Burgos to Hornillios del Camino and back again.

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So as I left you last.

Me and Serina had just spent two lovely nights in Burgos, we had basically said goodbye to Laurie and Roger, but hoped to catch up with Jenna at some point.

So after a day of rest, we decided we would leave early and have a nice calm walk to the village of Hornillios del camino. I can remember putting my shoes on and thinking something doesn't feel right. Well the walk out of Burgos confirmed this to me.

Now I had just spent the last day and a half in flip flops and no backpack. so I was giving my knee almost no thought at all. Putting it all back on was sending a constant sharp pain down across my right knee.

By the time I reached halfway to Hornillios, Serina was becoming worried, I had mentioned my knee was bad, but I didn't give on how bad. But I knew. I watched too much football not to. At halfway we stopped, she asked me how bad, it was becoming obvious, because I had gone from the faster walker to a snail compared to her, even with my sticks. I confessed, it was bad, but I didn't confess I was relatively convinced it was trip ending bad. She suggested going back to Burgos. For the life of me, I don't know why I didn't, maybe I knew it would be admitting defeat. I think in my head, this was a challenge and I was going to complete it at all costs.

So I soldiered on, hobbling to Hornillios, hoping the next day was better.

Now I will put now, if you ever walk the camino, Hornillios is an excellent stop, please stay there, its so quaint and peaceful (and the food is amazing) I loved the albergue! So we spent the night with Takechi, who I was pretty much resigned to not seeing again on the trip, seeing as I was sure it was over.

So the next morning, we woke up and started out, I couldn't make it to the end of the street. I told Serina and she was understandably distraught. Additionally we were in an area with no bus, no taxi and no chance of walking back to Burgos, a cruel 20km away.

We spent hours trying to come up with a plan, I needed a doctor, but no way of getting to one. But then, a woman, I can't remember her name, but I wish I did. She drove us to Burgos, took me to hospital and sorted the Docs out for us. I can't remember ever owing such a debt to someone. I wish I knew her name, but the pain, you can't imagine it.

By the end of it, we had the diagnosis, tendonosis. A trip ender if ever there was one. The doc told us we should go home, but maybe give it 7 days and pray. My brother ( a sport scientist) told us come home. Everyone told us to. But I wasn't going to give up, so I sat for 7 days, doing nothing. I sat and I hoped.

”When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” <em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">- Franklin D. Roosevelt

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