A Surprise Journey Up a Mountain

I didn’t mean to end up on a horse.  I was just going to climb the mountain that lurked over the hostel, sometimes brandishing plumes of white clouds in the dead of night, like eerie ghosts trying to reach for more company in the grave.  Iｌｏｖｅ　ｔｈａｔ　ａｂｏｕｔ　ｍｏｕｎｔａｉｎｓ：　ｔｈｅ　ｗａｙ　ｔｈｅｙ　ｓｅｅｍ　ｓｏ　ｃｌｏｓｅ，　ｂｕｔ　ｎｅｖｅｒ　ｃｏｎｎｅｃｔ　ｎｏ　ｍａｔｔｅｒ　ｈｏｗ　ｑｕｉｃｋｌｙ　ｏｎｅ　ｗａｌｋｓ　ｔｏｗａｒｄ　ｔｈｅｍ．

Ｂｕｔ　ｙｅｓ，　ｔｈｅ　ｈｏｒｓｅ．

Ｉwas trying to get up the mountain, but was failing to find the entrance, since one must pay to climb, and must climb along th proper path.  Iｗａｌｋｅｄ　ｐａｓｔ　ａ　ｍｏｖｉｅ　ｓｔｕｄｉｏ，　ａｌｏｎｇ　ａｎｏｔｈｅｒ　ｐａｔｈ，　ｔｈｒｏｕｇｈ　ａｎ　ａｒｅａ　ｂｒｉｍｍｉｎｇ　ｗｉｔｈ　Ｙｕｎｎａｎ　ｃｏｕｎｔｒｙｍｅｎ　ｓａｙｉｎｇ　＂ｈｏｒｓｅ？　　Ｈｏｒｓｅ？＂　　ａｓ　ｔｈｅｙ　ｏｆｆｅｒｅｄ　ｄｅａｌｓ　ｔｏ　ｒｉｄｅ　ｏｎｅ　ｕｐ　ｔｈｅ　ｍｏｕｎｔａｉｎ，　ｍｅ　ｆｉｒｍｌｙ　ｓａｙｉｎｇ　＂ｎｏ，　ｎｏ，　ｎｏ＂　ｓｉｎｃｅ　ｔｈｅｙ　ｗｅｒｅ　ａ　ｌｉｔｔｌｅ　ｓｕｐｅｒｆｌｕｏｕｓ　ｉｎ　ｍｙ　ｂｏｏｋ．

Ａｎｄ　ｔｈｅｎ，　ａｓ soon as Iｔｈｏｕｇｈｔ　＂ｎｅｖｅｒ！＂　ｗｉｔｈ　ｔｈｅ　ｈｏｒｓｅ，　Ｉmanaged to strike a deal with the horse-wrangler, and was soon bobbing along the back.

Ａs a kid, Iｄｏｎ＇ｔ　ｔｈｉｎｋ　Ｉoften asked for a horse, already knowing that it was a little too much for someone who didn’t even ride teh Razor Scooter all that often.  Ａ　ｈｏｒｓｅ　ｊｕｓｔ　ｓｅｅｍｅｄ　ｉｍｐｒｏｂａｂｌｅ．　Ｓｏ　ａｔ　ｆｉｒｓｔ，　Ｉtried to hate it, since it was so touristy, so expected from a visitor to do.  I wanted to be different!   But without concsious effort, my thoughts shifted from “…and to think Iａｃｔｕａｌｌｙ　ｄｅｃｉｄｅｄ　ｔｏ　ｄｏ　ｔｈｉｓ！＂　ｔｏ　＂ｗｈｅｅｅ！　　Ｉ＇ｍ　ｏｎ　ａ　ｈｏｒｓｅ！＂

Ａｓ　ｗｅ　ｒｏｄｅ，　ｔhe dirt came up in miniature explotions of dust with every fall of hooves as the mountain road inclined, and Iｋｅｐｔ　ｔｈｉｎｋｉｎｇ　ｏｆ　ｍｙｓｅｌｆ　ａｓ　ａｎ　ｅｘｐｌｏｒｅｒ，　ａｓ　ａ　ｐｉｏｎｅｅｒ　ｏｒ　ａｎ　ｅｌｆ　ｏｒ　ａｎｙｔｈｉｎｇ　ｔｈａｔ　ｄｉｄｎ＇ｔ　ｒｅｍｏｔｅｌｙ　ｒｅｓｅｍｂｌｅ　ａ　ｔｏｕｒｉｓｔ　ｂｅｉｎｇ　ｌｅｄ　ｂｙ　ａ　ｍｕｃｈ　ｔｏｕｇｈｅｒ　ｃｏｕｎｔｒｙｍａｎ　ｉｎ　ａ　ｗｉｄｅ－ｂｒｉｍｍｅｄ　ｈａｔ．　　Ａｌｏｎｇ　ｔｅｈ　ｗａｙ，　ｔｈｅｒｅ　ｗｅｒｅ　ｇｒａｖｅｓｔｏｎｅｓ　ｐｅｒｃｈｅｄ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｄｉｒｔ，　ｄｒｉｅｄ　ｒｉｖｅｒｂｅｄｓ，　ａｎｄ　ｓｋｉｔｔｅｒｓ　ｏｆ　ｃｌｏｕｄｓ　ｓｃｒａｐｎｇ　ａｌｏｎｇ　ｔｈｅ　ｓｋｙ．　　Ｔａｌｋｉｎｇ　ｍｕｆｆｌｅｄ　ｄｏｗｎ　ｔｏ　ｎｏｔｈｉｎｇ　ｕｎｔｉｌ　ｗｅ　ｗｅｒｅ　ｉｎ　ａ　ｃａｎｖａｓ　ｏｆ　ｐｉｎｅ　ｔｒｅｅｓ，　ｔｈｅ　ｐａｄｄｉｎｇ　ｏｆ　ｈｏｏｖｅｓ，　ａｎｄ　ｏｃｃａｓｉｏｎａｌｌｙ，　ｔｅｌｌｔａｌｅ　ｔｒｉｃｋｌｅｓ　ｏｆ　ｓｔｒｅａｍｓ．　Ｉ　ｗａｓ　ｇｒｉｎｎｉｎｇ　ｌｉｋｅ　ａｎ　ｉｄｉｏｔ，　ａｎｄ　ｂｙ　ｔｈｅ　ｔｉｍｅ　Ｉdismounted at the Cloud Path，　Ｉwas already lamenting teh phenomenon of fast-moving time.

But time can move at a horse pace, too.  If you let it.

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