Wrap-up (Sort of) Part II

My first experience in 2014 was short-lived due to physical issues. My second experience in 2015 was everything that I wanted and needed.

Both of my experiences are profoundly different: the first trip was spiritual and the second trip was physical.

I had to go back, both to continue my journey, and also because I felt the lessons from my first experience were slowly slipping away, and that I was - without much struggle - being pulled down into the quicksand of  'everyday life'.

Walking the El Camino is physically challenging; each day, despite the recovery each evening, the cumulative toll wears one out. After 15 days of hiking 13 miles a day and returning to Rochester, I was sleeping for 10 - 12 hours a day for days afterward. 

On the other hand, living the El Camino, altho' requiring a change in one's outlook and demeanor, relieves me of stressers that previously affected me negatively. 

I have not yet figured out what proportion of each part of the El Camino affects me so deeply. 

• The aloneness
• The physical effort
• The physical exhaustion
• The interactions with pilgrims
• The fluidity and relative uncertainty of each day
• The connectedness to the environment 
• The disconnectedness from the world
• The celebration of exceeding my abilities

After my first experience on the El Camino, I knew that I had changed profoundly ... and that change fed back into my life and how I lived. 

After my second experience, I had not changed so much as realized that my path in life had veered. 

Why the change? I'm not a believer that the El Camino changes one; more so, I believe that one wants to change and has chosen the El Camino as the instrument of the change. Since my first experience, and I think even more so now, the El Camino has become an integral part of who and what I am. I could no more stop thinking about my 'pilgrimage' anymore than I could deny an intimate part of my soul. The two are intertwined now ... more than that, my soul and the El Camino are interconnected, like neurons. To remove it from my history would be to introduce an amnesia over a fundamental part of my individuality.

After I got back to Rochester, I watched a show on the human brain that talked about how athletes enter the "slow mode", the "zone". I have not yet achieved that state in my hiking.  It's a state wherein the mind no longer operates on a conscious level, but instead surrenders total control of the body to the unconscious mind. This "slow state"/"zone" frees the person from having to think, monitor, direct the course of the body. It just happens. This will be my personal goal for 2016 on the El Camino. Then I will be free by feeling free of the concerns and issues on my "way".

I have not reached Santiago De Compostelo nor my own personal endpoint, the journey continues. I'm not sure what is/was/will be more difficult.

I have been joking that when I got on the plane in Spain to come back, that I decided that I would not return. The El Camino was just too physically demanding for me. The funny part is that when the plane was landing in Rochester, I had my Via De La Plata stage planner out and was looking for a time in 2016 to return to the El Camino.

Wrap Up (Sort of) Part I

There are so many people that I met over there who made my second time so wonderful.

• Beverly - not to be overly dramatic, but I found in her a soulmate for 'The Way'. I connected to her in so many ways, always platonic. It had to be that way. Her guidance was spot on; her attitude upbeat. Altho' inevitably behind her on the trail, she was the beacon that guided this ex-sailor thru some rather difficult times. Like all relationships on the El Camino, when it was time for us to go our separate ways, I was not sad. I was happy to have met and known her and to have shared over half my journey with her.
• Bridget - over dinner my second night back in Spain, we talked of the Camino and the meaning and relevance that it brought to our lives. We all have our experiences that only a few others understand. I can not explain to others what the El Camino means to me; it's too personal. But Bridget and I shared that meaning that night over a meal in a non-descript plaza in Seville.
• Jose, ship's captain - just a chance encounter in Merida. We talked for less than an hour, but I was struck that of all the Spaniards that I would meet, and speak in a non-native language for me, that I meet a fellow sailor, a traveler of the oceans and that we talked of sunrises and sunsets far from land.
• Jose, hiker - brought me to laughter.
• Karen - a nice lady from the Netherlands. She and I spent a Saturday evening in Merida, attending Mass, walking around the city and bothering the church officials (just kidding) for a stamp for our Pilgrim credentials.
• the 4 Basques - helped me on one of my problems in Spain. Readily acted as the intermediary for me as I negotiated resolving a problem. They're assistance helped steady me in my sense of self-determination, in my belief that I could do this.
• the 5 German bikers - on my last night on the El Camino, they were unfailingly polite. Without them, I would have been all alone in the albergue/hostel. Altho' we basically could not communicate, they were most friendly. The next morning, I got the first start - before sunrise - later, as they passed me on route N-630 on their bikes, they all wished me a 'Buen Camino' .

	Camino 2014	Camino 2015
Distance	80 miles (130 km)	180 miles (300 km)
Number Stages	5	13
Month	April	October
Days on the El Camino	7	16
Most Amazing Experience	Meditating with the 'Our Father' along a country road	Steeped in the Roman history of Merida's Teatro & Anfiteatro (Coliseum)
Weather	Constant sun; temperatures in the high 80s	Mix of clouds/sun/some rain. Temperatures in the low 70s
Overall health	Blisters, infections	Good
Ghosts	Profound self-reflection thru-out	Couple of days of introspection, mostly letting the mind wander
Busride to Seville at the end	Tinged with regret, having to stop early. Vivid recollections of my stages.	Satisfied with the hike/adventures. Watched a lightening storm over Merida at night.
Cultural	Semana Santa (Holy Week)	None

Food

• jamon and manchego cheese
• eggplant, dripping in honey
• cold green salad with tomatoes, etc in olive oil and vinegar
• calamari (squid)
• albondigas (spanish meatballs)
• octopus
• paella
• papa fritas
• ensalada de patata (potato salad)
• gazpacho (much better than V8)
• tinto de verano or cerveza
• cafelito con leche
• zumo de pina (pineapple juice)
• coca-cola

Back in Sevilla

After a 6 hour hike, I enjoyed the 6 hour bus ride from Bejar to Sevilla.

Why you might ask?

I was able to relive many of the places that I hiked through. This time, from the bus, I realized just how much mileage that I had put on the old hiking shoes. It took the bus almost 5 hours to go past from where I started this hike in Fuente De Cantos.

I descended the mountains of Castile y Leon and northern Extremedura down to the plains of southern Extremadura and Andalucia.

I watched a lightning storm over Merida as we rolled on towards that beautiful city. I am so glad that I took the day to visit the Roman ruins ( the Teatro and the arena ).

As town after town rolled by, I felt contented in myself and proud of my accomplishments in challenging my body and mind to both overcome obstacles and to problem solve situations rather than brute force an answer.

At the hostel in Sevilla, I enjoyed a period of respite and relaxation. I took a 3 hour tour of Sevilla with quite an accomplished guide, Sylvia. This is the same person with whom I did a tour upon arriving. The tour was in the rain while I was awaiting my luggage. This time we had beautiful sun and another wonderful experience, reveling in the beauty and history of this ancient city.

Time came to pack up and head to the airport ... a time of period for self-reflection, introspection and high adventure at its end.

A Moment in Time

For both times on the El Camino, I have walked 440 km or 265 miles which is about 44 per cent of the total pilgrimage.


Today I checked the stats for  this time on the El Camino. I have   hiked 188 miles ( 313 km ) over 15 days, with two of those days being rest days.

That actually means hiking on 13 of the 15 days.

Using 15 days as the average that comes out - 12.5 miles per day.

Using 13 days for the average, that is 13 days of actual hiking, comes to 14.5 miles per day.

The goal was always fluid and I need to accept that as a person,  I am always moving the goalposts.  I've had a good Camino. In fact, I am already farther than I thought I might get.

But being a Type A person,  once something is done, it doesn't count.  What matters is the next goal. So I should enjoy what I have accomplished.

Things that hiking with Beverly brought back to the forefront of my thinking:

• Take it one day at a time.  There's always tomorrow. 
• Set my pace and go.
• Don't let others steer me in ways that I don't want to go. 
• Be adventurous. 
• Sleep in. 
• Eating is always good on a hike. 
• Rain is good but be prepared. 
• Take time out to explore what is around. 

My wonderful granddaughter called me the other afternoon to see how I was doing.  That always makes a grandpa smile.

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Total completed on El Camino. Started in Sevilla. Now under blue dot, west of Madrid. Final destination is Santiago in northwest Spain. That will be for the next trip.

Aldeanueva del Camino to Bejar

This is the final day.

Usual start. Nothing special. Did enjoy the company of the young German men. We could not really talk, but they were very polite.

Exit from Extremadura into Castile y Leon was anti climatic. I turned a bend, climbing a hill, came out at a gas station with a sign that had a map of Castile y Leon. Asked a guy smoking a cigarette if, in fact, I was now in Castile and he said, basically, of course because where else would I be. He might not be use to peregrinos coming out of the bushes and asking silly questions. But he did take a picture for me.

The hike itself was uneventful, but I had entered much more mountainous terrain. Constant up and down. One or two climbs were especially challenging. Heart pumping way to end the hike.

Decided early on that I would head for Bejar, figuring that they would have a full service bus station. Good call. Direct bus service to Sevilla.

Today's photos

Sunrise over the mountains of Banos de Montemayor

It says:
"Via de La Plata
Camino Mozarabe
From Banos de Montemayor to Santiago
569 km"

Now in mountainous terrain. The days of flatness out to the horizon are over.

Made it. I have officially hiked thru the autonomous region of Extremadura and made it to the region of Castile y Leon.

How green here versus the southern region of Extremadura

And here we are in the bus station in Bejar, with the hiking poles and hiking shoes officially retired ... And one fine tasting beer.

Oliva de Plasencia to Aldeanueva del Camino

Not to much to report. Better weather than yesterday. Time was ok. Left hip giving me trouble.

I mentioned that Beverly and I moved on our own paths yesterday.  She was down with rain and I wasn't.  Today on the way north,  I passed the hostel that she was headed for. I stopped in to see if she had made it,  but the manager told me that she had gone on further north. So she is far ahead of me and I am ending this hike tomorrow.

Checked into albergue. Just me ( and 5 German young men who have been biking the El Camino for five days ). I haven't a clue what they are saying.

Tomorrow I should leave the autonomous province of Extremadura and enter Castile y Leon. To me it is amazing that I made it this far.

Tomorrow is it.  I'm sneaking in one more day of hiking.  You would be justified to wonder if I haven't already had enough.  We are almost there.

Today's pictures

Leaving the plains behind

Blue sky and green fields

Following national highway N630

Following one of the roman networks that connected Iberia

Some pictures of Aldeanueva

Carcaboso to Oliva de Plasencia

Rain started early and only got stronger.  Pretty much a downpour by about 3 hours into the hike.

 Beverly's and my plan was to get to Oliva de Plasencia. When we reached the turnoff point, she joked that this is Seattle weather which she is used to.  She felt pretty good but I was not feeling the good feeling.

So I stayed with the plan while she went on to the next stop. We said our goodbyes as they are said on the El Camino.

Later Alexandra ( USA ) and Marco (Austria) passed by me. They also headed for the hostel Asturias.

Not much to report.  I'm in a bar having a coffee after showering and resting. Looks like I have the albergue all to myself.

=====
I have some big decisions.  Do I continue for one or two more days or pack it in?

If I continue,  I can have one more day or two more days of hiking.

If I pack it in,  I head back to Sevilla for 2 rest days instead of one.
=====

Finishing lunch/supper.  Bread, Octopus in vinegar and potato salad.

Strongly thinking to continue on. I suppose the weather tomorrow could change that.

Today's photos

Hand drawn map of instructions on getting out of Carcaboso. We used it twice as exiting was somewhat tricky.

Incessant rain day. Just got worse as the day went on. Otherwise, green things!

This handsome guy greeted me as I passed by.

As did this lovely.