Its been a few days since I have been able to write due to the lack of computers.
The last few days have been pretty good. We walked from Mazarife to Astorga which was about 19 miles. So much for all of my resting.... but I did really well and made it in pretty good time. Astorga was a really neat city and I highly recommend visiting. There are a few Gaudi buildings and also a ton of chocolate shops. What could really be much better? We stayed in a really hippy albergue towards the end of town. They played a lot of Bob Marley and all of the people who worked there had pretty long time. I really liked our night there.
The next morning we were going to walk to Rabanal. My foot hurt so badly when I first woke up that I could barely walk. I didn´t think I would be able to walk so I decided to take the bus or a taxi. There is another girl with us, Sabie, who has caught some sort of stomach flu so she wasn´t going to walk either. We were going to just split the taxi to the next town. Everyone left and I started to feel really bad about not being able to walk. I sulked a bit and was just all around pretty grumpy. But when I moved around the albergue, my foot started to feel a little bit better. I decided to just take the taxi half the way and walk the last half of the day. I just felt so much better about not taking the whole day of. I didn´t want to miss anything. I caught up with all of my friends and we walked together for about 5 miles and took a little break at a bar. After half an hour, we decided to just order a bottle of wine and stay for a bit longer. After our wine, one bottle just didn´t seem enough...so we bought another one and walked and drank =). The last 4 or 5 miles went by much quicker. We sang and walked and drank a bit more until we finally got into Rabanal. It was a pretty fun afternoon.
That night, we decided make some pasta for all of us to share so we went down to the tiny little market and bought some vegitables and pasta. When we got into the kitchen, this man who no one knew, Miguel, just took charge of our dinner. He started ordering us around to cut things and he just made our dinner for us. He of course ate with us but it was pretty hilarious. We were going to have a pretty average dinner but Miguel the chef from Spain made us a delicious baked pasta. We ate outside all wrapped up in blankets and enjoyed our dinner. Afterwards, we went into this little sitting area with a fire place and a man from South Korea played us songs on his guitar. He knew a lot of church songs which I knew from my church camp days. I took a ton of pictures because I didn´t want to forget such a nice moment.
The next morning, our plan was to wake up early and try and make it to this giant cross by the sunrise. The cross is at one of the highest points on the camino and people bring rocks or little momentos from home to place there. As life goes, our plan to make it by sunrise was way off but we made it up there about half an hour afte sunrise. The cross is an absolutely beautiful site.
Instead of bringing a rock from home, I brought a photo of my best friend Jenny and I. Jenny was the person who originally told me about the camino and I know that she will one day go on the Camino as well. I wanted to leave a piece of her and I there for her to come to when she gets here. The photo won´t be there of course, but the cross will. I said a little prayer for her and put our picture under a little tiny pile of rocks and took a photo of it.
As the day went on, it became one of the best days of walking I have had so far. The sites were beautiful. There was a lot of climbing and then going down a mountain but the views all around were incredible. We stopped and had lunch in this very small town that was picture perfect. We got sandwiches and the woman who made them had so much love for her job, it may have been the best sandwich I have ever had. She just made you happy by being around her.
We stayed in Molinaseca which was a 16 mile walk fom Rabanal. The town had a lake that ran through it and we spent the afternoon laying by the river on the grass and dangling our feet in the water. It was a pretty early night but the day was just wonderful.
Today I walked to Villafranca which was 19 miles. Today was mostly through vineyards and small towns. It is picking season for the grapes and there were huge groups of families out working in the field. The day was long but seemed to go by pretty quickly because there was so much to see.
There is a long line for the computer so I need to sign off for now. Hopefully tomorrow I can write a bit more.
Only 8 more days of walking...its gone by so fast!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
I cheated a bit today....
Yesterday we walked into Léon which wasn´t too long of a walk but my foot was killing me. It feels like I have bruised my heel and I was up to 1200mg of Iberprophen and it was still hurting. I was struggling a lot on the way in and was sort of just all around feeling bad for myself. I had called my dad the night before and found out our very loved family dog, Molly, was put to sleep a few days earlier. I decided to dedicate my walk that day to Molly and I think it helped me get through the day. Along the trail, people stack rocks in little piles and the rocks are supposed to signify prayers or burdens you want to leave behind. I left a few rocks along the way for Molly. I didn´t really talk much during the walk to anyone so it was a pretty quiet day.
As I got into Léon though, I started to feel a little bit better. I caught up to everyone and we checked into a smaller albergue in the city which was run by some pretty adorible nuns. We walked around the city and it was all around a pleasant afternoon. I took a little nap and read a bit. When I stood up from my rest, I started to walk and immediatly started to cry because my foot hurt so bad. I sort of cried/hobbled along with everyone to dinner and decided that I needed to take a day off. I didn´t think I would be able to finish the day, let alone even start the day. It took me a while to come to terms with the fact that I wasn´t going to walk. I felt like I was cheating but I just knew I needed to rest. When I looked in the guide book, it looked like most of the day was through Léon and then the outer suburbs, as well as some highway walking. I´ve heard some of the prettiest days are coming up so it seemed like a day that would not too bad to miss. I went to a beautiful mass that the nun put on later that night but I left my long underwear in my bag.
When I woke up in the morning, my foot felt a little bit better but still not well enough to make it the 25km (about 16 miles) to the next town. I waved goodbye to everyone as they headed off and I hobbled to the bus station. I had to have looked really pathetic based on the looks I was recieving. But I made it to the bus station and found out that the only bus to Mazarife was leaving at 1pm. It was 7 am. I wasn´t sure what to do so I sat down. The man next to me was also on the Camino and I had talked to him a little bit the night before. We chatted for a bit and then decided to go into the little cafe and have some coffee. He was done walking and was just spending the day in Léon but needed to wait a few hours until he could check into his hotel. There was a taxi line outside the cafe and I decided that I would just rather take a taxi then wait the rest of the day for the bus.
It took me a few taxi drivers to convince to drive me to the next town. But then I found a very sweet man who sort of understood my english and I sort of understood his spanish. He told me it would be between €30-40 to get me to Mazarife. I decided it was money well spent and hopped in the taxi. I saw most of my friends along the path as we zipped by. It took me about 25 minutes by car to get the albergue that would have taken 5 or 6 hours to get to by foot. When we got into town, the cab driver took me by the albergue but it was still closed seeing as it was only 9:30. He turned off the meter and drove me to a bar/cafe to wait. The ride ended up only being €25 but I gave him a big tip. I am pretty sure it was the best birthday present I could have given myself. I ordered a tea and sat and read my book for a few hours. When I stood up around 11:30, my foot didn´t hurt as badly. I got to the albergue and checked in. About half an hour went by and then everyone started trickling in. I was laying in a lawn chair, wearing my big sunglasses and sipping a soda. One of the guys just laughed at me and said that was what he was hoping he would find when he walked up the albergue. My foot is already 10x better than it was yesterday so I think this day of sitting will work wonders.
We are staying in an albergue that Arizona recommended us stay in. I am actually sitting downstairs by the kitchen and can see them starting to make dinner for us. Arizona said the pallela was wonderful here and that we needed to stay here. When you check into an albergue, they all have these big books that they write your name down in, the date you got there, your country of origin and then where you started walking. The guy who was writing in my name commented that he met a lady once who stayed here named Arizona. I smiled and told him that I knew her and that she told us we had to stay here. He flipped back in his book and we found her name and the date she stayed!
And for a rash update...it is doing much better! You can barely see it now. As one of the boys Ben so kindly told me, ¨Jenny you can date again¨. He is 17 or 18 and it reminded me of something my brother Kevin would tell me. My blisters are starting to harden and they don´t hurt at all. I think a day of feeling bad for myself and then a long rest day today will have me very happy and ready to walk in the morning.
As I got into Léon though, I started to feel a little bit better. I caught up to everyone and we checked into a smaller albergue in the city which was run by some pretty adorible nuns. We walked around the city and it was all around a pleasant afternoon. I took a little nap and read a bit. When I stood up from my rest, I started to walk and immediatly started to cry because my foot hurt so bad. I sort of cried/hobbled along with everyone to dinner and decided that I needed to take a day off. I didn´t think I would be able to finish the day, let alone even start the day. It took me a while to come to terms with the fact that I wasn´t going to walk. I felt like I was cheating but I just knew I needed to rest. When I looked in the guide book, it looked like most of the day was through Léon and then the outer suburbs, as well as some highway walking. I´ve heard some of the prettiest days are coming up so it seemed like a day that would not too bad to miss. I went to a beautiful mass that the nun put on later that night but I left my long underwear in my bag.
When I woke up in the morning, my foot felt a little bit better but still not well enough to make it the 25km (about 16 miles) to the next town. I waved goodbye to everyone as they headed off and I hobbled to the bus station. I had to have looked really pathetic based on the looks I was recieving. But I made it to the bus station and found out that the only bus to Mazarife was leaving at 1pm. It was 7 am. I wasn´t sure what to do so I sat down. The man next to me was also on the Camino and I had talked to him a little bit the night before. We chatted for a bit and then decided to go into the little cafe and have some coffee. He was done walking and was just spending the day in Léon but needed to wait a few hours until he could check into his hotel. There was a taxi line outside the cafe and I decided that I would just rather take a taxi then wait the rest of the day for the bus.
It took me a few taxi drivers to convince to drive me to the next town. But then I found a very sweet man who sort of understood my english and I sort of understood his spanish. He told me it would be between €30-40 to get me to Mazarife. I decided it was money well spent and hopped in the taxi. I saw most of my friends along the path as we zipped by. It took me about 25 minutes by car to get the albergue that would have taken 5 or 6 hours to get to by foot. When we got into town, the cab driver took me by the albergue but it was still closed seeing as it was only 9:30. He turned off the meter and drove me to a bar/cafe to wait. The ride ended up only being €25 but I gave him a big tip. I am pretty sure it was the best birthday present I could have given myself. I ordered a tea and sat and read my book for a few hours. When I stood up around 11:30, my foot didn´t hurt as badly. I got to the albergue and checked in. About half an hour went by and then everyone started trickling in. I was laying in a lawn chair, wearing my big sunglasses and sipping a soda. One of the guys just laughed at me and said that was what he was hoping he would find when he walked up the albergue. My foot is already 10x better than it was yesterday so I think this day of sitting will work wonders.
We are staying in an albergue that Arizona recommended us stay in. I am actually sitting downstairs by the kitchen and can see them starting to make dinner for us. Arizona said the pallela was wonderful here and that we needed to stay here. When you check into an albergue, they all have these big books that they write your name down in, the date you got there, your country of origin and then where you started walking. The guy who was writing in my name commented that he met a lady once who stayed here named Arizona. I smiled and told him that I knew her and that she told us we had to stay here. He flipped back in his book and we found her name and the date she stayed!
And for a rash update...it is doing much better! You can barely see it now. As one of the boys Ben so kindly told me, ¨Jenny you can date again¨. He is 17 or 18 and it reminded me of something my brother Kevin would tell me. My blisters are starting to harden and they don´t hurt at all. I think a day of feeling bad for myself and then a long rest day today will have me very happy and ready to walk in the morning.
Monday, September 22, 2008
I bought 600mg Ibeprophen today
Yesterday we walked to El Burgo which was about 15 miles away from Carrion. I moved pretty slow but I took lots of breaks and made it just fine. We stayed at a parish albergue which was maybe the best sleep I have had since I´ve been here. I was in a small room with two other girls, Hannah and Jess and none of us snored. The women who ran the albergue made us all a really lovely dinner of salad and soup. There were around 60 people staying there that night so we all sat, crammed into this tiny room in long tables. I love the big group dinners, they are just so happy and full of happiness. We had to stand up and say our names and where we were from. After each person, everyone in the room cheered. There was a lot of cheering =).
We went to bed to the sound of a thunderstorm and woke up to the sound of a thunderstorm. What does that mean? Well I got to wear my rain pants for one thing. The rain actually wasn´t that bad, just a constant drizzle for the first half of the day. My rain jacket and pants worked perfectly though and I really can´t complain too much. Most of the walk was along the highway but lucky for us there wasn´t too much traffic. There is actually a path on the side of the highway so we aren´t really walking in traffic but looking ahead in my guide book, it appears to be a dangerous walk into León tomorrow. The book said something about a lot of people taking the bus in and that those bus drivers should say a prayer for the walkers. The good news is that the walk is only...ready for this.....11 miles tomorrow!
There are a lot of people who are riding their bikes along the camino. I just have to say, they are really really annoying. They don´t mean to be, but they just speed along, much faster than I can walk and sort of yell back ¨Buen Camino¨as they rush past. Its mostly that I am tired of walking and they are going faster and usually you have to move out of the way for them. It is sort of petty I suppose. Some of them have these little bells that they ding to get you to move out of they way. The bells I think are worse than the yelling at you. Some bikers today did though yell ¨Hey Chicas¨ to us as they sped past us. I knew those rain pants looked good....
My right foot still hurts so I went to the Farmacia today and bought some pretty strong ibeprophen so I should be cruising tomorrow. A few of the girls in our little group are making us dinner tonight, I think it is vegitable soup which should be really nice!
We went to bed to the sound of a thunderstorm and woke up to the sound of a thunderstorm. What does that mean? Well I got to wear my rain pants for one thing. The rain actually wasn´t that bad, just a constant drizzle for the first half of the day. My rain jacket and pants worked perfectly though and I really can´t complain too much. Most of the walk was along the highway but lucky for us there wasn´t too much traffic. There is actually a path on the side of the highway so we aren´t really walking in traffic but looking ahead in my guide book, it appears to be a dangerous walk into León tomorrow. The book said something about a lot of people taking the bus in and that those bus drivers should say a prayer for the walkers. The good news is that the walk is only...ready for this.....11 miles tomorrow!
There are a lot of people who are riding their bikes along the camino. I just have to say, they are really really annoying. They don´t mean to be, but they just speed along, much faster than I can walk and sort of yell back ¨Buen Camino¨as they rush past. Its mostly that I am tired of walking and they are going faster and usually you have to move out of the way for them. It is sort of petty I suppose. Some of them have these little bells that they ding to get you to move out of they way. The bells I think are worse than the yelling at you. Some bikers today did though yell ¨Hey Chicas¨ to us as they sped past us. I knew those rain pants looked good....
My right foot still hurts so I went to the Farmacia today and bought some pretty strong ibeprophen so I should be cruising tomorrow. A few of the girls in our little group are making us dinner tonight, I think it is vegitable soup which should be really nice!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Days that we don't celebrate me seem to be much longer
Last night was such a beautiful night. We had about 20 or so people in the back garden of this albergue, eating and drinking and just enjoying being there. They even got me a birthday cake and everyone sang me happy birthday. It was another guy's birthday and so we each took turns blowing the candles out on the cake. The entire evening was just perfect. I was telling my dad this on the phone but a year ago, I didn't even know about the camino and would not have imagined that my next birthday would be spent in Fromista, Spain.
Today came early of course and after about an hour, my right foot was killing me. The best way to describe it is that my bones hurt. Each step felt horrible but it wasn't too much that I could keep walking. I forgot to bring my guide book down so I am really not sure where i am right now.... but if my mom and dad want to comment, we did day 17 in the guide book today so they will know where I am!
After lunch today, I was walking a bit slower than the rest of the girls Kirstin and I were walking with and so I was by myself. I was feeling pretty sorry for myself because my foot hurt and it was hot and I was just all around uncomfortable. Along came this really nice older man from Ireland who works as a lawyer in Dublin. He had and I talked for over an hour as we walked and it was honestly just what I needed. It was like the Camino gave me a wonderful distraction as I walked...okay limped along.
He talked to me about why he decided to do the camino and then also we talked about what it was like to be a lawyer and different kinds of law I could practice. He had so much information and was telling me some of the greatest ideas of programs I should look into and kinds of law that he thought I might like. He even told me I could drop his name at the Gates Foundation(one of the programs involved doing public interest law through the Gates) becuase he has done some work with them. He came a long at such a perfect time when I was really unhappy and he just picked me up and made me feel much better.
OH! Last night we saw one of the women who stayed at San Bol (the place we were kicked out of a few days ago). As it turns out...only 4 people slept there that night! There was enough room for the 5 of us. We would have had hours and hours of stories had we stayed there all night but she has really provided us with lots of laughs so its hard to be too upset.
Today came early of course and after about an hour, my right foot was killing me. The best way to describe it is that my bones hurt. Each step felt horrible but it wasn't too much that I could keep walking. I forgot to bring my guide book down so I am really not sure where i am right now.... but if my mom and dad want to comment, we did day 17 in the guide book today so they will know where I am!
After lunch today, I was walking a bit slower than the rest of the girls Kirstin and I were walking with and so I was by myself. I was feeling pretty sorry for myself because my foot hurt and it was hot and I was just all around uncomfortable. Along came this really nice older man from Ireland who works as a lawyer in Dublin. He had and I talked for over an hour as we walked and it was honestly just what I needed. It was like the Camino gave me a wonderful distraction as I walked...okay limped along.
He talked to me about why he decided to do the camino and then also we talked about what it was like to be a lawyer and different kinds of law I could practice. He had so much information and was telling me some of the greatest ideas of programs I should look into and kinds of law that he thought I might like. He even told me I could drop his name at the Gates Foundation(one of the programs involved doing public interest law through the Gates) becuase he has done some work with them. He came a long at such a perfect time when I was really unhappy and he just picked me up and made me feel much better.
OH! Last night we saw one of the women who stayed at San Bol (the place we were kicked out of a few days ago). As it turns out...only 4 people slept there that night! There was enough room for the 5 of us. We would have had hours and hours of stories had we stayed there all night but she has really provided us with lots of laughs so its hard to be too upset.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Day 16 and I turned 23 today...how did that happen??
Yesterday was a pretty normal day, 15 miles of walking and then the afternoon was spent relaxing. I am really enjoying taking naps in the afternoon. Last night Kirstin and I were in a room full of very old men who 1. Snored really really loud and 2. Turned the lights out at 9 pm and on again at 6 am.
I have a few injuries to report however. I have some very lovely scratches on my right leg, on my calf. Above that, is the winner. It is this really awful rash that is on its way to getting better. It sort of runs from the inside of my calf upto part of my thigh. Its just all around really attractive. Kirstin and I took a shortcut through a field...turns out that was the wrong choice for me. I also am a bit sore in my right foot but that isn´t anything advil can´t take care of. I have a blister on each foot but i think they might be getting better (cross your fingers!!). I think I am still doing much better than some other people along the way so thats good news!
Today is of course going wonderful!! Everyone has been wishing me happy birthday. Kirstin is doing an excellent job at telling everyone it is my birthday and singing to me when things get a little quiet. Walking today was a bit cold and windy. The straps of my backpack kept swinging up and hitting me in the face because of the wind.
It is really true what they say about the camino giving you energy as you walk. Somedays I am so in awe that I have walked as far as I have. Today was exactly half way to Santiago. It feels fitting for me to have it be our half way point. The last two years have not been that great of birthdays for me just because of outside circumstances but today has just been an absolutely wonderful day. It makes me just feel deep inside that my entire year will be wonderful. Currently, all of my new friends are in the kitchen making a big dinner to celebrate my birthday. It just feels my heart with so much love that people i have only known a few weeks are working so hard to make sure i have a good day.
Today was Kirstin and I´s turn to make our group dinner which was going to be Mexican food. Since it is my birthday, I get to be here online, drinking wine, while everyone else is in the kitchen making fajitas.
I am really looking forward to the next 16 or so days we all have together. It feels like such a close knit family. I am still in awe of how wonderful this experience has been for me. Everyday seems to just get better and better (and really, after that first day, it could only go up!).
Well I am off to enjoy the rest of the day.
I love and miss you all!
I have a few injuries to report however. I have some very lovely scratches on my right leg, on my calf. Above that, is the winner. It is this really awful rash that is on its way to getting better. It sort of runs from the inside of my calf upto part of my thigh. Its just all around really attractive. Kirstin and I took a shortcut through a field...turns out that was the wrong choice for me. I also am a bit sore in my right foot but that isn´t anything advil can´t take care of. I have a blister on each foot but i think they might be getting better (cross your fingers!!). I think I am still doing much better than some other people along the way so thats good news!
Today is of course going wonderful!! Everyone has been wishing me happy birthday. Kirstin is doing an excellent job at telling everyone it is my birthday and singing to me when things get a little quiet. Walking today was a bit cold and windy. The straps of my backpack kept swinging up and hitting me in the face because of the wind.
It is really true what they say about the camino giving you energy as you walk. Somedays I am so in awe that I have walked as far as I have. Today was exactly half way to Santiago. It feels fitting for me to have it be our half way point. The last two years have not been that great of birthdays for me just because of outside circumstances but today has just been an absolutely wonderful day. It makes me just feel deep inside that my entire year will be wonderful. Currently, all of my new friends are in the kitchen making a big dinner to celebrate my birthday. It just feels my heart with so much love that people i have only known a few weeks are working so hard to make sure i have a good day.
Today was Kirstin and I´s turn to make our group dinner which was going to be Mexican food. Since it is my birthday, I get to be here online, drinking wine, while everyone else is in the kitchen making fajitas.
I am really looking forward to the next 16 or so days we all have together. It feels like such a close knit family. I am still in awe of how wonderful this experience has been for me. Everyday seems to just get better and better (and really, after that first day, it could only go up!).
Well I am off to enjoy the rest of the day.
I love and miss you all!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
You just never know...
Leaving Burgos yesterday, the day was meant to be a short day, only 11 miles. But reading in the guide book, only about 3 or 4 miles away was this wonderful sounding albergue so we decided to make it a bit of a longer day and go to San Bol. The description in the book said
The basic facilities spill out onto a delightful picnic spot shaded by a grove of poplar trees. The waters from the well are said to have heavling properties and to cure aching feet. The peace of this lonley spot can heal more than feet.
So, we we walked for an extra hour and made it to San Bol. There were only 10 beds so we were glad it was not even close to being full yet with only one bed claimed. We wandered around a little bit and came upon the owner. She was this blond haired woman and she seemed very nice and peaceful. She offered to make us some tea and to have us sit down for awhile or take a swim. The ¨pool¨was also the bathtub, laundry spot and drinking water. The catch was...you were not allowed to use anything with chemicals. So it was more of a rinse than anything else. She also pointed to these bushes and told us that was the bathroom.
Kirstin and I decided to stay and make it an experience. We laid outside in the beautiful garden and waited for three of our other friends to meet up with us there. I was a little bit uncomfortable with the lack of running water and there was no way I was going to get in that healing water but I was in it for the experience. When our friends made it, we went inside and had tea with the owner.
As she started talking, we all just stared at her with open mouths. She was babbling on about how there is no time here, she didn´t know the date, how she was one with nature. She kept saying how concerned we were with past and future and how we just needed to be here in the moment, drinking our tea. She had some good points but it was....odd. Not long after that speech, she launched into one about how pilgrims were meant to walk all day and the ones who arrived at 1 or 2 were not true pilgrims (we got there at 1). She went on to say how this place is a haven for those who have spent all day on the walk and can not simply go on anymore.
The hints got more and more blunt as time went on. So we sort of glanced at one another and grabbed our backpacks to go. She then told us it was best that we leave because we were able to make it to the next town. So, we thought we were done but it turned out we were not. We had to walk another hour to the next town at 4 in the afternoon with the sun beating down on us. We didn´t speak much for that entire walk.
When we got to Hontanas, we finally found a place that welcomed us in and we decided the next day would be a really short one.
We went to a nice a dinner and then fell into bed, exhausted. Today we only walked about 6 miles and got into Castrojeriz around 10:30. It was a nice morning because our plan was to sleep in as long as they let us. Most people start walking around 6 or 7 and so around 8, a little spanish woman came in and started yelling and clapping ¨Buenos Dias!!!¨and so we all sort of laughed and rolled out of bed.
Once we got into town, we bought some bread, jam and fruit and had a nice lunch. I am looking forward to a nice nap in a few minutes.
One of the parts of the camino though that I am enjoying the most is the chance I am getting to get to know myself again. It sounds very cheesy, but the more I think about, the more I have realized that I don´t just let myself think a lot. I am always distracting myself with TV or internet or just socializing. It has been really interesting to just have countless hours of silence to just let my mind wander and think about what it is I really want to do.
Happy Birthday week to me!!
The basic facilities spill out onto a delightful picnic spot shaded by a grove of poplar trees. The waters from the well are said to have heavling properties and to cure aching feet. The peace of this lonley spot can heal more than feet.
So, we we walked for an extra hour and made it to San Bol. There were only 10 beds so we were glad it was not even close to being full yet with only one bed claimed. We wandered around a little bit and came upon the owner. She was this blond haired woman and she seemed very nice and peaceful. She offered to make us some tea and to have us sit down for awhile or take a swim. The ¨pool¨was also the bathtub, laundry spot and drinking water. The catch was...you were not allowed to use anything with chemicals. So it was more of a rinse than anything else. She also pointed to these bushes and told us that was the bathroom.
Kirstin and I decided to stay and make it an experience. We laid outside in the beautiful garden and waited for three of our other friends to meet up with us there. I was a little bit uncomfortable with the lack of running water and there was no way I was going to get in that healing water but I was in it for the experience. When our friends made it, we went inside and had tea with the owner.
As she started talking, we all just stared at her with open mouths. She was babbling on about how there is no time here, she didn´t know the date, how she was one with nature. She kept saying how concerned we were with past and future and how we just needed to be here in the moment, drinking our tea. She had some good points but it was....odd. Not long after that speech, she launched into one about how pilgrims were meant to walk all day and the ones who arrived at 1 or 2 were not true pilgrims (we got there at 1). She went on to say how this place is a haven for those who have spent all day on the walk and can not simply go on anymore.
The hints got more and more blunt as time went on. So we sort of glanced at one another and grabbed our backpacks to go. She then told us it was best that we leave because we were able to make it to the next town. So, we thought we were done but it turned out we were not. We had to walk another hour to the next town at 4 in the afternoon with the sun beating down on us. We didn´t speak much for that entire walk.
When we got to Hontanas, we finally found a place that welcomed us in and we decided the next day would be a really short one.
We went to a nice a dinner and then fell into bed, exhausted. Today we only walked about 6 miles and got into Castrojeriz around 10:30. It was a nice morning because our plan was to sleep in as long as they let us. Most people start walking around 6 or 7 and so around 8, a little spanish woman came in and started yelling and clapping ¨Buenos Dias!!!¨and so we all sort of laughed and rolled out of bed.
Once we got into town, we bought some bread, jam and fruit and had a nice lunch. I am looking forward to a nice nap in a few minutes.
One of the parts of the camino though that I am enjoying the most is the chance I am getting to get to know myself again. It sounds very cheesy, but the more I think about, the more I have realized that I don´t just let myself think a lot. I am always distracting myself with TV or internet or just socializing. It has been really interesting to just have countless hours of silence to just let my mind wander and think about what it is I really want to do.
Happy Birthday week to me!!
Monday, September 15, 2008
I think I can...I think I can...I think I can
So I have three days to catch up on AND I am on a computer that does not charge you per second!
Day 10 St. Domingo to Belorado
The day started off pretty chilly but my warm and cozy fleece jacket is really doing its job. I walked for most of the day with Kirstin and then I got a little bit ahead of her heading into the town before we were getting to the town we were going to spend the night. This is where all of our problems started. As I was walking out of the town, I was pretty tired and not really paying attention. Instead of looking at the signs that point you in the right direction, I just followed a lady up a hill. She was walking and I didn´t really even notice that she wasn´t wearing a backpack or that she was in a skirt and sandles. Nope...I followed her up a hill, around some corners and then all the way to her house. It was only after 10 minutes and her actually walking into a house did I realize I was in the wrong place. By the time I got back to the actual path, Kirstin was ahead of me but didn´t know it. She arrived in Belorado before me and there were around 4 or 5 albergues to stay in. I wandered around the town for a long time looking for her and eventually just checked into an albergue and sent her an email telling her where I was. I was with a group of 6 or 7 people and so I told them all I was looking for her and so everyone was on the lookout. Luckily one of the girls saw Kirstin wandering around town about 2 hours after I lost her. She had checked into a different albergue and was just looking around Belorado. So she told Kirstin where I was staying and when I got out of the shower at my albergue, Kirstin popped out from behind the bunk beds. I was a little scared to write in my blog on that day when I updated everything else because I couldn´t really write that I had lost my walking buddy. But, all was well and Kirstin came and stayed at the same albergue as me.
That night, a group of us all made dinner together and ate at the albergue. It was some wonderful pasta and we bought bread, chocolate and wine. The fun nights are making the long days of walking much more berable.
Day 11 Belorado to S. Juan de Ortega
There were so many hills!! If this computer had microsoft excel I would draw a graph of how many times we went up and down the hills. The going up is not so bad, its the going down that seems to hurt me the most. One of the things I keep thinking is that you have to go up in order to see the amazing views and you have to go down in order to get to where you are going.
The day wasn´t too long of a day. We got into Ortega by 1 and decided to stay there. It was about 15 miles I think. It was a very small town. Town may be making it sound bigger than it actually was. There was a huge church, an albergue and a bar. Thats it. Since the day was so beautiful, a group of us sat outside for the entire afternoon on a grassy lawn and just drank beers and talked. It was one of those perfect days that are hard to recreate.
When we were sitting there, two huge tour buses came through and stopped. The people got off the bus and some of them were trying to be really sneaky and take pictures of us, but pretended like they weren´t. One guy filmed us with his video camera and another guy just came out and asked us if he could take a picture of us. I guess they wanted pictures of real people on the camino.
Day 12 S. Juan de Ortega to Burgos (15 miles)
Today started out really really really cold. There was fog and frost everywhere. All of the fields of dead sunflowers looked even creepier than they do normally. But as the day went on, the sun came up and the fog cleared away. It turned into a really beautiful day.
We made it to Burgos and are staying at a brand new albergue. It is seriously something you could dream about. There are these little cubby beds and and the lights in the showers turn on when you walk into the stall. AND there is hot water!!
We are going to go out and have dinner tonight since it is such a big city compared to all of our little towns.
There is a long line at the computer right now so I am going to have to share =).
If i get a chance to get back on, I will try and write back to some emails.
I miss you all.
Day 10 St. Domingo to Belorado
The day started off pretty chilly but my warm and cozy fleece jacket is really doing its job. I walked for most of the day with Kirstin and then I got a little bit ahead of her heading into the town before we were getting to the town we were going to spend the night. This is where all of our problems started. As I was walking out of the town, I was pretty tired and not really paying attention. Instead of looking at the signs that point you in the right direction, I just followed a lady up a hill. She was walking and I didn´t really even notice that she wasn´t wearing a backpack or that she was in a skirt and sandles. Nope...I followed her up a hill, around some corners and then all the way to her house. It was only after 10 minutes and her actually walking into a house did I realize I was in the wrong place. By the time I got back to the actual path, Kirstin was ahead of me but didn´t know it. She arrived in Belorado before me and there were around 4 or 5 albergues to stay in. I wandered around the town for a long time looking for her and eventually just checked into an albergue and sent her an email telling her where I was. I was with a group of 6 or 7 people and so I told them all I was looking for her and so everyone was on the lookout. Luckily one of the girls saw Kirstin wandering around town about 2 hours after I lost her. She had checked into a different albergue and was just looking around Belorado. So she told Kirstin where I was staying and when I got out of the shower at my albergue, Kirstin popped out from behind the bunk beds. I was a little scared to write in my blog on that day when I updated everything else because I couldn´t really write that I had lost my walking buddy. But, all was well and Kirstin came and stayed at the same albergue as me.
That night, a group of us all made dinner together and ate at the albergue. It was some wonderful pasta and we bought bread, chocolate and wine. The fun nights are making the long days of walking much more berable.
Day 11 Belorado to S. Juan de Ortega
There were so many hills!! If this computer had microsoft excel I would draw a graph of how many times we went up and down the hills. The going up is not so bad, its the going down that seems to hurt me the most. One of the things I keep thinking is that you have to go up in order to see the amazing views and you have to go down in order to get to where you are going.
The day wasn´t too long of a day. We got into Ortega by 1 and decided to stay there. It was about 15 miles I think. It was a very small town. Town may be making it sound bigger than it actually was. There was a huge church, an albergue and a bar. Thats it. Since the day was so beautiful, a group of us sat outside for the entire afternoon on a grassy lawn and just drank beers and talked. It was one of those perfect days that are hard to recreate.
When we were sitting there, two huge tour buses came through and stopped. The people got off the bus and some of them were trying to be really sneaky and take pictures of us, but pretended like they weren´t. One guy filmed us with his video camera and another guy just came out and asked us if he could take a picture of us. I guess they wanted pictures of real people on the camino.
Day 12 S. Juan de Ortega to Burgos (15 miles)
Today started out really really really cold. There was fog and frost everywhere. All of the fields of dead sunflowers looked even creepier than they do normally. But as the day went on, the sun came up and the fog cleared away. It turned into a really beautiful day.
We made it to Burgos and are staying at a brand new albergue. It is seriously something you could dream about. There are these little cubby beds and and the lights in the showers turn on when you walk into the stall. AND there is hot water!!
We are going to go out and have dinner tonight since it is such a big city compared to all of our little towns.
There is a long line at the computer right now so I am going to have to share =).
If i get a chance to get back on, I will try and write back to some emails.
I miss you all.
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