First on today’s schedule of fun, was white water rafting with some Russian guides down the river. We started right out the front of the campsite and headed down stream. The river is glacial fed and absolutely freezing, so falling in was basically not a good idea. Fortunately it is has only class III rapids at best and my previous rafting experience on the Zambezi meant this river was tame. Still getting a splash of freezing cold water definately woke you up. It was a fun morning of rafting, and those who tried it for the first time enjoyed the experience a lot more than I did when I though Africa was trying to drown me.
Goat polo
In the afternoon we had a chance to watch some Buzkashi or Goat polo being played. We just had to pay for a goat…. which was then slaughtered, to be used as the ball. I’m a carnivore at the best of times, but happy to be a hypocrite and say I don’t like seeing animals killed and I didn’t watch. To their credit the animal was killed humanely and I didn’t hear a thing.
The rules of goat polo are simple. While riding a horse, pick up the goat carcass and drop it into the goal to score. In the meantime, opposition players will try and get the goat off you, which often results in a pack of horses coming together. Incredibly dangerous and thrilling at the same time.
how to pick up a goat carcass while riding a horse!
Then after the game the goat meat is nicely tenderised and it is cooked and eaten by the winning team, or sometimes both teams as was the cause in this friendly game.