Horseback riding at Lake Tekapo

Today we did something really great, it's even worth a blog post =)

In our last hostel (a small farm with a cozy family atmosphere), we met Hannah from England. After a long conversation, we decided to go to Lake Tekapo together tomorrow and explore the area. After going up Mount John and enjoying the amazing view for a whopping $8 (an absolute rip-off to charge so much money for that) and treating ourselves to a cheeseburger for lunch, we ran out of possible activities for this place. Oh wait, in between we watched a horde of Chinese people standing around a small church (church of good shepherd) and taking one selfie after another, even though it was prohibited...

Hannah has her own horse at home and enjoys horseback riding. She finally convinced us to take a tour around the lake on horseback. I've always wanted to ride again, and when Jonas agreed as well, we booked a one-hour ride around Lake Tekapo. As a little highlight, we got a free shower.

Unfortunately, my horse named Doug didn't respond to his name or any of my instructions in English or German and tested my non-existent skills. After a few meters, we finally became friends and off we went. The route and the view were absolutely amazing as always. We went through a small forest to a clearing from which we could see the crystal-clear blue lake in the sun. Then we went down rocky slopes (Doug always preferred the path along the trees, so I had to constantly duck to avoid branches in my face) until we finally reached the lake. Only the people whose horses chose the path that was more fun than the actual one through the shallow water got the free shower. So, it was me! Despite everything, it was a super fun and beautiful ride through an incredible backdrop and definitely worth the money. Oh, and I forgot to mention, Jonas' horse in front of me apparently had a good lunch and consequently had endless flatulence throughout the whole ride... that's it =)