Horsing Around in Lima

The power and grace of the jumping horse must be seen up close

Many, if not most, adventures happen unexpectedly. This one started innocently enough - I simply needed some animal manure to start the biodigester demonstration at the Peace Corps office in Lima. We won't harvest the gas, but we will use the biol (liquid fertilizer) that it will produce. Someone mentioned that our Safety & Security Officer, Enrique Navaro, might be able to help. Sure enough, Enrique said he could get all the horse manure we wanted right in Lima. So, we grabbed some garbage bags, jumped into a PC vehicle and headed to the La Molina district, where we entered the National Equestrian Academy, run by the Peruvian Army.

Something about a uniform.....

What we really entered was another world, one filled with beautiful animals and dashing cavalry officers, replete with riding pants and tall, shiny leather boots and riding crops. The grounds are manicured and has the air of an upscale country club, with polo grounds. It turns out that Enrique was a cadet there and later a Colonel and instructor. He was in many of the photos that graced the walls of the officers' club.

As soon as we arrived, he was greeted with gusto by all of the staff. After extensive pleasantries, the current Commanding Officer ordered a Lieutenant to get us some "very fresh manure - straight from the horse's ass". The Lieutenant then passed the order to a subordinate, who scurried off to either collect the goods or pass the order on to somebody with less rank than his. Meanwhile, we joined the brass in the festooned spectator gallery to watch the equestrian jumping practice. I've never been a horse person, but the scene was captivating. Watching these huge beasts glide over obstacles, especially at close range, is a sight to behold. The enjoyment was augmented by an odd combination of cocktails and ice cream. The sunny Lima afternoon and the snug fit of the female officers' riding britches rounded out the pleasantries.

The other sweetness of the adventure was learning about the remarkable history of the man I had only known as the giver of lectures to PCVs about not going home drunk with strangers and watching your luggage on overnight bus trips. In addition to his horse cavalry service, Enrique also served as a tank commander (the "new" cavalry, he says) and fought the Shining Path terrorists in the mountains and jungles of Peru.

Oh, yes, we got the requisite quantity of manure, which Justo and I loaded into the biodigester the next day.