Two weekends ago (so the 25th of January), I visited the lovely town of Bernal with three girls from the WMU group and two of our Mexican friends (Fa and Diego), which lies just outside of Queretaro (about 40 minutes by bus). Bernal is a very small town (pueblito) that has about 3,000 people, but it is one of the most fantastic sites in Mexico. Why? Because Bernal is the home of the third largest monolithic rock in the entire world, called the Peña de Bernal. Basically, the peña is a giant rock that formed milliones of years ago and it is said to give off some sort of energy, so much so that it was the sacred ground of the indigenous peoples who lived in the area before the Spanish conquest and currently, on the Spring Equinox, thousands of people flood the city in order to receie the peña's engery. I've been told by numerous people that most of the citizens of Bernal live into their 90s, so maybe there is something to the speculation. Here is a picture:
It is possible to climb the peña, but of course not all the way to the top because that would require special equipment and the government no longer allows people to climb to the very top because of past accidents. Even so, you can get about two thirds the way up the peña, though the rock does get very slick as you continue up. And yes, we did climb the peña and I must say, the view is indescribable and worth the effort of climbing for an hour.
Climbing the Peña was a once in a lifetime experience. Although I didn't climb to the highest point civilians can reach, I had a blast sitting on the side of the peña and talking with the Mexicans that rested with me. One group of Mexicans passed me and two decided to sit and chat with me for a while because they didn't want to finish the trek either. We talked about all sorts of things while I waited for my party to come find me, like school, the States, and what parts of Mexico I have to see. Eventually, they continued their path up the peña after their friends, who were above us, started singing and pestering them to keep climbing. One thing that did crack me up, though, was the graffiti we found on the side of the mountain, but just because where it was located:
Bernal is also home to the best gorditas in Mexico as well as this candy made from goats milk that tastes like caramel heaven. Mmm. If you ever get the chance to visit Bernal, do it. You won't regret it and if you're lucky, maybe you can pick up some positive vibes from the peña.
Later this week, after I upload pictures online, I will talk about my AMAZING trip to the Sierra Gorda. But for now, it's lunch time and I am more than ready to eat Chela's enchiladas verdes. ¡Hasta luego!
Kaitie
No comments:
Post a Comment