I wake naturally at 8am to a completely silent, beautiful hotel room. My body is happy to be fully rested, my feet feel wonderful. I take a few minutes to enjoy the terrace outside of our room and check the weather, while Jenny lounges and thinks about what she's going to do.
I have decided to have a quick breakfast and then press on. In an "only in Spain" manner, we learn that we don't have to check out of the hotel until 6pm. This will give Jenny plenty of time to swim, rest, or just to enjoy the luxurious privacy. She has decided to stay on in Burgos for an extra day or two.
We have a quick coffee & Neapolitana treat for breakfast & I get a tuna with tomato sandwich to go. As we sit there, Daniel from Sweden comes in with two beautiful Canadian young men. I can tell that Jenny is thrilled. I say my goodbyes, ask Daniel to keep an eye on my Camino Ninjo and then set off alone.
I am a bit sad, but energized from my great night of sleep & from the freedom of striking off alone. Its also nice to know that Jenny is in good hands. I have a much tighter schedule and often I have felt like I'm causing her to rush when she would much rather linger. I will miss her company dearly, but it is time for us to go our own Way.
As I'm leaving Burgos I see an odd little pink church and walk over to peek inside. The sunlight is filtering in the tiny windows in such a beautiful way that it appears as if there are custom lights on everything inside.
The next thing I notice is a giant facility with watch towers & barbed wire all around and guards patrolling behind the fence. I'm assuming that it's a prison or a sanatorium, but the really odd thing is that it's painted in the brightest colors you've ever seen. This gives it a carnival or circus look. I immediately have the circus music (Is there an actual name for that song?) playing in my head and I begin to laugh out loud at the obvious sense of humor that someone in charge has.
Next, I come upon a man in a field with a large black dog & two storks (Yes, they are real birds...Was I the only one who thought it was just some crazy fabrication to explain where babies come from? I am really hoping that I wasn't alone in this...feeling pretty dense about it). I watched for some time as the storks would take flight and make a low loop of about 200 yards and then land and walk along side this man & the dog. I really thought I must be seeing things but a couple of times the dog gave the birds a sort of loving nudge with his nose and then they would take off, fly another loop & land again. The birds are massive & their heads stand much taller than the dog which appears to be a large black Labrador. It was so much fun to watch. I was hoping they would come closer so I could ask questions, but sadly am left to assume that he has rescued the birds and has now taken them as pets.
As I carried on and approached the village of Tarjados I could hear the bells of the cathedral ringing continuously. Since it was Saturday, I assumed it was a wedding. I cinch down all the straps of my pack and start running. As soon as I step foot in the square, I come face to face with every single person in the village, led by two men with giant flags. I grab my camera and make a video of the procession as it passes me. Once again, an unbelievable moment. I was the only pilgrim anywhere near and I was lucky enough to be just in time. (I will post the video on my fb page ~ Bethany Eells Porter~ because I can't post it on the blog) After they all pass by, I sit down on a nearby bench to take my pack off for a few minutes & rest. Within minutes, three beautiful girls from the procession come over to sit with me & talk. Only one speaks English and she translates everything back and forth between us. She tells me that today is a celebration for the birthday of their village. They ask where I'm from, if I have children & why I'm walking the Camino alone. I tell them that I live in Hawaii, show them pictures of my children and that moments like this are why I'm walking the Camino alone. I ask if I can take a photo of them in their beautiful dresses & they all smile such pretty smiles. I am sad to leave them but need to get another 3k down the road to my albergue.
Thoughts of distance come to mind as I walk along. This is now how I think if everything now. 5k is the distance that I can manage to tolerate or procrastinate (just depends on how you look at it) most anything that comes up. I think procrastination must be deeply embedded in our genetic code because no matter where we are or what were doing, we can always find a way to put something off. Or maybe it's just me? If I am walking along and I need to pee, deal with a wedgie, have a rock in my shoe, have an itch, need to tie my shoe tighter, need to find additional clothing, or if am starving or thirsty, it can always wait another 5k. It's the distance that isn't even considered a distance any longer and I'm not alone in this. It will be interesting to see if in two weeks time I am procrastinating 10k at a time.
When I arrive at my albergue I am greeted by a beautiful Spanish woman who takes 18.50 euros in exchange for a bed, dinner, laundry, and breakfast. It begins to pour the second I step inside and I know I have been blessed today, and now all my needs are sorted for the next 14 hours.
Moments after I arrive, a Spanish pilgrim comes to the door on horseback. He is the first I've seen on the Camino.
My room is shared with a loud, and very amped up American woman from California who has just begun her walk & is filled with the anxiety that I am very familiar with. I will be interested to meet with her again in two weeks time, to see how the Camino settles her. It's so astounding how the back to the basics routine of eating breakfast, walking, showering, doing laundry, eating dinner, and then sleeping, day after day after day, settles your rough edges.
We also have the French couple who I met in the cathedral in Burgos. They come each year for two weeks and complete a section but this year they forgot their Camino passports at home. They were getting new ones when I saw them but were very sad because they will not have one completely full of all the sellos now. For most people this becomes a keepsake that is forever treasured because it tells the story of each place you went on your Way and helps you to recall memories. They are quiet and contemplative as they lie in their beds writing in their journals and whisper to each other periodically to be considerate. Meanwhile, our American roommate is on her cell phone speaking in full voice with her husband for 30 minutes about trash day & dogs that may or may not need grooming while she's away. I am embarrassed and keep mouthing apologies to our quiet French roommates on her behalf.
We are all placed together at dinner and it goes much the same way. My fellow American dominates the conversation in such a loud manner that the other tables give up attempting to speak as well. I can't help but to think that this was me the first few nights, so full of anxiety about what was ahead that I felt as if I might explode. I've calmed so much now and have settled into the rhythm of the days on the Camino. All the minute details are no longer important. Breakfast, walking, shower, laundry, dinner, and sleep. These are the only worries, the mind is left to pray, meditate, contemplate and reflect. I think it must be somewhat similar to spending a bit of time in a convent or monastery, where you live a basic life and remove your mind from the daily pollution that life can throw your way. After a certain amount of time on the Camino your whole presence changes. It's always easy to tell the newbies so full of energy & anxiety, rubbing up against the world in such an abrasive manner. She will settle in time and soften, we all do.
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