Camino 2014: Day 12 Burgos to Hontanas (James)

Miles today: 20.0

Miles total: 198.5

The hostel in Burgos was alive at 5:30am. In the low light I could see a flurry of activity, but you can always make out what was happening better with your ears.  Bags were being packed, albeit clumsily since it was dark.   Metal water bottles clanked on the hard floor having been kicked by an errant heel.  The swishing of teeth being brushed.  Muffled and whispered conversations in all the languages you can think of.  These are the sounds we have come to associate with morning.  

One would think that having three teens on this trip may not jive all that well with a 5:30-6:00am wake-up time, but the girls have done remarkably well.  It really only takes one really hot afternoon of walking to convince everyone of the benefits of getting the vast majority of your walking done in the cool, early morning air.  Nowhere is this strategy more apt on the camino than in the area we currently find ourselves.  On our way out of Burgos today we hit the Meseta, a tabletop, dry, and potentially very hot region of Spain where shade and water is few and far between.  

It may sound like an awful place, but it can be gorgeous.  Google "Camino de Santiago" images and you will likely come across pics of cathedrals and trails.  Those trails, set in expansive scenes are likely to be from the Meseta.  It is the only place you can attempt to capture an idea of the endlessness of the trail.  

Physically speaking, the miles should come easy.  With very little ups and downs you can walk in a rhythm that allows for some distance to be covered relatively easily.  However, it can be mentally a little bit challenging.  Since it is generally flat, you can sometimes see your destination long before you actually arrive.  This is harder on you than you think.  The brain thinks its done, but the body has a long way to travel.  That dissonance results in some serious internal bickering between body and mind.  

Or first taste of the Meseta came with mild temperatures and about 15km of pretty easy walking.  It became a little hot towards the end, but we are happily checked into an albergue here in Hontanas.  I told the girls of a swimming pool down the street and they haven't returned in 30 minutes so I assume that they were able to get in and cool off.  Sahra and I have showered and Sahra even did some handwashing of clothes, including my socks from today.  She is awesome like that.  It is also her birthday tomorrow, so maybe I will let her wash all my clothes for me.  Just kidding.  We are living quite simply out here and unless she wants something from the small store here, like a bruised banana or something, there is not much I can get her.  Perhaps a nice dinner?  We'll see.  All I know is that we should all wish her a happy birthday because if it weren't for her, I wouldn't be doing this trip.  

All things considered, including aching feet, nagging pains, sunburns, etc., we are doing fine.  There was a huge section of graffiti painted on a drainage pipe the other day that we all read.  It said, "Why are you walking?" I'm not sure we are all able to answer that question yet and sometimes it can probably bother them not really knowing.  However, I know that journeys like these have a way of slowly revealing themselves and sometimes you might not even know "why" until you get home.  If you are into numbers, we have walked about 200 miles, or about 400,000 steps.  We have about 600,000 steps left to ponder that very question.  

Buen Camino!

James

Special thanks for the day go to:

Cliff and Jo Schutte, Edie Granger, 

Thanks also to our mile sponsors:

Patrick March, Marsha Goodsell, Shyvonne Moore, Lisa Estes, Dan Nau, Roger, Pat and Harvey Kirpatrick, Jack and Sabra, Aunt Kuga