I just spent the day going through results and photos and summarizing each day, creating a few more galleries... closing up.
I also put up a little gallery of the people 'behind the scenes' : for every horse and rider there are a dozen people working for and around them. Setting things up, taking them down. Arranging meals, transport, paperwork, trail marking, trail un-marking, trail finding, camp finding. New trail, old trail. New towns, new city councils to smooze. New vehicles, repairing old vehicles. Phones, computers, printers, cameras, etc etc. All so we can have fun and ride!
A totally amazing event... it's going to take a while to come down from this one. So intense and consuming for so long. The people become family, helping each other out. Laughing together, sharing the highs and lows, sharing the trail. Drinking and dancing together. The horses learn to put up with everything and anything and eat when they can, and drink when they can, and rest when they can. And I feel that I've been touched by the history - the enormity of the passage of time and the changing culture and landscape. The Romans defeated the Carthaginians and conquered Andalusia.
The Vandals moved briefly through the region during the 5th century AD before settling in North Africa. The Muslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula (including Andalusia) in 711–718 marked the collapse of Visigothic rule and the establishment of the Islamic Empire era. Then came the Christian conquest: Córdoba was conquered in 1236 and Seville in 1248. The fall of Granada in 1492 put an end to Muslim rule in the Iberian peninsula. ...that's a lot of different people and cultures, each having their own effect on the culture, the architecture, the food, the agriculture. 
Every city we went through had crumbling or well maintained remnants of a people that lived here a very very long time ago. On our day off in Grenada I had a chance to visit La Alhambra - a palace and fortress complex constructed during the early 14th century by the Moorish rulers of the Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus. Spectacular!! and so old...Thanks to Soto and his team - keep it up! (I'm already looking forward to next year)
Steph
I was really lucky to get a flight out when I did, my scheduled flight was one of the first authorized to leave Barcelona in a few days. (Iceland's volcano!) So I had it pretty good, but it was very chaotic in all the airports. Many tired passengers, all the flights were bursting at the seam, security lines and check in lines were impossibly slow. 
So now I'm home at last, and it is very very green and raining! I guess I'm the El Nino girl this year - following the extreme weather patterns around the world... Arizona and Andalucia have both had record winter and spring rains. And our little corner of Idaho desert is wetter and greener than I've ever seen it. But wow, I had the chance to experience TWO spring's - watching the Sonoran desert burst into incredible bloom, and also Andalucia - wildflowers galore. I haven't seen Oreana in the daylight yet (couldn't sleep more than a few hours last night - I think I've forgotten how to sleep a regular night's sleep - and I was dreaming in Spanish!). But I could see a lot of tall grass and flowers along the road and driveway - so now I'll get one more Springtime!
Now, with a cup of coffee, I'm sitting at the desk with Sam the Siam cat, enjoying the plants and blossoms from last years garden on the table near the desk (I bring them in before it freezes and Merri kept them faithfully watered all winter). Ready to summarize the Raid Kaliber Andalucia extravaganza. It is really an amazing event but on by extraordinary people. They know how to make things happen - are masters and improvization when things go astray - always always laughing and smiling and causing others to do the same. Spanish time... and my god these people know how to have fun. 
The last night in Cazorla we had awards at the Juntamiento (city hall) with much fanfare, capped by Jose Manuel Soto singing the anthem of Andalucia. Then a big dinner, then dancing the night away! Dancing and singing (Soto would grab the microphone every once in a while and sing along with the DJ's picks). When he wasn't singing he was dancing with everybody else. Lots of free-form dance technique (YMCA, Gloria, I Will Survive...), lots of Spanish-Andalucian music which transformed some of the riders and staff into expressive Flamenco dancers - some of them were really good! It was so much fun, I finally dragged myself off to bed at 3:30am.
Five hundred kilometers of trail in eight days of riding. From Sevilla the heart of Andalucia, to the Atlantic Ocean where the Rio Guadalquiver finds its destination - where the city of Sanlucar de Barrameda was built to guard this important port. Through farmlands with olive trees, cottonwood forests, herds of sheep and goats that roam the rocky hills which are too steep for anything else ... to Grenada where the Moors built one of their last cities of retreat as they fled this land - to Cazorla - to the source, the nacimiento of the Guadalquivir - a tiny pool of water that gathers strength as it falls out of the mountains, the river that is the life blood of Andalucia. 
This is Endurance - this is magnificent. The course is not easy. There are sandy stretches along the Atlantic coast, trails through marshland, through Donana National Park - the most important National Park in Europe both in size and in diversity of flora and fauna. Through farmland and villages, over mountain passes with steep rocky trails and long climbs. Long days, and easy days - and combined over eight days together it is true challenge for horse and rider. 
And it is also a ride through history - centuries of civilization still stand as forts and castles and Roman era bridges, Arab palaces, Castilian cathedrals, stone and mud walls and houses crumbling with age or maintained through the generations. People of mixed ancestry, people that enjoy life like none other. Spanish time... different from the rest of the world. The laughter and chatter and good food, wine. I'm sure what we're experiencing through this even is a little beyond the 'real world' - but that is part of what makes it such an amazing and consuming experience. Day after day the focus is the motion - horses crossing the land, support rigs making it possible, organizers making it happen. From late nights of meetings and dining and taking care of the horse - to early morning starts at some new unlikely location. The same horses, the same people, different land.
Jose Manuel Soto and his team have created a true Endurance Ride.
With a seven day overall time of 26:54:50 the #3 team of Paulette Maldera (riding Louna Rivoiron) and Daniel Maldera (riding Otello de Rivoiron) are in first place. 
Three minutes behind at 26:50:10 are the #2 team of Pierre Chambost riding Mourad del Sol and Jean Pierre Lerisset on Massar. 
Veronique Gaillard (riding Loukom) and Yvan Gaillard (riding Nasir de la Loze)
are 7 minutes behind the leaders. 
The next closest team is Jose Antonion Aguilar Viana riding Rayito and Baney with an overall time of 27:44:10. 
Eduardo Sanchez and Hidalgo Hermes with an overall time of 31:26:16. 
Germany's Heike Blumel on Lens Armstrong and Swiss rider 
Elsbeth Brunner on Capoe. 
I'm finally warm and dry. Still listening to the rain fall outside. There was a news flash on the TV this afternoon about the heavy rains and flooding. 
The sun was breaking through the clouds as the riders headed up into the hills - and in and outof the fog. The trail was entirely through a national park - high mountain pass of 9000 ft, still snow in places. 
The hail was stinging the eyes making it hard to see. Antonio was driving with his face covered as much as possible. We got totally drenched, there were little snow drifts on our clothes, and the water pooled into the seats soaking our pants. Antonio's hands were clenched on the steering wheel and I could see the water streaming from his gloves. Every once in a while I could hear a grunt from the camera guys who were standing in the back of the Rhino - well actually they were hunkering down as best they could. Nothing like being in the driving rain and hail while going down the road at 30mph with no cover! I was scrunched down as best I could, but there's not a whole lot of option there...
But - the horses did fantastic today! They all had a day of rest yesterday, and the looked really good, and fresh, this morning. Riders were happy. Cool wet weather isn't quite so bad for riding, and I think it was actually perfect for the horses as they could move along quite quickly. The riders didn't seem too miserable. The vets and timers and all were looking pretty wet and cold though. 
We stayed with a few of the front runners, but then it started raining again, so hard that it was impossible to take the cameras out. We followed an amazing old narrow road down to the finish, and just before we got there Paula spotted a cafe -'stop!' - and in we go for a cup of coffee while Xavier went on to the finish. The coffee so good, and so warm to hold in the hands that we each had two :) 
Ok - there's no way I'm going to be able to keep up! I'm going to have to wait until this is over for the real story. I'm not sure who is still in the race, and how the times and results are going - there is so much to tell, but it's going to have to come later. I'll keep posting bits here and there for now.
Tired riders and horses - it was a VERY challenging course today - mountains, hard roads, steep trails. 
Now as I write, it's the following evening.. but I'll have to add to yesterday's summary, that the evening's reception, ride meeting and awards were held at the museum in Ronda - the Mondragon's Palace, known also as Palace of the Marquis of Villasierra - built in the 13th century, when Andalucia was still governed by the Moors (N. Africa & Arabian). The munincipality of Ronda opened the museum to Soto's group - for the pre ride briefing wine sampling, then upstairs for the ride briefing, the premios (awards) and finally the real reception back downwtairs in the main room of the old palace - complete with an incredible Morrocan garden (Chefchuan), old tiled ceilings and arches... beautiful. and perched on top of the cliffs. 
.Too dark to see the view - but the city of Ronda was built on top of a cliff, really - some of the older buildings blend perfectly from the stone and adobe to the natural cliff material - it's really incredible. There are still remnants from the Roman times, as well as Moors and later Castilians. I have lots of pictures, but none do the city justice. It is a spectacular old city full of history and beauty. 
And today was another amazing day - I have lots of photos - again! - it was cold this morning and I hunkered in the van working on photos and stuff for much of the morning. The afternoon was very pleasant tho- I rode the trail with Soto and a camera crew in the Rhino - through wheat fields, and olive groves, and finally climbing up and over the hills into the valley of Antequera - the site of the Cathedral Saint Augustin, built in the 1500's, it was actually a monastery. A wonderful lunch (more food tonight) with local dishes, plenty of vino... 
It's almost 10:30pm, just got back from the ride briefing and awards ceremony - it was held in an old bodega, La Gritana, where they have been making Manzanilla - Sherry - for a century at least. Huge old 'cave' in the middle of the city of Sanlucar Barrameda - the city at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River where it empties into the Atlantic. 
We entered the Donana Preserve again (one of the largest National Forest preserves in Europe) and started picking up the sandy trails and roads. The forest was in various stages - tall trees, medium, small - different stages of management. I asked Antonio about the shape of the trees - they only have the high limbs, the trunks are tall and curving and very elegant. Antonio told me that they keep the trees limbed like this because the summers get very hot, and wild fires are not uncommon - and the trees don't burn because the combustible needles are so high off the ground. Makes sense. beautiful too.
The afternoon was mile after mile of incredible beach. They started the ride so early this morning so that it would be low tide for the riders - long stretches of firm sand along the waves. After the vetcheck which was held on the beach below a village, we entered the preserve again. Pristine (for Europe) beach, dunes, controlled access. Soto obtained special permission to bring the ride through here, along with the support vehicles. The only other souls we saw were fishermen. It stayed gray and stormy all afternoon - a spit of rain for a few minutes, but that was the worst of it. By the time we got to the finish outside of Sanlucar de Barrameda the sun was starting to break though in spots. 
The horses and support rigs had to be ferried across the bay - the mouth of the Guadalquivir River - deep channels for commercial ships, strong wind, the ferry was swept sideways as it crossed the open water. For a few hours it made trip after trip across the bay with horses and rigs. It was an amazing - and tiring - afternoon - cool, windy - stopping all along the way for photos. The camera crew was a riot! they really worked hard and I'm not sure how they'll ever sort through all the incredible footage of horses galloping along the beach, crossing the dunes, chasing up huge flocks of gulls, splashing through the shallow waves. 
Another day... actually a night and a day. Soto and Alexis were out on the trail much of the night, finding trail for the day and putting markers back up. And then out again at dawn putting it all together. Today was an 'uh oh we can't use the Jerez trail we need to find another one fast' day. And it was actually beautiful today - similar to yesterday's finish through the preserve, pines and sandy trail, wild flowers and prickly pear. Much of it went beside a paved access road so we were able to follow along. Although it was cloudy most of the day and I don't think the photos came out very well - maybe a few!
It was actually a lot of fun with Ines - she had a few 'duties' during the day, but also a lot of flexibility about stopping at good spots for photos. We left El Rocio with the riders, departing from in front of the church - the Virgin Saint Church (or something like that) - a very beautiful and dramatic backdrop for the start. The trail followed a sandy road into the preserve, and went along the forest, across a large flat, and to the vetcheck. 
The vetcheck was at some sort of stable near the park. I think it had seen better days though. There were some nice newish structures, quincho's, an old stone building that was a bistro or restaurant or something... but pretty empty at present. 
And then back on the quad. Mission: catch the leaders and beat them to the finish so Steph can get some racing/finish photos. We almost made it - she definitely gave it her best try. Being a passenger on a quad is a little different from being a driver - and I did my best to hang on and take a few photos too, while flying down the road and trail and bouncing over the ruts. She's a good driver tho, we arrived intact, just as the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th place riders came flying in to the finish after racing down the sandy streets of El Rocio. It was worth the wait, lots of action as they rounded the corner by an old church, scattered a bit as the horses chose different paths (different from the one they were supposed to choose), 
back on the trail and galloping to the finish... except for the one horse that came to a screeching stop instead of going under the finish line 'baloon' - and went running back in the other direction, dropping it's rider along the way. Nobody was hurt, but it was a bit dicey for a moment. I'm not sure if those photos came out either... 
And now it's late, the reception desk is closing, I'm going to join Fernando and Paco and Esther (Paco's wife) and Eric, and who ever else joins us, for a late (normal for Spain) dinner and a bit of vino. 
Yesterday the trail left from a horse club outside of Seville, and wound through the countryside through farms and pastures and forests. Everything is so green! They had record rains this winter, and the grasses and flowers are waist high in places - very verdant. We went through orange groves, with the sweet smell of orange blossoms. Through olive groves, along wheat fields, some already beginning to turn golden. Rolling countryside, very pretty. 
We stopped for the vetcheck at a newly 'old' restaurant and outdoor park. Tile mosaic floors, urns, sculptures, very artsy and interesting. Constructed with huge pine beams, old logs recovered from some place- it was a lovely place. The second half of the ride traversed a little more farmland, and then entered the Dona xxx preserve - a mature forest, with a 15 km sandy road leading to El Rocio. The Real Royal - the Royal Line - and halfway down the road we went around a huge hacienda - currently owned by a family, previously the vacation home of the King. Huge old palm trees, gorgeous place. 
The trail - the real - is a long sandy stretch of road. It used to be open to the public but recently it was turned into a natural preserve. Open to hikers and horses, and closed to motorized vehicles (except for special permits). The organizers have more ATV's (Rhino's) now so we journalists and photographers and hangers-on can actually follow the horses on the track. It was great not being stuck in a car. Plenty of places to stop and photograph the riders. A little chilly in the morning, but nice to be out on the trail. 
So - today the trail is being changed. Instead of riding to Sanlucar de Barrameda today, and then to Jerez tomorrow, the riders will repeat the last half of yesterday's trail. They'll ride out to the restaurant for the vetcheck, and back the same way along the Real Royal, and tonight we'll stay again in El Rocio. The trail from Sanlucar to Jerez is too washed out still, so that day is being canceled. 
Off to breakfast now - I'll hook up with Ines and Rachael - figure out where and with whom I'm going today. more photos, more mini-adventures. The worst that can happen is we'll get stuck in one of the many water crossings on the real - from overflowing rivers and creeks, and all the winter's rain still trying to find it's way into the ground or to the sea. 
In an old hacienda, built in 1689 - originally constructed as a mill for producing olive oil, now a historic building of Seville - high adobe ceilings and huge wooden doors, tables loaded with tapas, vino - lambrusco, vino tinto, vino blanco, champagne - muscatel, beautiful spanish people serving food and more food and wine and more wine. and before the evening is over the lights dim and a cake is brought in, and people singing Happy Birthday - and Jose Manuel Soto (one of Spain's famous singers!!!) singing Happy Birthday... and the television camera rolling. OMG you never know what life will give you!!