Enjoying life after early retirement, while living in Mexico, traveling by RV in Mexico, getting involved in our Mexican community, and learning new, fun ways to get our daily exercise. Healthy Living and Traveling in Mexico!
Panoramic View of Banderas
Bay and Puerto Vallarta
From Mirador Cerro de la Cruz
While there are
several routes to the best viewpoint in Puerto Vallarta, I chose to start
walking from my home in the Romantic Zone. I’m training to walk the
119-kilometer Camino de Santiago Inglรฉs in Spain, so the route through Isla Cualeoffered the perfect warm-up with a few gentle hills.
Here are a few
of the views along my route to the hilltop cross. Below, I’ve included a
walking map.
The First
Mural after the Pedestrian Bridge to Isla Cuale
Starting from Tintoque, Aquiles Serdรกn 445
Up the Stairs and Over La Iguana Bridge to Gringo Gulch
Video: Crossing the Rรญo Cuale on the Iguana Bridge
The River View and Steps Toward Gringo Gulch
Gringo Gulch is Beginning
to Look Like Old Spain
At Cuauhtรฉmoc
21, Puerto Vallarta Centro
Puente del Amor (Bridge of Love) on C. Zaragoza
Connecting the
two buildings of Famous Casa Kimberly
Following Google Maps
on my watch, it indicated that I should turn right at C. Zaragoza 399. There I
found another long set of rustic steps climbing steeply uphill, though there
were no signs indicating the way to the viewpoint. To be sure I was headed in the
right direction, I asked a local man while pointing up the stairway, “La
Cruz?”—meaning, “Is this the way to the cross?” He nodded with a smile and
gestured upward. “Sรญ, el mirador,” he said.
Another
long stairway at C. Zaragoza 399.
No sign, but these steps lead up toward
the viewpoint.
I Stopped to Rest
and Appreciate the Views
I Love this Old Wooden Door on C. Emilio Carranza
Pink
Trumpet Tree blooming on Emilio Carranza
I dug my water
bottle out of my backpack while admiring the views along Emilio Carranza and
took a long drink. The temperature was already over 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and
I’m no spring chicken. I didn’t want to become a casualty of dehydration or
heat stroke, and realized I should have added a packet of electrolytes to my
water before leaving home.
Then I realized
I was hungry and hadn’t packed any food. That was the second rule I had broken
for hiking. In training for the Camino de Santiago, I’ve learned that finding
food for sale along the way can sometimes be a challenge. Fortunately, I
spotted a tienda, a small store, up ahead and decided to stop in and look for a somewhat
healthy snack.
I was grateful for this tienda on Emilio Carranza
and Alicia
Platanitos, a Salty Crisp Plantain Snack
Finally, a sign that I was on the right path to the Hill of the Cross.
A roadside shrine to the Virgin of the Hill along Calle Aldama
while climbing toward the Cerro de la Cruz viewpoint.
The Last Steep Climb to the Viewpoint—Or So I Thought
This stairway climbs beside abandoned funicular
tracks.
My
First Glimpse of Banderas Bay and the Long Climb Below
A Bench
By the Viewpoint Mural, One Flight of Stairs Below the Cross
I set my
backpack down and leaned my walking poles against the bench—a small sign that I
had reached my destination. From there, I still had two pinnacles to choose
from to finish the climb: the cross or the mirador platform. I chose the cross,
and the final steps were worth it.
It was my first
time making the climb to the cross at Mirador Cerro de la Cruz, even
though I’ve lived in Puerto Vallarta for almost five years. Reaching the
top felt like a small personal victory—and I was proud of myself.
The Cross at the Cerro de la Cruz Viewpoint
Overlooking Banderas Bay and Puerto Vallarta
How Do
You Walk to the Cerro de la Cruz Viewpoint?
My Google
Maps walking map below shows a distance of about 1 kilometer and an
estimated 19-minute walk from Tintoque Restaurant, across Isla Rรญo Cuale,
and up through the hillside neighborhoods to the Mirador Cerro de la Cruz.
Of course, that estimate doesn’t account for the steep climb—or stopping along
the way to rest and enjoy the views. It took me almost an hour to reach the
summit and about 30 minutes to walk back down. If you decide to take this
route, I recommend allowing about two hours so you can enjoy the walk at a
relaxed pace.
A Story Inspired by Life in Mexico
Living
in Puerto Vallarta and Sayulita has inspired many of my stories about
life in Mexico, including my novels. If you enjoy
stories about life in Mexico, you might like my novel, Mexico For Better or
For Worse. The story follows Jake and Lindsay, an expat couple living in
Sayulita, as they navigate serious health challenges and the uncertainty of the
COVID-19 pandemic while trying to hold on to the life they built together in
Mexico.
Jake and Lindsay were walking to dinner in downtown Rincรณn
de Guayabitos, holding hands, as much out of habit as to help steady each other
on the uneven cobblestone streets. Jake knew he needed to tell Lindsay about
his betraying left thumb and forefinger, the pill-rolling culprits that would
give away his awful self-diagnosis.
"Babe," he began, then hesitated. "I need to
tell you about this tremor I've developed."
"Okay."
"It’s kind of weird.”
“Weirder than the vibrator finger?” Lindsay said, and they
both laughed at their private joke. Jake loved to make Lindsay laugh as they
were snuggling in bed by asking her if he could put his vibrator finger between
her legs. Thank goodness, he has a sense
of humor about his disorders, she thought.
“Yeah, this is pretty weird. You know the shaking in my
hands has gotten worse lately, right?”
“Yes, I’ve noticed it when you’re holding a drink. It
worries me.”
“I know, but I’ve been trying to ignore it, thinking it was
a side effect of the new med Dr. Ferguson gave me for bipolar. But then I
decided to read the Parkinson’s symptom printout you gave me. I wasn’t really
taking it seriously until I read about the pill-rolling tremor. I’ve been
having that for a while now.”
Lindsay gave Jake’s hand a squeeze and looked into his face,
seeing a hint of fear. “What does that mean, babe?”
“Well, it’s where I unconsciously rub the tips of my thumb
and forefinger back and forth against each other. It seems to happen most often
when I’m walking, and I don’t realize I’m doing it until I notice that the tips
of my thumb and finger are sore. I have to consciously force them to stop.”
“So, does this make you think you might have Parkinson’s
disease?”
“It’s possible, I guess. My dad had it for years and years.
It slowed his movements to the point where he would get up hours before he had
to go to work to have enough time to dress and eat breakfast. He wouldn’t quit
his job, though, until he reached retirement age. I remember it was painful for
me to watch him button his shirt and put his belt on. Even tying his shoes was
a struggle.”
Learn more about living in Mexico and Parkinson's disease by reading Pickle Jar Test: A Novel, sale-priced through April
25 for Parkinson’s Awareness Month๐ท. (Also, it’s Free with a KindleUnlimited
membership.)
Jake and Lindsay have revived their loving relationship and
found peace by moving to a small beach town in Mรฉxico. Though the battle
against Jake's bipolar disorder was long and painful, his depression and manic
episodes have finally leveled out with proper treatment and a less stressful
lifestyle. Lindsay and Jake are both grateful that his mental health is good
and his sense of humor has returned, as it was in the early years of their
marriage.
Strong and healthy from years of working as a carpenter,
Jake is now in denial about the new symptoms plaguing his body. Are these
annoyances simply medication side effects, or a new condition? Should he tell
Lindsay or fight this battle alone? Tremors, loss of sense of smell, pain,
stiffness, and other changes in Jake’s muscular body bring fear for both
Lindsay and Jake. Could this be Parkinson’s disease? Obtaining a definite
diagnosis becomes a challenge, and then a shock.
In My Retirement Before the Age of 59 Blog Article
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and books. Visit my Amazon Author Page to see more of my Mรฉxico books and
novels set in Mรฉxico. As a self-published author on Amazon worldwide, I love it
when readers leave a brief review of my books!
It started with the Parkinson’s Foundation April 60-Mile
Challenge and finished with the Copper Canyon Adventure Panorama tour. By the
end of April, Jon and I had both walked more than 60 miles! On April 29, my walking shoes started falling apart.
He Glued the Soles on My Shoes with Krazy Glue
This helpful man at Hotel Mansion Tarahumara on
the rim of the Copper Canyon glued the soles back on so I could finish hiking many
more miles during our tour the following week. He used the balance of the Krazy
Glue in his tube, and I crossed my fingers that it would work. Otherwise, I would
be hiking in flip-flops.
But I got ahead of myself. Here’s how our Copper Canyon Adventure
Panorama tour started (and how my shoes fell apart).
Day 1: El Fuerte, A Pueblo Mรกgico
El Fuerte Centro Viewed From the Top of the Fort
We started our tour in El Fuerte on April 28, where we would catch the train, El Chepe Express, to the Copper Canyon. On the first day, we had a birding tour on the El Fuerte River and hiked to the petroglyphs. That evening, we walked around the charming El Fuerte centro and had a nice dinner. That was a lot of hiking, and we hadn't even gotten on the train yet!
Jon and Terry on the Hilltop
Overlooking El Fuerte River
Hiking Up to the Petroglyphs, Beautiful Flora
Walking Up to the Fort
Sunset From the Top of the El Fuerte Fort
El Fuerte's Downtown is Magical
Day 2: El Chepe Express Train to Divisadero Station and Transfer to
the Hotel Mansion Tarahumara on the Rim of the Copper Canyon
On April 29, our taxi took us to the El Chepe Express train
station in El Fuerte, where we had upgraded tickets to First Class. We felt it was well worth the extra
money.
Jon and Christina Waiting at El Fuerte Train Station
I appreciated that our tour guide, Christina, was bilingual and very
knowledgeable about the area, including its history. She made sure everything
ran smoothly for us. We never missed a taxi, bus, train, or tour. In fact, she encouraged us to squeeze in a few unplanned adventures. (Stories to come later)
Settled in Our First Class Train Seats on the
El Chepe Express from El Fuerte to the Divisadero Station
The Train is Climbing Into the Mountains.
It's the Dry Season. The Rivers and Hills are Very Dry.
The Hotel Mansion Tarahumara Entrance
On the Canyon Rim at About 7300 Feet Elevation
(Areponapuchi, Barrancas del Cobre, Chihuahua)
The Hotel Dining Room with Its Beautiful Mural
We Did a LOT of Walking Up and Down This Road
From Our Room on the Canyon Rim to the Dining Room
A View From Our Room at Hotel Mansion Tarahumara
Part 2 of our Copper Canyon Adventure will show you how we walked more steps on April 30 than any other day in April and how much fun we had doing it. I'll also reveal how many miles I walked in the Parkinson's Foundation 60-Mile Challenge, how many miles Jon walked, and how much money we raised for Parkinson's disease research.
The soles of my shoes held on through April 30, but how much longer? Watch for our other exciting Copper Canyon Adventures!
I hope you will read my novel, Pickle Jar Test, to learn more about healthy living in Mexico and Parkinson's disease. A sample is available on Amazon HERE. The eBook is available in all Amazon markets and is FREE with Kindle Unlimited.
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