Day 22-25: It's my Party and I'll Cry if I Want to

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If you're going to cry walking around a city, León is the one to do it in...

Sometimes the Camino can be tough, especially when you are all by yourself. You definitely have your breakdown days when you are taking almost six weeks to walk... It is a very emotional journey. Being away from family makes it even harder when you are having a rough day. But more about that at the bottom of this blog entry...




Day 22: Carrión to Calzadilla de la Cueza

What a day this was!! We had been warned that todays walk included a long gravel road with absolutely nothing on it, but I didn't know it was going to be as bad as it was. There is nowhere to take shelter from the sun, rain or cold during this stretch.

I remember Sara and I stopping together for a break. We found a nice little spot right off of the path to sit and just relax. We sat for quite a while just enjoying the scenery. Elliott and Catherine passed us and waved. Other than them, I think only about three others passed us. It didn't seem like very many people were walking today.

Journal Entry--------------------

Sunday April 22nd, 2012

Today I had planned on walking a lot further than I did. My ankle hurt so badly that I limped most of the way. The walk was a tiring one that consisted of one long gravel road with hardly anything in sight to use as markers for distance. I never realized how important it is to be able to set goals of walking distances for yourself.

The man who is walking with a donkey passed me, that's just how slow I was walking. I literally started to fall asleep while walking. I was so tired, probably because of the pain I was experiencing in all of my joints, especially my swollen ankle.

The albergue that I am in now seems like there are a million people in one room and of course they all stink pretty bad. Well I better hurry up and try to fall asleep first so that I do not have to fight the snorers!

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Sara walked a long way in front of me for most of the day as I was being a slowpoke. I remember stumbling down this one hill where there was a little sitting area outside of an albergue. I could see Sara sitting waiting for me. I felt drunk at this point. I had definitely not drank enough water or eaten enough and was starting to feel it. I literally felt like I was sleep walking. When I got to the bottom of the hill where Sara was waiting for me, I collapsed in a chair and told her that I didn't think I would be getting up anytime soon.

At this point I made the decision to stay and after some thought Sara also decided to stay. After a shower and a little rest, Sara and I both were out in the patio area doing our wash and writing in our journals. There was also a pool at this albergue. I remember wishing that it was hot enough to swim!!

Just a little side note on stinky people, which is every single pilgrim including myself. At first the smell of thirty sweaty people in one small room will really get to you, but after a couple weeks on the Camino you sort of get used to it. For some reason though, this day I was super sensitive to it. It's nice to be around so many smelly people because then you don't have to feel self conscious about your own BO or how horrid you look. People do not judge you for your looks on the Camino, or smells for that matter; it is a wonderful thing to not be judged. Everyone is on the same gross playing field where personal hygiene is thrown out the window.



Day 23: Calzadilla de la Cueza to Sahagún

TODAY WAS THE HALFWAY MARK!! I could not believe it when Sara and I made it to the little town that is the halfway mark for those walking from St Jean Pied de Port. We were very chipper despite the rain.

It rained pretty much most of the day but Sara and I were in good spirits. After three weeks of walking in the rain it really stops bothering you. This is probably because by this point you realize there is nothing you can do about it. I thought about how this would be the last day that I would get to walk with Sara and was a little upset.

Journal Entry--------------------

Monday April 23rd, 2012

Todays walk was much nicer than yesterdays. Thank God my ankle held up pretty well for the 22.5km into Sahagún. I am really starting to get ued to walking in the rain. I hardly even notice it anymore. It's sort of similar to my pack... I forget it is even on my back sometimes. I've caught myself deep in thought a few times to the point of forgetting that I am walking! It has become second nature.

Approaching Sahagún I lost Sara and found my way to the municipal albergue hoping to find her there. She was nowhere to be found. I sat on a bed and decided to wait to see if she showed up. I was so happy when she did! She had stopped in a hotel to use the bathroom and I had ended up passing her. I peed outside three times today-- I have yet to see Sara take a squat on the side of the road.

I am really sad because tomorrow Sara will take the bus ahead of me. She has limited time to finish the Camino and she wants to be able to walk into Santiago so she has to skip ahead a bit. I have enjoyed her company greatly and will miss the feeling of knowing I have a friend nearby to have lunch with and to sleep next to...

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When I lost Sara I wanted to cry! I was afriad that I wouldn't get to see her again. We had not talked about which albergue we were going to stay in so I decided to just go to the municipal one and wait for her. I waited and waited but refused to unpack incase she showed up and wanted to stay somewhere else. When I heard her voice I shouted, "Sara! I'm over here!" She ran up to me and told me she was desperately trying to find me. She had asked some people outside if they had seen me and they pointed her in the right direction. Since we were already there, we unpacked and stayed then night.

We walked around Sahagún and quickly realized that everything was closed for another holiday. Damn Spain and all their public holidays!! It seems like they have a million! I got a bunch of stuff from the farmacia and then was told by the pharmacist to go to the doctors.

Sara and I found our way to a clinic and went in to see the doctor. The doctor did not speak English so Sara and I tried our best Spanish out on him. I showed him my knuckles and he looked perplexed. He told me he didn't know what it was but that I needed to see a doctor when I get home. I showed him my rash and he looked disgusted. He told me in Spanish that I have bugs and that I am going to continue to carry them from place to place. I was so embarassed because I knew for a fact that it was not bed bugs. I tried to tell him that it is not bugs because it is the same on both sides of my thighs... which last time I checked bugs weren't that anal about making sure if they bite you in one place on your body that they bite you in the same exact place on the opposite side of your body. Also, it did not itch, it hurt. And from what I have read, bed bugs itch like hell. I left with him telling me to go back to the farmacia for cream and telling me to wash everything I have... What a waste of time that was...



Day 24: Sahagún to El Burgo Raneros

Journal Entry--------------------

Tuesday April 24th, 2012

This morning I said goodbye to Sara. She left for the train station and I went out back to the Camino leaving Sahagún behind. I am sorry that I did not take the train today also. Todays hike was along the highway, and twice I almost got hit by a truck before getting onto the path that runs a little distance from the busy road.

My guidebook says that tomorrow also is along the highway and the day after is a dangerous walk crossing many lanes of traffic to get into León. I am thinking about taking the bus or train tomorrow into León. Sara and Molly are both there now and I believe they will still be there tomorrow as well. I would be so happy to see them both and also for the company. However, part of me feels like I need to continue on my own. I don't ever really do things on my own, probably because I hate it! I am torn. Today really was lonely with no one to eat lunch with or to complain to.

I still cannot believe how cold it is here! I wear my gloves every single morning. My face is quite tan but the rest of my body is pastey white. I also can't believe all of the shitty American music that plays all over the world. It drives me nuts.

My knuckles are so swollen that it hurts to write anymore...

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I remember thinking the whole day that I should have taken the train with Sara. This walk was horrible because it was along a road the entire time. At one point I got really confused because there are two different ways that you can walk. I did not realize it at the time, but I had come to that point and was confused by so many different arrows pointing in all different directions. I ended up going over a major highway pass but was walking on the wrong side of the road and literally almost got clipped by a trucke! I got so scared that I turned around and ran across the highway and went the other way.

I arrived into the town I was aiming for and bought some groceries and checked into the albergue. I spent a lot of time resting by the fire just thinking about my health and how it seemed to be deteriorating. Before coming on the Camino I had taken myself off of all of the medications I had been on. This was not advised by my doctor... The truth is that I had stopped taking them a couple of months before and had one more medication that I took myself off of right before leaving on the Camino. This is why my mother was so worried about me walking the Camino alone. My heart sometimes does funky things and she was afraid I would faint or something bad would happen.

Later on in the night I met another American girl named Lisa. The two of us started to talk and decided that it would be fun to try to name all fifty states. This is embarrassing to admit, but we couldn't name all fifty. In our defense, we were trying to verbally remember and keep track of the ones we had already said and kept getting all mixed up. Maybe I am that stereotypical American abroad that I am always bashing... ugh.



Day 25: El Burgo Raneros to León

Journal Entry--------------------

Wednesday April 25th, 2012

I woke up this morning hurting all over. I feel like I got hit by a bus and my knuckles are worse and worse every single day. I really hope that I don't have some sort of infection or weird autoimmune disorder.

Anyhow, I decided to take the train into León today. The walk would have been along the highway again and the next stint I have read is quite dangerous heading into the city. When I got off of the train in León it was only 0930. I walked around the city for over an hour looking for a place to stay but no hostel would let me check in so early. I stopped at a cafe and had some breakfast before venturing out again.

I started to look for the albergue and got completely lost. I texted Lee that I missed home and started to cry. I continued to walk around lost and sad until around 1230 when I finally found the albergue.

I got settled in and soon after Lawrence, the Belgian girl, came in! We went out to eat together. We selected a place for lunch after almost 30 minutes of trying to find somewhere that looked good. Our lunch was amazing! The best meal I've had in an entire month!! We also had a lovely conversation over two hours long. Afterwards we walked around the city for a bit.

When we arrived back at the albergue I saw and talked with many of the pilgrims that I know and have met along the way. It really helped my spirits. AND THEN......

MOLLY AND SARA SHOWED UP!!!!

The three of us went out for drinks and caught up. I was so happy!! I was going to take an extra day tomorrow in León but I think I might try to walk depending on how I feel. Sara is taking the bus again but Molly is walking, so I may join her.

My hand is hurting so bad so I have to stop writing now...

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As much as I wanted to be able to say that I walked every single step, sometimes you need a little help. When I woke up this morning I could hardly move. I was in pain with every little movement. I was also longing for a familiar face to tell me that I am okay. I did what I thought was best for my body and took a train into León.

I walked in circles around León dying for a place to rest. I couldn't find anywhere to stay and became very upset and started to cry. I was exhausted and sick and missing home pretty bad. It isn't fun being lost in a foreign city, sick, and completely exhausted. Needless to say, my first impression of León was not a good one. I sent an email to Molly and Sara telling them that I would try to find my way to the albergue and stay there for the night.

When I finally found the albergue and met up with Lawrence my spirits started to lift. Lawrence and I had such a great time walking around the city together. Then when Molly and Sara surprised me by finding me in the albergue I was instantly as happy as a bee. I was so happy that they had come to see me! It was nice seeing Sara again after I had thought that I would not see her again. The three amigas were together for one more day.

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Photos

Day 22
Man walking with donkey

Day 22
Not the happiest....