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El Charco de Ingenio

Last week, I finally made it out to El Charco de Ingenio Botanical Garden. I say “out,” but one of the really interesting things is that it is inside the San Miguel city limits. It feels very “outside,” however.

There are twice-weekly tours which are very fun & informative. I did that on Tuesday. There are close ties with the local indigenous cultures, and this is very much a shared space.(Pix are here.)

There are birding groups, a conservatory, ruins of Spanish aqueducts, yoga classes… El Charco is a must see.

On full moon nights, there is a ceremony, open to anyone who cares to join in. So I talked ND from Nashville into going with me, and we had a great time, shaking rattles, invoking archangels & the whole works.  She’d been there for a sweat lodge before, which sounded quite strenuous to me ( 4 hours!!)

The moon was gorgeous and the night was calm and clear after a kind of overcast day. The stars were fantastic. Made me wonder why I’m not out at night more often? And how long has it been since I went camping? Food for thought.

Pena de Bernal

Last Sunday, I finally got to visit Pena de Bernal. It’s been on my list of essential places to see ever since I arrived. Although it’s only 2 hours from San Miguel, it’s one of those “you can’t get there from here” sort of places. So I was thrilled when amiga P got me included on a day trip w/Portlanders  C & D in their rental car.

After reading articles like this, I was ready for about anything. Arriving on a Sunday afternoon,  a lot of the tourists were Mexican, and out for a fun family outing- often 3 generations together. I did notice a much calmer energy than is usual, and people were very friendly & helpful (but that’s normal in MX).

We had a great lunch and then walked up to the starting point. That was a pretty decent hike in itself. Then threaded thru the vendors and picnickers & started the climb.

I was amazed at the assortment of climbers. And also, this is nothing like a US park, with all kinds of safety rails & smooth paths. No, this is Mexico, and you’re on your own. There were grannies, toddlers, adolescents w/beers in hand. Lots of totally inappropriate footgear and whining, but mostly everyone was having a great time on a really hot day.

I didn’t get very far (realized pretty quickly that the way down would be a big problem for my leg), but sat by the side and just enjoyed the vibe. I did bring my crystals along for a field trip, and set them beside me in the sun. Also bought some local obsidian & carnelian chunks to add to the family.

The rest of the crew got pretty high up. There is a 1/2 way point with a little chapel; after that, climbing gear is needed.

Then back to the plaza to enjoy the day, eating ice cream & wandering around. One thing we noticed is that the colors of the buildings are a completely different palate than San Miguel.

Here are some pix of the trip. Really nice day, excellent companions. I’m hoping to return to Bernal! (and no, these photos are not photoshopped. The sky is really THAT blue.)