That was a great sleep and a nice breakfast prepared to order but first I selected from here
I then packed up and was on the road by 9am and it was a 30 minute drive...I know I say it each post but tell me this is not a typical Mexico scene???
I think that is cloud covering the mountains
Shortly after I aarrived at my destination and paid my $3.50 entrance admission!!
Great view!!
The only animal i saw all day and I am sure Delwin will tell me what it is!!
At the parking area to start the hike this young man was working guarding the cars and also getting you to quite methodically fill in a form with lots of details include contacts.....he described the trail to me like this...."At first the trail goes meandering by the river"...I stopped him and said where did you learn your English and words like that and he told me here in the parking lot with his cell phone English pop songs and his trusty Oxford Dictionary.....his name is Samenona and he is 23 and has a 2 year old daughter I gave him a generous tip and told him his parents and daughter should be so proud of him. He produced the biggest smile I have seen in ages and it was worth getting out of bed just to see that smile!!!
These are the kind of inter actions that are priceless and make my journey so wonderful....
So the hike begins it is 14 km total and goes slightly uphill all the time.....I found that with the altitude 6500 feet the same as San Miguel and the fact I have been sitting a lot lately and eating very well that my fitness level had dropped so I needed more rest stops but the views were so amazing(how many times do i use that word?)
An English couple that I met on the trail took that one....
It was a steady climb and the weather was hot but I had lots to drink and the views just continued to get better
The next climb needed some help
About ten minutes after climbing the ladder the trail comes to an end facing the amphitheater and the view is gorgeous...
The Tugela Falls at 948 mt, the second highest in the world, fall right in between that flat ridge and then to the right the little peak right in the middle of the photo what a pity no water was flowing.
A great spot for lunch about a 70 foot drop!!
There was also a slot canyon to explore for about 30 feet before the water got too deep!!
I now started the decent and who should I meet but the English couple who took my photo slowly coming to the chain ladder.....they told me they were not going to climb that but just enjoy the scenery..nothing special right?
WRONG!!!
I talked a bit to them and then had done some of the Camino the same time as me two years ago..so I showed them my Camino tattoo and then smiled and I wished them good luck.....why am I telling you this ?? Tis because she is my hero she is 81 years young!!!!!
Looking back at where I had been I see the cloud is moving in!!
An interesting tree branch..
I am starting to enjoy taking bird photos..
Almost 6 hours later I was leaving the park...
Had a long hot shower and then my clean laundry was delivered...I bought a great home cooked meal in the restaurant and will admit to being a tired boy!!!
On my travels I have done some incredible hikes and in no particular order I think of...
The Camino, Spain
Millford Track, New Zealand
Victoria Falls, Zambia
Springbook Nat Park Australia
Lake District, England
Waterfall hike Nova Scotia, Canada
Cinque Terre, Italy
Waterfall hike Iceland
Zion Nat park USA
Banff Nat Park, Canada
Plitvic lakes, Croatia
and of course my lovely home town hike in San Miguel...today's hike ranks right up there with these...
I move on tomorrow to the top of the falls for another hike and I have an air bnb in a small town about 260 km away!!!!
Yashi Kochi!!!
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