horses and pigs

Sunday was just another day at the farm! Fairly early that morning I went to Chichigua for my promised horseback ride. Tipiz owns four horses, for now he just using them to get to his work so I'm not sure what the other three are doing. (Tipiz is Marlena's husband). Regardless, there was one for me to ride so I was happy!

We rode all back behind that wall that was put up to block the view of Chichigua from what will eventually be a resort. The view on the other side is so pretty. We rode all around there, but unfortunately couldn't get any pictures.

We also rode down the road that leads back to the main street, and also back behind Chichigua where the pig stalls, large pond for bathing, and lots of mango trees are. The view below is looking at the backside of Chichigua. Everyone thinks that it is hysterical that I know how to ride a horse and that I enjoy doing it. Tipiz's daughters don't ride, but Felipe does. We passed a man on the road and the two began speaking in Creole. The only thing I could understand was when the man asked if I was Tipiz's woman. (He responded "no").After the ride, I sat in on the last part of Haitian church. It was miserably hot, and the only words I understood were "church," "Jesus," and "fornication." Fortunately it ended soon after.

Emilio said his dad wanted to say hi to me because I hadn't seen him since being back. We walked back behind Chichigua to the pig stalls. He owns a large mama pig that had given birth to 12 piglets the night before. These guys were tiny, umbilical cords still attached and all.

We stood there for a while often in silence, but also commenting on the pigs. Why runts were always the last to come out, the mama pig though insanely massive is smaller than her mother, who was sold for 11,000 pesos, how there's no money for food for the mama, etc. It was so interesting, who knew it was possible to talk about pigs for so long? Pigs are pretty sick animals, sick meaning dirty. The mama passed what he referred to as "the sack," and then rolled over on to it. It was hard for me not to gag, but I got over it soon enough. He threw it out using a stick to pick it up, and then we all just went on passing time staring at the pigs.