Jodi in China

My next few entries will show pictures from my recent trip to a reserve called Parabano, in the Santa Cruz region of Bolivia. It is a transition zone between the lowlands and the Andes and has three different ecoregions. We hiked, horsebacked, and camped for several days. Getting acquainted with the landscape and the rural rancho lifestyle of the people who live there was a very striking experience. Also, it was incredibly hot, dirty, and there were an unbelievable number of ticks. At times I was thrilled and others I just wanted to escape. This picture shows me and another woman, Maya, safely mounted on our horses. Which is deceiving, because it took me several tries and spills (to the delight of the locals) to actually get safely mounted on the horse. I learned that it is not as easy as those cowboys make it look. Another lesson I learned: one thing they never talk about in those cowboy movies is raw butt cheeks after extended riding. But I assure you, it happens. Yep. Raw.