Posts from El Camino, 20.6.08

Yesterday there was a game Germany-Portugal. My "friend" told me that Ger will win and they did. I should start gambling a little bit. I thought the score would be 3:1, but it was 3:2. Today was a hard day again. I walked approximately 17.3-17.4 km from Portomarin to Airexa. I can see that it´s getting easier to walk. I noticed that I needed to eat a bocadillo around 10-10:30 to keep up my energy level, but today in addition to bocadillo, I had a desert, a flan. This flan really kick started me. I had a huge burst of energy and went well ahead of the others I was following and could not catch up with. THe road went jup and down, it went up a lot, actually, the sun was merciless. I could see that my muscles are not so tired as before, but it is the heat that I cannot tolerate.

It was also interesting to walk alone today, H took a cab and we agreed where we were going to meet. I was daydreaming more, and it also feels a bit lonely, but also freeing to walk alone. I was glad to see him.

Today I realized what the Camino trip is about. To some, it is about pushing yourslef, to others it is about walking, to others it is about losing weight. I can be about anything one wants it to be. First I wanted to push myself to see if I can overcome myself, my body, my physical limitations, and I can. However, today I noticed that my feet are swollen, my hands and fingers are swollen. I had a vision of my body as something that is really bleeding; it hasmany open wounds. I do not think now that this Camino experience is good for my body. This constant pushing myself and constant consumption of fried and junk food is not good for me. My back is tired to carry the backpack, my feet hurt in the new shoes. I am enjoying my new sandals, however, although they are not as green as before, but dusty, very dusty.

Yesterday, the place wehre we stayed, O´Mirador, was not great. NOt so clean, the beds were too close to each other, there was not enough space in the room for 4 of us. To add to this, the French or Swiss French? people were nosiy and two of them snored in a choris at night so loud that I could hear them, despite my earplugs. H told me that it was me who snored so loudly but I could not believe it.

The road today went through a very beautiful forest, but I was so busy pushing myself that I did not notice much of the surrounding. It is a shame.