FOREWORD: I completed the El Camino de Santiago – an 800km spiritual pilgrimage across Spain in late Summer of 2009. I journalled and photographed my trip, and as a final completion I agreed to publish my journal and pictures a year to the day of my journey.
STATS: Walked 24,1km (15 miles) Spent €19.30 – (Accommodation – €5.50, Food – €13.80)
7:40am I started at about 6:20am this morning, decided not to eat, instead practicing surrendering and trusting that I will have food wherever I go. I walked to Puente la Reina, gorgeous town, just gorgeous, such a welcome and refreshing change. I found Obanos very hard, and tough energetically and I was glad to be out of there. I found a quaint bakery and picked up a delicious croissant and yoghurt which I had on the go. I am now just outside town next to a river bed just resting. I am managing to walk a little farther each time without needing to take my pack off. I am now able to walk about 45 minutes without needing to give my shoulders a break. I realiased that it is not so much that I am rushing but I could take some more breaks through the day. I think that will help my body.
I had a beautiful nights sleep, no snorers! A miracle! By 5am I was a little cold. I opted to not take a full sleeping bag on my trip with me, choosing to take just a sleeping bag liner, so far it has been OK but I was cold this morning. I tried to do some meditation. I then dreamed I was having sex with a young German man, who reminded me of one of my ex-boyfriends. It was nice!! It was very full on and vivid, and I remember kissing him and we were like in a rental property and the people came home early, it was weird, as dreams are. I was obviously clearing more stuff on all levels. Gotta love that!
I feel great and happy as always. My chant as I walk is a simple “thank you, thank you” This is the most marvelous gift I have ever given myself. This morning my right hip was pretty sore but I am delighted that the blister has subsided and I am back in my boots. I am not sure if it will be for the whole day , but It is great for now and I know will be better all round for me to be in the boots. Lighter on my back, and no swinging boot momentum to compensate for and don’t have to keep my eyes fixed to the ground so much that I had to do with my sandals. Light ahead for another fabulous day. It is a warm one.
11:51am – I hooked up with my friend Luis, my Brazilian Buddy that I met in Cezor Menor. Well of course how it actually worked out, was I was walking alone and I thought of him, and not 5 mins later he appeared. We chatted a lot about all sorts of things, and walked for a good few hours together. It was really nice. He is divine, and cute too!
1:44pm I am in Villatuerta – and it is a very Belleville type town on the Camino (Belleville is a very conservative red necky type suburb of Cape Town, well it was 10 years ago when I lived in SA, not sure what it is like these days) I am still in my boots but my toe is aching and now my left knee is experiencing pain. (I am optimistic that it is a clearing, but more likely it is as a result of my left leg compensating for the days of pain in my right hip!)
Today I experienced I mini-hypoglycemic attack (low blood sugar) and I was too involved and interested in talking to Luis to take care of myself. Really irresponsible, anyway managed to eat a nectarine to start to stabilise myself.
8:55pm It is surreal how the pain and agony of the walk so quickly dissolves when we come in to the albergue. Luis was there to meet me, he had got in hours before me. After I showered he gave me a foot rub, and we sat outside the albergue on some benches in the street, with some other Brazilians. They talked Portuguese and drank Matcha. I lay with my feet in Luis’s lap and I just watched the people go by. We met a man who was walking with a horse and a dog. He was in fact walking home. He had set off from Austria and had been to Santiago and was now returning home. He was more challenged with is trip, because his horse could not stay in all of the albergues, this night he walked a little further and stayed in the countryside. It was amazing. There was also a Colombian missionary priest who walked in his full monk habit thing which was boiling and sandals, no bag, no money. Luis and the Brazilian couple went in and helped him fix up a meal and a place to stay.
Later Luis and I walked into town, it was fairly big with a beautiful square and many lovely restaurants all around. I prefer cooking for myself, it is more economical and I can have more fresh food – restaurants seem to be more carb based. So Luis and I went to the supermarket and bought veggies and rice and had stir fry and rice, at a communal table with about 20 others, It was fun.
Today was pretty hard going. Luis had left me in the morning and I had walked on alone. I was struggling a bit with my hypoglycemia and judging myself a little with all my body issues and how I don’t take care of myself properly. I was exhausted in the afternoon but came across a beautiful church in the middle of nowhere. It was the Church of the Archangel Michael. It was a little off the path. I went and lay in there in the cool, and did some meditation and completely spaced out. I am not sure how long I was there. I realised that all I need to do is follow my instinct and let Christ do it. I know not what I do.
I ask for a blessing and a healing on my physical body for tonight and tomorrow.
I walked on, and started to get really peeved toward the end. I entered Estrella, and I always get excited when I get to a town, but it was about another 40 minute walk before I got to the albergue. I was also stressed because I was not sure if I would get a bed, and these 5 elderly men passed me and I was spitting at the thought that they were going to take my bed. I was feeling screwed and miserable and petty and grumpy. There were some horses in a paddock near the outskirts of the town, and I forced myself to stop and play with them to clear the negativity and to find my trust in God. By the time I eventually came to the albergue, Luis was already showered and bright – the man never gets tired. I wanted to growl and cry to him, and he just laughed at me. I wanted to lie down on my bed and die, but he told me to shower and come meet them outside. So I did and the yuckiness vanished and I had a great night! Thanks be to God, and the little God in Luis for being the conduit of grace.
go to the previous day: day 5 cezor menor-to-obanos
go to the next day: day 7 estella-to-los arcos
to view comments on the images, click on ‘full screen’ and then “show info”
S Skates
1 year ago
So, my question for today, which actually was a question I formulated late, late last night after reading about day 5… leading up to this journey, did you go on walks and stuff to prepare your body for days and days of walking? Did you break in the boots before putting them on? I know this is sort of ordinary stuff, but you know, sometimes my brain just comes up with these kinds of “ordinary” questions…
As for this day’s adventures… that horse looks small! Well, it almost looks like a donkey, but I’m so not an equestrian myself! Lastly, you are so brave, to me! I don’t know that I would have been able to walk this distance by myself… I think I might have been scared. It’s amazing all the light and love and peace, and learning that you brought forward for yourself. Thanks again for sharing with me. I’m not going to thank you for sharing it with everybody, I’m just thanking you for me… I know you’re touching more people than that, but really this is almost like my own little camino. When this is all through, maybe you should put a little thing in your site with instructions for folks only to read one post per day and create their own healing 42 day process or however many days it is… like a 30 day process only something better… just a thought. Love you!
tamsinpoet
1 year ago
The answer is yes and no. I was extremely “fit” when I started. I was running about 6 kms about 3-4 days a week, and going to the gym. About a month before I left I was walking in my boots for about 2-3hours a day with my pack on my back. But honestly unless you are walking 5-6 hours a day with the pack on you are not really preparing yourself, and who has the time for that. I did my walks in Sydney, down town LA and in the Pasadena area. These walks were profound and spiritual in themselves and somehow weaved themselves into the Camino just by having me walk them. I have decided that after I post my 41 days, I will publish as a bonus, my pre walk journals to share that experience….watch this space.
Thank you for your kind words, and suggestions. I am finding this porcess very healing for me as well. The walk was hard and challenging for me, and after I came back I found myself distancing from it – as the reality of some of the trauma came forward. I didn’t want to talk about it or think about it, and yet it was such a part of me. By going through it now and reading my journal day by day, and watching it unfold for me is very healing and good for me. I am glad you are gaining value. Keep up the comments I appreciate them.
S Skates
1 year ago
Nice… it kind of reminds me of JRR Tolkien who wrote the Lord of the Rings, and then later published The Hobbit – which was a prelude to the trilogy. You were definitely well prepared in my mind – walking and running and being in great shape, as you said. There was just this momma part of me that wanted to know that – and somehow I feel better now – knowing you did your work preparing for the journey.
Distancing – in art, especially, can actually be a good thing… I wouldn’t be any hard on yourself for that… it also is a chance to gain perspective through time and understanding. Some things just take that kind of time to sink in, percolate, or settle. I also think of distance – as a reframe – perhaps – like altitude – that’s another form of distance – looking from above a situation rather than in the think of it.
I don’t know what’s come into me in particular, but I’m on this journey and I’m committed. Very few things get any kind of commitment from me these days, as you can understand why – but at the same time, I am committed to this blog. I also don’t tend to get behind things – but my energy is behind this – I want to support you in this blog – I want to share this with others – even though it’s not mine. I’ve been telling folks about the blog, and sharing the links, just because… I’m drawn to do this. I’m drawn to support you unconditionally with this blog. I don’t know why, but I don’t need an answer. I just know it’s the right thing for me to do. Because if this were me, if this were my blog, that’s what I would want.
Now, I’m totally laughing… I’m either a really good friend or a creepy stalker!!! But that’s okay. I don’t mind. AND I know you can always remove my way-ward comments, if you don’t approve. And I still don’t mind. I love you, and I’m proud of you. LL SS
Luiz Vaz
1 year ago
many details,congratulacion to your blog.kisssssss
tamsinpoet
1 year ago
RESPONSE TO S SKATES – Thanks Sina, I am so touched by your comments and for your commitment. If it makes you feel any less creepy, others have had a similar response, but not just as passionately as you.:-) If I have learnt anything in my life and the Camino, it is to follow this intuition. I know you are a very good writer, and that we work well together. Perhaps, when the blog is done we can look at using the material and publishing it into a book together, like you could help edit it or plan it or something. Anyway, just some ideas, I am 3 weeks away from completing the Musical that I am directing, in Sydney, and when that is done, I would love to explore this in more detail and I will contact you off line. Just some food for thought…
tamsinpoet
1 year ago
RESPONSE TO LUIZ VAZ – Hello my friend, I was not sure if you would see my writing here, I am so glad that you came. Remember that day when I was on the side of the path sitting and writing, and you walked past me and you said “what are you writing?” now you know what I was writing. Was there anything that you have read here that I wrote that was not true?
S Skates
1 year ago
I will agree with you that we do work well together… but really my response is sort of… “if you really want me, I’m yours” I guess my feeling is that I don’t know what I would have to offer you – which is an interesting internal response – not like I don’t have anything to offer, you or to the world at large, but I am not a writing expert by any means. I am honest and express my opinion, and that’s about as far as I trust myself. I have not been officially published anywhere – other than my own hand – and most querries I send out get ignored or refused for all the various writing projects I’ve completed. All that thrashing aside, if you want me, I’m yours… and I’m open to be of service for the highest good… On a side note… ever considered creating a stage play – monologues from the camino? Now that would be cool!!! I was in “Camino Real” in college – it was a god-awful play – 3.5 hours long… Tennessee Williams… I joked that it’s almost as long as the real 800 KM trek, except to full of itself! And funny, enough, a LOT of smoking during the play!
All that aside, I’m going to continue my Trek across Spain… and we can talk more about the other “stuff” later… SS