I found a way to make it to the villages to visit women and their babies without climbing into taxis over-piled with people-arguing over the price and always feeling cheated or like I cheated someone in the end, without climbing on the backs of motorcycles with no helmet-slipping in the mud-pounding the young drivers on the back to slow down and threatening not to pay if they wreck…or walking for hours only to stay for a few minutes before I have to hurry home before dark…. The perfect solution…a trusty steed named Balewa. A few weeks ago I found someone who knew a Fulani (an ancient semi-nomadic tribe famous for cattle herding and horse rearing) man who brought me a horse to ride. I worried a bit about whether or not there would be a saddle and whether the horse would be broken in a way that I am used to but when he arrived-there was a beautiful handmade saddle and a colorful hand sewn blanket with a braded rope bridle that worked perfectly. He rode behind me up into the hills to see if I could handle the horse before he let me ride on my own-but it seems as if horse breaking is somewhat universal. The horse follows the same commands I am used to, except for a few clicking and lip smacking commands that I can’t always get right. It is still a challenge to find the right tongue clicks to get my horse now to stop and he will continue to gallop at full speed until I get the tone right. So…I start clicking and smacking all kinds of sounds long before I need to slow down in hopes that I will increase my chances of finding the right inflection and pitch before I run past my turn off. So far, I have been lucky! ;)
The first day that I rode-the Fulani guy met one of his friends herding his cows with a stick up the side of the mountain. He gladly offered that since I had a horse-- I would take his cows up the hill to graze. So…off I went on my own with 4 cows tied to braided ropes up the hill with my little horse that looked like it was dying of worm infestation. Thus I earned my horse and asked the man to bring me a bigger stronger one the next time. He showed up at our next meeting with Balewa-who is beautiful and feisty-but runs fast and carries me occasionally to where I need to go. Riding through the forest and way up in the hills has given me some of the best moments here. I savor the sounds of tropical birds and insects and the voices of people I greet who pass me on the paths returning from their farms with huge bundles of firewood or plantains on their heads and babies tied on their backs. On these rides I find the time to reflect on my encounters here, my own life, and all of you at home…
