Hanging out with Riffraff in South Africa

Let me make one thing perfectly clear: I love Joya. I did not fall in love with another mare, going by the disreputable name of Riffraff, during my recent trip to South Africa.

It's true that we spent a glorious five days together. Yes, I fed her carrots by hand. Yes, I was overheard admiring her deep brown eyes and the fetching star on her forhead. What can I say? The sun was shining, the whales were jumping, the fynbos was blooming. It was a brief moment of madness, but I'm completely over it.

I'm sure Riffraff has forgotten me by now in any case. Meanwhile, Jane, who makes it a rule to never, ever fall off a horse, is almost back to normal after inexplicably finding herself on her back on the road after her safari partner took fright at the sudden appearance of cow from behind a bush. 

Our five-day ride, organized and guided by African Horse Company founder Howard Krut, was terrific. Jane and I were joined by another Nairobi friend, and a young South African woman none of us had met before, a 29-year-old endurance rider, A. Before we set off, and before we met her, Jane and I had been quite intimidated at the thought of heading out on trail with such a young and undoubtedly fit companion.

In retrospect, I think it was very brave of A. to sign up for five days with three strange (well, not very strange) women...I can't imagine anything worse than spending up to eight hours a day in a saddle in the company of people you don't like, so it was a great relief to discover we all got along.

Our trail started at Farm 215 in the Overberg region of the Western Cape of South Africa. Given the name, we didn't know quite what to expect. It turned out to be a lovely guest house with a Scandinavian flair, good food, and very comfortable rooms. It's on what is being marketed as "the fynbos trail," which is a network of hiking trails through the famed fynbos ecosystem of this part of the South African coast. I can't really explain what fynbos is, except it translates as "fine bush" and is made up of a staggering variety of unusual plant life, most of which was in flower as we rode...proteas, everlastings, and who knows what else.

(to be continued...)