Salamanca HALF WAY

day 14 and half way, day 12 and I was out of here and heading home, after a 44km slog across more lunar landscape, absolute soul destroying terrain then a wrong turn to a village that had the same name but spelt slightly different saw me do the extra 9 k´s in extreme heat with pretty bad feet I arrived to find my only choice of a bed was hotter than outside and the dogs barking incessantly, I was at the extreme edge of my physical ability I had been pushing to hard! I layed in bed most of that night fighting against myself not to give up, in the morning I asked the owner what time does a bus leave for anywhere, "no buses come here, you must go to Banos De Montemayor" yuk!
My shoes would not go on my swollen feet so had a ice bath until I could put them on picked up my moachilla(backpack) and headed off, 2 k´s later I came around a bend and there were mountains that I had been watching for days whats more they had trees and plant life, a further 8 k´s of continued climbing saw me in this beautiful little town Banos, there were fountains with water more water than I had seen in the previous 12 days, I sat in one of the fountains it was freezzing but refreshing it had also cooled somewhat as I gained altitude so lets try a bit more, on shoes and I had a day where I climbed another 400 metres and walked along the ridge plateau where cows and sheep looked as they should, not like what I had been seeing on the plains below.

I spent that night in a refugio and had a funny session in the bar talking to some local people via my dictionary we did drink a little but I had covered 43k´s that day and I was very much uplifted.
the 14th day arrived to more swollen feet and I had to walk in my night slip ons they were surprisingly good as once again I tested myself to the edge having done 33 k´s the sign said "Salamanca 22k´s" I could not resist the challenge! so I fell into this most beautiful town(the architecture is stunning) I am sure the pensione keeper was a little stunned at how I looked and where I had walked from but he gave me a lovely room for only 22 euros($A40) I am in the university area 1 street from the main areas, so now I will stay for a day to try and break my cycle of doing kilometres no matter what, I was becoming besotted in doing more distance. I have arrived here at 530 kilometeres in 14 days about 37 kilo´s a day that does not include all the km´s I have done retracing my path being lost etc.
The walk is like "Hash House Harriers" you have to search for the yellow arrows painted in the direction to go and they are never in some sort of uniform way I search for the most unorthodox areas first then narrow it down, to be honest they are there to be seen in most cases sometimes you cannot believe that is the way as I become very uneasy if I am not heading north. Some towns in the last few days have good signage leading in and out but when you get to roadworks etc the arrows might have disappeared I then do 360 degrees searches first 50 metres then 100 if still nothing I take the road north usually somewhere the path will cross it. I have taken the wrong path on a number of occassions but on two times I was in the middle of nowhere had not seen anyone for hours and I heard horns beeping once a truck and once a tractor thay came to tell me I was heading the wrong way, it was quite scary the way it happened. The other thing neither of them offered me a lift back to the wrong turning.
I can stay in refugios(dormitory style,for next to nothing) but I found finding the key in the village and the position of them far worse then paying for the hostals that I mostly stay in, also the hostals are near the supermarkets(well badly provisioned shops) and provide food and a cold beer plus my own shower etc.
I forgot to say that I topped out at 1140m yesterday they say that is the highest point but I will be taking a new/old route in the final week and I believe it will be much higher I can feel those cool days coming on.
Halfway according to my guide was 30km´s back at a pig farm would you believe it, the pigs here are farmed like sheep they run free in the paddocks and for the little tackers they are in large yards with their own kennell like structures.

This walk is of course one of symbolism, the more the better to capture their disciples I am always astonished at the faith in these symbols, this morning I walked past the bibloteica it has a beautiful entrance with grand sculptures and at least 100 large scallops on the wall the pilgrims, mainly tourist pilgrims were sitting there in droves looking at it as though their souls were to be giving new hope it certainly seems to meet some peoples needs.
Also at 8.30 this morning the university students were heading to class imagine our students getting up that early.
I have now seen and met 3 pilgrims, since cachere only. 1 was doing what I am doing he started 5 days before me he will take about 8/9 weeks I could not mentally be at this for that length of time the other two were only doing about 150k and will return over the next few years all spoke spanish so there was not a lot of discussion.

Well I am about to look at this city
Adios

Ian
I hope that has answered a few of your questions.
I am of to explore this city and try and relax for a day