Sunday 30th November 2014…..a road trip!!!!

Today was time for a road trip and I had invited Sara and Lorraine and Rita’s son Josh to come to Bernal and we left at 10am….unfortunately I was not paying attention and took a wrong turn leading out of SMA which gave us a small detour I fessed up to my passengers but realized I did not have to because they would not have known, except for the three or four gas stations where we had to ask for directions…anyway we finally got on the right road and arrived in Bernal shortly before noon.

Josh is an extreme outdoorsman and athlete and he and Lorraine and I decided to hike up the mountain to the look out about three quarters of the way up whilst Sara stayed in the town and did her own thing.

I have done this hike five times before and it is tough completely all up hill and each time I have got to the observation point but it is not easy….

Today after about 15 minutes of climbing I knew I was in trouble and I stopped and told Lorraine and Josh that I was really sorry but I could not go any further…they were so understanding and I did not want to spoil their day so told them to continue and I would rest and go back down and see them in the town square in a couple of hours and away they went…..I found a shaded spot and sat and had some food and drank some water.

Let me fill you in on my medical history, I do not talk of it often as I never think about it…..about 25 years ago in Alberta I was playing tennis with my Dad when I collapsed on the court and I was taken to the local hospital and then transferred to ICU in Edmonton where I was for two days before I was released…it turns out my heart when into Atrial Fibrillation and my local doctor took over my recovery and to cut a long story short about 4 years later my heart went into complete irregularity so for the years since I get an annual check up an EKG and have no problems …..I know it is there and it has never bothered me until a few months ago before I went on the Camino I had one small episode where I blacked out for a few seconds but soon recovered…..of course then I did the Camino and do all the tennis and hiking that I do with no issues what so ever…So I was surprised as anyone this morning when I felt not well…..no point being a hero and there was no way at all I could have continued….so coming back down and then resting and then having  the afternoon sitting in the shade of the square was good for me.

Lorraine made it to the observation point and Josh actually went all the way to the cross at the top of the mountain…way to go!!!!

In the above shot you can see folks on the ridge in the center and  at the top the cross where Josh went!!!

Some shots of the lovely town

We all met up in the square later had some food and were home by 6pm…..it was a good day out and nice to meet Josh and glad for Lorraine she saw something of this great country.

I have had a bath and dinner and I feel absolutely fine…I always am thankful to my body for being able to do all that I do and today was a blip just to remind me to count my blessings……

Happy Grey Cup day to my Canadian friends!!!

Bernal, Querétaro

 

Bernal

Bernal and the Peña de Bernal

 

San Sebastián Bernal, better known as Bernal, is a colonial village in the Mexican state of Querétaro. It was founded in 1642 by Spanish soldier Alonso Cabrera.^[1]

Peña de Bernal

Bernal is located 40 minutes by road from state capital Santiago de Querétaro and two and a half hours from Mexico City.^[2] It is located in Ezequiel Montes municipality, a few minutes from Colón and Cadereyta.^[2]

It has a current population of 2909. 1377 are males and 1532 are females. 1014 persons are counted as Economic Active Population and there are only 630 inhabited homes in town.^[3]

It is known for its enormous monolith of massive rock, the Peña de Bernal, the third highest on the planet.^[2]

The word Bernal is of Arabic origin^{[dubious – discuss]} and the Spanish used it to name something that is a big and elongated crag that was isolated out in a plain or in the sea. Likewise, in the Otomi language: Ma'hando, in Chichimeca: De'hendo, has the same meaning: “In the middle of two”.^[1]

Recently, the town of Bernal acquired the title of Pueblo Mágico ("Magical Town"). The Magical Towns are admitted for being localities that have magic symbolic attributes, legends, history, transcendental facts, that associate in each of his cultural manifestations, and that today mean a great opportunity for tourism.^[

 

^{Yashi Kochi!!!!}