My first visit to Bernal was in January with Janet and Malc..
Then last month this trip with Sara..
Neither time did I have a chance to climb this rock…so this morning Norma and Croft and I and three other couples from the RV park went and I told them that this time I was going up!!!
La Peña De Bernal is located in San Sebastián Bernal, a small town in the Mexican state of Querétaro. The town of Bernal was founded in 1642, when Spanish families stripped the indigenous Chichimecas of their lands. The town has become famous for its monolith, the second largest in the world, after Ayers Rock in Western Australia and the third tallest after the Rock of Gibraltar and Sugar Loaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro. La Peña is also famous because it's believed to have magical properties. Every year thousands of people come to this little (only about 7,000 residents) sleepy town to experience a charge of energy during the spring equinox. The inhabitants of Bernal, who enjoy an average lifespan of 94.7 years, believe its due to the fact that the Peña makes them “look up” looking for the everyday light...OR...it might just be due to the fact that they have no smog, traffic, over population, stress and they eat fresh fruit and veggies that are harvested just outside of town. The town was deemed a "Pueblo Magico" (magic town) in September 2006 by the Mexican Department of Tourism. Only 34 of these towns exist in all of Mexico.
We arrived in Bernal around 11.30am and Chris, Juan and I were the climbers the rest of the party were the shoppers.
It was another beautiful, hot sunny day and here is Chris and I looking good before the climb!!
This is one big ROCK!!!
In the above photo I am experimenting with trying to write text into the photo and sorry it is not very clear, will have to master this new technology!!
At the start and till about a third of the way up there were many refreshment stands.
On the way up….
The route we took was pretty easy but you can only get so far up then you have to give in to the real equipment.
I am doing pretty good don’t you think??
OK OK That is not me!!!
getting higher and this shot of me is about half way up!!
After just over one hour we climbed as far as we could go and I must admit it was a good job as I was just beginning to feel the effects of the climb and the altitude.
Juan, Chris and the old man!!!
The view were quite incredible and although the Rock is supposed to hold mystical powers all I felt was TIRED!!!
For the rock climbers still a long way to go.
Again tried the blue text this is the view of the church from where we had climbed, if you look really closely to the left of the church you will see Norma in one of the shops buying a wool jacket!!!!!!
It was a great climb and I am glad I finally made it, now on the way down which was in my opinion a little harder.
A big crowd at the base.
When Sara and I came here a few weeks ago it was on a week day and no one was around what a huge difference today crowds everywhere.
I had telephone instructions to find the same shop where Sara had purchased her beautiful hand woven wool shawl for 85 pesos and buy two more…….and I did….
The busy square..
The young and the old!!!
I like this old man!!!
The ice cream was impossible to pass up!!
and yes I admit I had two ice creams!!!
The beautiful side walks…
So now I can say I climbed the rock at last!!
Thanks Chris and Juan for the ride to the base and also the company up and down and thanks Norma and Croft for driving me to Bernal, it was a memorable day, another one!!!
This is Sara and her son Gabriel and he is wearing the hat that Sara bought for him here in Bernal!!
Have a safe ferry ride back to Duncan tomorrow special lady!!
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