Horseback riding and tests!

Hey all! Thanks family in North Carolina for the great Sample photos! Sample has her own website, check it out at: http://home.earthlink.net/~mehitabel88/samplevisitsnorthcarolina/
so good to see photos of cutie pie Meredith too! Keep them coming!

We went horseback riding in the Andes yesterday! wow! It was unlike any experience you could have in the States! We rode for over 3 hours along mountain ridges through steep rocky paths without helmets. ha! we could see the snow covered peaks of pico Bolivar and Humbolt. We had a picnic high in the mountains at an incredible vista point and ate delicious food made by the french family who owns the horses and leads the tour. It was only the three of us for the ride with our guides. Sadly the family that was there to ride with us had to leave suddenly when their youngest child fainted and had to be taken to the doctor.

I did have a scary moment when I dismounted my rebellious hourse and started walking down the mountain. The edge was so steep and my horse seemed to be walking right along it and I panicked. We all seemed to get horses that matched our personality. Mine was fast and rebellious, zarha said hers was weird and annoying and Andy's was always the slowest and most cooperative! That sums it up!


We love our new little apartment! It is our first fully independent living since being here in Venezuela. We have a great hot shower. Do not underestimate the importance of this! It turns out we are in the hippest section. Its like a mini Greenwich village. we are so close to the yummiest restaurants with live music, our Spanish school and a yoga studio! I can do yoga 4 times a week for 30,000 bs a month, thats about 10 dollars! Its not exactly the power yoga I am used to but it will be better than nothing so I don't return to my yoga studio stiff as a board.

Merida in general is an opposition town. Actually since traveling our political discourse is limited to a few anti Chavista taxi drivers and store owners. The main reason cited by all who are anti Chavez is the amount of violence in Venezuela. However, that is a common strategy of the opposition owned media is to blatantly lie about and inflate violence statistics and all violence (domestic violence etc) gets blamed on chavez. It is hard to believe that the mortality rate is higher than it was under past dictators. I was told 80% of voters here in Merida are opposition. Merida is a small town with a huge middle class and the middle class tends to be opposition.
we also are more limited without interprets and we have been more on the tourist circuit.

We have our first Spanish classes today. We tested into our respective levels. It was quite the comedy routine when we were given our tests! of course being the competitive "a" type that I am I found it very stressful! Yet it was such a simple assessment. We sat together at the table and I froze cursing all I didn't know, Andy plugged along in a smug know it all way and zarha who has no test anxiety left most of it blank and didn't seem phased. Andy is happy he tested a level higher than me. it hurt my ego but I did expect that. I studied all week to try and place better. hahah. Some things you cant cram. I am happy we are all in different classes thou. We need some away time from each other. :)
The first week we are getting private lessons 4 hours a day. In the evening I can do yoga. next week the school may get busy and we could have other students in our class.

We keep running into the German woman who we met in Coro and spent Christmas with. Her sister is visiting her this week and it is fun to keep running into them. We have a few friends here and a routine. It is becoming homey.
I wish you could all come and visit. I love this place!

gran abrazos to all!