AND WE CONTINUE ON

Each day we walk, we eat, and we sleep. Always one foot in front of the other. Head down, moving forward, we continue towards Santiago. We walk with one another and by ourselves. It's not uncommon to walk with someone and not say a word, each of us deep in our own thoughts. You think about your life, your work and your family. You miss them and know that they will be in your life again. Will it be different after the Camino? I hope so. Sometimes change is a good thing. You learn many things about yourself as you walk along. At times you discover things about yourself when talking to another, other times your thoughts become clear and you know the answer.

 

Before I write about the latest happenings on the Camino I want to tell my family that I love each and everyone of them and think about each of them everyday as I walk. I speak of them to some of my Camino family and how I want to be closer to them. It's strange, but I am with people from all over the world and in a short time may never see any of them again, but with them I see things more clearly that I have ever seen before.

 

Now for the news:

 

Kelly's friend Nina arrive late and I filled her in on Kelly's condition. The next morning Nina and I took a taxi to the hospital and around 11 am, the doctor finally released her. Nina came to Spain to walk on the Camino with Kelly for just 3 days and then return to Taiwan. Coming to Spain for just 3 day is one of the perks of an airline job. Once released, we took a taxi to the location that Kelly was picked up by the ambulance and we continued our Caminos. Nina is somewhat unprepared, but she and Kelly walk together while I forge ahead. Like it is always on the Camino, sometimes you walk alone and sometimes you don't

 

The weather has been fantastic. Only a couple of days when I zipped off my pant legs and walked in shorts. Usually cold in the morning, but nice walking temperatures durning the day. organizationsI'm usually on the road by 7 am, walking a couple of hours before stoping for a simple breakfast of orange juice, cafe con leche and a croissant. Then walk till lunch and stop for a small pizza or a bocidillo. Then more walking till the next nights stop. At each stop, off with the boot and socks to wiggle the toes and let the feet dry. The a change to fresh socks before walking again. This is to prevent blisters, but I have still manages to get 3 small blisters on my right foot. The pilgrims treatment for blisters is to use a needle to pull a string though the blister, leaving the string hanging out at both ends to allow the blister to drain.

 

 

 

Life in the albergue: To stay in a government run albergue you must be a pilgrim and show your pilgrim's passport. They are very inexpensive, running between 5 and 10 euros. Many are privately run and others are run by nonprofit organizations and staffed by volunteers. Most of the sleeping arraignments are in bunkbeds sometimes as many as 100 beds in a giant room. Most sleep fewer people to a room, something between 6 and 12 persons. Some provide a meal for free, but most of the meals are very expensive and include wine for around 8 euros. Showers and laundry facilities are the norm as is a kitchen for you use if you want to cook your own meals, and of course WIFI. If you go out at night, better be back by 10 because they lock the door.

 

Walking conditions vary every day. Sometimes on the edge of a busy highway, along back country roads, on dirt farm roads, and trails of varying condition. In the past two days two vary long and steep grades, one of which was on a rocky path. So far none of the route have been what I would describe as "killer".

 

I am really glad I trained as my body is doing well. Just a couple of small blisters on my right foot that don't slow me down. One thing more I could have done in preparation was to beat the bottoms of my feet with a hammer.

172 miles in two weeks

I am now in Burgos, a large city with a population of 178,000. Staying in a hotel tonight, spent some time being lost in the city, but after some trial and error and help from non English speaking Spaniards, I managed to find my hotel. Ready for a good nights sleep.

 

 

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