No Rush No Worries

Dateline: 1244 marbles

Some things never change. We are all the way in Nicaragua and Ruth is dragging me to a horse show.  Eight hours of watching dressage!  I must really love my Ruth!

It all started like everything in Nicaragua. We were early to the event. You would think we would learn. We should know everything here operates on Nica time.

Yesterday we were invited to a lake house out on Lake Nicaragua. We were going to be picked up at 12 so we got there at 11:50.  Well after two bathroom visits and a lot of people watching on the square we were picked up at 2:30. You should have seen Ruth. She was convinced our ride was in a tragic accident and that is why we did not get a message. Turns out it was some miscommunication and Nica time!  All ended well as we had an incredible evening with some wonderful new friends and our extended Nica family on a beautiful island lake house on Lake Nicaragua.

So today we learned our lesson, right?  The show was supposed to start at 9 am Sunday morning.   That is what the website says.  Fool me once shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on me.  So with that in mind, Ruth called to find out when we should get there.  They said 10 am. Sounds good to me.  An hour after the official start time, how bad could it be?

My first clue was when we walked in to the Jockey Club of Granada the attendants showered us with requests for food and drink.  I figured we were easy targets in out American tourist attire.   That was not it though! 

We walked out of the club and the arena was empty. The tents were all set up but most were uninhabited.  We laughed and walked around.  It really is a high end event with Range Rovers, various ranches and the ubiquitous Flor de Cana tent.  The event is like a steeple chase with sponsors and tents set up with plenty of food and drink.

There were workers getting ready for the big event, which was scheduled to start an hour earlier.  We finally found a human and he spoke English. He was the owner of an agricultural company and was manning his tent.  He said the after part on Saturday night was a doozey so things would be getting started a little late.  We had fun chatting and we asked him what time it would get started. He said around 2:30!  It was 11:15!  
What were we to do?  We were already there and the taxi was long gone.  We just settled in for a long day.  We went back into the club and milked a lunch for as long as we could. The waiter was our best friend and he gave us wifi code so we could at least kill time on the web!

The show started at 2:30.  The horses were beautiful but for me the event was a bore.  It was a Spanish dressage event.  Think horse ballet!  Not my cup of tea, so I had a few Tonas, the national beer of Nicaragua.

A beautiful Spanish breed Horse and Rider

Now in the States a dressage event is for the prim and proper horse crowd.  Lots of classic English riding attire etc.  Not so much in Nicaragua.  It is time to get out your best western wear.  The mixture of the dressage formality and the casualness of the Nicaraguans almost made dressage bearable!

The kids in their best horseshow attire

How many Chicken mascots would you see at a US dressage show?  None!

By 4, even Ruth had had enough and she said we could go.  BUT enter our friend at the agricultural tent.  He told Ruth that no one really comes for the dressage show; they come for the Spanish riding exposition at the end of the show.  Oh hell, now he tell us! It is four o’clock and the expo would be around 7 or 8.  What's a loving husband to do?  At this point we were beyond committed.  I got another Tona and we stayed.

Fast forward to 7.  The Nicaraguan national orchestra has set up on the grand stage. And the show that we really wanted to see started promptly at 7, a mere 9 hours after we first arrived.

Video for windows:

 

 

 

In all fairness the exposition was great. Check out the attached video.. Some horses march, some jump and one keeps beat in the middle. The horses were majestic and the routines were amazing.  Oh well, it was a beautiful Sunday and the people were gracious and we had plenty of time.  That is the best part of this extended trip.  No rush and no worries.

It was not all bad!  These are the Tona girls!