Sunday 8th June 2014...Camino Day 5!!

Well an interesting 24 hours....after I posted last night I came back to the hostel around 8.30pm after going to the store and buying supplies and fruit for today. It was not so bad everyone was quiet and I sat and talked with an English guy and a lady fro Australia....and by 10pm everyone was in bed I was on the bottom bunk and I just read for a while until.....yes wait for it...can you guess.....it is amazing to me that not only did the Italian Olympic snorer do this Camino but his French buddy who took the silver medal is also on the Camino and actually in the next bunk about 4 feet away.....even ear plugs were redundant!!!! I guess I eventually got off to sleep and was awoken at 5.00am by the sound of plastic bags rattling, zippers being closed.....the guys and girls were getting ready to hit the road. Perhaps with me being the oldest person I have seen on the Camino so far and a different generation but I just do not get this getting up so early I mean come on on 5am....as an example after they left I could not go back to sleep so laid there and day dreamed and was up by 6am and on the road by 6.30am and we finished up later on today at the same hostel......go figure anyway I am getting ahead of myself. Forgot to mention that Matt is in the same room good to see him but he has blisters so I told him abut my foot routine and he did go out and buy some ladies stockings and I loaned him my Vaseline for today..hope it works for him...he told me he was sorry he missed me the other day and I sad no worries it all works out. When I got my key from the tourist office yesterday the lady was so very helpful and gave each pilgrim a map of out to get out of town very detailed because she said the signs and been painted over black by some people from the Basque community and here is an example.... Well the first 3 hours was brutal all up hill and a climb to over 1600 feet but the sights were interesting... This chicken has no idea how lucky he was because what I would do right now for a BBQ chicken sandwich!!! and why are some pilgrims allowed to have a bath .what I would do right now for a bath!!! I am sort of following a good guide book and I research the night before so sort of know what to expect and they said to say good bye to the ocean for a few days and say hello to forests and they were right...it is like Switzerland so beautiful. I ran into Matt here.... and we chatted for a few minutes and off he went...there was a guy painting the bar across from the church and he had a radio and the music was great English oldies my favorite song was blaring away.....American Pie....loved that.....Google the lyrics for that song it is very interesting!!! How to be completely humbled and to feel insignificant in one turn of the road.....came across these 3 Japanese pilgrims...I had heard them because the lady was wearing a bell around her waist because one of the men was blind!!!!!!! I stopped and chatted and he was blinded through a disease when he was 22 years of age..he has children and grand children and this is his dream.....amazing!!! About this time I thought about my gorgeous friend Linda...you have heard me talk about her and Guy and how lucky I am to have them in SMA...well Linda sort of Mother's me and I love it..she also gets so mad at me every April Ist when I always get her with my April fool''s jokes you really would think she would get it by now....anyway up and until yesterday i would have sworn that Linda does not have a mean bone in her body but that changed when i read her e mail to me last night and I quote...."you would have loved supper last night we had roast leg of lamb and roasted sweet potatoes" I mean how cruel is that here I am surviving on bananas, apples and bread???? Around the next bend who is sitting there but Eliza.....she is always so upbeat and I do like her we chatted about 20 minutes and off I went. Just very lovely and this is the town where I am heading and after coming into town there was a plain looking church and the door was open and I went in and oh my goodness ....my camera was not able to capture the size of these huge boulders.....that is all there was in the church apart from a few chairs and the statue and pulpit...never seen anything like it!!! Some interesting photos this is a company on the west coast of Vancouvr Island!! These horses looked so strong and powerful! My best friend Wolf!! Looks like the Rockies! I had done some research and went looking for a private hostel that had a restaraunt with Wi Fi and single rooms.....with some help from a very friendly lady I found the restaurant and the owner was so kind and took me to see the room and I was hooked.....it is for two people and the fact I paid 30 Euros is no issue I would have paid 100!!! When you divide the money I have spent on rooms by the days it is very very cheap. So this Pearson kid is revelling in luxury so wonderful to be on my own and even have towels!!! The first thing was to do my laundry they got a good wash today and then hung up and then it was my time for a long long hot shower followed by tea and the coil works great but what about that milk!!!! Next was to ice gel down my aching body parts and have a wonderful nap for over an hour. Woke up feeling really good it was a hike of 28 km today so I am now at the 117km mark not a bad average when I only did 5km the first day!!! I have my music blaring my socks on and Paula nothing else!!!!! Enjoying myself immensely after I write this I will go to the restaurant for dinner and post the blog. Things I learned today: I still have wonderful family and friends. Life these days is quite simple I get up put on my shoes and walk. I miss all things about my life in SMA. I am drinking so much water and I feel good I will admit this day was a very hard day but now feel good a little achy but to be expected. Hope you enjoy coming with me on this journey...i spend hours doing the blog but love ever minute of it... Yashi Kochi!!!! PS Just had dinner at the restaurant..steak and chips and a huge bowl of hot rice pudding NOW I really am a happy hiker!!

Saturday 7th June 2014....Camino Day 4!!

hola after i posted last night went back to the room and the lovely Polish lady, Eliza was there and I gave her a tea bag and we sat and chatted a while...no other pilrims arrived so we had the whole room to ourselves. Had a great sleep and Eliza tapped me on the shoulder at 6.50am to say good by she was ready to go no doubt we will see each other again on the Camino. I got up and dressed and ready...already I have a good routine which even though I am travelling light I need to adher to.......so before getting dressed i doctor my feet with loads of vaseline my cotton pads and then the ladies ankle high stockings and then my walking socks. Next it is vaseline to my nipples this is very useful especially with my sweating. Then it is the ice gel to my left calf and my right shoulder(a little twinge there this morning) and finally some anti chafing cream between my legs(is this too much information?). Next I make sure I have everything packed and not leaving anything behind....and on the road by 7.30am this morning. I walked down the path to the beach and what a great way to start the day. I walked on the beach on then went into town and found this store open and stocked up on some goodies for breakfast and later in the day and then back on the road. Again lots of pavement walking but very pretty and about 8 km along went back to the footpaths. I rounded a corner and there having breakfast was Eliza...we chatted for a minute but I did not want to stop so was on my way. I stopped here about 5 minuts the bells on the horses was like a church chorus just amazing and one of those times you really have to be there!!!! SOme really beautiful views but what happens when a pilgrim gets tired??? You simply lay down on the path!!! In the next town i stopped for fruit!! Even have horses as gate's animals!!!! this photo is where I left my hat just to heavy when sweaty and it hurts my head so I need to buy a light one and Linda you still have to love me because I am using my Trader Joe's suncream, eating 2 banana's and an apple every day' drinking lots of water and resting when needed and taking care best I can of myself!!!! I have passed and been passed by about 20 pilgrims today and looking at thier packs I think I am well into the limit one guy I talked to from Romania told me his pack was aver 31 pounds wow!!! Well eventually arrived here which is the stop for tonight I found the information office which is where you obtain the key for the pilgrim's hostel but it was 3pm and they do not open till 4pm. So I just sat and waited and a few minutes later Eliza arrived.....when the lady came i got a room for 5 Euros and she gave me a key for the hostel and also gave me a bed number....I walked with Eliza to the hostel and pretty basic but clean...14 beds in this room and all young people' young noisy people' young nosiy and loud people'''anyway no problems!!! Chore must be done then a hot shower!! I walked back to the tourist office to use their internet and post this then I will get something to eat and buy some groceries there is no kitchen here and apparently the stores are closed tomorrow. Happy to report my calf was fine no problems...my toe looks a bit sore but it is not hurting and today was a long hard walk of 32 km. My little doubts about doing this from yesterday have gone away and what I learned today: I am still blessed. I still have great friends. Paths that go down eventually go up and it appears they always go up further than they go down. I still don't know or really care what day it is. Yashi Kochi!!!

Friday 6th June 2014....Camino Day 3!!!!

After I blogged last night had a cup of tea and sorted I know this may be a daily thing Wolf out again and I was ready for bed and it was 11pm so perfect timing had a great sleep!!!!! Matt and I were up at 6am and packed and ready to go when we went down to get our food and drinks out of the fridge we found that the main door to the reception locked and no one around. They knew we were leaving early but guess they did not think we would have food in the kitchen so the first glitch it was 6.30am and as Matt only had some cheese and bread in the kitchen he decided to head out on the walk. For me it was a decision time and as my water bottles plus sandwiches and yogurt were in the fridge I decided to stay...the water bottles are not expensive but they fit in my pack and I like the drink opening and what the heck they should be open by 8am.....so Matt and I agreed to try to meet at the next hostel at the finish of this stage 22km but if something happened just to let the Camino provide and i sat on the window ledge and worked on the computer they have good Internet here so really no big deal I am not on a schedule. When the staff did arrive they were very sorry and I had some fruit and yogurt got my stuff and was on the road by 8.20am. This is a very lovely town the beaches are great two bays one is calm and swimmable is that a word....and the other bay is a surfing beach. The hostel is very good and for a great price so I am one and one on the hostel debate!!! Views leaving this pretty town... after walking along the promenade there was a brutal up hill section and this where I felt a tweak in my left upper calf....I do not think it is serious but I did feel it. I stopped and applied some of the ice gel I have but it was still just a lingering inconvenience. 85% of the walk today was on pavement with stretches of wooded paths ...here are a few photos.. Some kind perso had made this shrine with lots of water and here is one of the many potable water taps. Imagine who I thought about when I saw this...I sure hope she is a happy and doing well!! I had my first thoughts this morning of "why have I taken my self out of my comfortable life in SMA to do this?" Did not last long and one of my answers was because I can!!!! More photos on the way did you think of John Wayne when you saw this? tHIS WAS NOT SET UP JUST PASSED BY THE CAN IN A PILE OF YOU KNOW WHAT...MEMORIES!!!! I arrived at the place I was supposed to meet Matt it is actually a camp and RV park and went to reception and was told I was the first pilgrim of the day!!! I paid 5 Euro and received a stamp in my pilgrim passport and was shown to the barn.....yes you read it right a converted barn with one room with 14 beds it is basic but the bed seems clean there is a bathroom and across the way is a restaurant and small shop and also showers it will do me. Not sure what happened to Matt I thought about reserving a bed for him but figured he had already been this way and decided not to stay. Shortly after a young woman from Poland arrived and we chatted for a few minutes. I first made myself a cup of tea and another thing I have learned is that I do love my cups of tea BUT they taste much better with milk!!! I then did laundry and found a good spot to dry them and then the weather turned very windy and it looked like a storm was coming so i thought a good time for a nap. My leg is still a bit sore so applied more gel and I think I may buy a bag of ice later and ice it down really well. I also had a brainwave..I brought my elastic bandage for my knee and folded over it fits my upper calf just fine and think it helps. It is a nice campsite and there is a walk down to the beach that I think I will do..my leg is just a little twinge and with my support walking feels ok. I walked down as far as here where there was a bench and decided it would not be wise to go all the way down so just sat with a beautiful view and contemplated my life some more. Did you know there was a golf course next to the beach you can see a bit of the green on the left....how do you know you may ask??? Well when you have a great zoom camera many questions are answered!! For the rest of the afternoon I wrote this and read my book, I have kindle on my Nexus and it is great no added weight of a book the only problem with it and anyone out there have an answer i would be thrilled is that when I am reading with the Nexus turned sideways every so often for no reason what so ever it changes itself to turn long ways...so I turn it around and it does it again happens at least twice every time I read. Then I checked out tomorrow's walk and made some notes and then around 7pm went to the restaurant and had a meal of eggs and potatoes it was a really nice restaurant with pleasant soft music, table cloth and i enjoyed my special meal...drank lots of water and enjoyed the evening and another brain wave... I asked for a large glass of ice for my water and when it came i proceeded to put some inside the elastic bandage and iced my leg for two hours....I think now if I can post this I will and then just relax and try to get a good nights sleep...... no other pilgrims arrived so just Elisa the Polish lady and myself so it should be a snore free zone and hopefully another good sleep. Today's walk was 24 km which gives me a total of 57km am I nearly there yet??????? Some photos of today!! Things I learned today: I know my hair is really short but it is perfect as I sweat lots so cool for walking and after a shower so easy to maintain. The fiber quick drying towel is not the best to dry yourself with but it works. I am enjoying the Camino. Did I mention I have great friends!!! Tea is better with milk. I am so lucky!!! I have no idea what day or date is. Yashi Kochi!!!