Walking for Water with Camino Jim- Day 18. Hump Day!
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018
Day 18. Hump Day!
I returned from dinner last night at about 10:30. The walk back to my cell was nearly a mile. Just what I need to prepare for Day 18’s nearly 17 mile walk. By the time I get back to the prison, the warden and all of the guards are gone so I can’t retrieve my laundry. I will just need to get it when I go to breakfast.
The tooth feels weird but when I wake up at 5:45 my first thought is to see if there is any additional damage. Robin sent me a funny email asking if I looked like a hillbilly. It’s only chipped, not gone. I head to breakfast and ahead of me are Don and Candy, it’s 6:15 and it’s still dark. They are ready to leave at 6:30 but they delay waiting for enough light to see where they are walking. I have two eggs and a piece of bread but I’m more interested in finding my laundry. The young women helping me does not know where the laundry is so she calls another waiter. The second waiter simply turns around and points to a table in the rear of the restaurant and there in a neat little pile is my laundry.
I pack and I’m ready to go to the Warden’s office to be released early on good behavior and of course to pay the eight Euro laundry fee. My parole is final and I’m on the Camino with about an 17 mile day ahead of me on a day which is heating up quickly. I have extra water and also add a few ounces to the backpack with my new tooth protecting shower shoes.
Hump day is for me one of my focus days. It works better for me to stay focused on today rather than looking at the objective of walking thirty four days. The short term focus gets me to concentrate on that rather than looking at the more daunting goal of completing 34 consecutive days. I preach the same with the sales people I work with … focus near term and you will achieve the long term.
I step onto the Camino at 8:07. There are many pilgrims on the way. I find myself passing a number of pilgrims who are struggling and we are just starting. The effects of more than two weeks of walking in a very hot sun drenched environment is starting to show up. As I get through the first five miles I’m passing more and more people and I’m not fast. There are at least thirteen miles to go and the sun is really starting to take aim … there is nowhere to hide, no shade. Several are just laying in the shade of a small tree with their shoes off trying to work up the courage to get back on the Camino.
At about the nine mile point I meet up with Don and Candy at a rest place. A chance to sit, takeoff the backpack and drink a little water. They are both doing fine … they are really good about knowing where and when to take breaks, I could learn a lot from them.
From this point on it’s just a straight mostly flat trail with a manageable level of Spanish potatoes. At the last possible place to stop before reaching the destination I stop, order a short beer and have my credential stamped and take a short break. There are roughly four miles to go. I catch up with a young guy walking alone and we share Buen Caminos. His name is Andres he is from Seville but lives in Manchester England. He is 39 years old and is walking one more piece of the Camino. He walked his first part from Astorga to Santiago 19 years ago. He is back now 19 years later walking from Fromista to Astorga and will one day return to walk from St. Jean to Fromista. There are no limits on how to walk the Camino and no time limits to complete it.
We finally reach the Albergue which has both a large number of bunk beds and in a separate section five private rooms. I have one and Gary and Margot have one. Don and Candy are supposed to be here tonight in the Albergue but I’m not sure they made it. They may have changed plans and found another Albergue about eight miles back. I finished two hours ago and I don’t think they have arrived. Gary and Margot have arrived with their friends who will just clean up quickly and take a waiting taxi to Leon and then move on to San Sebastian tomorrow.
The pilgrim dinner is at 6:30 and it’s the only option. We have dinner and it’s really noisy and I’m talking to Margot who is just great to be around as is her husband. The trouble is I’m really struggling to hear a great deal of her conversation but I think I understand enough not to make an ass of myself. Dinner was better than expected because the ensalada mixta is good and the razor thin “beef” is well … razor thin. Dinner ends quietly at 8:45 so it’s off to bed. After I pay my 10 Euro dinner bill I grab the nearly full bottle of Del Duro, their best wine and bring it outside to give to the kids on the Albergue patio. They are not disappointed.
In summary , today was a bit long and yes in the sun it was very hot but it’s all good … I’ve made it through another day safely and looking forward to tomorrow. You may notice that there are not a great number of photos today, that’s because if I took more they would they would all look the same … just a long and straight path.
Good night, Buen Camino.
Miles today : 15.9
Miles to date : 228.4
Steps today : 40,014
Steps to date: 650,538
Flights to date: 603