more on our excursion:

Thursday morning started with a group meeting and breakfast at 9am, followed by a long relaxing run on the beach. I lucked out, getting the little bit of sun during my run - then it got cloudy, rainy, & windy for the rest of the day. We ate at a sushi bar for lunch, and later we got a tour at a Muslim mosque. We had to remove our shoes when we entered. Someone explained to us a little about the Muslim religion, and we got a view of the baths where people wash their hands, feet, face, and arms before praying. Muslims pray 5x/day facing the city of Mecca. Women must cover arms and legs and their hair whenever in public. We brought scarves since we weren't sure if we would be required to cover up before entering the mosque as visitors. After, some of us went to the local Indian market. They had spices for sale, as well as jewelry, little figurines, and other collectable items. For dinner we actually ended up going to an Indian restaurant - Durban has a large Indian influence. I got this lamb and vegetable dish. Everything had curry on it - so spicy I was sweating. We ordered some bread, rice, and yogurt for the table - to cool your palate down. I really enjoyed the food, but you can only have so much because it's so pungent. We ordered a selection of desserts for everyone to sample. The rice pudding had curry in it and was more like rice in sweatened milk or cream. I didn't try the Bombay Crush, but I think there was red caviar in it and people said it tasted nothing like a milkshake. An experience nonetheless.
Friday morning we left Durban again - this time for the Drakensberg Mountains. We drove for about three hours, heading back into the rural areas of South Africa. I was even more amazed than when visiting Hluhluwe. Our buses made it around the windy mountain roads, all the way into the Drakensberg Mountain range and finally the Orion Resort. I felt like I had literally witnessed a piece of Heaven. A panoramic view showed mountains, horses, rolling grassy hillls, and in the distance, tiny villages. This area is definitely a long distance runner's dream! We had to slow down and stop at times for animals crossing the road. Natives were selling pineapples by the roadside. It was a picture perfect experience. We eventually arrived at the Orion Resort and got the key to our Chalet (pronounced Shaa-lay), #507, shared with Carolyn B, Jess, and Carrie-Ellen. We had a little kitchen, a spacious living room and back porch, and two bedrooms. Stepping outside was the view of the Drakensberg Mountains, a pool, a life-sized chess boardgame, tennis courts, a golf course, a volleyball court, more horses, and lots of flowers and trees. We played a group game of volleyball (which got pretty intense). Ashley ended up jumping into the pool, which soon took the game to another level. Dinner was at 7, preceeded by wine and a lecture by Dr. Guma about the history of the Drakensberg Mountains. The night concluded with card games and pure relaxation.
Saturday was eventful. I woke up early - for an am run and then swim in the pool! Most of the group then left for hiking in the Drakensberg Mountains. We had a guide, who knew the trails and where to go. Starting off we saw a baboon, but besides that it was mostly just wild plants and trees. We hiked up and around the mountains - literally a breathtaking view the entire way. Midway we stopped for a swim - the water was numbing cold, but it was refreshing. Our guide somehow boiled water from the river - so we had coffee and tea with biscuit cookies. The way back we picked up the pace since eight of us wanted to horseback riding.
We arrived at the stable, got helmets, and were assigned to specific horses. I think the last time I ever rode a horse I fell off - if I remember correctly - back to grandma and grandpa's house. My horse was mostly black, with some brown shades and his name was Gadivar. When we started off he had a mind of his own, for sure. I know I have good horseback riding genes but I wasn't sure if they'd actually be dominant in my case. Eventually I got more comfortable riding, but after I showed him who was boss. Gadivar stopped to eat grass, then he'd realize he was behind the pack and race to catch up. The guide told me to keep the reigns taut and be firm and pull them back when he tried to put his head down. I also learned to click with my tongue to have him get going, and kick him with my heels for him to speed up, but most importantly, how to squeeze my legs and hold on. I was thinking of you, Mom & Deanna, and I now have a better idea of everything you talk about. I tried to keep good posture and get a rhythm when my horse sped up to cantor. The whole time I was just praying that my horse wouldn't take off - especially when we were climbing this steep path up the mountain. We were riding English style - and since I've never ridden Western I would say English is the way to go.