Day 1.2 Santiago to Madrid (overnight train)
We stayed at the Semenario Belvis again last night. It was the same albergue we stayed at when we first arrived in Santiago. It has a bit of a reputation for being noisy. It is Santiago after all, and people are generally in festive moods. I suppose it wasn't all that surprising when at midnight last night, the entire dorm room awoke to four police officers flashing lights around the room, hovering over a man on the ground passed out. Judging by their smiles and periodic gestures of putting their thumbs to their mouths and tipping backwards, the situation wasn't serious and the man had just drank too much. Regardless, it required a medical team to remove him. The communal lights finally shut off around 1am.
This probably would have annoyed us more had we still be on the Camino. However, as it stands we are officially finished and chose to sleep in as long as possible. Our To-Do list for Santiago was quite small for the day; just double-check lodging information and make sure we make it to the train station for our overnight to Madrid. That left us with several hours to fill. I was a bit worried at first thinking that I might have to come up with things to do to entertain us. However, I was pleased to find that we all just appreciated the downtime. We bounced from park to park and just sat. Periodically one of us would get up and wander around a bit, leaving their pack behind. I think we all secretly knew that pretty soon we would kill for the chance to just sit in a quiet park on a sunny day.
We also made one last trip back to the plaza in front of the Cathedral. Deija and Auna sat in the shade and wrote the entry for the blog and I laid out in the square observing all the pilgrims arrive. It was fun to just watch their expression as they first entered the square. Some whooped and hollered while others stood silently. Everyone looked as though they stood up taller, proud of what they accomplished.
Speaking of blog entries, I was quite touched by what Auna and Deija have reported in their entries and I also want to thank them as well for having the courage to take on this challenge. It was certainly not easy and they know more than anybody else that their "Camino" adventure began long before they took that first step in St. Jean, and will end long after they dipped their hands in the Atlantic Ocean. We still have a lot of stuff planned when we get back. From movies (The Way, a film about the Camino by Emilio Estevez comes out early October), to possible speaking engagements, and simple exercises in passing along the kindness we received while en route, we still have a lot to do.
But for now, we will just take it one day at a time and tomorrow we will be in Madrid. Our flight leaves here August 3rd, and that will give us two days in Washington DC before flying back to Portland late August 5th. We will of course continue to update the blog with pictures and our random daily musings until we return. Stay tuned and thanks for reading!
Update-----It is also Deija's birthday today, so feel free to wish her a happy one. Auna has been carrying her present in her backpack since yesterday and I am currently writing this blog entry from the lobby of a very nice hotel with a pool (Happy Birthday) in Madrid.
James
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Day 1.1: A Santiago - Via Autobus
Day 1.1: to Santiago - Via Bus
We sat ourselves down on the bus this morning, the first vehicle since the train to St. Jean. The first thought I had was that I shouldn't be on. It felt as if I was breaking some pilgrim rule or something, but most of the others that had walked to Finisterre were also taking the bus back. This made me feel a bit better about myself...
While sitting on the bus passing most of the scenery we walked by the previous day, I became slightly annoyed. We were passing yesterdays halfway point and it had only been fifteen minutes. We were rushing past places where I had paused to steady my breathing. Mixed feelings rushed towards the surface; On one hand you have the fact that driving helps you go from point A to point B more quickly. On the other, you have all the experiences that you would have never been able to enjoy if you took a car or bus. You have the friendships that you made while hiking, and all those stories that only fellow pilgrims would understand. Explaining to someone the meaning of a shell or an arrow would be meaningless. They wouldn't understand the irony or hilarity of some of your situations that you had experienced. Some might think that your thoughts were morbid and situation horrible, and that wouldn't be true. In fact, you're laughing about it with someone who just walked through THAT desert, had just ran out of THEIR water, ate ALL their emergency food, just dealt with a BIG blister. And while having these conversations with people, you form a sort of family. A family that will be there everyday and actually understands your situations. A family that you may not ever see again, but you are closer than ever with. A family you tell EVERYTHING to, and they will not judge because we all have our own problems.
I love it, the experience, in it's entirety. I will probably forget the hard times, and remember only the good, because there were much more amazing times than horrible, and why dwell in the negative?
I think I would like to do another trip like this one. Maybe within the next few years, maybe when I'm old...maybe both. The feelings I have dealt with in the last thirty-four days of walking, I know that I will only be able to feel in full while doing something that pushes me and gives me a sense of complete happiness. I wasn't comfortable with my situation, I was happy with it. Yeah, I had a few blisters... Yeah, I was tired and achey. All that did was make it easier to begin conversations with strangers, then all that is left is the good stuff. :)
I'll probably be asked to tell people my favorite part of the whole trip, had I been asked earlier on I would have probably said the Fourth of July "party" that we had was great. Now I'm not so sure. It would be slightly cheesy to say the whole trip was fullnof awesomesauce happenings and that I cannot pick favorites, but to tell you something else would be lying, and as of this moment, cheesy feats lying all the way.
Something Auna and I were doing the other day seems pertinent to to my topic if writing, so I'm going to share it with you all.
We were making up a song To sing along the trail and using tunes from well known songs to do so, and at this time we were singing to "The Twelve Days of Christmas," turned "The Ten Days of Camino." In this we said that our teacher had given us a seashell, blisters, baguettes, sliced cheese, swollen fingers, uphill climbs, injuries, holey socks, life lessons, and friendly letters.. This of course doesn't tell all that March has given us or helped us reach ourselves as much as it lets you know what Auna and I were thinking about in the middle of a normal walking day. It is true though, life lessons have definitely been given, and I would like to think received as well.
I would like to thank March publicly for everything he put into this trip before, during, and what I know he will be doing after. March, you have been here for us through thick and thin socks, and stuck around even when our baguettes were just measly crumbs. Yes, I know technically you have that responsibility thing keeping you in check, but it doesn't matter. I wouldn't have been here, sitting in Santiago for the second time, writing in front of the cathedral, eating Milka with Auna, had it not been for you. I would not have experienced anything even close to this for probably my whole life. I like comfort zones, and I don't tend to leave mine often, unless I know the outcome. You have pushed my comfort zone, and I may not have enjoyed it at the time and I may have said some things, but the end effect and the memories are pretty amazing... And that feeling of what Auna calls superhuman, I have never felt before, until now. It was definitely worth every blister, ache, pain and annoyance on this trip. Thank you for helping me reach this.
So a song that describes my mood at the moment: 'We No Speak Americano' by Yolanda Be Cool and Dcup. (Complete and utter awesomesauce... Check. It. Out.)
Sitting against the window, looking at the scenery as we pass at a greater speed than walking allows, and all I can think of is all those scenes in movies where the character is leaving someone or something that means so much to them and it's a really depressing scene and of course the writers/directors have sad piano song in the background, all the while the character jut sits there with either a completely blank face, or with one tiny tear makings its way down the side of their face...
I feel this way right now. Leaving Finisterre, looking out the window, "Come Home" by OneRepublic playing in my headphones, passing scenery that holds so many memories. I even have that blank look on my face and I know this because I can see my pitiful expression in the reflexion. Which makes me laugh out loud, literally. I am sad though, sad isn't a very descriptive word, but that sums it up nicely enough. However, I will be seeing my family, pets, and friends soon, and that cheers me up. :D
After feeling sorry for myself this morning, I remember thinking, "Wow, what a summer...and now its over..." Then I kept thinking --Uh-Oh Deija-- and I realized that we weren't really, we (everyone, including you, the reader) are never done. Life itself is a journey, and if you're my age your journey is just beginning. Camino is a Spanish word meaning "Journey" and I hope you all know what "Buen" means... So to all of you out there reading, Buen Camino!
~~Deija:)
We sat ourselves down on the bus this morning, the first vehicle since the train to St. Jean. The first thought I had was that I shouldn't be on. It felt as if I was breaking some pilgrim rule or something, but most of the others that had walked to Finisterre were also taking the bus back. This made me feel a bit better about myself...
While sitting on the bus passing most of the scenery we walked by the previous day, I became slightly annoyed. We were passing yesterdays halfway point and it had only been fifteen minutes. We were rushing past places where I had paused to steady my breathing. Mixed feelings rushed towards the surface; On one hand you have the fact that driving helps you go from point A to point B more quickly. On the other, you have all the experiences that you would have never been able to enjoy if you took a car or bus. You have the friendships that you made while hiking, and all those stories that only fellow pilgrims would understand. Explaining to someone the meaning of a shell or an arrow would be meaningless. They wouldn't understand the irony or hilarity of some of your situations that you had experienced. Some might think that your thoughts were morbid and situation horrible, and that wouldn't be true. In fact, you're laughing about it with someone who just walked through THAT desert, had just ran out of THEIR water, ate ALL their emergency food, just dealt with a BIG blister. And while having these conversations with people, you form a sort of family. A family that will be there everyday and actually understands your situations. A family that you may not ever see again, but you are closer than ever with. A family you tell EVERYTHING to, and they will not judge because we all have our own problems.
I love it, the experience, in it's entirety. I will probably forget the hard times, and remember only the good, because there were much more amazing times than horrible, and why dwell in the negative?
I think I would like to do another trip like this one. Maybe within the next few years, maybe when I'm old...maybe both. The feelings I have dealt with in the last thirty-four days of walking, I know that I will only be able to feel in full while doing something that pushes me and gives me a sense of complete happiness. I wasn't comfortable with my situation, I was happy with it. Yeah, I had a few blisters... Yeah, I was tired and achey. All that did was make it easier to begin conversations with strangers, then all that is left is the good stuff. :)
I'll probably be asked to tell people my favorite part of the whole trip, had I been asked earlier on I would have probably said the Fourth of July "party" that we had was great. Now I'm not so sure. It would be slightly cheesy to say the whole trip was fullnof awesomesauce happenings and that I cannot pick favorites, but to tell you something else would be lying, and as of this moment, cheesy feats lying all the way.
Something Auna and I were doing the other day seems pertinent to to my topic if writing, so I'm going to share it with you all.
We were making up a song To sing along the trail and using tunes from well known songs to do so, and at this time we were singing to "The Twelve Days of Christmas," turned "The Ten Days of Camino." In this we said that our teacher had given us a seashell, blisters, baguettes, sliced cheese, swollen fingers, uphill climbs, injuries, holey socks, life lessons, and friendly letters.. This of course doesn't tell all that March has given us or helped us reach ourselves as much as it lets you know what Auna and I were thinking about in the middle of a normal walking day. It is true though, life lessons have definitely been given, and I would like to think received as well.
I would like to thank March publicly for everything he put into this trip before, during, and what I know he will be doing after. March, you have been here for us through thick and thin socks, and stuck around even when our baguettes were just measly crumbs. Yes, I know technically you have that responsibility thing keeping you in check, but it doesn't matter. I wouldn't have been here, sitting in Santiago for the second time, writing in front of the cathedral, eating Milka with Auna, had it not been for you. I would not have experienced anything even close to this for probably my whole life. I like comfort zones, and I don't tend to leave mine often, unless I know the outcome. You have pushed my comfort zone, and I may not have enjoyed it at the time and I may have said some things, but the end effect and the memories are pretty amazing... And that feeling of what Auna calls superhuman, I have never felt before, until now. It was definitely worth every blister, ache, pain and annoyance on this trip. Thank you for helping me reach this.
So a song that describes my mood at the moment: 'We No Speak Americano' by Yolanda Be Cool and Dcup. (Complete and utter awesomesauce... Check. It. Out.)
Sitting against the window, looking at the scenery as we pass at a greater speed than walking allows, and all I can think of is all those scenes in movies where the character is leaving someone or something that means so much to them and it's a really depressing scene and of course the writers/directors have sad piano song in the background, all the while the character jut sits there with either a completely blank face, or with one tiny tear makings its way down the side of their face...
I feel this way right now. Leaving Finisterre, looking out the window, "Come Home" by OneRepublic playing in my headphones, passing scenery that holds so many memories. I even have that blank look on my face and I know this because I can see my pitiful expression in the reflexion. Which makes me laugh out loud, literally. I am sad though, sad isn't a very descriptive word, but that sums it up nicely enough. However, I will be seeing my family, pets, and friends soon, and that cheers me up. :D
After feeling sorry for myself this morning, I remember thinking, "Wow, what a summer...and now its over..." Then I kept thinking --Uh-Oh Deija-- and I realized that we weren't really, we (everyone, including you, the reader) are never done. Life itself is a journey, and if you're my age your journey is just beginning. Camino is a Spanish word meaning "Journey" and I hope you all know what "Buen" means... So to all of you out there reading, Buen Camino!
~~Deija:)
Day 34: Olveiroa to Fisterra (Auna)
Day 34: Olveiroa to Fisterra
22 Miles
Total: 545.1 Miles
I have mixed feelings this morning as we set off for our LAST day off walking on the Camino. We have made it far, further than most people. I'm still alive! I may have some scratches and bumps and a few toes that I have yet to get feeling in for a while but I have gained so much. I feel like I appreciate things more, I don't care as much of what other people think, I believe in myself completely, I have a new outlook on life and the way it should be lived and I have gained new friends. I love the Camino and I love walking but I do miss my family and friends so I am a little excited to finish and accomplish this journey I have been tackling for a while now.
You would think that we are all experts on the trail now... Well we're not exactly.. Yesterday Deija got a little confused on the trail and took a wrong turn but not even five minutes go by, her and March reunite! By the way, people get lost on the Camino all the time, it's still safe, you just turn around and follow your trail back till you see where you messed up. I now know from experience.. The last day on the Camino I get lost. I went up a trail that I thought the arrow was slightly pointing to and it gets me about 1.5 miles of dreadful, steep, and quite down hill and then once I reach a town I realize I had done something wrong because there wasn't any arrows. I walk and part jog my way back up, and by this time it is a horrible, hot, VERY steep up hill. I cursed myself the whole way up.. It was clearly my fault that I got lost because I then see a clearly marked trail that I should have chosen. About 5 minutes of walking I see March in search. I apologize for putting a damper on the last day, all was okay. (:
I had imagined this Kodak moment for when I first saw the ocean.. It didn't happen. Once I saw the ocean from on top of the mountain I was extremely tired and could only pose for a picture. Once we meet up with Deija and Bree I take a short break and then we are off! We see the ocean and can touch it but we are still only at our half way point. We had to walk along the boardwalk and it made me so jealous and pissy seeing all the locals swim in the ocean and lay in the sand, today was definitely a challenge that I struggled with.
We find our albergue and wait in line but we got a spot. We go set up our bed and immediately take off for Finisterre "The End of the World!" which is about 3K away. Deija and I try to get March and Bree to hold our hands as we all finish but they shot us down, haha. So DEIJA and I walk, hand in hand, to the end point. In the begining we wouldn't have even thought about holding each others hand, we have definitely grown on each other. Deija and I have more like a sister relationship, we fight and yell at each other all the time but we are still there for each other, we have to be. (;
I was extremely proud of myself standing there, I didn't want it to end but I have been waiting for that moment. Looking out to the Atlantic Ocean I felt like I had earned it fair and square for all of the beauty it had. I grew up in a coastal town when I was younger and I have been to the ocean many times, I never once remember feeling like that. You have to experience at least one time in your life, I know why March takes kids on these trips. It is his way of "giving back" and I am so lucky that I have been able to do this.
Deija and I go find a rock to sit on. There is no beach, the earths rocks just crumble into the ocean. We eat a muffin and cherries that she had bought moments before. Twenty or so minutes go by and we walk back to rest. We rest, find some wi-fi and talk to family, then choose to go take a dip in the ocean. (: we found this spot where nobody was at earlier but since then, people have took it over. We walk over and put our feet in, it's very cold! We don't see how all these people are swimming in it. The water is a turquoise color but not warm like it was supposed to be. We kind of slowly wade in and I decide that I was just going to go for it. Since I didn't bring a swimsuit I was just going to swim in my small basketball shorts and sports bra. I took my shirt off (which ended up getting wet anyways) and threw it to the shore and I went in deeper. I bet Deija that she wouldn't go in as far as me, sure enough she did! Then she tried to out do me so I had to go back in and get even. The water didn't seem as cold after a while and we swam around but we had plans that night so we got out. At first I had only gotten wet up to my chest, then I bet Deija, because she was over in the shallow part squealing about the cold. Then she kinda just ran/waded past me and went completely under and started swimming! I then of course went in all the way as well, and we both found out that it gets a bit better once your in the water for a little, but not much.
After our shower we see that our friend, Min, and his friends have cooked up a delicious dinner. Earlier they had invited us so we have been looking forward to it all day! Mins friend is a chef and he had two different pastas. One had octopus, we tried it (: I thought it was going to have a squishy, slimy texture but it was good and chewable! I liked it! We didn't want to eat all of their food because we were extremely hungry so Deija and I went to get a sandwich. We come back and it is a little past 9:00 I grab my coat, she takes a blanket and we head up to Finisterre to watch the sunset. Everyone goes to see it, I know why now! It was beautiful, I sat directly in front of it. I watched the calm, majestic, but yet strong and swift waves. I sadly forgot my camera but I don't know if you could capture all of my feelings in the picture. It was an unbelievable sight. I really felt like I was sitting at the end of the world. Everybody clapped at the end and we all headed back. Deija and I head out for some coffee and warm milk before bed. (: we had some good cake too! We have to catch a bus tomorrow morning so we decide it would be smart to had back to the albergue. We fall asleep to the seagulls squawking and I surprisingly fell asleep quite easily and peacefully to it, I think we all did.
Auna
22 Miles
Total: 545.1 Miles
I have mixed feelings this morning as we set off for our LAST day off walking on the Camino. We have made it far, further than most people. I'm still alive! I may have some scratches and bumps and a few toes that I have yet to get feeling in for a while but I have gained so much. I feel like I appreciate things more, I don't care as much of what other people think, I believe in myself completely, I have a new outlook on life and the way it should be lived and I have gained new friends. I love the Camino and I love walking but I do miss my family and friends so I am a little excited to finish and accomplish this journey I have been tackling for a while now.
You would think that we are all experts on the trail now... Well we're not exactly.. Yesterday Deija got a little confused on the trail and took a wrong turn but not even five minutes go by, her and March reunite! By the way, people get lost on the Camino all the time, it's still safe, you just turn around and follow your trail back till you see where you messed up. I now know from experience.. The last day on the Camino I get lost. I went up a trail that I thought the arrow was slightly pointing to and it gets me about 1.5 miles of dreadful, steep, and quite down hill and then once I reach a town I realize I had done something wrong because there wasn't any arrows. I walk and part jog my way back up, and by this time it is a horrible, hot, VERY steep up hill. I cursed myself the whole way up.. It was clearly my fault that I got lost because I then see a clearly marked trail that I should have chosen. About 5 minutes of walking I see March in search. I apologize for putting a damper on the last day, all was okay. (:
I had imagined this Kodak moment for when I first saw the ocean.. It didn't happen. Once I saw the ocean from on top of the mountain I was extremely tired and could only pose for a picture. Once we meet up with Deija and Bree I take a short break and then we are off! We see the ocean and can touch it but we are still only at our half way point. We had to walk along the boardwalk and it made me so jealous and pissy seeing all the locals swim in the ocean and lay in the sand, today was definitely a challenge that I struggled with.
We find our albergue and wait in line but we got a spot. We go set up our bed and immediately take off for Finisterre "The End of the World!" which is about 3K away. Deija and I try to get March and Bree to hold our hands as we all finish but they shot us down, haha. So DEIJA and I walk, hand in hand, to the end point. In the begining we wouldn't have even thought about holding each others hand, we have definitely grown on each other. Deija and I have more like a sister relationship, we fight and yell at each other all the time but we are still there for each other, we have to be. (;
I was extremely proud of myself standing there, I didn't want it to end but I have been waiting for that moment. Looking out to the Atlantic Ocean I felt like I had earned it fair and square for all of the beauty it had. I grew up in a coastal town when I was younger and I have been to the ocean many times, I never once remember feeling like that. You have to experience at least one time in your life, I know why March takes kids on these trips. It is his way of "giving back" and I am so lucky that I have been able to do this.
Deija and I go find a rock to sit on. There is no beach, the earths rocks just crumble into the ocean. We eat a muffin and cherries that she had bought moments before. Twenty or so minutes go by and we walk back to rest. We rest, find some wi-fi and talk to family, then choose to go take a dip in the ocean. (: we found this spot where nobody was at earlier but since then, people have took it over. We walk over and put our feet in, it's very cold! We don't see how all these people are swimming in it. The water is a turquoise color but not warm like it was supposed to be. We kind of slowly wade in and I decide that I was just going to go for it. Since I didn't bring a swimsuit I was just going to swim in my small basketball shorts and sports bra. I took my shirt off (which ended up getting wet anyways) and threw it to the shore and I went in deeper. I bet Deija that she wouldn't go in as far as me, sure enough she did! Then she tried to out do me so I had to go back in and get even. The water didn't seem as cold after a while and we swam around but we had plans that night so we got out. At first I had only gotten wet up to my chest, then I bet Deija, because she was over in the shallow part squealing about the cold. Then she kinda just ran/waded past me and went completely under and started swimming! I then of course went in all the way as well, and we both found out that it gets a bit better once your in the water for a little, but not much.
After our shower we see that our friend, Min, and his friends have cooked up a delicious dinner. Earlier they had invited us so we have been looking forward to it all day! Mins friend is a chef and he had two different pastas. One had octopus, we tried it (: I thought it was going to have a squishy, slimy texture but it was good and chewable! I liked it! We didn't want to eat all of their food because we were extremely hungry so Deija and I went to get a sandwich. We come back and it is a little past 9:00 I grab my coat, she takes a blanket and we head up to Finisterre to watch the sunset. Everyone goes to see it, I know why now! It was beautiful, I sat directly in front of it. I watched the calm, majestic, but yet strong and swift waves. I sadly forgot my camera but I don't know if you could capture all of my feelings in the picture. It was an unbelievable sight. I really felt like I was sitting at the end of the world. Everybody clapped at the end and we all headed back. Deija and I head out for some coffee and warm milk before bed. (: we had some good cake too! We have to catch a bus tomorrow morning so we decide it would be smart to had back to the albergue. We fall asleep to the seagulls squawking and I surprisingly fell asleep quite easily and peacefully to it, I think we all did.
Auna
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Day 33: Negreia to Olveiroa (Bree)
Day 33: Negreira to Olveiroa
20.6 miles
Total: 523.1
As I sit to write, a rush of thoughts pour into my mind as we wrap up our journey with only one day left of walking. Tomorrow we will be able to see the coast in the morning and will reach Finisterre the "End-of-the-World" by tomorrow evening!
Although my legs feel like they are getting tired after over a month of walking, my mind and body would prefer a daily routine that resembles what we've been doing. It feels so good to be legitimately physically tired at the end of the day and extremely hungry when you eat. My mind also enjoys the quiet hours of clear thoughts as opposed to distracted and jumbled lists of things I need to get accomplish during the day. It constantly amazes me that my job can exhaust me more then a thirty mile day of walking.
Today we had a 20 mile stretch that included some hills and secluded paths through the country side. We left behind the big crowds in Santiago, so finding my little "pockets-of-peace" where I could quietly walk and let my mind freely wander, was much easier. A quote from Christopher Mcdougall came to mind: "if you can't solve all of your life's problems on a four hour run (or walk), then you have some serious problems." It's amazing to me how long walks or horseback rides have always allowed me to sort through my thoughts and feelings and arrive at a solution or at least some perspective or understanding along the way.
I mention this because today was a perfect example of that for me. Yesterday, I was super crabby all day and couldn't shake it for the entire day. I still had some hard feelings or frustrations from a few days earlier that I couldn't settle in my mind. I'm usually very good at dropping negative thoughts before they contaminate my thinking and experiences, but I wasn't excelling at that today. In no way do I mean these thoughts to be harsh against the girls, but rather it was something I needed to make sense of in my own mind about people in general.
As I reflected on the happening of the last few days, I was so bothered by the fact that people were choosing to stop walking just a few hours before arriving in Santiago, a place they've been trying to reach for a month. Close to fifty percent or more of the walkers decided to stay in a tiny town that offered nothing, when a few more hours would get them to a once in a lifetime festival that they would likely never have the opportunity to see again. For me, this was one of those situations where I really struggled to understand the other perspective. I could only view it at the time as backing down from a challenge where the only real threat was getting a bit tired. This one took me two entire days of walking to sort through in my mind and arrive at some understanding.
First of all, I have to thank James tremendously for taking one for the team in a huge way. He knows me well enough to understand that my soul would have died a slow and painful death had he wanted me to stay back with the group. Instead, he gave me an incredible gift and allowed me to experience one of the most amazing nights of my life. I can't thank him enough for giving me the go ahead to challenge myself to an exciting 30 mile adventure and the opportunity to experience what I had walked a month to see.
I of course couldn't help feeling guilty as I enjoyed delicious food and watched the city celebrate with live music on every street and an incredible amount of excitement in the air. As I watched one of the most amazing light and fireworks shows I have ever seen on the cathedral, I couldn't help but think what a shame it was that they were missing it.
Luckily James, always in teacher mode, was understanding enough to realize that everyone has to walk their OWN Camino and I needed to realize that too, even if I could make no sense of the rational. When he and the girls arrived the following night, I was glad when we found out that a condensed version of the light show would be playing tonight that they could see.
It took me the last thirty-five miles to sort all of that out in my mind. I realized that it's good to know where you lie on different spectrums in life and be content with where you are, or do something to change it. This is truly what makes any physical adventure a challenge in a group is that everyone is in a different place. Again, I come to the realization that I am not normal in this department of life, and our accomplishments and challenges on this trip need to be taken with realistic perspective. Having done trips similar to this before and having been in situations in my life where I've had to push myself and accept big challenges, I realize that has morphed my perceptions.
Thinking about what the girls have accomplished on this trip, is truly amazing. Considering the majority of Americans walk a mile or less a day, just turning their TV's off and going on a training walk of a few miles is more than many of their peers would ever consider. Walking over 500 miles across a country where they don't know the language, having to eat different food, living without many "comforts" they are use to, being away from their family and friends, living like a homeless person, and pushing themselves physically harder than they ever have before, is a challenge that most people wouldn't even consider or have the guts to attempt.
I hope they come away from this trip having learned a few lessons that will serve them well throughout their lives. A few being: *many great successes and accomplishments in life are the result of daily, persistent effort pointed in the direction of your goals, that eventually adds up to something big. *you can live happily on very little (even just a small backpacks worth.) *only by pushing yourself beyond your comfort level and accepting new challenges, can you take advantage of amazing opportunities to grow and develop self-awareness. *and most importantly, not to be confined to limits and expectations that are set by society on what you can accomplish.
So as we wrap up our trip tomorrow, I hope they know how proud I am of their huge accomplishment and that their family and friends realize that they are about to successfully finish something that took incredible strengh and courage to even attempt.
As we near the end, I am incredibly thankful that we have all been watched over on this journey, kept safe, healthy, and out of harms way!
To the End-of-the-World!
~Bree
20.6 miles
Total: 523.1
As I sit to write, a rush of thoughts pour into my mind as we wrap up our journey with only one day left of walking. Tomorrow we will be able to see the coast in the morning and will reach Finisterre the "End-of-the-World" by tomorrow evening!
Although my legs feel like they are getting tired after over a month of walking, my mind and body would prefer a daily routine that resembles what we've been doing. It feels so good to be legitimately physically tired at the end of the day and extremely hungry when you eat. My mind also enjoys the quiet hours of clear thoughts as opposed to distracted and jumbled lists of things I need to get accomplish during the day. It constantly amazes me that my job can exhaust me more then a thirty mile day of walking.
Today we had a 20 mile stretch that included some hills and secluded paths through the country side. We left behind the big crowds in Santiago, so finding my little "pockets-of-peace" where I could quietly walk and let my mind freely wander, was much easier. A quote from Christopher Mcdougall came to mind: "if you can't solve all of your life's problems on a four hour run (or walk), then you have some serious problems." It's amazing to me how long walks or horseback rides have always allowed me to sort through my thoughts and feelings and arrive at a solution or at least some perspective or understanding along the way.
I mention this because today was a perfect example of that for me. Yesterday, I was super crabby all day and couldn't shake it for the entire day. I still had some hard feelings or frustrations from a few days earlier that I couldn't settle in my mind. I'm usually very good at dropping negative thoughts before they contaminate my thinking and experiences, but I wasn't excelling at that today. In no way do I mean these thoughts to be harsh against the girls, but rather it was something I needed to make sense of in my own mind about people in general.
As I reflected on the happening of the last few days, I was so bothered by the fact that people were choosing to stop walking just a few hours before arriving in Santiago, a place they've been trying to reach for a month. Close to fifty percent or more of the walkers decided to stay in a tiny town that offered nothing, when a few more hours would get them to a once in a lifetime festival that they would likely never have the opportunity to see again. For me, this was one of those situations where I really struggled to understand the other perspective. I could only view it at the time as backing down from a challenge where the only real threat was getting a bit tired. This one took me two entire days of walking to sort through in my mind and arrive at some understanding.
First of all, I have to thank James tremendously for taking one for the team in a huge way. He knows me well enough to understand that my soul would have died a slow and painful death had he wanted me to stay back with the group. Instead, he gave me an incredible gift and allowed me to experience one of the most amazing nights of my life. I can't thank him enough for giving me the go ahead to challenge myself to an exciting 30 mile adventure and the opportunity to experience what I had walked a month to see.
I of course couldn't help feeling guilty as I enjoyed delicious food and watched the city celebrate with live music on every street and an incredible amount of excitement in the air. As I watched one of the most amazing light and fireworks shows I have ever seen on the cathedral, I couldn't help but think what a shame it was that they were missing it.
Luckily James, always in teacher mode, was understanding enough to realize that everyone has to walk their OWN Camino and I needed to realize that too, even if I could make no sense of the rational. When he and the girls arrived the following night, I was glad when we found out that a condensed version of the light show would be playing tonight that they could see.
It took me the last thirty-five miles to sort all of that out in my mind. I realized that it's good to know where you lie on different spectrums in life and be content with where you are, or do something to change it. This is truly what makes any physical adventure a challenge in a group is that everyone is in a different place. Again, I come to the realization that I am not normal in this department of life, and our accomplishments and challenges on this trip need to be taken with realistic perspective. Having done trips similar to this before and having been in situations in my life where I've had to push myself and accept big challenges, I realize that has morphed my perceptions.
Thinking about what the girls have accomplished on this trip, is truly amazing. Considering the majority of Americans walk a mile or less a day, just turning their TV's off and going on a training walk of a few miles is more than many of their peers would ever consider. Walking over 500 miles across a country where they don't know the language, having to eat different food, living without many "comforts" they are use to, being away from their family and friends, living like a homeless person, and pushing themselves physically harder than they ever have before, is a challenge that most people wouldn't even consider or have the guts to attempt.
I hope they come away from this trip having learned a few lessons that will serve them well throughout their lives. A few being: *many great successes and accomplishments in life are the result of daily, persistent effort pointed in the direction of your goals, that eventually adds up to something big. *you can live happily on very little (even just a small backpacks worth.) *only by pushing yourself beyond your comfort level and accepting new challenges, can you take advantage of amazing opportunities to grow and develop self-awareness. *and most importantly, not to be confined to limits and expectations that are set by society on what you can accomplish.
So as we wrap up our trip tomorrow, I hope they know how proud I am of their huge accomplishment and that their family and friends realize that they are about to successfully finish something that took incredible strengh and courage to even attempt.
As we near the end, I am incredibly thankful that we have all been watched over on this journey, kept safe, healthy, and out of harms way!
To the End-of-the-World!
~Bree
Day 32: Santiago de Compostela to Negreia (James)
Day 32: Santiago de Compostela to Negreia
14 Miles
Total: 502.5 Miles
Waking up on time this morning wasn't exactly the easiest task. Our day in Santiago was full and although the official mileage was low, our hostel, the Semenario Belvis, was well over 1km from the plaza and town center. That kind of walking adds up, especially when you walk back and forth three separate times yesterday like I did. Usually when we get to a town we grab a bed, take a nap, explore a bit, eat and then relax until it is time to go to bed. Not in Santiago, and especially not when Santiago is in full swing festival. We all thoroughly enjoyed it. From the light show (thanks Bree for staying up late to make sure we could get in) to the almost surreal nature in which you would run into other pilgrims you knew in the city, like a cast of characters all returning to the stage in the final scene, it was as some may put it, a perfect way to end.
However, we are going to call it good at the ocean. I like the idea of reaching a point in which there is a clear finish and when I say I walked across Spain, I want to really mean it. Only 5% of pilgrims continue on to Finisterre, which along with the Camino itself, has it's roots in even the pre-Christian times in Spain. It's only three days, which after an adventure like this, seems like nothing.
Returning from trips like these can often be difficult. There is a pace of life, a rhythm, that is deeply engrained and a return to "normalcy" can be frustrating. The best part of our Camino might not have been what was here, but what was not. We have been fortunate to live for the past 32 days in childlike wonder, always in the present moment, away from stress, bills, the constant stream of text messages, school, television, advertisements, traffic...the list could go on forever. All of this returns when we get back. And it hits you all at the same time, like when someone turns on music without knowing the volume is at full blast. I am hoping the next three days to the coast, our time in Madrid, the flight back to Washington DC, and the flight back to Portland on August 5th will give us enough time to really reflect and help with that transition.
So those are the thoughts going on in my mind, but the reality is that I have to wake up two teenagers will very little sleep and get them moving towards the coast, some 53 miles away. Not easy. I knew they were going to be a bit slow today getting up, but it was like watching people in slow motion. I joined Bree outside, who had been waiting for about an hour. We hoped things would speed up a bit as we got moving. Sure enough, it did and we were back to climbing through the dense Eucalyptus forests that surround Santiago. In fact, things were going so well that Auna and I blasted up and past a few other pilgrims as we climbed. We settled into a quick pace, relying upon 500 miles of walking under our belts and the phenomenal shape we are now in. Deija was close behind, that is until she stopped to remove a fleece top. That was just enough time for Auna and I to round a corner and move around a large tractor blocking the path. There were our trusty yellow arrows pointing the way, but they were difficult to see. Auna and I spotted them pretty quickly, but Deija, now not within sight of us, didn't. She headed straight down a hill and had to be directed back to the trail by a kind local in a car. I found all of this out, of course, after I panicked when Bree came up the trail 25 minutes later reporting that she had not seen Deija. "What? she's not with you?". Now, we have made it 500 miles without getting seriousy lost, and I didn't want to start now, so I ran back up over the hill hoping she just stepped off the trail to go to the bathroom. My gut instinct threw my mind back to that spot with the tractor, though. Oh, when I mentioned "phenomenal shape" earlier, that was just for walking and apparently does not apply to running. My heart and lungs were exploding the entire way up. When I neared the crest, I saw Deija round the corner and my stomach, which had occupied the narrow space around my neck ever since Bree showed up without her, returned to it's normal position.
All together again, we traveled further up the road through tiny villages and towards our destination of Negreia and it's small government run hostel. Auna and Deija entertained themselves, and me briefly, with a rewording of the 12 Days of Christmas to apply to their Camino experience. They sang it to me, all of it, even after I specifically requested the abridged version where you just start at the end. I must admit, it was cute.
As I write, we are a mere 40 miles from Finisterre and "the end of the earth". Time to go to bed and get some rest so we can hit the road running. Scratch that, we'll just walk.
Thanks again for all the comments. We are glad you enjoy reading!
James
14 Miles
Total: 502.5 Miles
Waking up on time this morning wasn't exactly the easiest task. Our day in Santiago was full and although the official mileage was low, our hostel, the Semenario Belvis, was well over 1km from the plaza and town center. That kind of walking adds up, especially when you walk back and forth three separate times yesterday like I did. Usually when we get to a town we grab a bed, take a nap, explore a bit, eat and then relax until it is time to go to bed. Not in Santiago, and especially not when Santiago is in full swing festival. We all thoroughly enjoyed it. From the light show (thanks Bree for staying up late to make sure we could get in) to the almost surreal nature in which you would run into other pilgrims you knew in the city, like a cast of characters all returning to the stage in the final scene, it was as some may put it, a perfect way to end.
However, we are going to call it good at the ocean. I like the idea of reaching a point in which there is a clear finish and when I say I walked across Spain, I want to really mean it. Only 5% of pilgrims continue on to Finisterre, which along with the Camino itself, has it's roots in even the pre-Christian times in Spain. It's only three days, which after an adventure like this, seems like nothing.
Returning from trips like these can often be difficult. There is a pace of life, a rhythm, that is deeply engrained and a return to "normalcy" can be frustrating. The best part of our Camino might not have been what was here, but what was not. We have been fortunate to live for the past 32 days in childlike wonder, always in the present moment, away from stress, bills, the constant stream of text messages, school, television, advertisements, traffic...the list could go on forever. All of this returns when we get back. And it hits you all at the same time, like when someone turns on music without knowing the volume is at full blast. I am hoping the next three days to the coast, our time in Madrid, the flight back to Washington DC, and the flight back to Portland on August 5th will give us enough time to really reflect and help with that transition.
So those are the thoughts going on in my mind, but the reality is that I have to wake up two teenagers will very little sleep and get them moving towards the coast, some 53 miles away. Not easy. I knew they were going to be a bit slow today getting up, but it was like watching people in slow motion. I joined Bree outside, who had been waiting for about an hour. We hoped things would speed up a bit as we got moving. Sure enough, it did and we were back to climbing through the dense Eucalyptus forests that surround Santiago. In fact, things were going so well that Auna and I blasted up and past a few other pilgrims as we climbed. We settled into a quick pace, relying upon 500 miles of walking under our belts and the phenomenal shape we are now in. Deija was close behind, that is until she stopped to remove a fleece top. That was just enough time for Auna and I to round a corner and move around a large tractor blocking the path. There were our trusty yellow arrows pointing the way, but they were difficult to see. Auna and I spotted them pretty quickly, but Deija, now not within sight of us, didn't. She headed straight down a hill and had to be directed back to the trail by a kind local in a car. I found all of this out, of course, after I panicked when Bree came up the trail 25 minutes later reporting that she had not seen Deija. "What? she's not with you?". Now, we have made it 500 miles without getting seriousy lost, and I didn't want to start now, so I ran back up over the hill hoping she just stepped off the trail to go to the bathroom. My gut instinct threw my mind back to that spot with the tractor, though. Oh, when I mentioned "phenomenal shape" earlier, that was just for walking and apparently does not apply to running. My heart and lungs were exploding the entire way up. When I neared the crest, I saw Deija round the corner and my stomach, which had occupied the narrow space around my neck ever since Bree showed up without her, returned to it's normal position.
All together again, we traveled further up the road through tiny villages and towards our destination of Negreia and it's small government run hostel. Auna and Deija entertained themselves, and me briefly, with a rewording of the 12 Days of Christmas to apply to their Camino experience. They sang it to me, all of it, even after I specifically requested the abridged version where you just start at the end. I must admit, it was cute.
As I write, we are a mere 40 miles from Finisterre and "the end of the earth". Time to go to bed and get some rest so we can hit the road running. Scratch that, we'll just walk.
Thanks again for all the comments. We are glad you enjoy reading!
James
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Day 31: Arco de Pino to Santiago de Compostela (Deija)
Day 31: Arco de Pino to Santiago de Compostela
12.5 Miles
488.5 Miles
Today Auna and I had *planned* on waking ourselves up early and making the hike into Santiago finish faster than calculated.
This didn't happen...
Mr. March woke both of us up at 5:45, this was late. Everyone else seemed to be awake and out of the hostel and we weren't. This is quite frightening, the thought of not having a place to sleep does that to you. Mr. March assured us that we would be fine bed wise, it was the lines to receive the certificate, and the people being everywhere that were going to be a problem. The only lame thing about that is, we can't really avoid the large crowds of people and the lines. It was the day of the festival. July 25th. EVERYONE was going to be in Santiago. Devout pilgrims who planned to arrive on this day, new pilgrims with the same initial plan, tourists, more tourists, locals, and then, us. All in the same place at once and really enjoying themselves...at least I was.
Once we received our certificates, we went to rest on some steps near the cathedral. We met up with our friend Min (which was super exciting) and he sat with us. Min began to show us a video of the light show that had happened at the cathedral the night before which we had missed, and Auna and I were acting like children in a candy store almost instantly.
"Ooooh! Whoa!"
"Ohmygod. Oh. Oh!"
"That is so freaking awesome! Oh, wow!"
"Di-did you see that!?"
With ten minutes of video left Mr. March decides to let us sit and enjoy ourselves while he runs off and completes a few errands, but before he leaves he hands both Auna and I a small stack of letters that are from our family and friends. Our mothers, siblings, best two friends, two favorite teachers, and Auna's stepfather all wrote to us before the trip, and we were now able to read the letters (of which we knew nothing about) because we had finished.
We were finally to Santiago.
We were here in one piece.
We were happy.
We made it.
Let me say that again, "WE FREAKING MADE IT!"
I don't know what to think now... I loved reading the letters from my family and friends/teachers. It was great being able to hear their voices telling us to be proud of ourselves, happy that we accomplished something this big, and just to say hi in general.
Tyser's nicknames for Auna and I were a reminder of what type of person he really is. "Pain in the butt Zavala"? Really? Thanks Tyser. "Blister foot Godinez"? Wow. Crimson's letters to us reminded us of being mindful and also remembering that she loved us. I love you too, Crisman! :)
My mom and brothers letters made me slightly depressed on this happy day. I'm not blaming anyone...but why do you have this effect on me? Nainoa, your letter was the sweetest, cutest, most amazing this ever. I miss you so much, and I can't wait to see you. Mom, thank you so much, for everything, you have been there for me, and I miss you so much it's not even funny. I love you both! :)
Jessi, you're one of the most amazing friends I could ever ask for. Even though we have some differences in opinion, I know that we can get through them together. Because we're a force that no one shall mess with. I love you! *Feed the bird!*
Jasmine. Jasmine, Jasmine, Jasmine... I don't even know what to say. We will talk about this when I get home, there is a long discussion that we need to have. I am in disappointed in you young lady. HOW. DARE. YOU. Make me love you this much. Hey, btw, we totally need hang when I get home. Discussion time! :) *Claps and cheers!*
Back to my day.
Two. Words. "Light. Show."
The most freaking amazing thing. Ever. They turn off all the lights in the cathedrals' square and portray this 3D light show on the cathedrals front. So awesome. Don't even have words. Just search the video on YouTube. It won't be as cool...but it can try. They had a freaking dragon, Mom! So cooooool! Seriously. I was flipping out. Not only did they have a dragon, and awesome 3D-ness, they had scores from amazing action movies... And I recognized the songs! I'm pretty sure they just borrowed Hans Zimmers most awesome pieces and put them together. So great. Ahhhh.
After the light show was over we had approximately eight minutes to get ourselves back to the hostel before it locked the gates and we slept outside. RUN!
We didn't make it in time, but someone opened the door to the side of the gates after we banged on it a few times. Whew. Close call. It's past midnight though, time for bed. We leave for Finisterre tomorrow morning, but hopefully not too early. :)
12.5 Miles
488.5 Miles
Today Auna and I had *planned* on waking ourselves up early and making the hike into Santiago finish faster than calculated.
This didn't happen...
Mr. March woke both of us up at 5:45, this was late. Everyone else seemed to be awake and out of the hostel and we weren't. This is quite frightening, the thought of not having a place to sleep does that to you. Mr. March assured us that we would be fine bed wise, it was the lines to receive the certificate, and the people being everywhere that were going to be a problem. The only lame thing about that is, we can't really avoid the large crowds of people and the lines. It was the day of the festival. July 25th. EVERYONE was going to be in Santiago. Devout pilgrims who planned to arrive on this day, new pilgrims with the same initial plan, tourists, more tourists, locals, and then, us. All in the same place at once and really enjoying themselves...at least I was.
Once we received our certificates, we went to rest on some steps near the cathedral. We met up with our friend Min (which was super exciting) and he sat with us. Min began to show us a video of the light show that had happened at the cathedral the night before which we had missed, and Auna and I were acting like children in a candy store almost instantly.
"Ooooh! Whoa!"
"Ohmygod. Oh. Oh!"
"That is so freaking awesome! Oh, wow!"
"Di-did you see that!?"
With ten minutes of video left Mr. March decides to let us sit and enjoy ourselves while he runs off and completes a few errands, but before he leaves he hands both Auna and I a small stack of letters that are from our family and friends. Our mothers, siblings, best two friends, two favorite teachers, and Auna's stepfather all wrote to us before the trip, and we were now able to read the letters (of which we knew nothing about) because we had finished.
We were finally to Santiago.
We were here in one piece.
We were happy.
We made it.
Let me say that again, "WE FREAKING MADE IT!"
I don't know what to think now... I loved reading the letters from my family and friends/teachers. It was great being able to hear their voices telling us to be proud of ourselves, happy that we accomplished something this big, and just to say hi in general.
Tyser's nicknames for Auna and I were a reminder of what type of person he really is. "Pain in the butt Zavala"? Really? Thanks Tyser. "Blister foot Godinez"? Wow. Crimson's letters to us reminded us of being mindful and also remembering that she loved us. I love you too, Crisman! :)
My mom and brothers letters made me slightly depressed on this happy day. I'm not blaming anyone...but why do you have this effect on me? Nainoa, your letter was the sweetest, cutest, most amazing this ever. I miss you so much, and I can't wait to see you. Mom, thank you so much, for everything, you have been there for me, and I miss you so much it's not even funny. I love you both! :)
Jessi, you're one of the most amazing friends I could ever ask for. Even though we have some differences in opinion, I know that we can get through them together. Because we're a force that no one shall mess with. I love you! *Feed the bird!*
Jasmine. Jasmine, Jasmine, Jasmine... I don't even know what to say. We will talk about this when I get home, there is a long discussion that we need to have. I am in disappointed in you young lady. HOW. DARE. YOU. Make me love you this much. Hey, btw, we totally need hang when I get home. Discussion time! :) *Claps and cheers!*
Back to my day.
Two. Words. "Light. Show."
The most freaking amazing thing. Ever. They turn off all the lights in the cathedrals' square and portray this 3D light show on the cathedrals front. So awesome. Don't even have words. Just search the video on YouTube. It won't be as cool...but it can try. They had a freaking dragon, Mom! So cooooool! Seriously. I was flipping out. Not only did they have a dragon, and awesome 3D-ness, they had scores from amazing action movies... And I recognized the songs! I'm pretty sure they just borrowed Hans Zimmers most awesome pieces and put them together. So great. Ahhhh.
After the light show was over we had approximately eight minutes to get ourselves back to the hostel before it locked the gates and we slept outside. RUN!
We didn't make it in time, but someone opened the door to the side of the gates after we banged on it a few times. Whew. Close call. It's past midnight though, time for bed. We leave for Finisterre tomorrow morning, but hopefully not too early. :)
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Day 30: Aruza to Arco de Pino (Auna)
Day 30: Aruza to Arco de Pino
11.5 miles
Total: 476 miles
I woke up this morning already feeling accomplished even though we haven't walked into Santiago. We have came so far and it gives me this spectacular feelings throughout my body when I look at a map and see the results. That's the reason for our early mornings, achey bodies, and tired eyes and it was all worth it. This whole thing really makes me feel like I can do anything. ANYONE can do just about anything as long as you want it bad enough and never give up.
Our walk was over very early today. We reach the town that we have had planned and it was time to make a decision, shall we keep walking to the town 3 miles before Santiago or stay. Sarah, Bree and March all wanted to keep walking, Deija wanted to stay, and at first I wanted to stay but then I just didn't care which way we went. Sarah and Bree kept walking on and March stayed with us. This really made us feel like crap, I didn't want to hold March back from walking more. At first I was bummed and continued to feel crappy but then my attitude changed and since we were staying here I was going to make the best out of it. Deija and I threw our packs in line and went out to explore. We picked one of the MANY cafes and had some coffee as we usually do. I'm definitely going to miss this place... That is, until I come back (:
Still feeling guilty for holding March back we went to the pasteleria and picked out a bunch of different doughnuts and a sort of cake. I got it wrapped up and we set it on Marchs' bed with a note saying how much we appreciate him. We really do. He is giving us unbelievable opportunities and every day holds a life lesson and there is so much culture here.
That reminds me.. I have met a Spanish guy named Alvaro. The first night we met we tried to communicate because our bunks were by each others but it was to hard. He didn't understand really anything I said. So we go one the rest of the day and the next just simply waving, saying "Hello" and "Goodbye", and bumping arms. Eventually he makes it clear to me that he can understand better if I write stuff down. We end up sitting on his bed passing a few papers full of notes back and forth, he would occasionally pull out his phone and translate words but we made it work! He's from Madrid and he is walking the Camino with his older brother and his older brothers friend. I think it's really cool that we figured out a way to communicate, language isn't a boundary here.
Tomorrow we will be arriving in Santiago, there is so much excitement from my head to the tips of my toes. I have done my best to not take anything for granted, I am trying to take as much of this experience in as I can. This summer will not be the end of my adventuring, that's for sure.
11.5 miles
Total: 476 miles
I woke up this morning already feeling accomplished even though we haven't walked into Santiago. We have came so far and it gives me this spectacular feelings throughout my body when I look at a map and see the results. That's the reason for our early mornings, achey bodies, and tired eyes and it was all worth it. This whole thing really makes me feel like I can do anything. ANYONE can do just about anything as long as you want it bad enough and never give up.
Our walk was over very early today. We reach the town that we have had planned and it was time to make a decision, shall we keep walking to the town 3 miles before Santiago or stay. Sarah, Bree and March all wanted to keep walking, Deija wanted to stay, and at first I wanted to stay but then I just didn't care which way we went. Sarah and Bree kept walking on and March stayed with us. This really made us feel like crap, I didn't want to hold March back from walking more. At first I was bummed and continued to feel crappy but then my attitude changed and since we were staying here I was going to make the best out of it. Deija and I threw our packs in line and went out to explore. We picked one of the MANY cafes and had some coffee as we usually do. I'm definitely going to miss this place... That is, until I come back (:
Still feeling guilty for holding March back we went to the pasteleria and picked out a bunch of different doughnuts and a sort of cake. I got it wrapped up and we set it on Marchs' bed with a note saying how much we appreciate him. We really do. He is giving us unbelievable opportunities and every day holds a life lesson and there is so much culture here.
That reminds me.. I have met a Spanish guy named Alvaro. The first night we met we tried to communicate because our bunks were by each others but it was to hard. He didn't understand really anything I said. So we go one the rest of the day and the next just simply waving, saying "Hello" and "Goodbye", and bumping arms. Eventually he makes it clear to me that he can understand better if I write stuff down. We end up sitting on his bed passing a few papers full of notes back and forth, he would occasionally pull out his phone and translate words but we made it work! He's from Madrid and he is walking the Camino with his older brother and his older brothers friend. I think it's really cool that we figured out a way to communicate, language isn't a boundary here.
Tomorrow we will be arriving in Santiago, there is so much excitement from my head to the tips of my toes. I have done my best to not take anything for granted, I am trying to take as much of this experience in as I can. This summer will not be the end of my adventuring, that's for sure.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Day 29: Palas de Rei to Aruza (James)
Day 29: Palas se Rei to Aruza
17.5 Miles
464.5 Miles
I might end up mirroring Auna's post yesterday. The Camino has officially become a race. I can hear the starting gun earlier and earlier in the morning. A series of beeps and bells from alarm clocks, watches and cell phones pulls everyone from their bunks. In a well played out routine, everyone sets about their business of packing. Every pilgrim is truly being as quiet as possible, but the cumulative effect of 20 bodies quietly getting ot of beds, 20 zippers quietly closing, 20 plastic sacks quietly stuffed into a backpack, 20 opening and closing of bathrooms doors can be, well, loud. This morning we were the lazy pilgrims, the last ones out of bed. It was 5:15am.
I wish we could just all agree to start walking one hour later than normal. You know, just make a pact. Then we all wouldn't have to wait for two hours for the albergue to open, and more importantly, we wouldn't have to do this walk in the dark. The first hour and a half is spent adjusting your eyes, trying not to trip over rocks, and desperately trying to make out faint yellows arrows. I suppose it just is what it is. Regardless, I'm still enjoying myself.
Speaking of enjoying themselves. You should have seen Auna and Deija the last couple of days. It has been as if a fire has been lit under their feet. I think they have all of the sudden become aware of how much work they have put into this. Up until this point, we have mostly traveled with the same groups of people. We all went through the pain and suffering of the beginning of the trip together. We all gained in strength together. We all went through the same oppressive sun and the same rainstorms together. This creates bonds like no other, but it can mask your ability to truly appreciate how far you have really come. It hasn't been until the last few days that we have seen newer pilgrims just starting their own adventure. We see them dealing with blisters, sore ankles and knees. We see them look at their maps at the start of every hill as if there was a small glimmer of hope that maybe they took a wrong turn and weren't really supposed to climb. It gives us a good perspective on our own journey. I don't care if it is not exactly in the spirit of the Camino, but I'm intensly proud that these girls can walk 17+ miles straight without a single break and then get up and do the same thing the next day. Deija even beat some mountain bikers up a hill today!
Our journey so far has taken us to within 25 miles of Santiago and less than 75 miles to the coast. Because of the logistics and availability of albergues, we will split the last of the Camino into two days, with a mere three day hike to the coast. It feels weird to look over to the west and know that everyone's destination is just over the hills. People are excited. There is a buzz in the air. Maybe I can't blame people for wanting to get up at 4:30. Well, actually, I can. 4:30am is ridiculous.
I am hoping we get wifi tomorrow, but if we don't, the next time you here from us will be from Santiago, amid the celebration on the 25th. It will be a crazy day to be there, but this whole adventure has been crazy and we wouldn't have it any other way.
Until then.......Buen Camino!
James
17.5 Miles
464.5 Miles
I might end up mirroring Auna's post yesterday. The Camino has officially become a race. I can hear the starting gun earlier and earlier in the morning. A series of beeps and bells from alarm clocks, watches and cell phones pulls everyone from their bunks. In a well played out routine, everyone sets about their business of packing. Every pilgrim is truly being as quiet as possible, but the cumulative effect of 20 bodies quietly getting ot of beds, 20 zippers quietly closing, 20 plastic sacks quietly stuffed into a backpack, 20 opening and closing of bathrooms doors can be, well, loud. This morning we were the lazy pilgrims, the last ones out of bed. It was 5:15am.
I wish we could just all agree to start walking one hour later than normal. You know, just make a pact. Then we all wouldn't have to wait for two hours for the albergue to open, and more importantly, we wouldn't have to do this walk in the dark. The first hour and a half is spent adjusting your eyes, trying not to trip over rocks, and desperately trying to make out faint yellows arrows. I suppose it just is what it is. Regardless, I'm still enjoying myself.
Speaking of enjoying themselves. You should have seen Auna and Deija the last couple of days. It has been as if a fire has been lit under their feet. I think they have all of the sudden become aware of how much work they have put into this. Up until this point, we have mostly traveled with the same groups of people. We all went through the pain and suffering of the beginning of the trip together. We all gained in strength together. We all went through the same oppressive sun and the same rainstorms together. This creates bonds like no other, but it can mask your ability to truly appreciate how far you have really come. It hasn't been until the last few days that we have seen newer pilgrims just starting their own adventure. We see them dealing with blisters, sore ankles and knees. We see them look at their maps at the start of every hill as if there was a small glimmer of hope that maybe they took a wrong turn and weren't really supposed to climb. It gives us a good perspective on our own journey. I don't care if it is not exactly in the spirit of the Camino, but I'm intensly proud that these girls can walk 17+ miles straight without a single break and then get up and do the same thing the next day. Deija even beat some mountain bikers up a hill today!
Our journey so far has taken us to within 25 miles of Santiago and less than 75 miles to the coast. Because of the logistics and availability of albergues, we will split the last of the Camino into two days, with a mere three day hike to the coast. It feels weird to look over to the west and know that everyone's destination is just over the hills. People are excited. There is a buzz in the air. Maybe I can't blame people for wanting to get up at 4:30. Well, actually, I can. 4:30am is ridiculous.
I am hoping we get wifi tomorrow, but if we don't, the next time you here from us will be from Santiago, amid the celebration on the 25th. It will be a crazy day to be there, but this whole adventure has been crazy and we wouldn't have it any other way.
Until then.......Buen Camino!
James
Day 28: Portomarin to Palas de Rei (Auna)
Day 28: Portomarin to Palas de Rei
16.2 Miles
Total: 447.0 Miles
In the darkness of the early morning we struggled to find our way out of town, there was no arrows to direct us and all we knew is that we had to cross a bridge. We thought it may be wise to follow the parade of people but suddenly we see head lights turn and begin to walk back towards us. This gave us a nice head start, but soon headlights began to get closer and that's when we knew that we had to get a move on it.
*As we tried to find the arrows leading out of the city, the competitive feelings began to set in. We NEEDED to find the arrows before the group of 100 or more got too close. We went back to where we had came in the previous day and looked for any sign of a familiar scallop shell or yellow painted arrow. As we found what looked like the trail we began to pick up speed, from across the river you could see tons of little feet scampering to be ahead of one another.*
Today just became a race and I love it! The competition wasn't that hard to beat but there were a lot of people. It is a whole different Camino now, you can't take your time anymore, you have to get up early and go to the Albergue as soon as we can. I like taking my time and having breaks but today we stopped one time and it was barely 5 minutes. By the end of the day we were all pretty tired but we were the first ones there! It felt nice to sit back, relax, and watch all the other pilgrims come in but we had to wait a couple hours for it to open.
I didn't do much today, just a quick super market run and made a sandwich for dinner. The temperature is starting to warm up thank goodness! I've been freezing and wearing most of my clothes at one time. I managed to score one of the few blankets they have here. So I plan on being nice n' toasty this evening, instead of freezing like the last few nights.
*As I sit here on my bunk and finish up the journal entry, I look around and see Deija reading a book at the foot of my bed, completely relaxed, and people who we have been walking with the whole trip, even if it's hard to communicate with words, I still feel as though it's a sort of family bonding that ties us together. A family bonding that the people who just joined will never get to experience, which is sad because that is one of the best parts of the Camino.*
Buen Camino!
Auna
16.2 Miles
Total: 447.0 Miles
In the darkness of the early morning we struggled to find our way out of town, there was no arrows to direct us and all we knew is that we had to cross a bridge. We thought it may be wise to follow the parade of people but suddenly we see head lights turn and begin to walk back towards us. This gave us a nice head start, but soon headlights began to get closer and that's when we knew that we had to get a move on it.
*As we tried to find the arrows leading out of the city, the competitive feelings began to set in. We NEEDED to find the arrows before the group of 100 or more got too close. We went back to where we had came in the previous day and looked for any sign of a familiar scallop shell or yellow painted arrow. As we found what looked like the trail we began to pick up speed, from across the river you could see tons of little feet scampering to be ahead of one another.*
Today just became a race and I love it! The competition wasn't that hard to beat but there were a lot of people. It is a whole different Camino now, you can't take your time anymore, you have to get up early and go to the Albergue as soon as we can. I like taking my time and having breaks but today we stopped one time and it was barely 5 minutes. By the end of the day we were all pretty tired but we were the first ones there! It felt nice to sit back, relax, and watch all the other pilgrims come in but we had to wait a couple hours for it to open.
I didn't do much today, just a quick super market run and made a sandwich for dinner. The temperature is starting to warm up thank goodness! I've been freezing and wearing most of my clothes at one time. I managed to score one of the few blankets they have here. So I plan on being nice n' toasty this evening, instead of freezing like the last few nights.
*As I sit here on my bunk and finish up the journal entry, I look around and see Deija reading a book at the foot of my bed, completely relaxed, and people who we have been walking with the whole trip, even if it's hard to communicate with words, I still feel as though it's a sort of family bonding that ties us together. A family bonding that the people who just joined will never get to experience, which is sad because that is one of the best parts of the Camino.*
Buen Camino!
Auna
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Day 27: Sarria to Portomarin (Deija)
Day 27: Sarria to Portomarin
14.2 Miles
Total: 430.8
After leaving the Alburgue this morning we were welcomed by darkness. Now, it wasn't too early, but the sun has been rising later lately, and the dim light given by the faraway sunrise was barely visible, which made the walk along the rocky and paved pathways a bit more difficult... Despite my usual ^energetic morning self.
SARCASM ALERT.
-> I'm not really a morning person...read earlier entries.
*BLAST FROM THE PAST* Yesterday the back of my right knee started to feel a wee bit achey towards the end of day, so let's just say I took the last mile a bit slowly.
*NOW BACK TO THE PRESENT* Today I stretched before setting out and took some ibuprofen with breakfast to ease a bit of the pain while walking. I don't know if it helped or not because I was still pretty slow. Mr. March stayed behind with me for a while just in case I needed him while "The Others" -- Note: Please read with Alec Baldwins 'I am God' voice. -- went ahead at a normal pace.
As I Forest Gump'd it down the trail I began to become a little angry at myself, and at the newbies passing me. I was SUPPOSE to be the one passing people. I deserved the recognition, I thought so anyway... I have been doing this for almost a month, and these noobs, who just joined in Sarria just so that they can get a certificate of achievement, are going faster than me! Oh my, it was nerve-racking, and for a while there, my only goal was to go fast enough just to stay ahead of a group of lamesauce teenage girls gagging at the sight and smell of cow manure. --Now, I know it's rude to be judgmental and I'm sorry..that is just how I felt... This morning.-- At one point I told Mr. March about this goal of mine, and he told me to pace myself properly, and not to pay attention to them... This was extremely hard by the way, but I finally ignored them and paced myself where it wouldn't hurt as badly.
AND GUESS WHAT. I passed up those noobs like the tortoise passed the hare; They stopped for a break, I didn't need one, therefore I was ahead, where I was suppose to be.
I NEVER SAW THEM AGAIN. Muahahahahaahah!
Even though I wasn't suppose to be thinking about them I couldn't help but smile a bit when I continued to walk as they sat down. I got over myself fairly quickly though, and started to get back into my own personal rhythm. My leg continued to hurt all day, but I eventually put it to the side of my mind and thought about other things.
I'm turning sixteen on the thirty-first and I'm fairly certain I'll be eating some sort of sugary deliciousness on that day, which is eggsiting all in it's self. Our trip is coming to a close soon and I have mixed feelings about that whole ordeal... I have thoroughly enjoyed myself, and I'm happy to be able to see my family and friends, but I'm also kind of sad that it's almost over. Now that I think about it though, we're aren't all that close to the end. We still have Santiago, Finisterre, Madrid, and D.C. to experience, and that all adds up to about fourteen whole days till I actually arrive home.
Fourteen days of complete and udder awesomesauce.
-- Yes, I know that is the wrong form of "utter," but I like the one I used more. So there. --
I'm definitely ready for everything that is coming my way.
Bring it.
END NOTE: We/I met this AMAZING Swedish couple in the beginning and were walking with them for most of the trip, but then we started to see them less and less. Until today the last I time I had seen them was in Rabanal so it has been a while. I was so excited that they were in town that I quickly finished my shower, and hurried to get dressed just so that I could go see them, like I said, they're amazing. So I just wanted to tell all of you that I have adopted them as my "Trail Grandparents" and that I plan on keeping in touch when we both go our separate ways in Santiago. Their names are Richard and Bridgette, and I love them...because they're amazing... :D
Peace!
- Deija
P.S. - Do I seem happier than the last time I wrote? I'm thinkin so... Hmm... Just a thought. :) Anyway, really stopping now... Adios.
14.2 Miles
Total: 430.8
After leaving the Alburgue this morning we were welcomed by darkness. Now, it wasn't too early, but the sun has been rising later lately, and the dim light given by the faraway sunrise was barely visible, which made the walk along the rocky and paved pathways a bit more difficult... Despite my usual ^energetic morning self.
SARCASM ALERT.
-> I'm not really a morning person...read earlier entries.
*BLAST FROM THE PAST* Yesterday the back of my right knee started to feel a wee bit achey towards the end of day, so let's just say I took the last mile a bit slowly.
*NOW BACK TO THE PRESENT* Today I stretched before setting out and took some ibuprofen with breakfast to ease a bit of the pain while walking. I don't know if it helped or not because I was still pretty slow. Mr. March stayed behind with me for a while just in case I needed him while "The Others" -- Note: Please read with Alec Baldwins 'I am God' voice. -- went ahead at a normal pace.
As I Forest Gump'd it down the trail I began to become a little angry at myself, and at the newbies passing me. I was SUPPOSE to be the one passing people. I deserved the recognition, I thought so anyway... I have been doing this for almost a month, and these noobs, who just joined in Sarria just so that they can get a certificate of achievement, are going faster than me! Oh my, it was nerve-racking, and for a while there, my only goal was to go fast enough just to stay ahead of a group of lamesauce teenage girls gagging at the sight and smell of cow manure. --Now, I know it's rude to be judgmental and I'm sorry..that is just how I felt... This morning.-- At one point I told Mr. March about this goal of mine, and he told me to pace myself properly, and not to pay attention to them... This was extremely hard by the way, but I finally ignored them and paced myself where it wouldn't hurt as badly.
AND GUESS WHAT. I passed up those noobs like the tortoise passed the hare; They stopped for a break, I didn't need one, therefore I was ahead, where I was suppose to be.
I NEVER SAW THEM AGAIN. Muahahahahaahah!
Even though I wasn't suppose to be thinking about them I couldn't help but smile a bit when I continued to walk as they sat down. I got over myself fairly quickly though, and started to get back into my own personal rhythm. My leg continued to hurt all day, but I eventually put it to the side of my mind and thought about other things.
I'm turning sixteen on the thirty-first and I'm fairly certain I'll be eating some sort of sugary deliciousness on that day, which is eggsiting all in it's self. Our trip is coming to a close soon and I have mixed feelings about that whole ordeal... I have thoroughly enjoyed myself, and I'm happy to be able to see my family and friends, but I'm also kind of sad that it's almost over. Now that I think about it though, we're aren't all that close to the end. We still have Santiago, Finisterre, Madrid, and D.C. to experience, and that all adds up to about fourteen whole days till I actually arrive home.
Fourteen days of complete and udder awesomesauce.
-- Yes, I know that is the wrong form of "utter," but I like the one I used more. So there. --
I'm definitely ready for everything that is coming my way.
Bring it.
END NOTE: We/I met this AMAZING Swedish couple in the beginning and were walking with them for most of the trip, but then we started to see them less and less. Until today the last I time I had seen them was in Rabanal so it has been a while. I was so excited that they were in town that I quickly finished my shower, and hurried to get dressed just so that I could go see them, like I said, they're amazing. So I just wanted to tell all of you that I have adopted them as my "Trail Grandparents" and that I plan on keeping in touch when we both go our separate ways in Santiago. Their names are Richard and Bridgette, and I love them...because they're amazing... :D
Peace!
- Deija
P.S. - Do I seem happier than the last time I wrote? I'm thinkin so... Hmm... Just a thought. :) Anyway, really stopping now... Adios.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Day 26: Triacastela to Sarria (James)
Day 26: Triacastela to Sarria
11.6 Miles
Total: 416.4 Miles
Not sure if it was Bree's watch alarm going off, the early bustle and swinging doors from other pilgrims, or the bone chilling cold that woke me up, but it was a quick transition from "in bed" to "hiking ready" at 5:30 this morning.
We followed Bree's headlamp for the first half hour or so this morning, squinting to find any semblance of a yellow arrow to make sure we were on the right path. Not only was it dark in general, but we were walking on a forested path where light struggles to reach through the foliage even at midday. At one point a dog began barking at us and a whole minute passed before we even caught a glimpse of him standing off to the side of the path. Turn around and you could see faint headlamps dancing in the distance. Even at this hour, the trail was crowded.
I was warned about this. I was told the trail would swell with pilgrims as we neared the end. I was told the lodging situation would become stressed. I even told myself, repeatedly, to mentally prepare. Still, I am failing miserably. I think the other day when I took the road less traveled may have spoiled me. It was just...quiet. I was able to just walk and think. Really, this is what the trip is about. Yes, it is a 500 mile walk across Spain, which sounds impressive on paper, but it is how far you travel inward during that time that counts. Next time someone asks how far I went, I'm going to say "two inches," the approximate distance into the part of my brain that generally gets ignored for 9 months out of the year. After 26 days of walking, I feel like I'm close to figuring things out for myself. The problem is that anytime I get to thinking about something, my thoughts are derailed by someone talking on their cell phone, or someone abruptly stopping in front of me to have a cigarette (I am imagining everyone out here is trying to quit and not doing so well). What ensues is this internal struggle of the mind. One part of me wants to be all zen about it, acknowledge the distraction and move on. The other part of me is complaining that I didn't need to come all the way to Spain to experience essentially what I can get from walking around the mall repeatedly with that herd. Although I am rooting for one over the other, it is hard to tell what side is winning sometimes. I guess I have some things to work on.
Because of the crowds, we are shortening up the days to ensure we get a place to stay. We arrived in Sarria around 10:30 this morning and were first in line for the albergue, which has around 40 beds. It didn't open until 1pm so everyone sets their packs in a line like usual and makes runs to the supermarket or cafe. We had a bit of a scare when the albergue opened and Auna and Deija were out grabbing food. Bree and I took their bags and found their credentials and passports, but the woman checking us in refused to let us get the girls a bed because they were not there. I ran outside and up a couple of streets trying to locate them, but to no avail. We were holding up the line, so I ran back to find two Spanish pilgrims, both with whom we have been walking on and off with since St. Jean, helping to explain the situation. Based on their pleas, Bree and I were able to secure beds for the girls. I'm not sure what we would have done had they not helped us.
The end of the trip is nearing. Of course, this means end of the trip logistics need to be taken care of. Our "To Do" list once we arrive in Santiago is growing everyday with bus tickets from the coast, train tickets, lodging for Madrid, etc. Oh, we should probably get our "Compostela," our little certificate for completing the Camino, too. I will add that to the list.
Thanks again for reading. We will see all of you shortly!
James
11.6 Miles
Total: 416.4 Miles
Not sure if it was Bree's watch alarm going off, the early bustle and swinging doors from other pilgrims, or the bone chilling cold that woke me up, but it was a quick transition from "in bed" to "hiking ready" at 5:30 this morning.
We followed Bree's headlamp for the first half hour or so this morning, squinting to find any semblance of a yellow arrow to make sure we were on the right path. Not only was it dark in general, but we were walking on a forested path where light struggles to reach through the foliage even at midday. At one point a dog began barking at us and a whole minute passed before we even caught a glimpse of him standing off to the side of the path. Turn around and you could see faint headlamps dancing in the distance. Even at this hour, the trail was crowded.
I was warned about this. I was told the trail would swell with pilgrims as we neared the end. I was told the lodging situation would become stressed. I even told myself, repeatedly, to mentally prepare. Still, I am failing miserably. I think the other day when I took the road less traveled may have spoiled me. It was just...quiet. I was able to just walk and think. Really, this is what the trip is about. Yes, it is a 500 mile walk across Spain, which sounds impressive on paper, but it is how far you travel inward during that time that counts. Next time someone asks how far I went, I'm going to say "two inches," the approximate distance into the part of my brain that generally gets ignored for 9 months out of the year. After 26 days of walking, I feel like I'm close to figuring things out for myself. The problem is that anytime I get to thinking about something, my thoughts are derailed by someone talking on their cell phone, or someone abruptly stopping in front of me to have a cigarette (I am imagining everyone out here is trying to quit and not doing so well). What ensues is this internal struggle of the mind. One part of me wants to be all zen about it, acknowledge the distraction and move on. The other part of me is complaining that I didn't need to come all the way to Spain to experience essentially what I can get from walking around the mall repeatedly with that herd. Although I am rooting for one over the other, it is hard to tell what side is winning sometimes. I guess I have some things to work on.
Because of the crowds, we are shortening up the days to ensure we get a place to stay. We arrived in Sarria around 10:30 this morning and were first in line for the albergue, which has around 40 beds. It didn't open until 1pm so everyone sets their packs in a line like usual and makes runs to the supermarket or cafe. We had a bit of a scare when the albergue opened and Auna and Deija were out grabbing food. Bree and I took their bags and found their credentials and passports, but the woman checking us in refused to let us get the girls a bed because they were not there. I ran outside and up a couple of streets trying to locate them, but to no avail. We were holding up the line, so I ran back to find two Spanish pilgrims, both with whom we have been walking on and off with since St. Jean, helping to explain the situation. Based on their pleas, Bree and I were able to secure beds for the girls. I'm not sure what we would have done had they not helped us.
The end of the trip is nearing. Of course, this means end of the trip logistics need to be taken care of. Our "To Do" list once we arrive in Santiago is growing everyday with bus tickets from the coast, train tickets, lodging for Madrid, etc. Oh, we should probably get our "Compostela," our little certificate for completing the Camino, too. I will add that to the list.
Thanks again for reading. We will see all of you shortly!
James
Day 25: O'Cebreiro to Triacastela (Auna)
Day 25: O'Cebreiro to Triacastela
12.9 Miles
Total: 404.8 Miles
As I walk this morning I hear the trees brushing up against each other in the wind and quick foot steps, I smell fresh morning air and mist, I feel the slick, wet ground under my feet and the thick cloudy mist, I taste a granola bar and a little bit of tooth paste, I see the dark morning sky and a never endless sight of trees on my sides as I walk further and further. It was great, we all loved it. It was a change that we were all anxiously waiting for. We were out of the dry, flat, and straight land and into the hilly, wet, and curvy trail. I wish you could have seen the sun rise.. I wish I could have seen it as well! That was the only bad thing about walking through a cloud, you can't watch the sun rise.
The climbs were great fun now that I'm in shape for them! I have been rather cold the past couple of days so I wore, literally, just about every piece of clothing I had brought and it made my pack MUCH lighter! I was considering wearing them all every day but I got hot pretty quick. Once the fog cleared a little bit you could see some amazing scenery. I missed the color green around me and today I was overwhelmed with it. Also something new to see is when you turn a corner or reach the top of a hill there always seems to be a newer pilgrim smoking a cigarette, we are sadly nearing the end..
My legs bugged me a little bit today but my mind took me else where and the pain seemed to go away. I have been thinking hard the past couple days and it's on what I plan to do for the rest of my summer. March and Bree have been encouraging me to join cross country because I really do enjoy running on the trail but I've been considering that. My main thoughts have been on something else though, trail angels. I feel like my heart has been touched by the sweet kindness and generosity of all these trail angels. I want to do what they do, I want to feel that happiness you get from giving to people that you once were like. So when I get back home, in mid August I plan to go along the Pacific Crest Trail and I don't exactly know what type of stuff I want to give yet, but I plan on being a trail angel! It is going to be my way of giving back. I get excited and my spirit lifts whenever I even imagine being a trail angel. It's one thing I plan on doing before the summer is over
Today was very short, I don't think we have had a day this short since the first couple days. We are in good enough shape to go much further and escape a parade of people but we stayed. It's a very nice town and I stocked up on a bunch of food from the super market which added about ten pounds to my bag but I should be set for a while. I'm sad that we are going to be in Santiago so soon. I have had the time of my life on this Camino and I hate to see it end but I have been missing my family and friends a lot too. I definitely plan on coming back and I highly recommend this to people, anyone. Everyone should have an experience like this at least once in their life, I'm so thankful I have already experienced it. This has opened, or at least cracked open new doors for me. I have a different outlook on things, I am so happy. So far this has definitely been a good journey.
-Auna
12.9 Miles
Total: 404.8 Miles
As I walk this morning I hear the trees brushing up against each other in the wind and quick foot steps, I smell fresh morning air and mist, I feel the slick, wet ground under my feet and the thick cloudy mist, I taste a granola bar and a little bit of tooth paste, I see the dark morning sky and a never endless sight of trees on my sides as I walk further and further. It was great, we all loved it. It was a change that we were all anxiously waiting for. We were out of the dry, flat, and straight land and into the hilly, wet, and curvy trail. I wish you could have seen the sun rise.. I wish I could have seen it as well! That was the only bad thing about walking through a cloud, you can't watch the sun rise.
The climbs were great fun now that I'm in shape for them! I have been rather cold the past couple of days so I wore, literally, just about every piece of clothing I had brought and it made my pack MUCH lighter! I was considering wearing them all every day but I got hot pretty quick. Once the fog cleared a little bit you could see some amazing scenery. I missed the color green around me and today I was overwhelmed with it. Also something new to see is when you turn a corner or reach the top of a hill there always seems to be a newer pilgrim smoking a cigarette, we are sadly nearing the end..
My legs bugged me a little bit today but my mind took me else where and the pain seemed to go away. I have been thinking hard the past couple days and it's on what I plan to do for the rest of my summer. March and Bree have been encouraging me to join cross country because I really do enjoy running on the trail but I've been considering that. My main thoughts have been on something else though, trail angels. I feel like my heart has been touched by the sweet kindness and generosity of all these trail angels. I want to do what they do, I want to feel that happiness you get from giving to people that you once were like. So when I get back home, in mid August I plan to go along the Pacific Crest Trail and I don't exactly know what type of stuff I want to give yet, but I plan on being a trail angel! It is going to be my way of giving back. I get excited and my spirit lifts whenever I even imagine being a trail angel. It's one thing I plan on doing before the summer is over
Today was very short, I don't think we have had a day this short since the first couple days. We are in good enough shape to go much further and escape a parade of people but we stayed. It's a very nice town and I stocked up on a bunch of food from the super market which added about ten pounds to my bag but I should be set for a while. I'm sad that we are going to be in Santiago so soon. I have had the time of my life on this Camino and I hate to see it end but I have been missing my family and friends a lot too. I definitely plan on coming back and I highly recommend this to people, anyone. Everyone should have an experience like this at least once in their life, I'm so thankful I have already experienced it. This has opened, or at least cracked open new doors for me. I have a different outlook on things, I am so happy. So far this has definitely been a good journey.
-Auna
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Day 24: Villafranca Del Bierzo to O'Cebreiro (James)
Day 24 Villafranca del Bierzo to O'Cebreiro
18.7 Miles
Total: 391.9 Miles
Bree gave me a gift this morning. When looking over the route for today last night, we noted our guidebook gave three options. One was just a straight shot more or less following the road at the bottom of the valley. Another offered a bit of respite from the road by traversing a hill before joining the main route. The last option was a strenuous day of climbing in and out of deep river valleys south of the main route. It was far hillier, longer, and not as well marked. In other words, it was perfect. However, I learned long ago that what I deem as "fun" tends to differ from the general public so we had a decision to make.
The dilemma with the situation was that the Camino is beginning to swell with pilgrims. There is a palpable difference with the newer pilgrims. For instance, this is the first time on the trip that Bree had difficulty getting into the bathroom because a woman was busy applying make-up. Backpacks overflow with full size bottles of shampoo and we are starting to see people wearing jeans. It's just different. It's not necessarily bad and who are we to judge another's Camino, but it does change our walk now as the hostels from here on out will be stressed to accommodate the increased pilgrims. No longer can we take our time and stroll in at 3pm. There simply won't be any beds left.
We figured most pilgrims would take the main road and we figured Bree and the girls could take the route that briefly took them away from the road for a chance to take in some scenery without losing too much ground. That left me with an opportunity to take the long route. So long as I kept moving and didn't get horribly lost in the hills, there was no reason why I couldn't make it to the hostel in time to get a bed.
I said farewell to the girls early in the morning. Street lamps guided me to the Drogonte signpost and the first of four steep climbs began immediately. The views were fantastic. The sun began to peek over the ridge lighting up the hills around me. Every time I rounded a corner, Villafranca appeared smaller and smaller. The climb was fairly steep, but it felt good to generate some heat in the morning. Periodically I would come across messages in the road. They were all in Spanish. There were a few I couldn't understand, but it didn't matter, I knew what they meant. "Strength," "courage," it was all the same and I appreciated every word.
Dragonte, the first town on my route, came quicker than I imagined and I took the opportunity to refill my water bottle. It was at this point I headed away from the main road and followed dirt tracks for the rest of the day. The downhill was steep and I took to a run, bouncing over rocks, and sliding down gravel, always one slip away from crashing. It was exhilarating, but the problem is that the route is not well way marked and it was necessary to pay close attention. The guidebook warned to take a right near a stream before you get to the ruins of a stone building. I had read this, but in my bounding exuberance I continued on through the stream, busy jumping from rock to rock before nearly running face first into an old stone building. It wasn't obvious where to turn so I backtracked a bit and finally admitted to myself that I was lost for the first time of the day. I eventually made my way back to the stream and discovered that by walking up it for a ways, I could get back to the dry track on the other side. Three other times throughout the day I found myself lost, like accidentally venturing into someone's farm, or staring up forks in the road with no discernible way of telling which was the main path. A few other times I stood in front of completely overgrown paths, tangled with tall broom and blackberry vines. I was loving every minute of it. To be lost in Spain, away from the beaten path, I would have trouble thinking of anything else I'd rather be doing.
I eventually emerged in the town of Herrias to rejoin the main route and the rest of the pilgrims. I didn't expect to see the girls and we made plans to meet up at the hostel, but as I sat down to enjoy an ice cream, who do I see? I wasn't there but two minutes when I saw Bree, Auna, and Deija all smiles walking up the road. I looked down at my muddy shoes, and bloodied legs, and shaking thighs. I was smiling, too.
Together again, we set out for the final climb of the day up to O'Cebreiro. We passed several other pilgrims along the way, which turned out to be important as we were among the last pilgrims to secure a room at the top.
As I write, I am looking out the window and all I see is mist and clouds. We ventured out earlier and had a "Pergrino Menu" or a Pilgrims Meal. Usually around 9 or 10€, it tends to be a bit too expensive for us, but tonight we indulged. The girls used their "Morberg Meal," money that Mr. Morberg had donated. Well fed and in good spirits we are looking at roughly 100 miles to Santiago. The trail is definitely changing. The new terrain is welcome, but the new pilgrims will add an additional element so hopefully we can adjust and still enjoy the last few days without being too stressed.
Take care!
James
18.7 Miles
Total: 391.9 Miles
Bree gave me a gift this morning. When looking over the route for today last night, we noted our guidebook gave three options. One was just a straight shot more or less following the road at the bottom of the valley. Another offered a bit of respite from the road by traversing a hill before joining the main route. The last option was a strenuous day of climbing in and out of deep river valleys south of the main route. It was far hillier, longer, and not as well marked. In other words, it was perfect. However, I learned long ago that what I deem as "fun" tends to differ from the general public so we had a decision to make.
The dilemma with the situation was that the Camino is beginning to swell with pilgrims. There is a palpable difference with the newer pilgrims. For instance, this is the first time on the trip that Bree had difficulty getting into the bathroom because a woman was busy applying make-up. Backpacks overflow with full size bottles of shampoo and we are starting to see people wearing jeans. It's just different. It's not necessarily bad and who are we to judge another's Camino, but it does change our walk now as the hostels from here on out will be stressed to accommodate the increased pilgrims. No longer can we take our time and stroll in at 3pm. There simply won't be any beds left.
We figured most pilgrims would take the main road and we figured Bree and the girls could take the route that briefly took them away from the road for a chance to take in some scenery without losing too much ground. That left me with an opportunity to take the long route. So long as I kept moving and didn't get horribly lost in the hills, there was no reason why I couldn't make it to the hostel in time to get a bed.
I said farewell to the girls early in the morning. Street lamps guided me to the Drogonte signpost and the first of four steep climbs began immediately. The views were fantastic. The sun began to peek over the ridge lighting up the hills around me. Every time I rounded a corner, Villafranca appeared smaller and smaller. The climb was fairly steep, but it felt good to generate some heat in the morning. Periodically I would come across messages in the road. They were all in Spanish. There were a few I couldn't understand, but it didn't matter, I knew what they meant. "Strength," "courage," it was all the same and I appreciated every word.
Dragonte, the first town on my route, came quicker than I imagined and I took the opportunity to refill my water bottle. It was at this point I headed away from the main road and followed dirt tracks for the rest of the day. The downhill was steep and I took to a run, bouncing over rocks, and sliding down gravel, always one slip away from crashing. It was exhilarating, but the problem is that the route is not well way marked and it was necessary to pay close attention. The guidebook warned to take a right near a stream before you get to the ruins of a stone building. I had read this, but in my bounding exuberance I continued on through the stream, busy jumping from rock to rock before nearly running face first into an old stone building. It wasn't obvious where to turn so I backtracked a bit and finally admitted to myself that I was lost for the first time of the day. I eventually made my way back to the stream and discovered that by walking up it for a ways, I could get back to the dry track on the other side. Three other times throughout the day I found myself lost, like accidentally venturing into someone's farm, or staring up forks in the road with no discernible way of telling which was the main path. A few other times I stood in front of completely overgrown paths, tangled with tall broom and blackberry vines. I was loving every minute of it. To be lost in Spain, away from the beaten path, I would have trouble thinking of anything else I'd rather be doing.
I eventually emerged in the town of Herrias to rejoin the main route and the rest of the pilgrims. I didn't expect to see the girls and we made plans to meet up at the hostel, but as I sat down to enjoy an ice cream, who do I see? I wasn't there but two minutes when I saw Bree, Auna, and Deija all smiles walking up the road. I looked down at my muddy shoes, and bloodied legs, and shaking thighs. I was smiling, too.
Together again, we set out for the final climb of the day up to O'Cebreiro. We passed several other pilgrims along the way, which turned out to be important as we were among the last pilgrims to secure a room at the top.
As I write, I am looking out the window and all I see is mist and clouds. We ventured out earlier and had a "Pergrino Menu" or a Pilgrims Meal. Usually around 9 or 10€, it tends to be a bit too expensive for us, but tonight we indulged. The girls used their "Morberg Meal," money that Mr. Morberg had donated. Well fed and in good spirits we are looking at roughly 100 miles to Santiago. The trail is definitely changing. The new terrain is welcome, but the new pilgrims will add an additional element so hopefully we can adjust and still enjoy the last few days without being too stressed.
Take care!
James
Day 23: Ponferrada to Villafranca Del Bierzo (Bree)
Day 23: Ponferrada to Villafranca Del Bierzo
15 Miles
Total: 373.2 Miles
As we arrived in Ponferrada the night before, it was great to see a lot of pilgrims we hadn't seen for the last few days, but have been hiking "with" since St. Jean. It's strange that you can feel such a strong bond with people that you hardly know and who don't even speak the same language. I guess mutual suffering, experiences, and understanding can have that effect on people.
As we had breakfast this morning and prepared to leave the hostal in Ponferrada, we felt very lucky that we even had a bed the night before. Although the hostel had beds for 210 people, the pilgrims that arrived later had to sleep on mats in the kitchen and outside in the entry way. We ate our breakfast in the middle of 30 or more sleeping pilgrims that likely had a cold restless nights sleep. I imagine they were the last ones to get to go to bed, due to the loud fireworks and parade at the church connected to the hostel, and the first to wake up with the loud morning rustles of people getting ready to hit the trail.
Last nights hostel made us realize that our journey is about to change quite a bit over the next 8 or 9 days. Not only is the landscape changing, from Meseta back to mountains, but there will gradually be more and more people on the trail everyday.
The Festival of St. James is on the 25th in Santiago, so a lot of Spainards will be jumping on to walk the last 100km of the trail so they can finish on the 25th. The catholic church requires them to walk only the last 100 km in order to have all of their sins forgiven and to ensure a ticket to heaven. I will keep my opinion about this matter to myself, but nonetheless, this adds an interesting new element to our trip.
The newbies are easy to spot in their brand new shoes, lack of tan lines, healthy feet, and toiletry bags that include makeup. There are also some larger school and religious groups on the trail now too. Some of the young boys made me appreciate America's general aversion to littering as James and I forced them to pick up after themselves after their lunch break in the mountains. All of the newcomers leave you with a warm feeling of accomplishment knowing how far you have walked to get to their starting line.
I think we were all a bit tired this morning, but the floor sleepers were sufficient motivation for us to get moving quickly so we wouldn't be in their shoes in the next town. We managed to get 15 or so miles in by 11:30, and were one of the first groups to the hostel. Villafranca del Bierzo is a cute little town, whose people, drum circles, and artsy shops, remind us all of Eugene.
Tomorrow will be a tougher day of higher milage and some difficult hills to climb, but I think we are all excited for the drastic change in scenary as we head into Galicia. The girls are doing well with only minor annoying pains here and there, and are usually able to walk a consistent brisk 3 mph pace with only short intermittent breaks. Their families and friends should be incredibly proud of their accomplishments and persistence so far. They are doing something most people wouldn't even attempt and are doing extremely well!
We are getting closer and closer to being done everyday, but as our tan lines worsen and our shoes wear thin, I think we all share bittersweet feelings about reaching the end.
Restocked with food and water, we will head into the mountains tomorrow!
Thanks to everyone who is following our progress!
Be well,
~Bree
15 Miles
Total: 373.2 Miles
As we arrived in Ponferrada the night before, it was great to see a lot of pilgrims we hadn't seen for the last few days, but have been hiking "with" since St. Jean. It's strange that you can feel such a strong bond with people that you hardly know and who don't even speak the same language. I guess mutual suffering, experiences, and understanding can have that effect on people.
As we had breakfast this morning and prepared to leave the hostal in Ponferrada, we felt very lucky that we even had a bed the night before. Although the hostel had beds for 210 people, the pilgrims that arrived later had to sleep on mats in the kitchen and outside in the entry way. We ate our breakfast in the middle of 30 or more sleeping pilgrims that likely had a cold restless nights sleep. I imagine they were the last ones to get to go to bed, due to the loud fireworks and parade at the church connected to the hostel, and the first to wake up with the loud morning rustles of people getting ready to hit the trail.
Last nights hostel made us realize that our journey is about to change quite a bit over the next 8 or 9 days. Not only is the landscape changing, from Meseta back to mountains, but there will gradually be more and more people on the trail everyday.
The Festival of St. James is on the 25th in Santiago, so a lot of Spainards will be jumping on to walk the last 100km of the trail so they can finish on the 25th. The catholic church requires them to walk only the last 100 km in order to have all of their sins forgiven and to ensure a ticket to heaven. I will keep my opinion about this matter to myself, but nonetheless, this adds an interesting new element to our trip.
The newbies are easy to spot in their brand new shoes, lack of tan lines, healthy feet, and toiletry bags that include makeup. There are also some larger school and religious groups on the trail now too. Some of the young boys made me appreciate America's general aversion to littering as James and I forced them to pick up after themselves after their lunch break in the mountains. All of the newcomers leave you with a warm feeling of accomplishment knowing how far you have walked to get to their starting line.
I think we were all a bit tired this morning, but the floor sleepers were sufficient motivation for us to get moving quickly so we wouldn't be in their shoes in the next town. We managed to get 15 or so miles in by 11:30, and were one of the first groups to the hostel. Villafranca del Bierzo is a cute little town, whose people, drum circles, and artsy shops, remind us all of Eugene.
Tomorrow will be a tougher day of higher milage and some difficult hills to climb, but I think we are all excited for the drastic change in scenary as we head into Galicia. The girls are doing well with only minor annoying pains here and there, and are usually able to walk a consistent brisk 3 mph pace with only short intermittent breaks. Their families and friends should be incredibly proud of their accomplishments and persistence so far. They are doing something most people wouldn't even attempt and are doing extremely well!
We are getting closer and closer to being done everyday, but as our tan lines worsen and our shoes wear thin, I think we all share bittersweet feelings about reaching the end.
Restocked with food and water, we will head into the mountains tomorrow!
Thanks to everyone who is following our progress!
Be well,
~Bree
Day 22: Rabanal del Camino to Ponferrada (Deija)
Day 22: Rabanal del Camino to Ponferrada
19.5 Miles
Total: 358.2
My day started off badly, I woke up late, personally rushed myself because I didn't want to talk to anyone, and when I went to the garden to retrieve my clothes, they were all still wet. I had washed everything the night before, so the only clothing that was dry was the clothing I had worn to bed. Now this wouldn't have been a problem if I wasn't extremely warm last night, therefore my pajamas of choice were not trail worthy. I put on wet spandex, pants, and a wet top. This also wouldn't have really made a problem had it not been the day that we were climbing up a mountain, so there was a crisp wind, and mist to deal with. I was cold, pissed off, and my right knee and ankle were bugging me. I slowly fell behind the others, walking at my own snail pace and grumbling to myself about Italy and Castles. (That last bit probably won't make any sense, but it's what was doing.)
My mind went off on a tangent immediately after I brought up to myself how far we were supposably going today. "Miles to Kilometers. Kilometers are used everywhere but the US, this includes Italy. Italians had old mining roads in Spain, well, technically it was the Romans, but Italians none the less. Nathan Fillion was recently in Italy, wow, slightly creepy that I know that. Nathan Fillion is in Castle on ABC. Castles are usually old, so is the alphabet..duh. I wonder if Spanish or Italian came first... I will have to look that up later. Do Italians actually eat a lot of Alfredo? That might be a stereotype. Stereotypically delicious!"
So those, ladies and gentlefolk, are just tidbits of what I thought about ALL freaking DAY.
I finally caught up with everyone when we reached the highest point on the Camino, 1505 meters in height. Oh yeah, we just climbed that, that's right, be amazing grasshopper. So, do you remember when I told you I caught up with the group? Well, I did, then I kinda, didn't. They went ahead again, and I still just kept walking at my own personal pace, just. for. me.
One thing that I did actually enjoy today was the scenery! It has started to become greener here people! Better call the nature police! As it got greener and greener, we also started to descend into a small valley, hereby giving us the disadvantage of less wind and more heat! Whoop whoop! Happy Late Birthday, Auna!
Okay, so, you're probably wondering why I'm annoyed still, and being extremely sarcastic, well, the answer to that question is in the below sentences/paragraph:
For dinner, Auna and I planned for Alfredo with shrimp! Mmmm!
This. Was. A. Disaster.
The store didn't have the right ingredients, we couldn't figure out how the stove worked, there wasn't enough elbow room, we were cooking while it was still really hot, we were hungry... Add all this up and you get the crappiest noodle dish known to mankind, and that, is saying something big. It was burnt and the shrimp didn't help, and my salad had weird sour tasting things in it.
Now, if I read what I just wrote a year ago, I would have told the person to stop the moaning and complaining and just freaking eat it if you're so hungry. But, now, that I've EXPERIENCED this actual moment, I have another opinion.
DO. NOT. EAT. IT.
If something tastes as gross as what Auna and I ate, it shouldn't even be fed to an animal. Of any kind!
You may think I'm exaggerating, but I'm not. It was awful.
So, now that we covered our failed attempt at dinner, we can pretty much wrap up my day. Tomorrow is SUPPOSED to be a shorter day because we walked three miles extra today, but who knows. Life can take us in many directions, I just hope the directions are usually on path with the Camino. I'm not a very big fan of backtracking... Or being lost.
With much love,
Deija
19.5 Miles
Total: 358.2
My day started off badly, I woke up late, personally rushed myself because I didn't want to talk to anyone, and when I went to the garden to retrieve my clothes, they were all still wet. I had washed everything the night before, so the only clothing that was dry was the clothing I had worn to bed. Now this wouldn't have been a problem if I wasn't extremely warm last night, therefore my pajamas of choice were not trail worthy. I put on wet spandex, pants, and a wet top. This also wouldn't have really made a problem had it not been the day that we were climbing up a mountain, so there was a crisp wind, and mist to deal with. I was cold, pissed off, and my right knee and ankle were bugging me. I slowly fell behind the others, walking at my own snail pace and grumbling to myself about Italy and Castles. (That last bit probably won't make any sense, but it's what was doing.)
My mind went off on a tangent immediately after I brought up to myself how far we were supposably going today. "Miles to Kilometers. Kilometers are used everywhere but the US, this includes Italy. Italians had old mining roads in Spain, well, technically it was the Romans, but Italians none the less. Nathan Fillion was recently in Italy, wow, slightly creepy that I know that. Nathan Fillion is in Castle on ABC. Castles are usually old, so is the alphabet..duh. I wonder if Spanish or Italian came first... I will have to look that up later. Do Italians actually eat a lot of Alfredo? That might be a stereotype. Stereotypically delicious!"
So those, ladies and gentlefolk, are just tidbits of what I thought about ALL freaking DAY.
I finally caught up with everyone when we reached the highest point on the Camino, 1505 meters in height. Oh yeah, we just climbed that, that's right, be amazing grasshopper. So, do you remember when I told you I caught up with the group? Well, I did, then I kinda, didn't. They went ahead again, and I still just kept walking at my own personal pace, just. for. me.
One thing that I did actually enjoy today was the scenery! It has started to become greener here people! Better call the nature police! As it got greener and greener, we also started to descend into a small valley, hereby giving us the disadvantage of less wind and more heat! Whoop whoop! Happy Late Birthday, Auna!
Okay, so, you're probably wondering why I'm annoyed still, and being extremely sarcastic, well, the answer to that question is in the below sentences/paragraph:
For dinner, Auna and I planned for Alfredo with shrimp! Mmmm!
This. Was. A. Disaster.
The store didn't have the right ingredients, we couldn't figure out how the stove worked, there wasn't enough elbow room, we were cooking while it was still really hot, we were hungry... Add all this up and you get the crappiest noodle dish known to mankind, and that, is saying something big. It was burnt and the shrimp didn't help, and my salad had weird sour tasting things in it.
Now, if I read what I just wrote a year ago, I would have told the person to stop the moaning and complaining and just freaking eat it if you're so hungry. But, now, that I've EXPERIENCED this actual moment, I have another opinion.
DO. NOT. EAT. IT.
If something tastes as gross as what Auna and I ate, it shouldn't even be fed to an animal. Of any kind!
You may think I'm exaggerating, but I'm not. It was awful.
So, now that we covered our failed attempt at dinner, we can pretty much wrap up my day. Tomorrow is SUPPOSED to be a shorter day because we walked three miles extra today, but who knows. Life can take us in many directions, I just hope the directions are usually on path with the Camino. I'm not a very big fan of backtracking... Or being lost.
With much love,
Deija
Friday, July 15, 2011
Day 21: Santibanez to Rabanal del Camino (Auna)
Day 21: Santibanez to Rabanal del Camino
20.2 miles
Total: 338.7 miles
When I was little I imagined my sixteenth birthday to the BIGGEST, FUNNEST, CRAZIEST, and possibly the most stereotypical 'Sweet Sixteen' ever. My ideas changed as I got older but I never once thought that I would be spending my sixteenth birthday in Spain! Just being here is enough to satisfy me, a dream come true. and just a couple days ago I realized that your birthday shouldn't have to be a big celebration that people freak out over. I wasn't expecting anything much and I didn't want anything either. Today is my sixteenth birthday and I got more than I could ever ask for.
I had no idea that March and Bree had a secret birthday plan for me going on. I didn't think anything was weird when I figured out that Bree was leaving about an hour and a half before us but later it all made sense.. But their surprise wasn't the only surprise I would encounter that morning. As I rise further and further up the big hill this morning I noticed something in the distance. Once I was at the top I could tell it was one of the Camino's great gifts, a "trail angel". A trail angel, on my birthday, it was perfect! March and I get there and look at all he has to offer. For drinks this nice man had coffee, tea, hot chocolate, milk, and a wide range of juices. He had a bunch of fruits, bananas to plums to nectarines to apples to pears. Along with that he had walnuts, chocolate, sugar plums, and crackers but there was something he had that most trail angels don't have.. In fact, something most Europeans don't even have and I have yet to see it be sold in stores, PEANUT BUTTER! It was such a great treat. There was a book that he had for pilgrims to sign and leave notes in, most of all the English notes said that the peanut butter was such a delight! It was creamy but still had bits of peanut and this wasn't jiffy crap, it was the real peanut butter. He also had a stamp we could put in our credentials that was a red heart and had in it "La Casa de los Dioses" March stamped both of my hands as well. This guy is was so generous, he said he did it because he loved seeing peoples faces once they see his stand, pure happiness. It makes people realize that, once again, 'this walk is all about the way and not the destination' he says. As I start stretching off to the side on the trail I notice a box, my eyes lit up once I saw what was inside. I turned to March and sang "Accessssorrrieeeesss!" (: it had necklaces, brackets, and anklets. They all were so cute and I just couldn't decide. I felt guilty eating a bit of his food and I felt even worse just thinking about taking one even though it was all donation. March looked at me and reminded me that it was my birthday and that it was okay, he helped me settle on this cute bracelet. I got a picture with the guy at the stand and I thanked him. I already knew it would be and unforgettable birthday from just that moment. I want to do stuff like that for people, make them smile and cheer them up. I want to be something like a trail angel.
Later on we end up in Astorga, one of the couple big cities we will be hitting until Santiago. March says he wants to see the cathedral so we go into the town a bit, I see Bree sitting at a table in front of a Café. I had yet to notice what was on the table until I got closer. As March grins with his camera pointing at me I see this mountain of stuff under a big coat of napkins. I didn't know what was underneath and I was already so happy. It was so sweet, they shouldn't have done anything. With tears of joy in my eyes I unwrap my surprise. It was anything I could've asked for and more! The first thing I saw was some sort of berry cheese cake slice and then a slice of some almond butter type cake. There was a tall glass of very fresh squeezed orange juice and all sorts of breakfast foods. There was a croissant, scrambled eggs with bacon pieces, biscuits, slices of ham and fried eggs with slices of cheese. It was so delicious, we all dug in. My belly became so full so quick. It really touched my heart, it was so thoughtful and I didn't even expect anything and once all of this happened I was overwhelmed. I got an unforgettable and very sweet sixteenth birthday.
Today was the second day in a row that we walked over 20 miles, it may have been 20.2 miles but I walked that '.2' miles and it was not easy! The sun was definitely shining today and it was shining bright! The last 8 miles or so it was pretty hot. It seemed to get hotter and hotter with every step I took. A couple miles away from town I was walking alone and I couldn't see people in front of me or behind me so I just took off my shirt. Other people wouldn't say that it was that hot but I was walking in it for a while now and I was getting sweaty and gross so I walked in my short and sports bra and I tucked my shirt in my backpack straps and it draped over from my shoulders to my shorts so I was covered but when there was a small breeze it felt great. We were walking later than usual and I wasn't used to the heat while backpacking. The rest of the day I spent wandering the town or mingling with new people. Deija and I made some great pasta for dinner and now I lay in bed about to fall asleep.. As a sixteen year old... How cool is that? Pretty darn cool I'd say! I really want to March, Bree, and Deija to know how much I appreciate them and what they did was so kind and more than I would ever ask for. I'm glad I can experience this with all of you, we have become a little Camino family. I love you guys, thank you so much.
Auna
20.2 miles
Total: 338.7 miles
When I was little I imagined my sixteenth birthday to the BIGGEST, FUNNEST, CRAZIEST, and possibly the most stereotypical 'Sweet Sixteen' ever. My ideas changed as I got older but I never once thought that I would be spending my sixteenth birthday in Spain! Just being here is enough to satisfy me, a dream come true. and just a couple days ago I realized that your birthday shouldn't have to be a big celebration that people freak out over. I wasn't expecting anything much and I didn't want anything either. Today is my sixteenth birthday and I got more than I could ever ask for.
I had no idea that March and Bree had a secret birthday plan for me going on. I didn't think anything was weird when I figured out that Bree was leaving about an hour and a half before us but later it all made sense.. But their surprise wasn't the only surprise I would encounter that morning. As I rise further and further up the big hill this morning I noticed something in the distance. Once I was at the top I could tell it was one of the Camino's great gifts, a "trail angel". A trail angel, on my birthday, it was perfect! March and I get there and look at all he has to offer. For drinks this nice man had coffee, tea, hot chocolate, milk, and a wide range of juices. He had a bunch of fruits, bananas to plums to nectarines to apples to pears. Along with that he had walnuts, chocolate, sugar plums, and crackers but there was something he had that most trail angels don't have.. In fact, something most Europeans don't even have and I have yet to see it be sold in stores, PEANUT BUTTER! It was such a great treat. There was a book that he had for pilgrims to sign and leave notes in, most of all the English notes said that the peanut butter was such a delight! It was creamy but still had bits of peanut and this wasn't jiffy crap, it was the real peanut butter. He also had a stamp we could put in our credentials that was a red heart and had in it "La Casa de los Dioses" March stamped both of my hands as well. This guy is was so generous, he said he did it because he loved seeing peoples faces once they see his stand, pure happiness. It makes people realize that, once again, 'this walk is all about the way and not the destination' he says. As I start stretching off to the side on the trail I notice a box, my eyes lit up once I saw what was inside. I turned to March and sang "Accessssorrrieeeesss!" (: it had necklaces, brackets, and anklets. They all were so cute and I just couldn't decide. I felt guilty eating a bit of his food and I felt even worse just thinking about taking one even though it was all donation. March looked at me and reminded me that it was my birthday and that it was okay, he helped me settle on this cute bracelet. I got a picture with the guy at the stand and I thanked him. I already knew it would be and unforgettable birthday from just that moment. I want to do stuff like that for people, make them smile and cheer them up. I want to be something like a trail angel.
Later on we end up in Astorga, one of the couple big cities we will be hitting until Santiago. March says he wants to see the cathedral so we go into the town a bit, I see Bree sitting at a table in front of a Café. I had yet to notice what was on the table until I got closer. As March grins with his camera pointing at me I see this mountain of stuff under a big coat of napkins. I didn't know what was underneath and I was already so happy. It was so sweet, they shouldn't have done anything. With tears of joy in my eyes I unwrap my surprise. It was anything I could've asked for and more! The first thing I saw was some sort of berry cheese cake slice and then a slice of some almond butter type cake. There was a tall glass of very fresh squeezed orange juice and all sorts of breakfast foods. There was a croissant, scrambled eggs with bacon pieces, biscuits, slices of ham and fried eggs with slices of cheese. It was so delicious, we all dug in. My belly became so full so quick. It really touched my heart, it was so thoughtful and I didn't even expect anything and once all of this happened I was overwhelmed. I got an unforgettable and very sweet sixteenth birthday.
Today was the second day in a row that we walked over 20 miles, it may have been 20.2 miles but I walked that '.2' miles and it was not easy! The sun was definitely shining today and it was shining bright! The last 8 miles or so it was pretty hot. It seemed to get hotter and hotter with every step I took. A couple miles away from town I was walking alone and I couldn't see people in front of me or behind me so I just took off my shirt. Other people wouldn't say that it was that hot but I was walking in it for a while now and I was getting sweaty and gross so I walked in my short and sports bra and I tucked my shirt in my backpack straps and it draped over from my shoulders to my shorts so I was covered but when there was a small breeze it felt great. We were walking later than usual and I wasn't used to the heat while backpacking. The rest of the day I spent wandering the town or mingling with new people. Deija and I made some great pasta for dinner and now I lay in bed about to fall asleep.. As a sixteen year old... How cool is that? Pretty darn cool I'd say! I really want to March, Bree, and Deija to know how much I appreciate them and what they did was so kind and more than I would ever ask for. I'm glad I can experience this with all of you, we have become a little Camino family. I love you guys, thank you so much.
Auna
Day 20: Virgen del Camino to Santibanez (James)
Day 20: Virgen del Camino to Santibanez
20.2 Miles
Total: 318.5 miles
We left the bustle of Leon and it's suburbs early this morning. Can't say I will miss it. I'm sure large cities have their charm, too, but it is quite hard to find it in the short amount of time you spend in them. If I were to simply walk across Eugene and Springfield, I'm sure I would note how ugly West 11th is and comment on the noise and traffic of Main Street. The really special things about where we live reveal themselves slowly over time. Those passing through simply won't notice. I feel the same way here, ignorant of the culture tucked away in the nooks and crannies, and after a few miles of Leon pavement, billboards, noise, stink, and traffic, I find myself pining for some open country.
I got my wish sure enough and we were back traversing old country farms, crossing canal ditches, and waving to Ma and Pa farmers in their tractors while their dogs scurried along after. One might think we were back in the middle of the Meseta, but mountains are clearly visible in the west. In a couple of days we will be back to wiping sweat away from our faces and taking short breaks to ease the burning in our thighs. I can't wait.
We passed a couple of milestones today. One, we passed 300 miles for the trip. At the time of this writing, we have less than 200 miles to Santiago and then a three day hike to the ocean to complete our walk across Spain. As for the second milestone, we have now completed 20 days of hiking in a row. Not too shabby. We, of course, have aches and pains, and blisters still occasionally rear up. However, it is to be expected and if our goal was the illusion of comfort this summer, we would have never left our couches.
Oh, I suppose Auna completed a milestone today as well. It is her last day as a fifteen year old. Bree and I have concocted a plan where she will leave the hostel early tomorrow morning and try to make it to Astorga, the only moderately large city on the route tomorrow (the rest are very small mountain hamlets) before us. I am going to take the girls to the main plaza and hopefully Bree will be there having found a cake of some sort. If that fails, which is quite possible given the times stores open around here, we hope to scout out a nice place to have a real breakfast. If that fails too, we will just say "Happy Birthday" and continue walking up into the mountains. Luckily, Auna is the type of girl who will appreciate any of the three equally.
If you are following along on a map, we are north of the northeast corner of Portugal, traveling at speeds in excess of 3 mph, sometimes a bit slower when heading uphill. And downhill, for that matter. For those of you following along from the Northwest, because of the time difference, the vast majority of our walking is done while you are sound asleep. If you can't sleep, close your eyes and try to count our footsteps.
Thanks for reading!
James
20.2 Miles
Total: 318.5 miles
We left the bustle of Leon and it's suburbs early this morning. Can't say I will miss it. I'm sure large cities have their charm, too, but it is quite hard to find it in the short amount of time you spend in them. If I were to simply walk across Eugene and Springfield, I'm sure I would note how ugly West 11th is and comment on the noise and traffic of Main Street. The really special things about where we live reveal themselves slowly over time. Those passing through simply won't notice. I feel the same way here, ignorant of the culture tucked away in the nooks and crannies, and after a few miles of Leon pavement, billboards, noise, stink, and traffic, I find myself pining for some open country.
I got my wish sure enough and we were back traversing old country farms, crossing canal ditches, and waving to Ma and Pa farmers in their tractors while their dogs scurried along after. One might think we were back in the middle of the Meseta, but mountains are clearly visible in the west. In a couple of days we will be back to wiping sweat away from our faces and taking short breaks to ease the burning in our thighs. I can't wait.
We passed a couple of milestones today. One, we passed 300 miles for the trip. At the time of this writing, we have less than 200 miles to Santiago and then a three day hike to the ocean to complete our walk across Spain. As for the second milestone, we have now completed 20 days of hiking in a row. Not too shabby. We, of course, have aches and pains, and blisters still occasionally rear up. However, it is to be expected and if our goal was the illusion of comfort this summer, we would have never left our couches.
Oh, I suppose Auna completed a milestone today as well. It is her last day as a fifteen year old. Bree and I have concocted a plan where she will leave the hostel early tomorrow morning and try to make it to Astorga, the only moderately large city on the route tomorrow (the rest are very small mountain hamlets) before us. I am going to take the girls to the main plaza and hopefully Bree will be there having found a cake of some sort. If that fails, which is quite possible given the times stores open around here, we hope to scout out a nice place to have a real breakfast. If that fails too, we will just say "Happy Birthday" and continue walking up into the mountains. Luckily, Auna is the type of girl who will appreciate any of the three equally.
If you are following along on a map, we are north of the northeast corner of Portugal, traveling at speeds in excess of 3 mph, sometimes a bit slower when heading uphill. And downhill, for that matter. For those of you following along from the Northwest, because of the time difference, the vast majority of our walking is done while you are sound asleep. If you can't sleep, close your eyes and try to count our footsteps.
Thanks for reading!
James
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Day 19 Mansilla de las Mulas to Virgen del Camino (Bree)
Day 19: Mansilla de las Mulas to Virgen del Camino
17 miles
Total: 298.3 miles
After a restless night of sleep for all of us, we headed out of town towards Leon, our next big city. Our entire day essentially consisted of walking from one end of the cities outstretched arms to the other. Walking through the industrial sections of the city, next to the noisy traffic, made us appreciate the simplicity and beauty of our previous days scenery.
We had lunch in Leon as we gazed at the huge cathedral, then continued on to Virgen del Camino for the night. We made a nice big communal dinner tonight of pasta, salad, bread and dessert. It was nice to take advantage of the communal kitchen before the big rush and enjoy a real meal.
Overall, today was fairly "normal"; which for me was a blessing. A few days ago as the rest of the group left Carrion de Los Condes, I decided to try to sleep in a bit longer as I was feeling a bit strange. Shortly after they left, I spent the next hour thoroughly testing every toilet and garbage can the nuns had to offer. I'm guessing I got food poisoning from something I'd eaten the night before (my bet is on the crab salad). For those of you that have had the pleasure of experiencing the consequences of eating contaminated food, you know that your body then tries to do it's best to get rid of everything inside your stomach as quickly as possible. When your at home, safely curled up next to your own personal toilet, it is no day at the beach. It happens to be a bit less enjoyable when your in a bathroom used by 50 other people or on the trail in the middle of nowhere.
I will try to spare you all from the gruesome details, but to give you an idea of my state of being, it took me eight hours to walk a measly ten miles to the next city. At one point I was woken up from where I had passed out on the side of the road by a lady who started screaming as she ran to her husband. After I woke up, I realized she must have thought I was dead as she could only see my backpack and legs sticking out of the bushes. A few hours later a guy had some Red Cross nurses to come talk to me as I'm guessing my green and pale face made him a bit concerned. The five of them all spoke to me in Spanish very quickly about how stupid I would be to continue walking the next 8 km to the next town during the hottest part of the day when I was so dehydrated. They tried to convince me to go back with them to the town I had been crawling from all day to see a doctor, but the thought of that was enough motivation to keep me going the other direction.
I'll be honest, I was a bit worried at a few moments during the day as I was discharging so much liquid from my body so often, that all of my muscles were cramping every time I moved. The Rehydrate packets I had saved me and also gave me something that didn't taste too bad coming back up. I had also listened to a podcast of James' the other day about some research on how you can trick your body into going farther then you think possible. I tried the trick they used in the study as well as the 'puke and rally' approach, and it worked! I eventually made it to the next town and decided to splurge and get a hotel room to spare myself and the other pilgrims from the dreaded shared bathroom experience of that morning.
After an interesting night of violently interrupted sleep, I got up at 4:30 a.m. to try to catch the others before they got too far ahead. I figured if I could get to where they stayed by 7 a.m., I could catch up quickly if they had already left. I walked into The Peaceable Kingdom, but didn't see any sign of the group. I hurried down the trail and didn't see them all day. I assumed they must have taken the alternate route or I would have caught up to them. I got to Hermanillos de La Calzada by 11:30 and had quickly covered 23 miles trying to catch them, still with no food successfully staying in my belly.
After a shower I decided to try to find some Internet to send James a message telling him where I would try to meet them tomorrow. At about 1:30, as I sat in the shade, the group walked into the town. It turns out they were actually only feet away from me when I entered The Peaceable Kingdom this morning, but we didn't see each other. A bit frustrating, but we were at least all in the same town again and they were spared having to witness the horror show of the day before. I prefer to suffer through those types of things alone anyway, so I guess it all worked out for the best.
I think I've returned to a somewhat "normal" state of existence and hope to remain that way.
So here's to good health and strong legs for the last few hundred miles!
We're getting close......er!!!
~Bree
17 miles
Total: 298.3 miles
After a restless night of sleep for all of us, we headed out of town towards Leon, our next big city. Our entire day essentially consisted of walking from one end of the cities outstretched arms to the other. Walking through the industrial sections of the city, next to the noisy traffic, made us appreciate the simplicity and beauty of our previous days scenery.
We had lunch in Leon as we gazed at the huge cathedral, then continued on to Virgen del Camino for the night. We made a nice big communal dinner tonight of pasta, salad, bread and dessert. It was nice to take advantage of the communal kitchen before the big rush and enjoy a real meal.
Overall, today was fairly "normal"; which for me was a blessing. A few days ago as the rest of the group left Carrion de Los Condes, I decided to try to sleep in a bit longer as I was feeling a bit strange. Shortly after they left, I spent the next hour thoroughly testing every toilet and garbage can the nuns had to offer. I'm guessing I got food poisoning from something I'd eaten the night before (my bet is on the crab salad). For those of you that have had the pleasure of experiencing the consequences of eating contaminated food, you know that your body then tries to do it's best to get rid of everything inside your stomach as quickly as possible. When your at home, safely curled up next to your own personal toilet, it is no day at the beach. It happens to be a bit less enjoyable when your in a bathroom used by 50 other people or on the trail in the middle of nowhere.
I will try to spare you all from the gruesome details, but to give you an idea of my state of being, it took me eight hours to walk a measly ten miles to the next city. At one point I was woken up from where I had passed out on the side of the road by a lady who started screaming as she ran to her husband. After I woke up, I realized she must have thought I was dead as she could only see my backpack and legs sticking out of the bushes. A few hours later a guy had some Red Cross nurses to come talk to me as I'm guessing my green and pale face made him a bit concerned. The five of them all spoke to me in Spanish very quickly about how stupid I would be to continue walking the next 8 km to the next town during the hottest part of the day when I was so dehydrated. They tried to convince me to go back with them to the town I had been crawling from all day to see a doctor, but the thought of that was enough motivation to keep me going the other direction.
I'll be honest, I was a bit worried at a few moments during the day as I was discharging so much liquid from my body so often, that all of my muscles were cramping every time I moved. The Rehydrate packets I had saved me and also gave me something that didn't taste too bad coming back up. I had also listened to a podcast of James' the other day about some research on how you can trick your body into going farther then you think possible. I tried the trick they used in the study as well as the 'puke and rally' approach, and it worked! I eventually made it to the next town and decided to splurge and get a hotel room to spare myself and the other pilgrims from the dreaded shared bathroom experience of that morning.
After an interesting night of violently interrupted sleep, I got up at 4:30 a.m. to try to catch the others before they got too far ahead. I figured if I could get to where they stayed by 7 a.m., I could catch up quickly if they had already left. I walked into The Peaceable Kingdom, but didn't see any sign of the group. I hurried down the trail and didn't see them all day. I assumed they must have taken the alternate route or I would have caught up to them. I got to Hermanillos de La Calzada by 11:30 and had quickly covered 23 miles trying to catch them, still with no food successfully staying in my belly.
After a shower I decided to try to find some Internet to send James a message telling him where I would try to meet them tomorrow. At about 1:30, as I sat in the shade, the group walked into the town. It turns out they were actually only feet away from me when I entered The Peaceable Kingdom this morning, but we didn't see each other. A bit frustrating, but we were at least all in the same town again and they were spared having to witness the horror show of the day before. I prefer to suffer through those types of things alone anyway, so I guess it all worked out for the best.
I think I've returned to a somewhat "normal" state of existence and hope to remain that way.
So here's to good health and strong legs for the last few hundred miles!
We're getting close......er!!!
~Bree
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Day 18: Hermanillos de la Calzada to Mansilla de las Mulas (James)
Day 18: Hermanillos de la Calzada to Mansilla de las Mulas
15.2 Miles
Total: 281.3 Miles
The flashes of lightning and the subsequent booms of thunder are very close together now. The storm must be right above us. I'm glad we decided to just stay in Mansilla de las Mulas even though we arrived early in the day. We could easily be out there in the thick of it.
Our guidebook described today's walk as a path with "no asphalt roads, no sendas, no bridges, no signposts, no towns, no villages, no farmyards, and no houses.". The book also emphasized "no water" on this 15-mile stretch that largely follows along ancient Roman roads, built 2000 years ago. We were still traveling the "meseta," the tabletop flat landscape featuring miles and miles of wheat and oat fields and virtually nothing else. It has it's own unique beauty, but despite it's relatively even terrain, it has a reputation of being a hellish stage for pilgrims, especially when it gets hot.
We got lucky this year. Temperatures have been mild and on the very day where water does become an issue, we awoke to a storm brewing outside at 4:30 in the morning. The asphalt was still wet as we took our first shaky steps up the road. We could see in every direction lighting crashing and we could hear the low rumble of thunder. It was to be our constant companion throughout the 15-mile hike. It was as if we were walking in the eye of the storm, always threatening, but never quite touching. Because of this, we never really took a break. 15 miles of just one foot in front of the other until we had arrived.
We grabbed a bed, ditched our packs and shoes, and headed back out into the streets for a quick market run before siesta shut down the city. Everyone grabbed a little something to make a cheap lunch using the kitchen facilities we often find at the albergues. That is where we are now. Auna is quite proud of her grilled cheese, Bree made a stir-fry of some much needed vegetables, and Deija is enjoying some "papas fritas," or at least trying to.
More and more pilgrims are arriving now. We can hear them before we see them. Shoes squeaking, ponchos swishing as they fish out their "credenciales" or their pilgrims passport, a little booklet that where we collect stamps everyday to prove we are indeed actually walking this thing. The same storm that entertained us by turning the skies into a artistic fury of colors and flashes of light, was the same storm making misery for them. We have dealt with a few storms of our own these last few days so I think we were deserving of the break.
We are excited for the days to come. We will pass through the large city of Leon tomorrow morning and we will then begin to encounter some hills and mountains again.
Until then....
Buen Camino
James
15.2 Miles
Total: 281.3 Miles
The flashes of lightning and the subsequent booms of thunder are very close together now. The storm must be right above us. I'm glad we decided to just stay in Mansilla de las Mulas even though we arrived early in the day. We could easily be out there in the thick of it.
Our guidebook described today's walk as a path with "no asphalt roads, no sendas, no bridges, no signposts, no towns, no villages, no farmyards, and no houses.". The book also emphasized "no water" on this 15-mile stretch that largely follows along ancient Roman roads, built 2000 years ago. We were still traveling the "meseta," the tabletop flat landscape featuring miles and miles of wheat and oat fields and virtually nothing else. It has it's own unique beauty, but despite it's relatively even terrain, it has a reputation of being a hellish stage for pilgrims, especially when it gets hot.
We got lucky this year. Temperatures have been mild and on the very day where water does become an issue, we awoke to a storm brewing outside at 4:30 in the morning. The asphalt was still wet as we took our first shaky steps up the road. We could see in every direction lighting crashing and we could hear the low rumble of thunder. It was to be our constant companion throughout the 15-mile hike. It was as if we were walking in the eye of the storm, always threatening, but never quite touching. Because of this, we never really took a break. 15 miles of just one foot in front of the other until we had arrived.
We grabbed a bed, ditched our packs and shoes, and headed back out into the streets for a quick market run before siesta shut down the city. Everyone grabbed a little something to make a cheap lunch using the kitchen facilities we often find at the albergues. That is where we are now. Auna is quite proud of her grilled cheese, Bree made a stir-fry of some much needed vegetables, and Deija is enjoying some "papas fritas," or at least trying to.
More and more pilgrims are arriving now. We can hear them before we see them. Shoes squeaking, ponchos swishing as they fish out their "credenciales" or their pilgrims passport, a little booklet that where we collect stamps everyday to prove we are indeed actually walking this thing. The same storm that entertained us by turning the skies into a artistic fury of colors and flashes of light, was the same storm making misery for them. We have dealt with a few storms of our own these last few days so I think we were deserving of the break.
We are excited for the days to come. We will pass through the large city of Leon tomorrow morning and we will then begin to encounter some hills and mountains again.
Until then....
Buen Camino
James
Monday, July 11, 2011
Day 17: Moratinos to Calzadilla de Los Hermanillos (Auna)
Day 17: Moratinos to Calzadilla
Miles: 15.3
Total: 266.1 Miles
Two days ago my mom had informed me that my great grandfather has had another seizure and that he was in the hospital living on medication. The doctor said it could be any hour till he passes. I took it very hard, I was really close to my papa, we had a different bond than anyone else. He had been sick for a while now and sadly I was expecting it, we all were. It was always rough going to visit him because each time he grew weaker. I didn't talk to anyone the rest of the night, I found myself drowning in un stoppable tears until something came over me and my body detached itself and I stood up, turned off the shower, got dressed and went outside to take my clothes off the line. I came back up and packed my bag and laid in bed till morning. The next day was rough and I would sometimes bend over in tears on the trail and all day I tried my best to stay strong. By the end of the day I was able to check Facebook and I noticed my cousins status said something along the lines of "R.I.P. Papa Jim" so it was then I figured out he had passed. It's been extremely hard to try and make it through these past couple days but today I realized something...
I noticed how selfish I was acting, I shouldn't be crying because he has moved on to a much better place and his spirit is free. I was lucky enough to have him a part of my life while he was here and my memories with him are always there and can never be taken away. My papa is still here just in a different form, he's in the wind, the sky, the fields of wheat, everywhere. His spirit will never die. Long walks usually can help people think more clearly and I have a couple of weeks of nothing but walking and my mind has been thinking about it non stop and I feel much better. If I was home I would probably still be sobbing but now I am just happy that he suffers no more. All of this got me thinking about other things.
Why do we celebrate birthdays? My birthday is the 15th of this month and I'm not really excited or over joyed. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get that it was the beginning of a new life and that's great and all but if we are going to repeatedly celebrate that special day over every year we might as well celebrate every day as well. You are living everyday so just embrace that fact, every day is a chance to live your life to the fullest. I know people say that a lot but it's different when you really realize it. Don't be afraid to take risks, being scared is half of the fun. All of this thinking began to stretch even wider into even bigger thoughts and everything made sense... It sounded good in my head but I might just sound crazy now.
After all of my thoughts I noticed that I blocked out all the small aches and pains I had and just walked, we were suddenly in the next town. My brain has done my headphones and iPods job! I realized that I had got this whole deep thinking thing down, it had came to me, all at once. As March would say, I have turned all the knobs down low and everything was quiet except for my thoughts. I turned to March with a big grin on my face and excitedly said "Holy !$@$!!! I think I got it!" it was a great feeling.
As the day continued the sun got hotter and it seemed that the trail grew longer. We arrive in the cute town of Calzadilla and we had made a bet earlier; who ever sees Bree first had their ice-cream paid for by the other two. March of course, was ahead and he made his way into town spotting Bree first! So we had ice-cream and settled into our hostel and washed clothes and such. I began to explore this tiny town to see what treasures it holds. I found a pearl, a very tiny pearl inside a very tiny shell. It was at the .. Uh I guess it would be called the local supermarket, it seemed to be inside what should be a living room in someone's home. It had options and a small refrigerated area with a cash register. The man who worked there was the owner as well, I'm guessing. He was fairly short, shorter than I. He was a little husky and very friendly. It made the shopping experience easier as I just point to things. I could tell he was one of those cute little guys who never stopped smiling and that he was perfectly content with himself. Dinner should be the usual sandwich and tonight I shall try to sleep well and feel at peace just like my papa. May he rest in peace and shall never leave my thoughts or heart. Tomorrow should hold another unforgettable memory on the way to our next stop, Mansilla de las .
Auna
Miles: 15.3
Total: 266.1 Miles
Two days ago my mom had informed me that my great grandfather has had another seizure and that he was in the hospital living on medication. The doctor said it could be any hour till he passes. I took it very hard, I was really close to my papa, we had a different bond than anyone else. He had been sick for a while now and sadly I was expecting it, we all were. It was always rough going to visit him because each time he grew weaker. I didn't talk to anyone the rest of the night, I found myself drowning in un stoppable tears until something came over me and my body detached itself and I stood up, turned off the shower, got dressed and went outside to take my clothes off the line. I came back up and packed my bag and laid in bed till morning. The next day was rough and I would sometimes bend over in tears on the trail and all day I tried my best to stay strong. By the end of the day I was able to check Facebook and I noticed my cousins status said something along the lines of "R.I.P. Papa Jim" so it was then I figured out he had passed. It's been extremely hard to try and make it through these past couple days but today I realized something...
I noticed how selfish I was acting, I shouldn't be crying because he has moved on to a much better place and his spirit is free. I was lucky enough to have him a part of my life while he was here and my memories with him are always there and can never be taken away. My papa is still here just in a different form, he's in the wind, the sky, the fields of wheat, everywhere. His spirit will never die. Long walks usually can help people think more clearly and I have a couple of weeks of nothing but walking and my mind has been thinking about it non stop and I feel much better. If I was home I would probably still be sobbing but now I am just happy that he suffers no more. All of this got me thinking about other things.
Why do we celebrate birthdays? My birthday is the 15th of this month and I'm not really excited or over joyed. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get that it was the beginning of a new life and that's great and all but if we are going to repeatedly celebrate that special day over every year we might as well celebrate every day as well. You are living everyday so just embrace that fact, every day is a chance to live your life to the fullest. I know people say that a lot but it's different when you really realize it. Don't be afraid to take risks, being scared is half of the fun. All of this thinking began to stretch even wider into even bigger thoughts and everything made sense... It sounded good in my head but I might just sound crazy now.
After all of my thoughts I noticed that I blocked out all the small aches and pains I had and just walked, we were suddenly in the next town. My brain has done my headphones and iPods job! I realized that I had got this whole deep thinking thing down, it had came to me, all at once. As March would say, I have turned all the knobs down low and everything was quiet except for my thoughts. I turned to March with a big grin on my face and excitedly said "Holy !$@$!!! I think I got it!" it was a great feeling.
As the day continued the sun got hotter and it seemed that the trail grew longer. We arrive in the cute town of Calzadilla and we had made a bet earlier; who ever sees Bree first had their ice-cream paid for by the other two. March of course, was ahead and he made his way into town spotting Bree first! So we had ice-cream and settled into our hostel and washed clothes and such. I began to explore this tiny town to see what treasures it holds. I found a pearl, a very tiny pearl inside a very tiny shell. It was at the .. Uh I guess it would be called the local supermarket, it seemed to be inside what should be a living room in someone's home. It had options and a small refrigerated area with a cash register. The man who worked there was the owner as well, I'm guessing. He was fairly short, shorter than I. He was a little husky and very friendly. It made the shopping experience easier as I just point to things. I could tell he was one of those cute little guys who never stopped smiling and that he was perfectly content with himself. Dinner should be the usual sandwich and tonight I shall try to sleep well and feel at peace just like my papa. May he rest in peace and shall never leave my thoughts or heart. Tomorrow should hold another unforgettable memory on the way to our next stop, Mansilla de las .
Auna
Day 16: Carrion de Los Condes to Moratinos (Deija)
Day 16: Carrion de Los Condes to Moratinos
Miles: 18.6
Total: 250.8 Miles
We woke up a little later than usual today, and ended up leaving at 6:40. Our walking still consists of a mostly dry landscape, and today was no different. Towards the end of our day we passed our Halfway Checkpoint! We were officially halfway done with the Camino! To celebrate, Mr. March bought Auna and I ice-cream, it was delicious, and just the type of break we needed on such a warm day.
About three miles after our checkpoint, we finally arrived to Moratinos, it was a small town, and walking in you saw a lot of old deserted buildings. Towards the middle of town, it began to look actually like a place that some might live in. There was a cute little church, an Alburgue, and then there was Peaceable Kingdom. Peaceable Kingdom is a home owned by Rebekah Scott and Patrick O'Gara (I really hope I spelled that correctly), Rebekah had donated to our trip earlier in the year, and we thought it would be great to visit the people who helped us get to where we are now.
The whole experience was amazing! Patrick is originally from England, so Auna and I were able listen to an English accent. Rebekah is from Pittsburg, PA, and they are the greatest people I have met on the Camino so far. We stayed in their home, it was adorable, and when you first walk in you will notice three dogs, Rosy (the small one), Timothy (medium sized), and Harry. Harry is a very handsome Greyhound, but he is shy, and it takes a little while for him to open up. Now, they have another dog as well, named Lulu, she is also a Greyhound, but she is very afraid of men, and new people in general, so she hid out most of the time. When we did see her though, we noticed immediately how amazingly beautiful she was.
Patrick made us dinner, and it was so delicious! It was a fried rice type of dish, with squash, shrimp, snap peas, soy, and they even had Sriacha to put on it! I was in heaven, it was so great. For desert we had Zuccini bread that Rebekah had made and it was so good. It was so awesome to real food after eating only sandwiches for so long. At least it made their food ten times better. We all pigged out, especially Auna, Mr. March, and I. Thankfully they knew the feeling of hunger pretty well themselves given the fact they both have walked the Camino multiple times. They just laughed and gave us the expression of, "Oh, I know how that feels."
After dinner and desert, Auna and I tried our best to be good house guests and help clean up, but Rebekah had pretty much finished by the time we got started. I'm not saying we didn't help, I'm just saying that she had already been working for a bit by the time we got in there. After cleaning, we all sat down for a bit doing our own things, Paddy and I began a discussion about no subject in particular, but I think it started when I brought up my parents. Auna and Mr. March watched a funny short on the iPad about Introducing the Book, and Rebekah was finishing up our groups laundry. It was so nice to be able to just sit and relax, it felt sort of like home, and I really enjoyed myself.
After a bit, Paddy decided with a small push from Rebekah that he was tired and he should probably get some rest. Soon after, Auna went into the room and started to prep her bag for the next day. I stayed behind with Mr. March and Rebekah. Rebekah was checking on things on her computer while Mr. March made up little tunes on the guitar. I was replying to emails, and started reading a favourite (British spelling for uppity emphasis) book of mine.
A wee bit later Mr. March decided to go to bed, and I chose bed as well soon after. After saying Goodnight to Rebekah, I curled up in a extremely comfortable bed, and slipped into my first night of uninterrupted sleep in a long while.
Thank you so much Rebekah and Paddy! You two were so awesome!
-Deija
Miles: 18.6
Total: 250.8 Miles
We woke up a little later than usual today, and ended up leaving at 6:40. Our walking still consists of a mostly dry landscape, and today was no different. Towards the end of our day we passed our Halfway Checkpoint! We were officially halfway done with the Camino! To celebrate, Mr. March bought Auna and I ice-cream, it was delicious, and just the type of break we needed on such a warm day.
About three miles after our checkpoint, we finally arrived to Moratinos, it was a small town, and walking in you saw a lot of old deserted buildings. Towards the middle of town, it began to look actually like a place that some might live in. There was a cute little church, an Alburgue, and then there was Peaceable Kingdom. Peaceable Kingdom is a home owned by Rebekah Scott and Patrick O'Gara (I really hope I spelled that correctly), Rebekah had donated to our trip earlier in the year, and we thought it would be great to visit the people who helped us get to where we are now.
The whole experience was amazing! Patrick is originally from England, so Auna and I were able listen to an English accent. Rebekah is from Pittsburg, PA, and they are the greatest people I have met on the Camino so far. We stayed in their home, it was adorable, and when you first walk in you will notice three dogs, Rosy (the small one), Timothy (medium sized), and Harry. Harry is a very handsome Greyhound, but he is shy, and it takes a little while for him to open up. Now, they have another dog as well, named Lulu, she is also a Greyhound, but she is very afraid of men, and new people in general, so she hid out most of the time. When we did see her though, we noticed immediately how amazingly beautiful she was.
Patrick made us dinner, and it was so delicious! It was a fried rice type of dish, with squash, shrimp, snap peas, soy, and they even had Sriacha to put on it! I was in heaven, it was so great. For desert we had Zuccini bread that Rebekah had made and it was so good. It was so awesome to real food after eating only sandwiches for so long. At least it made their food ten times better. We all pigged out, especially Auna, Mr. March, and I. Thankfully they knew the feeling of hunger pretty well themselves given the fact they both have walked the Camino multiple times. They just laughed and gave us the expression of, "Oh, I know how that feels."
After dinner and desert, Auna and I tried our best to be good house guests and help clean up, but Rebekah had pretty much finished by the time we got started. I'm not saying we didn't help, I'm just saying that she had already been working for a bit by the time we got in there. After cleaning, we all sat down for a bit doing our own things, Paddy and I began a discussion about no subject in particular, but I think it started when I brought up my parents. Auna and Mr. March watched a funny short on the iPad about Introducing the Book, and Rebekah was finishing up our groups laundry. It was so nice to be able to just sit and relax, it felt sort of like home, and I really enjoyed myself.
After a bit, Paddy decided with a small push from Rebekah that he was tired and he should probably get some rest. Soon after, Auna went into the room and started to prep her bag for the next day. I stayed behind with Mr. March and Rebekah. Rebekah was checking on things on her computer while Mr. March made up little tunes on the guitar. I was replying to emails, and started reading a favourite (British spelling for uppity emphasis) book of mine.
A wee bit later Mr. March decided to go to bed, and I chose bed as well soon after. After saying Goodnight to Rebekah, I curled up in a extremely comfortable bed, and slipped into my first night of uninterrupted sleep in a long while.
Thank you so much Rebekah and Paddy! You two were so awesome!
-Deija
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Day 15: Boadilla de Camino to Carrion de Los Condes (James)
Day 15: Boadilla de Camino to Carrion de Los Condes
16.4 Miles
Total: 232.2 Miles
It seems as though Auna caught the same bug as Bree. While Bree managed to keep the pain in her shin from halting her in her tracks, we now had the same task with Auna. It's tough to deal with shin splints. Ask any distance runner. The problem is that the rest of the body feels great and wants to move, but the legs just simply won't cooperate.
Although she didn't want to, we insisted she walk without her pack today. The Camino continued along the flat Meseta, periodically passing through villages about every three miles or so. We have been quite lucky with the weather out here. Apparently it can get quite hot out here and there is no shade. It even rained a bit this morning.
The plan was to keep Auna's shins from seizing up and give her body a chance to recover. If that meant we only traveled three miles today, so be it. Deija and Bree bounced ahead of Auna and I as we simply walked and paid close attention to how things were feeling. A gorgeous sunrise guided us to ur first stop, Fromista. A quick appraisal of our situation and Auna's legs gave us the confidence to go another three miles to the next town. Once again, things seemed ok and we made for the next town. This lasted all day and we eventually made it to Carrion de Los Condes, our original destination for the day before Auna's legs started to hurt. On top of that, we kept her legs from getting too bad and we remained in good spirits throughout.
We are currently staying at a place called Espirtu Santo. It is an albergue run by nuns and it is quite nice. No bunk beds, which is a welcome change. We were able to get some ice on Auna's shins, and she is already feeling a lot better. Tomorrow we hope to stay in Moratinos, a small village where a woman who helped fund Auna and Deija's backpacks runs an albergue. We hope to say thank you in person.
Tomorrow is also significant in that we will officially be halfway done. Sorry we have been late on our blog posts. Free wi-fi is tough to find in a lot of these villages. Even the bigger cities require a bit of searching.
Buen Camino
James
16.4 Miles
Total: 232.2 Miles
It seems as though Auna caught the same bug as Bree. While Bree managed to keep the pain in her shin from halting her in her tracks, we now had the same task with Auna. It's tough to deal with shin splints. Ask any distance runner. The problem is that the rest of the body feels great and wants to move, but the legs just simply won't cooperate.
Although she didn't want to, we insisted she walk without her pack today. The Camino continued along the flat Meseta, periodically passing through villages about every three miles or so. We have been quite lucky with the weather out here. Apparently it can get quite hot out here and there is no shade. It even rained a bit this morning.
The plan was to keep Auna's shins from seizing up and give her body a chance to recover. If that meant we only traveled three miles today, so be it. Deija and Bree bounced ahead of Auna and I as we simply walked and paid close attention to how things were feeling. A gorgeous sunrise guided us to ur first stop, Fromista. A quick appraisal of our situation and Auna's legs gave us the confidence to go another three miles to the next town. Once again, things seemed ok and we made for the next town. This lasted all day and we eventually made it to Carrion de Los Condes, our original destination for the day before Auna's legs started to hurt. On top of that, we kept her legs from getting too bad and we remained in good spirits throughout.
We are currently staying at a place called Espirtu Santo. It is an albergue run by nuns and it is quite nice. No bunk beds, which is a welcome change. We were able to get some ice on Auna's shins, and she is already feeling a lot better. Tomorrow we hope to stay in Moratinos, a small village where a woman who helped fund Auna and Deija's backpacks runs an albergue. We hope to say thank you in person.
Tomorrow is also significant in that we will officially be halfway done. Sorry we have been late on our blog posts. Free wi-fi is tough to find in a lot of these villages. Even the bigger cities require a bit of searching.
Buen Camino
James
Day 14: Hontanas to Boadila de Camino (Auna)
Day 14: Hontanas to Bodilla del Camino
18.4 Miles
Total: 215.8
When I woke up this morning all of the bunk beds were empty except for our beds, we slept in (: we walked a little further than most people yesterday so we could spare some time to sleep in. The fresh cold air woke me up as we were walking and I was having a good day so far...
March and I get to the next town and see Bree stretching (she left earlier in the morning) and they wanted to find a supermarket to get bread and such things so as they went off trail. I took a map book and waited for Deija at a Café on the trail. The sign in front said "Best Coffee on El Camino", of course I had to get some! A little later Deija showed up and I recommended their coffee to her, she got some and we rested a little bit. We take off with a map book in my hand and plans of a good day. Deija and I talk along the trail and we get to the bridge at the bottom of the mountain which was where March and I had planned to meet, sure enough he was there. We climb up the mountain and the views from up top are lovely. Every day I am still shocked by the beauty this world has, most of it is undiscovered.
Deija and I stroll upon an old pilgrim hospital and we take a peek inside and get our credentials stamped. There is kind of a competition between us all to see who can get the most stamps, you get them at hostels you say in and sometimes churches and pilgrim restraunts or occasionally random places. So far Bree is in the lead! As we leave this hospital I stop and massage my leg, I felt this sharp pain in my shin. I left it alone and as we entered the next town Bree and March are sitting at a table, we sit and eat lunch. I tell them about my pain and Bree pulls out some stuff I can rub on my leg, like icy hot. Just the other day Bree had horrible pains in her shin which caused her to stay very far behind yesterday. I didn't think much of my pain but it got slightly worse. March insisted on taking my backpack so it was easier for me and Bree pushed her walking sticks to me. I refused all of this, I had too much pride and I just planned to walk it off. They said that it could get worse and I began limping so I shoved my backpack to March and snatched Brees walking sticks, I was very pissed off. Soon it did get worse, as they said, and my limp became a drag and my talk became cursing. My mind wanted to walk fast and go my normal pace but my body just wouldn't let, I got so angry with myself. They kept telling me to slow down and take it easy, that bothered me more, I just kept snapping back saying I was fine. The pain became unbearable, I would stop bent over in pain and I was walking a snails pace. What happened to Bree yesterday was happening to me... She said I had a really bad case of shin splints. My leg felt like it was broken and I felt like I was becoming unable to keep going. People would pass and ask if they could help, I was offered walking sticks from kind pilgrims and one biker stopped and came me more ointment stuff that would relax my muscle but it just kept getting worse. With my combination of pain and furious anger at myself it became a few tears rolling down my cheeks. By this time Bree had told me she knew what kind of pain I was in and she offered to carry me on her back until the next city. I refused again, I came to walk the Camino and that's exactly what I plan on doing. She was telling me how if I keep on walking on it that I may not be able to walk as far for the next couple days and she handed Deija her backpack and picked me up. I'm sure we looked ridiculous walking on the trail, there was Deija with a big backpack on her stomach and an even bigger one on her back, then there was Bree packing me along like a child... A very big, heavy child. We would take breaks and after a while I couldn't walk on our breaks. One man was walking by wanting to help and we asked him to tell March the situation and to send him back. After a while we see him coming back on the trail. By this time I was the maddest I had been the whole trip, I didn't want to be on Bree's back, I wanted to walk without walking sticks and I wanted my backpack back! I complained the whole time and my pride wouldn't let me be happy with it. March tells me to hop on his back because Bree was tired and I refused but once again they insisted because it can cause serious problems. I hopped on and we went quite a long ways but my legs became sore from all the piggy backs rides so we took a break. I told them that I WILL be WALKING into town, I shall not be carried. It was embarrassing. I walked into town, slowly and cursing most of the way but surely I did it.
As I arrive to the hostel and take a quick shower I am soon told to lay down and elevate my leg. March set it up and put an iced water bottle next to my leg and he hands me my book and sets his iPod next to me and says "When it's 1:43 you should get up and put your leg into the pool" I sat there miserably. I read my book, 'Into the Wild', which is great by the way and soon fell asleep. I woke up and hobbled to the pool, this was a very nice albergue. I think the nicest one yet. I feel better and Deija and I have a tuna fish sandwich with tomato and cheese for dinner, it was just what I needed. As I come back from dinner I am told to lay down and write for today's blog, here I am, laying down with my leg elevated and typing on the iPad. Today was bull. I'm not looking forward to tomorrows walk, we'll see how far we get.
18.4 Miles
Total: 215.8
When I woke up this morning all of the bunk beds were empty except for our beds, we slept in (: we walked a little further than most people yesterday so we could spare some time to sleep in. The fresh cold air woke me up as we were walking and I was having a good day so far...
March and I get to the next town and see Bree stretching (she left earlier in the morning) and they wanted to find a supermarket to get bread and such things so as they went off trail. I took a map book and waited for Deija at a Café on the trail. The sign in front said "Best Coffee on El Camino", of course I had to get some! A little later Deija showed up and I recommended their coffee to her, she got some and we rested a little bit. We take off with a map book in my hand and plans of a good day. Deija and I talk along the trail and we get to the bridge at the bottom of the mountain which was where March and I had planned to meet, sure enough he was there. We climb up the mountain and the views from up top are lovely. Every day I am still shocked by the beauty this world has, most of it is undiscovered.
Deija and I stroll upon an old pilgrim hospital and we take a peek inside and get our credentials stamped. There is kind of a competition between us all to see who can get the most stamps, you get them at hostels you say in and sometimes churches and pilgrim restraunts or occasionally random places. So far Bree is in the lead! As we leave this hospital I stop and massage my leg, I felt this sharp pain in my shin. I left it alone and as we entered the next town Bree and March are sitting at a table, we sit and eat lunch. I tell them about my pain and Bree pulls out some stuff I can rub on my leg, like icy hot. Just the other day Bree had horrible pains in her shin which caused her to stay very far behind yesterday. I didn't think much of my pain but it got slightly worse. March insisted on taking my backpack so it was easier for me and Bree pushed her walking sticks to me. I refused all of this, I had too much pride and I just planned to walk it off. They said that it could get worse and I began limping so I shoved my backpack to March and snatched Brees walking sticks, I was very pissed off. Soon it did get worse, as they said, and my limp became a drag and my talk became cursing. My mind wanted to walk fast and go my normal pace but my body just wouldn't let, I got so angry with myself. They kept telling me to slow down and take it easy, that bothered me more, I just kept snapping back saying I was fine. The pain became unbearable, I would stop bent over in pain and I was walking a snails pace. What happened to Bree yesterday was happening to me... She said I had a really bad case of shin splints. My leg felt like it was broken and I felt like I was becoming unable to keep going. People would pass and ask if they could help, I was offered walking sticks from kind pilgrims and one biker stopped and came me more ointment stuff that would relax my muscle but it just kept getting worse. With my combination of pain and furious anger at myself it became a few tears rolling down my cheeks. By this time Bree had told me she knew what kind of pain I was in and she offered to carry me on her back until the next city. I refused again, I came to walk the Camino and that's exactly what I plan on doing. She was telling me how if I keep on walking on it that I may not be able to walk as far for the next couple days and she handed Deija her backpack and picked me up. I'm sure we looked ridiculous walking on the trail, there was Deija with a big backpack on her stomach and an even bigger one on her back, then there was Bree packing me along like a child... A very big, heavy child. We would take breaks and after a while I couldn't walk on our breaks. One man was walking by wanting to help and we asked him to tell March the situation and to send him back. After a while we see him coming back on the trail. By this time I was the maddest I had been the whole trip, I didn't want to be on Bree's back, I wanted to walk without walking sticks and I wanted my backpack back! I complained the whole time and my pride wouldn't let me be happy with it. March tells me to hop on his back because Bree was tired and I refused but once again they insisted because it can cause serious problems. I hopped on and we went quite a long ways but my legs became sore from all the piggy backs rides so we took a break. I told them that I WILL be WALKING into town, I shall not be carried. It was embarrassing. I walked into town, slowly and cursing most of the way but surely I did it.
As I arrive to the hostel and take a quick shower I am soon told to lay down and elevate my leg. March set it up and put an iced water bottle next to my leg and he hands me my book and sets his iPod next to me and says "When it's 1:43 you should get up and put your leg into the pool" I sat there miserably. I read my book, 'Into the Wild', which is great by the way and soon fell asleep. I woke up and hobbled to the pool, this was a very nice albergue. I think the nicest one yet. I feel better and Deija and I have a tuna fish sandwich with tomato and cheese for dinner, it was just what I needed. As I come back from dinner I am told to lay down and write for today's blog, here I am, laying down with my leg elevated and typing on the iPad. Today was bull. I'm not looking forward to tomorrows walk, we'll see how far we get.
Day 13: Burgos to Hontanas (Deija)
Day 13: Burgos to Hontanas
19 Miles
Total: 197.4 miles
Today started off pretty well, other than the fact that we pretty much ditched Bree in the town we slept in, we were off to a great start. The walk was plain, yet beautiful, today was the beginning of a dry patch that is supposed to last until we reach Leon, however long that may take. There were butterflies everywhere along the path, and Auna and I took many pictures... At one point we were even on our knees on the path trying to aid one of the distressed insects. The sea of wheat surrounding us was amazing, especially when one red flower would sit on its lonesome in the middle of the field.
I was angered at one point because throughout all this beauty, we had yet to see something ruin it so effortlessly. As we walked up a hill, one, a single, plastic bag was picked up off the ground and flew over our heads, covering our view for just a split second, but changing our perspective on things a bit. How could one plastic bag destroy so much? One plastic bag in the middle of nature, we are nowhere near WalMarts, malls, towns larger than 100 people, and yet, this disgusting sign of human life is there, literally flying over our heads.
Off topic, sorry...
So, Bree's right leg has been bugging her, so she was slower today, and we all decided that we would go at our normal paces and just wait for her in the next town. This part of the plan fell through, Auna and I went ahead, stopping and waiting in the next town for about 15 minutes, but no one ever showed, we then continued on to the next one, waited about a half an hour, continued, then stopped and had what one would call brunch. After waiting a while, using the bathroom, and filling up our bottles, we continued. We arrived at or destination (Hontanas) at around 1:15, and sat in a small picnic area to pass the time until Mr. March and Bree arrived. However, Mr. March appeared fifteen minutes later alone, Bree was in the previous town, and it wasn't a very long walk to Hontanas from there, she was resting. We checked into our Albergue, got settled and Auna and I went back up to the picnic area which had a view to entrance of the city.
We saw Bree coming and went to meet her, getting checked into the Alburgue as well, and then Auna, Bree and I went swimming! Some kids younger than us came up to us in our room and told us to follow them to the swimming pool, Auna did, and she brought back good news of cleanliness, cheapness, and ice-cream. I was a little hesitant at first but after a little persuading, Auna, Bree, and I were on our way to enjoy some sun that didn't involve walking nineteen miles.
The pool was great, I ended up falling asleep in a floating raft and getting sunburnt slightly on the backs of my calves, not too bad thankfully. But if that is the worst that happens on this trip I will be a very happy sixteen year old.
When we returned from our swim, Auna and I made what we ended up calling grilled cheese sandwiches, but was really microwaved ham and cheese sandwiches. We ordered two freshly squeezed orange juices from the cafe, and sat and drank whilst being in the sun. It was very nice. Later on that evening a man brought out his guitar and started playing American songs, even though he spoke no English. He could pick up a tune quite quickly and soon became a favorite in the group of forty or so that were gathered around. When the man didn't know the words to the song he would just hum or mumble, and it was hilarious to watch a man, who doesn't speak the language, mumble on words and slur them together to make the tune go on. It was really awesome, and at one point we went around in a circle and sang a song from our own country. Swedish, American, Spanish, Italian, Mexican, Belgian, French, and even a Dutch song were sang, and it was extremely amusing. After the song, and some dance, most of us went to bed, we all need our beauty sleep for tomorrow! It's going to be another long day.
-Deija
19 Miles
Total: 197.4 miles
Today started off pretty well, other than the fact that we pretty much ditched Bree in the town we slept in, we were off to a great start. The walk was plain, yet beautiful, today was the beginning of a dry patch that is supposed to last until we reach Leon, however long that may take. There were butterflies everywhere along the path, and Auna and I took many pictures... At one point we were even on our knees on the path trying to aid one of the distressed insects. The sea of wheat surrounding us was amazing, especially when one red flower would sit on its lonesome in the middle of the field.
I was angered at one point because throughout all this beauty, we had yet to see something ruin it so effortlessly. As we walked up a hill, one, a single, plastic bag was picked up off the ground and flew over our heads, covering our view for just a split second, but changing our perspective on things a bit. How could one plastic bag destroy so much? One plastic bag in the middle of nature, we are nowhere near WalMarts, malls, towns larger than 100 people, and yet, this disgusting sign of human life is there, literally flying over our heads.
Off topic, sorry...
So, Bree's right leg has been bugging her, so she was slower today, and we all decided that we would go at our normal paces and just wait for her in the next town. This part of the plan fell through, Auna and I went ahead, stopping and waiting in the next town for about 15 minutes, but no one ever showed, we then continued on to the next one, waited about a half an hour, continued, then stopped and had what one would call brunch. After waiting a while, using the bathroom, and filling up our bottles, we continued. We arrived at or destination (Hontanas) at around 1:15, and sat in a small picnic area to pass the time until Mr. March and Bree arrived. However, Mr. March appeared fifteen minutes later alone, Bree was in the previous town, and it wasn't a very long walk to Hontanas from there, she was resting. We checked into our Albergue, got settled and Auna and I went back up to the picnic area which had a view to entrance of the city.
We saw Bree coming and went to meet her, getting checked into the Alburgue as well, and then Auna, Bree and I went swimming! Some kids younger than us came up to us in our room and told us to follow them to the swimming pool, Auna did, and she brought back good news of cleanliness, cheapness, and ice-cream. I was a little hesitant at first but after a little persuading, Auna, Bree, and I were on our way to enjoy some sun that didn't involve walking nineteen miles.
The pool was great, I ended up falling asleep in a floating raft and getting sunburnt slightly on the backs of my calves, not too bad thankfully. But if that is the worst that happens on this trip I will be a very happy sixteen year old.
When we returned from our swim, Auna and I made what we ended up calling grilled cheese sandwiches, but was really microwaved ham and cheese sandwiches. We ordered two freshly squeezed orange juices from the cafe, and sat and drank whilst being in the sun. It was very nice. Later on that evening a man brought out his guitar and started playing American songs, even though he spoke no English. He could pick up a tune quite quickly and soon became a favorite in the group of forty or so that were gathered around. When the man didn't know the words to the song he would just hum or mumble, and it was hilarious to watch a man, who doesn't speak the language, mumble on words and slur them together to make the tune go on. It was really awesome, and at one point we went around in a circle and sang a song from our own country. Swedish, American, Spanish, Italian, Mexican, Belgian, French, and even a Dutch song were sang, and it was extremely amusing. After the song, and some dance, most of us went to bed, we all need our beauty sleep for tomorrow! It's going to be another long day.
-Deija
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