High above the world

Bernal is a small village or Puebla close to Queretaro, famous for its Gorditas small corn parcels stuffed with a variety of delights, and the 3rd biggest monolith in the world. At 350 metres high this giant overlooks the town and the surrounding landscape providing those who dare to venture to its peak spectacular views, and an unforgettable experience. As a group we made our way as far up as possible without climbing gear, even though 3 students a crazy French, American and Czech could not resist the lure of climbing far above us. As impressive as it was I couldn't help but feeling sick at the though of someone slipping-people had died here in the past. I was scared enough trying to make way up the cliff face with my long jeans and converse shoes that would refuse to cooperate and slip two inches or so every step I took.  Making it too the peak was well worth it however, and we were greeted by the beauty of the barren landscape below. An eagle soaring high above added to the magic of the moment.

An opportunity to stand in the presence of this giant and share in its experience of watching over the land below was truly amazing. There so high above the world it is easy to realise how small you are in the scheme of things, to marvel at the wonder of the Earth below, to me painfully beautiful in its total honesty, raw, dry, barren and perfect all the same. One thing that I have come to appreciate as a traveller is the different beautiful aspects of the planet. From dazzling green forests to pure blue oceans, and as I saw from Bernal, rolling plains of dry grass and cactus plants. So vast and powerful and most importantly beautiful in its own regard.

A young guy walked past me on the mountain, bongo drums in hand, his heavy black dreadlocks swaying with the rhythm of the wind and his long strides further up the mountain. It was there that he began to beat his drum with his voice rebounding from the walls of the rock echoing through us all. A few of us joined him in celebration- I guess you could say dancing pointlessly on the top of a big rock. But to me it was much more than that, it was a moment of revelling in the joy of being alive, of being able to experience the world from a different, higher perspective, a moment to realise just how small we are in the scheme of things and just how lucky we are to be a part of it all.