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.
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