FINCA FINCA!!!!!!

K so it's possible that I just got back from the most amazing weekend of my life. Yes, it's true. When we were in San Jose last weekend we met these guys (cousins) on the beach who were super nice and we talked to them for a long time. Well so then we're hanging out with them in Antigua and it casually comes out that they are from one of the 8 families that control all of Guatemala. Yeah, it's true. They brought us to their "weekend house" in Antigua which is bigger than a city block and an official nationally protected monument because of all the history. They did a huge special on it on the discovery chanel. Yeah. I know. Everything in the house is either from the Mayas or the conquistadors. It's like a frickin museum. There's a bunch of rooms that you're not allowed to take pictures in and fresh flowers everywhere and 2 chapels and 35 bathrooms and wow. I can't even describe it. The gardens are bigger than my house at home...way bigger, and there's a huge mosaic thing on the ground with a picture of the Santa Maria made with HUMAN VERTEBRAE! Seriously. Fountains everywhere. A bunch of houses where the servants and stuff live. The house has it's own house wine...it's called "Casa de Mil Flores" if you wanna look it up on the internet...and the family is the Cruz family. Anyhow, they're like the nicest guys, super gentlemen. When we went there they ordered us Pollo Campero which is like KFC and they served it to us on silver platters in the huge dining room with crystal glasses and everything. So they invited us to their finca, which is like huge farm, so 6 of us girls went there this weekend (me, Molly, Hannah, Kala, Amy, and Laura) and LET ME TELL YOU WHAT. WOW! There were 5 guys there (cousins: Guillermo, Rafael, Sebastian, Joco, and the friend: Pablo). We stayed in this sweet beach housish thing with a pool and 2 maids/cooks and a butler...JUST US (well, and the guys). Joco's parents lived like 10 miles away (still on the finca) so we visited them one night in their house (these people have houses everywhere) and they set off fireworks for us and everything. K but I haven't even gotten to the best part. There were like 30 horses there (and like 5,000 cattle, this farm is 15,000 acres) and we seriously rode all weekend! We went to this bull ring (still on the property) and they had the cowboys (who live on the farm) show us the show horses, and I got to ride one. It was so cool. The guys followed us with the truck so we had music from the truck and drinks (non-alcoholic for us, don't worry!) constantly. Then the next day we rode the horses all through this huge field and chased cattle and everything. My horse wanted to go fast the whole time and one time it ran super fast into these trees and I got beaned by a branch and got all scratched up. Crazy horse, but I got to name her because she was the only one that didn't have a name! I named her Teepee because I was trying to find English words that Guillermo didn't know and that's one of them. Anyhow, then Joco (who was like the host all weekend) asked me if I wanted to ride a bull...OF COURSE I DID! So like 4 cowboys tackled this teenager cow and then I got on it and they let it go. I rode it around and it was just like in the movies when the ride bulls. It was jumping and freaking out but I stayed on! It was amazing. We milked cows and fed them with bottles and...oh yeah, they just casually have peacocks in the yard, just hanging out. Nobody even usually lives in this house! We were honestly in the pool the whole weekend just chilling. Pictures won't do it justice. But yeah. That's the Cruz family. I'll write more later about other stuff that's happened since last time I've talked to you, cuz there's been a lot! Sorry it's been so long, hope this one made up for it!!!!!

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