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HORSEBACK RIDING
WITH DANIEL, FELIX AND MORIN’S FAMILY ON AND AROUND THE XOTOLAR FAMILY RANCH This is an excursion that everyone in my family, including young grandchildren, and all of our guests, just love. Usually Daniel comes for us in the morning, and we drive to the end of the lake, and over the dam heading towards Guanajuato. It isn’t far—maybe about 15 minutes from town. It used to be that we would meet Felix and his string of horses just the other side of the dam, but now we can drive all the way to the ranch as the road has been leveled and set with cobblestones, as result of the opening for the important pre-hispanic existing pyramid at the area (canada de la virgen). The countryside approaching Felix’s ranch is truly beautiful in every season. There are corn fields, corn stacks or corn stalks placed in big bunches up in the trees where the animals can’t get at them until offered. It is rolling rocky countryside of mesquite, cactus, grasses, plowed in season by oxen and planted by hand, and in the summer and fall the hills are densely clothed in wildflowers—sunflower, wild marigold, and acres and acres of pink and white cosmos--absolutely beautiful. Sometimes the flowers are so tall that you can only see the heads and backs of the horses and cows while they graze. The big yellow nopal cactus flowers and the garambullo with its little white star flowers are also beautiful when in bloom and the fruits are pretty and also delicious. I’ve made a marvelous jam of the garambullo berries. There is so much pectin in the sweet berries that the addition of sugar turns your jam to candy. Next time I make jam I’ll just cook them down a bit and add nothing. In route up this new road you are heading towards the convergence of two canyons, and just before you enter the first gate into the ranch, you will see off in the distance some pyramids believed to have been built by the Otomi (Chichimeca). It’s quite a site and rather unusual to find such a site in this part of the country. Archeologists are busy doing research on the area and it should soon be opened to the public. Archeology Magazine has recently published an article on the site. Of course Daniel and Felix and their families used to have picnics there when kids. As you approach Felix and his family’s living quarters you will see small adobes here and there, gardens, large areas planted with corn and beans, horses grazing, some burros and cattle here and there. At Felix’s house you will saddle up. The horses are very well trained, and Felix is very tuned in to inexperienced riders. I remember once as we were going up a very steep incline, he leapt off his horse and grabbed onto the tail of little Talia’s horse to keep the horse from leaping uphill in such a way that Talia might fall off. Felix is constantly aware of the riders’ skills and the temperament of his horses. I think I have ridden every horse on the ranch and have loved them all. Felix will give the experience you want to have. If walking is what you want, there will be plenty of it. If you want to canter and run, there are only certain places where you can do that, but he will be sure to have you have that experience. Usually Felix, or sometimes one of his brothers along with some precious young nephews, twirling their lassos, take us across the hills, around irrigation ponds and grazing cattle, through gates in the stone walls, to expansive views into the canyon and also to the Picacho Mountains, the lake and way far in the distance San Miguel. Then we descend the side of the canyon and follow along the river crossing it, back and forth, a few times. We walk along through small settlements, little houses surrounded by rock walls and usually with many dogs, chickens and a burro or two to greet us as we go by. In winter it is very dry and rocky but often with poinsettia bushes pushing their way through rock walls giving color to everyday life. In summer, there will be gardens and flowers everywhere. We are told a little about the history of the area and about Felix’s own family and their first years there. We come to a pueblo where we stop for refreshments and then we head back to the main house on the ranch by an alternate route. When there is plenty of water in the river Felix lets those of us who want to run through it sending up marvelous reflective sprays. Daniel and Felix love to shout their “aye aye aye ayes” out into the canyon and listen to the echo resound. We usually do a lot of singing as we go, the whole experience is so joyful. We also have fun lining up and with a Mexican “ready, set, go” we fly into the irrigation ponds together getting nice and cool and wet. The grandchildren can’t get enough of this. And of course various dogs run along beside us—one in particular named Garfield, who looks just like his namesake. The horses have great names such as Tequila, Tornado, Pink Panther. When we get back to the ranch, we wash up in the courtyard where flowers are blooming, birds are singing,’ and dogs lying around in the sun. Felix’s sister Mariluisa brings us a wonderful meal of foods grown there on the ranch. Sometimes enchiladas, home made tortillas, beans, various cactus relishes or salads, salsas, and other meat or vegetable dishes. The food is simple, traditional and delicious. Mariluisa will show you from which plants came the various cactus dishes and explain how to prepare the foods. All and all this is a marvelous excursion. Daniel and Felix are a marvelous duo, great guides and big fun. Felix’s family is delightful and the countryside magnificent. This is a joyful experience, but you will feel muscles you didn’t know you had the next day! | |||||||||||||
