I arose early to a heavy moist mist for my trundle into Santiago what a difference to my start 29 days previously, the fog lasted until 11.30am I was nearly in Santiago what a bonus!
On the way in I met a couple that had walked from Salamanca(500k´s)they were about 15k´s from the city and were waiting for a bus, I felt sorry for them and confused. As i started approaching the centro area(the old city) the narrowing of the streets made traffic even more chaotic but with about 500 metres to the cathedral the towering spires came into view rising above everything else, I turned a corner to a riot of people and noise,I was not ready for the amount of people, tourists and pilgrims,the tourists nattily dressed mostly in this seasons colour red and the pìlgrims, well, whatever makes you stand out, the sillier the hat the better, shells tied on their clothing and hats, with thick heavy walking poles in hand, this was a complete contrast to where I had been and their numbers were many. I bustled my way along the approaches to the Plaza De Obradoiro they were occuppied by buskers, souvenir merchants, beggars and the never ending array of coffee/bars shops eager to get bums on seats. The plaza was full of pilgims and tourists standing around spinning a myriad amount of photos, if you stood still someone would ask you to take their photo so I did the same, stood for awhile admired the Portico de la gloria(stairs to the cathedral)and the facade stretching to the sky I slowly made my way out of the plaza found a comfy chair and ordered a cerveza grande(large beer) and peopled watched the most noticeable feature was the "Santiago walk¨" caused by sore feet nearly all had socks and sandals and seemed moderately equipped. This morning I went to the office to pick up my forwarded backpacks and found out that there are over 1500 pilgrims arriving each day over 95% have only walked the required 100km´s for a cerificate worse still they were getting up at 4am to get to the next alburge leave their backpacks there then wait until the next day to do the same, I met less than 30 walkers on the whole camino and only 3 for the first 500k´s so you can imagine the difference. Some friends Mishy turner and Chris did the frances about 2 months ago and it was not that bad maybe the 20% unemployment has the spanish seeking a cheap holiday.One other observation is the amount of bikers I believe it will be overtaken by bikers soon they get the certificates for the same trip and let me tell you a lot of these bikers could not walk 5k´s I am talking obese as I said a sight to see and yes they shave their legs they are all Alberto Contadors.
Well, my camino has now come and gone I have been lucky enough to achieve the 1000k´s and in a time that made it much more interesting than just walking it, as if the (PTI) in me was going to let me do it any other way also Mishy giving a challenge to beat her time was something not to take lightly I would never heard the end of it if I had lost.
Due to the lack of the internet I was unable to bring a lot of the walk and things that happened to me to you, by the time I had access I had moved on, but hopefully there was something there to give some idea of a camino´s walk on the via de plata. I have really enjoyed getting the emails especially from my mate chuck I believe you all should have read them and of course dennis keeping me going with his quotes.
My mum has done a lot of work in raising money and spreading these blogs at 80 plus their is no stopping her!
I am off to Frankfurt tomorrow a few days to settle and see what is on the horizon.
adios
Ian
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Nearly there
Well you are getting an extra report as I am only 19k´s from Santiago but after another 50k plus day I finally came to rest at a nice little hotel that has internet the first one in 29 days.
My leaving Ourense was delayed a further 24 hours by the worst case of food/water poisining I have had, it was by far the best whole body enema I have ever had, there was nothing left in me at the end. My first eruption happened at about 11pm just missed the toilet bowel but managed to hit everything else in the bathroom(it was tiny) it was not an emotional moment of the trip watching two days of good food sliding down the mirror,vanity and walls, but as thoughts of Jackson Pollock sprang to my mind my other senses burned from the smell and my taste buds sprang to life at the register of acidic content swirling around my mouth. This continual problem of bringing up solid parts and then nothing but green stuff maintained a steady timing that insisted I sit on a chair next to the bowl after a few hours and a tidy up I had a shower and went to bed, only to remain awake with aches and pains from one end of my body to another as dawn approached I thought well that was pretty tough, then all hell broke loose from the bottom oriface I made it to the bowl and remained there watching soapies in spanish for the next 6 hours, venturing now and then to the bed via a chair. I know the noise of my emotions, sorry my motions was disgusting enough but the waft of the odour was for sure permeating right throughout the floor. But like all good things it came to pass and after 24 hours I was back on the road, allbe it with no food or fluid in the body. I set about just getting some k´s in and drinking as much lemonade as the system would take, I gradually eked out 31k´s but was about 3 and half hours slower than normal. I visted a monastery on the way it has been there in some manner since the first century it is quite large and I was impressed because it is not there to sell it is there for the 12 monks to go about their business in a manner required of there brotherhood, I met one of the monks because he speaks english and I was the only english speaking person there but when the bell rings he made haste for his room and solitude as required, the stonework/brickwork is some of the best I have seen in my years of travel. Interestingly there is a medicine room where since early times they were mixing up herbal remedies all their bottles and pots are still in use.
I stayed in a refugio right next to a pool, beeeeautiful as I just layed in the pool until 9pm.
I was away early feeling great a spring in the step the feet great and a wonderful cool moring with mist hanging in the valleys, it was very dark so my first few k´s were navigated again by my trusty head torch, things were going well and I was thinking of that first beer. I finally arrived at my pre determined lunch spot in great time and perused my book and thought maybe I can reach this town about an extra 7k´s to what I thought I would do, yep!! somewhere I took a wrong turn and a couple of hours later I am yelling over the gate, over the dogs for help in directions and water, finally a lady came out and after much gesticulating I had to go back down this bloody great hill that I had come up and turn left not right, she filled my bag with agua and I was on my way. I came out ahead of my spot and had the option of going back to a known bed or try further along of course I took the later option and next thing I am outside a hotel with only 19k´s to Santiago, I had covered well over 50k´s and was now pondering a record of 70k´s, commomsense and fatigue finally took me inside to a special pilgrims rate and lo and behold the jackpot(internet)so there you have it, a detailed description of whats it is like to have a full body enema in Spain and that I do have commonsense.
Finally there are a few people worried about my feet, I like that, but I can assure you by the time I am home everything will be fine, I always new what a wonderful thing our bodies are, adapting to all things and repairing itself so quickly, but please my feet are not even on a scale to what Roisie and her colleagues constantly go through so channel your thoughts to those a little bit more unfortunate .
Ahhh!!!! Santiago tomorrow, what then!!!!
Maybe Istanbul to Beiging following Marco Polo, ain´t life grand.
My leaving Ourense was delayed a further 24 hours by the worst case of food/water poisining I have had, it was by far the best whole body enema I have ever had, there was nothing left in me at the end. My first eruption happened at about 11pm just missed the toilet bowel but managed to hit everything else in the bathroom(it was tiny) it was not an emotional moment of the trip watching two days of good food sliding down the mirror,vanity and walls, but as thoughts of Jackson Pollock sprang to my mind my other senses burned from the smell and my taste buds sprang to life at the register of acidic content swirling around my mouth. This continual problem of bringing up solid parts and then nothing but green stuff maintained a steady timing that insisted I sit on a chair next to the bowl after a few hours and a tidy up I had a shower and went to bed, only to remain awake with aches and pains from one end of my body to another as dawn approached I thought well that was pretty tough, then all hell broke loose from the bottom oriface I made it to the bowl and remained there watching soapies in spanish for the next 6 hours, venturing now and then to the bed via a chair. I know the noise of my emotions, sorry my motions was disgusting enough but the waft of the odour was for sure permeating right throughout the floor. But like all good things it came to pass and after 24 hours I was back on the road, allbe it with no food or fluid in the body. I set about just getting some k´s in and drinking as much lemonade as the system would take, I gradually eked out 31k´s but was about 3 and half hours slower than normal. I visted a monastery on the way it has been there in some manner since the first century it is quite large and I was impressed because it is not there to sell it is there for the 12 monks to go about their business in a manner required of there brotherhood, I met one of the monks because he speaks english and I was the only english speaking person there but when the bell rings he made haste for his room and solitude as required, the stonework/brickwork is some of the best I have seen in my years of travel. Interestingly there is a medicine room where since early times they were mixing up herbal remedies all their bottles and pots are still in use.
I stayed in a refugio right next to a pool, beeeeautiful as I just layed in the pool until 9pm.
I was away early feeling great a spring in the step the feet great and a wonderful cool moring with mist hanging in the valleys, it was very dark so my first few k´s were navigated again by my trusty head torch, things were going well and I was thinking of that first beer. I finally arrived at my pre determined lunch spot in great time and perused my book and thought maybe I can reach this town about an extra 7k´s to what I thought I would do, yep!! somewhere I took a wrong turn and a couple of hours later I am yelling over the gate, over the dogs for help in directions and water, finally a lady came out and after much gesticulating I had to go back down this bloody great hill that I had come up and turn left not right, she filled my bag with agua and I was on my way. I came out ahead of my spot and had the option of going back to a known bed or try further along of course I took the later option and next thing I am outside a hotel with only 19k´s to Santiago, I had covered well over 50k´s and was now pondering a record of 70k´s, commomsense and fatigue finally took me inside to a special pilgrims rate and lo and behold the jackpot(internet)so there you have it, a detailed description of whats it is like to have a full body enema in Spain and that I do have commonsense.
Finally there are a few people worried about my feet, I like that, but I can assure you by the time I am home everything will be fine, I always new what a wonderful thing our bodies are, adapting to all things and repairing itself so quickly, but please my feet are not even on a scale to what Roisie and her colleagues constantly go through so channel your thoughts to those a little bit more unfortunate .
Ahhh!!!! Santiago tomorrow, what then!!!!
Maybe Istanbul to Beiging following Marco Polo, ain´t life grand.
Friday, August 14, 2009
I am in the big smoke
Ourense, finally a internet site
I broke the day in as usual with 5k´s before sunrise then another 5 k´s as the sun come up I have really been enjoying the mornings I am always first away breaking the trail for the day and usually in at least 2 to 3hours before the next walkers arrive, so I have first choice of the bed.
After Salamanca it was a pretty straight forward 65k´s although it was slower than usual as I had scrubbed my feet back to they bled with a nail brush then soaked them in mecruchrome for 2 days(old SAS method) although I used a half bottle of scotch before the initial scrub, but between that and a pair of silicone innersoles I have gradually started to walk like a normal person although once all that was right my little toe that had bled became infected so I now walk with a slip on shoe with the side cut out and on the right my good shoe on the left but it all works well and thats all that matters.
From Zamora the weather has been perfect clear blue skies but only max at 35 c and that is late in the afternoon so I was able to walk most of the day but I still found myself doing 30 plus kñs by lunchtime it was straight forward walking from the floodplains then up to the first catchment area on the rio Else followed that up and over the dam and across to another catchment on the river negro I was able to swim everyday even though water was frezzing it was good on the feet.
Fields of corn,sunflowers ans maize had replaced the lunar landscapes that preceded salamanca.
I was getting km fever again after a number of 40k´s and from a small town Tabara I thought I would push to 46k to a village(my book said a bed )but when I arrived it had closed down and the next bed was 10km away so of I set the longest 10k ever I struggled in on unbelievably sore feet to find a pool on the river it was late but it did not matter I was in there and I am sure it helped, I vowed there would be no more 50k´s.
I have stayed in Alburges for the last 10 days as that has been the only thing available most have been really good but with still not a person speaking english it becomes tedious trying to communicate the last few days I have slept in the disabled room to get away from the spanish as they do not stop talking, still I have managed some good times a german couple could understand a bit and we had dinner together, I had dinner with 4 mountain bikers(touring) which is very big over here, but after a tedious hour of communicating we reverted to shouting a famous sporting name then sculling our drinks they would go "sergio garcia" we would all cheer and drink I would respond "cadel evans" etc etc etc, we were all legless but much laughter. The mountain bikers have spread the word and I have a name "the australian kangaroo" because they cannot believe the distances I walk or the speed that I do them as I am the only aussie on the track when I register it is always "you the kangaroo". The last 6 days has been the most enjoyable all in the mountains it has been very taxing physically in fact 30k´s is it the mountain passes have been extremely steep at times 1600m straight up, the mountain bikers have to carry their bikes it is so steep they have impressed me with their ability to take their bikes where we have walked although they do take advantage of the downhills. The walk has taken me through villages lost in time and that is exactly the way they want it, some villages only have 1 or 2 families now living there as it is to difficult to survive but once a year they return from all over the world clean their houses out and set about having a fiesta quite incredible to have that sort of feeling for your birthplace. Each village has a fountain as you enter and leave with a major one in the centre of town as well as a washing pool which are still used and is how i have been doing my washing you scrub it on the cement side it is incredible how well it works. These fountains run 24 hours a day and the water is delightful yet south of salamanca the same setup but none of the fountains has had any water for many, many years. In some villages donkeys and carts are used for firewood etc they have wooden wheels and axles I fossicked around in some ruins there are things we would have in museums but here!
I spend my early evenings in the bars always 2 or 4 in a village I just people watch everyone smokes and in every bar there is at least one person with a throat box from cancer but it does not seem to worry anyone, they engage me as best I can but it is always the same Si, Seville to Santiago, si australian, it has become tedious but enjoyable at the same time. Everyone outside of the large towns grows there own vegetables etc they are out tilling as I pass in the morning there is always a cheerful response to my call of "Buenos" I must call first though other wise nothing.
Every spaniard has a dog, most have two dogs then again nearly all have 3 or more dogs and they bark incessantly on my passing but are always behind good fencing and have been no worries.
The church and the state which is pretty close seem to keep nationalism to the fore virtually no internet out of the towns and television is solely spanish the newspapers seem to carry very little overseas news unless directly related to spain. Most people have said they would like to learn english but do not have the opportunity.
To give you some idea of the hills I have just encountered over the last 130k´s there was a railway line running basically along the same route it had over 120 tunnels.
I have seen more churches,crosses and symbols of christianity then can be imagined but it seems to please some and that matters as for myself, the crisp, dense mountain air that seems as though you have to push through it of a morning, the quiteness of the open track, dramatic vistas on all sides as I walk, being a voyuer of people as they go about their chores and daily lives in the same manner as their fathers and fathers before that did, but still having to maintain my own disciplines to make everyday run as smooth as possible, in other words the washing as soon as I arrive at my destination, organising food and water for the next day having the backpack in the right manner as to gain access to the things I may need. Simple things but they have made a memorable walk, still not there but 3 walking days left and I will be in Santiago but lets not think about that!
I am staying in a hostal today in the old centre of town it is quite lovely so I will enjoy the few hours and eat and drink merrily, which brings me to a point I now believe I was born with a beer gut after 23 days of consecutive marathons it is still there so one can only assume it is there forever.
I hope this finds everyone in as good spirits as I feel and I am in, Life can only be lived through actions, actions will give a response.
Ian
Dreams pass into the reality of action. From the actions stems the dream again; and this interdependence produces the highest form of living."
I broke the day in as usual with 5k´s before sunrise then another 5 k´s as the sun come up I have really been enjoying the mornings I am always first away breaking the trail for the day and usually in at least 2 to 3hours before the next walkers arrive, so I have first choice of the bed.
After Salamanca it was a pretty straight forward 65k´s although it was slower than usual as I had scrubbed my feet back to they bled with a nail brush then soaked them in mecruchrome for 2 days(old SAS method) although I used a half bottle of scotch before the initial scrub, but between that and a pair of silicone innersoles I have gradually started to walk like a normal person although once all that was right my little toe that had bled became infected so I now walk with a slip on shoe with the side cut out and on the right my good shoe on the left but it all works well and thats all that matters.
From Zamora the weather has been perfect clear blue skies but only max at 35 c and that is late in the afternoon so I was able to walk most of the day but I still found myself doing 30 plus kñs by lunchtime it was straight forward walking from the floodplains then up to the first catchment area on the rio Else followed that up and over the dam and across to another catchment on the river negro I was able to swim everyday even though water was frezzing it was good on the feet.
Fields of corn,sunflowers ans maize had replaced the lunar landscapes that preceded salamanca.
I was getting km fever again after a number of 40k´s and from a small town Tabara I thought I would push to 46k to a village(my book said a bed )but when I arrived it had closed down and the next bed was 10km away so of I set the longest 10k ever I struggled in on unbelievably sore feet to find a pool on the river it was late but it did not matter I was in there and I am sure it helped, I vowed there would be no more 50k´s.
I have stayed in Alburges for the last 10 days as that has been the only thing available most have been really good but with still not a person speaking english it becomes tedious trying to communicate the last few days I have slept in the disabled room to get away from the spanish as they do not stop talking, still I have managed some good times a german couple could understand a bit and we had dinner together, I had dinner with 4 mountain bikers(touring) which is very big over here, but after a tedious hour of communicating we reverted to shouting a famous sporting name then sculling our drinks they would go "sergio garcia" we would all cheer and drink I would respond "cadel evans" etc etc etc, we were all legless but much laughter. The mountain bikers have spread the word and I have a name "the australian kangaroo" because they cannot believe the distances I walk or the speed that I do them as I am the only aussie on the track when I register it is always "you the kangaroo". The last 6 days has been the most enjoyable all in the mountains it has been very taxing physically in fact 30k´s is it the mountain passes have been extremely steep at times 1600m straight up, the mountain bikers have to carry their bikes it is so steep they have impressed me with their ability to take their bikes where we have walked although they do take advantage of the downhills. The walk has taken me through villages lost in time and that is exactly the way they want it, some villages only have 1 or 2 families now living there as it is to difficult to survive but once a year they return from all over the world clean their houses out and set about having a fiesta quite incredible to have that sort of feeling for your birthplace. Each village has a fountain as you enter and leave with a major one in the centre of town as well as a washing pool which are still used and is how i have been doing my washing you scrub it on the cement side it is incredible how well it works. These fountains run 24 hours a day and the water is delightful yet south of salamanca the same setup but none of the fountains has had any water for many, many years. In some villages donkeys and carts are used for firewood etc they have wooden wheels and axles I fossicked around in some ruins there are things we would have in museums but here!
I spend my early evenings in the bars always 2 or 4 in a village I just people watch everyone smokes and in every bar there is at least one person with a throat box from cancer but it does not seem to worry anyone, they engage me as best I can but it is always the same Si, Seville to Santiago, si australian, it has become tedious but enjoyable at the same time. Everyone outside of the large towns grows there own vegetables etc they are out tilling as I pass in the morning there is always a cheerful response to my call of "Buenos" I must call first though other wise nothing.
Every spaniard has a dog, most have two dogs then again nearly all have 3 or more dogs and they bark incessantly on my passing but are always behind good fencing and have been no worries.
The church and the state which is pretty close seem to keep nationalism to the fore virtually no internet out of the towns and television is solely spanish the newspapers seem to carry very little overseas news unless directly related to spain. Most people have said they would like to learn english but do not have the opportunity.
To give you some idea of the hills I have just encountered over the last 130k´s there was a railway line running basically along the same route it had over 120 tunnels.
I have seen more churches,crosses and symbols of christianity then can be imagined but it seems to please some and that matters as for myself, the crisp, dense mountain air that seems as though you have to push through it of a morning, the quiteness of the open track, dramatic vistas on all sides as I walk, being a voyuer of people as they go about their chores and daily lives in the same manner as their fathers and fathers before that did, but still having to maintain my own disciplines to make everyday run as smooth as possible, in other words the washing as soon as I arrive at my destination, organising food and water for the next day having the backpack in the right manner as to gain access to the things I may need. Simple things but they have made a memorable walk, still not there but 3 walking days left and I will be in Santiago but lets not think about that!
I am staying in a hostal today in the old centre of town it is quite lovely so I will enjoy the few hours and eat and drink merrily, which brings me to a point I now believe I was born with a beer gut after 23 days of consecutive marathons it is still there so one can only assume it is there forever.
I hope this finds everyone in as good spirits as I feel and I am in, Life can only be lived through actions, actions will give a response.
Ian
Dreams pass into the reality of action. From the actions stems the dream again; and this interdependence produces the highest form of living."
Saturday, August 8, 2009
I have heard from Dad.
Posted by Linda
At precisely 5:10 this morning the phone broke the longest sleep I have had in 8 months. My husband was going to look after the little one all night and look after her in the morning so that I could have a sleep in. Unfortunately no one had told Dad that.....
I can't tell you what dad's first words were because I was still half asleep.
He had come in from his "PB", a 56K walk. He was so chipper though I thought it was someone else. He had completed 40 and 44K's over the last 2 days. At this rate he will be finished in about 10 days. If he does he will have completed the walk in 28 days.
Tonight he is bedding down with 30 or 40 other Europeans in a dorm that has cost him not a cent. I have a feeling it is one room..... So much for the air conditioned rooms he has been staying in. I believe he's still not spoken English with anyone. It certainly was the longest conversation I have had with him.
I also vaguely remember him saying something about Hunting boar and fishing for salmon. He made a joke that he was hunting for his dinner(not sure it was a Joke).
All in all he sounds great. A little tired and he will probably stop over in Thailand for a new pair of feet (off the black market). As soon as he gets a chance he will send another blog but don't expect it for a few days.
Regards, Lou
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