nerd blog post #125

So I'm here in Portugal, and would like to introduce you to a few special things... And so, INTROOODUUCING.....

...The Farm
Which is located 30 kms from Lisbon. The closest town is only 12 kms away, but 8 of them are on a dirt road. From outside of the farm, I can see the River Tejo, and across from it, Lisbon. The view is spectacular from everywhere. At night, I lay on a lawn chair and watch for shooting stars. The sky is so clear and the milky way is brighter than I can ever remember seeing it. It's beautiful. The houses are Portuguese style and I stay in the worker's kitchen/bathroom/living room area, on a raised bed. I sleep under a mosquito net. At the farm are 4 stallions and 3 mares. The other mares are 2 kms down the road in a large field and we walk there every day to feed the mother. It really is picturesque. There is no electricity, which is fairly easy to get used to as long as you remember where your pjs and morning clothes are! We have wind up lanterns and candles which help. We wash our clothes by hand have no fridge and the hot water is scarce so we can only shower for 3 minutes ... every 3 days. No joke. It's gross. Luckily I have never been one for showering so I don't mind so much.

...The Critters
Flies and mosquitos are everywhere, which is super annoying. I have also seen snakes and large beetles and massive spiders and little lizards. More interesting are wild rabbits and hares, foxes, storks (in big nests!) and, my favourite, hundreds and hundreds of pink flamingoes. In the early evening, they fly across the pink sunset, which is quite the sight.

...Latoya
From Amsterdam, she is the twenty year old epitome of a horsie girl. Her daddy bought her one (which she named Pacific Ocean) a few years ago. She is here with a placement through her horsie school. She knows a lot about horses and has been my teacher in the classical riding seat. I ride every day and she's a good teacher. She has a tongue ring, wears a lot of pink, has a heart and star tattoo, and loves the beach and boys. I like her - she is a constant source of entertainment.

...Marie
The typical WOOFer. She is also younger, studies agriculture in university in her hometown of Brussels, speaks 4 languages and has spent a year volunteering in Central America. We get along really well. She is down to earth and interesting. We speak in French, which is great for me, and we have become quite close very quickly. I'm very glad she's there with me. She makes it a lot more fun.

...Gemma
Is Dutch but fell in love with Lusitano horses years ago and has no plans to return to the Netherlands. She is a strong woman and I admire her independence and determination. She is also, unfortunately, very difficult to work for and be around. I am still trying to figure out how to be there and feel peace with her, but it's become a little bit hard. Nonetheless, I am enjoying the work.

...The Work
Is great. I do a lot of different things and have learned a great deal. We work from 7am-2pm which is a very healthy schedule. It's above 30º by 11am or so, so starting early is ideal. I muck out stalls, feed the horses, groom them and do cleaning. We also clean the insides of the houses and do yard work and are painting some things this week. Part of the work is also riding the horses to train them. I enjoy this part a lot! I used to think that the question as to whether or not I know how to ride a horse translated to whether or not I was afraid of riding, or whether or not I would fall off. So I would say that yes, I could ride. Turns out, there's a whole sport to it, and I am learning from square one. I love it, though. It's a full body work out and it makes me more comfortable with the horses.

...The Play
On our free time, we usually get into bikinis right away and lie in the sun. I read and write and chat with the girls. Sometimes we have outings to the beach or the shopping centre. Tomorrow we have a boat ride! On Wednesday is my day off and I'll go to Lisbon.

And that's all I have time for today! Hope you're all well.

Signing off,
Hincks.