I finally feel as if Spain might be somewhat of a good country! Hanging out with Manel has been great. I woke up this morning around 10am (I didn’t sleep at all the night before so give me a break!) and I was suppose to go to work with Manel at 10. I walk down the hall to find a note on the floor saying that I needed more rest and to help myself to breakfast in the kitchen! Y-E-S yes! I walk out onto the balcony and it’s a freaking amazing morning! Spain is glowing… BERGA is glowing (even though all I see are fields and no actual city)!!
Around noon Manel comes home and we finish out plans to go climbing/hiking. I do some facebooking and some lounging around. I’m feeling very safe and secure here in this roman style house! The rocks that make up the wall are huge! I can just imagine them deflecting some catapult or something. Manel says the building dates back to 900AD…900AD?!?! I thought I was cool saying that my door was carried over in a covered wagon… this guy gets to say the Romans built his house!!!
Manel finished work and we take off to the mountains! Of course we have to stop at his friends house to get gear for myself. Spain’s climbing is a little different than ours in the US. It’s called “ferrata” style. Evidently back in the day, when the Spanish and the rest of the world were fighting each other, the Spanish created this system so they could get to the top of the mountains faster! Brilliant idea I’d say! Without that system I’m sure they would have lost.
The climbing is a bit crazy since I am missing the one thing I am use to when it comes to climbing… chalk! My hands sweat a lot when I climb… even as I am writing this thinking about it my hands are sweating. I think it’s because I’ve always been afraid of heights and I climb only to conquer that fear.
Part of the climb includes a cable bridge. Now this isn’t really a bridge. Don’t let the label fool you! This is two cables that you walk across using your feet (right? Walk across using your feet… genius!” and two cables up top that you slide your hands across. In total… 4 cables. The bridge is about 50 yards long and is somewhere around 200 feet above the ground. And it’s windy… very windy!
I mount my GoPro (if I’m going to die I want it to be on an awesome you tube video so everybody can at least enjoy it) and start crossing the bridge. I prayed… I talked to myself in my head… I thought about war… I thought about death… I thought about family… I thought about naked girls… ANYTHING to get my mind off the fact that I am dangling 300 (it’s really still 200 feet but every good story needs to turn into a tall tale at some point) feet in the air. I get to the middle and keep going. My legs are literally shaking and my arms are too. Not because I am scared (although I am scared) but because of muscle fatigue! I couldn’t relax! I wonder what would have happened if I would have taken a muscle relaxer??
Ok I’m about ¾ way across the bridge now and I am still dangling 500 feet (yup there I go exaggerating again!!) above the ground. Did I mention that it’s over a volcano?! And I’m getting shot at by jungle people?? Also, crazy indigenous people are chasing me down the bridge… ya! They’re shooting blow guns at me!!
Alright, perhaps I am getting carried away… but that’s exactly what it felt like! To make a long story short I made it across and Manel and I celebrated! A quick rappel down the cliff and a short hike to the bottom… We’re headed to the restaurant now… my treat! Thanks for such a good time Manel!