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Published: June 28th 2008
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On the Camino
This is the flat part... Reminded me of the Midwest, but with much older churches. I'm still walking... And my feet are doing okay - I try to wrap every toe and heel with tape to prevent more blisters. At the end of each day, I can hardly stand on them any more... but by the next morning, they´re ready to go again. It truly amazes me... thank you feet!
I'm officially a "Pilgrim" of the Camino de Santiago. The life of a pilgrim isn´t bad... at least it's much better than it was 1,000 years ago.
Most of us sleep in "alburgues," like hostals with dorm rooms (less than $10 per night). I get to take a shower everyday. And I sleep on a bed with a mattress and pillow (we bring our own sleeping bag). I don´t have to carry much food or water, as each village has restaurants and drinking fountains, and they're usually a maximum of 3 hours apart. The way is marked with so many arrows and waymarks that only an idiot or completely spaced-out person could get lost (which I've done a few times).
The other pilgrims are caring and friendly... they share bandages with you when you run out before the next pharmacy. They patiently wait
in line for the bathroom at 6 AM when the lights are turned on in the dorm room (we have to leave by 8 AM, but most are gone by 7 AM). Sometimes they snore after the lights are turned out at 10 PM, but earplugs take care of that. About once per week, I stay in a hotel so I can take a long shower and use a real towel instead of my camp towel.
The best part is sharing dinner and wine at the end of the day with the other people I meet on the Camino. Even though we come from many different countries and backgrounds, we find that we have a lot in common. For many, this is a spiritual experience that makes a huge impact on life... When you walk 8 hours a day for 35 days, it gives you a lot of time to contemplate life and live in the moment.
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Lara Stone
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Wonderful pictures and commentary, as always!
My feet and legs hurt just hearing your story. 10 hours! Hang in there! What an amazing experience.