Day 37 - Hornillos del Camino to Castrojerez - August 21

Day 37 - Hornillos del Camino to Castrojerez - August 21

On Camino 17 days

I was thinking, I can hear you saying, "Oh, no, not again." Imagine what it's like to love in my head. Anyway what I was thinking about is that over the years much my art work has been about the concept of the begging bowl that Buddhist monks carry and sit with quietly by the side of the road to receive good for sustenance. They rely on the universe to provide what they need. I used this concept on my graduate thesis show. I didn't buy anything for the show, used what I had, what I found, or what people have me. Somewhere along the line it was explained to me that they rely on the universe to provide, but also that they are thankful for what they receive and eat what is put in their bowl whether they like it or not. 

I've worked on this concept over the years, I'm possibly a little slow spiritually. The Camino is a great place for me to practice this. I am grateful I have food to eat. I am grateful I have a bed or mattress on the floor to rest my body. When I have a choice, I will usually choose what I prefer, but regardless I am grateful. For instance, I didn't like the first albergue in Grañon, it was creepy and dirty in a sanitary sense. But i tooky shower and washed my clothes and started to settle in. If Michael hadn't come and made me aware I was not in the paroquial alberque I would have stayed and been grateful to have a place to lay my head. At least I think I would have because that's the way I was behaving. 

The first couple of times I came to Spain, I didn't know much Spanish, or much about Spanish food. When I was presented with a menu, I would just point at something, and then when it was served, I ate it. I never had anything that wasn't good. 

When I tell people I'm going to China, Spain, Morocco, etc. I often hear from them that I won't like wherever I'm going. When I question this statement the response is usually something like this, "Well, I ordered a hamburger/pizza/hot dog and it . . ." I never hear the end of it because I'm busy thinking, why in the heck would you go to China and order a hamburger?" If I want to eat what I eat at home, have the creature comforts I have at home, not be too hot or too cold or anywhere outside my comfort zone, I would stay at home. 

I generally don't rent cars when I travel, I use public transportation. I can't stand tour groups or tour buses. I loving walking tours or biking tours. I did a biking tour of China during the SARS "epidemic." I ate what was given to me, slept where I was put. All of it was outside my comfort zone. I got sick (not with SARS) and it gave me the opportunity to get a fancy certificate stating I was in good health. At least that is what they told it said. It was in Chinese, so it could have said "This is a crazy American" lol

So I continue to work on this. I try to be open to whatever the universe provides whether food, lodging or experience. It has made my life less stressful and more interesting. But it is still a work in progress. Sometimes I think to myself, "someday this experience will make a funny story. 

OK, enough of that. When I left you last I was getting ready to take a nap in Hornillos. Well, I never got the nap, because I decided to get my pictures for that day loaded to Facebook. I'm doing this so I can remember where the pictures are from when I get home. I've found that the days and places get all mixed up in a hodge podge in my mind when I'm on the Camino. So hopefully this will help. So by the time my pictures were done it was time for dinner. It was a communal dinner with a gal from Denmark, one from Germany who has been walking from her home since April, an older Australian couple who had done the Camino in 2004, a group of five Spaniards, one from Barcelona named Anna, two sisters from San Sebastion in the Basque Country (the sister sitting next to me is named Marusa) and a older man (could be a husband or father) and a young man (could be a son or brother.)

The Spaniards are also sharing my corner of the room in the Albergue. 

Dinner was a yummy chicken paella, salad, wine and water, and either yogurt or fruit for dessert. 

I had a wonderful conversation in Spanish with Anna and Marusa and they relayed the bits they found interesting to the others who were sitting at the opposite end of the table, while I translated for the others who understood English. 

At bedtime I discovered that three of my five new Spanish friends snore, and it was not like vespers. More like dueling banjos. I had to use my ear plugs. lol

We all got up about 5:30, packed up, ate breakfast, and took off somewhere around 7am. It was a beautiful day for walking.

I spent a good deal of time taking pictures of the full moon descending and the sun rising, simultaneously. What a trip. Glad I didn't miss that! 

I made it to Castrojerez, got a bed I'm grateful for, ate an ensalada mixta and had a cup of coffee I was grateful for, took a shower with warm water and hung out my clothes in hot sunshine. It's been a great day!