Day 70 - Pereje a O Cebreiro - September 23 - On the Camino 32 days

Day 70 -  Pereje a O Cebreiro -  September 23 -  On the Camino 32 days

Some mornings you wake up and your back pack is heavier than it was yesterday, even though there is nothing in it this morning that wasn't in it yesterday. Your legs feel like they have weights tied to them. That was me this morning. People moving around woke me up at 5:30am, so by 5:45am I realized I was not going back to sleep. I got up, did my stretching, put the last things in my pack, and was ready to go. My back felt a little sore and when I put the pack on it felt so heavy. But off I went. We are having great weather, for me anyway, everyone else is talking about how hot it is. The mornings are crisp, this morning I could see my breath, but by 8am I took off my fleece and my Star Trek pants I wear under my hiking pants when it is cold. 

Once I got, café and toast with jam, I was off and running, or walking fast. I put the IPod on my Fast playlist and flew. I was passing people left and right. I wasn't really trying to pass people, I was just on a roll. By 10:30 I was almost to La Faba and had had a 30 minute coffee and toast break. The "almost to La Faba is key here. The whole to LaFaba is uphill, but the last few miles is through one of the most beautiful parts of the trail, but also one of the most brutal uphill climbs, second only to the climb to O Cebreiro, which comes right after La Faba. But I got to LaFaba at noon and the albergue didn't open until 2pm. I thought I had some gas left in the tank and would just go on. 

My memory of those those last few miles to O Cebreiro from last year was kind of hazy, but I don't remember it being that tough. What I discounted was the fact that last year I hiked to LaFaba, spent the night resting in the Albergue, and started for O Cebreiro in a drizzle in the morning. So I was probably not hot and tired. I felt like I have at times in aerobic classes when I think the muscles in my legs are just going to turn to jello. However, I just took lots of little breaks and tried to keep a rhythm that kept me from needing more oxygen than I was taking in. 

When I arrived, I checked into the municipal albergue, set everything on my bed and went to eat. I had an ensalada mixta, which would have been plenty, but I didn't know you could have it separate from the pilgrim's menu. The waitress said it was either the pilgrim's menu or Raciones (small portions, something less than a meal, like a bowl of soup), and their weren't any Raciones that blew my dress up at that moment. I didn't think to ask if I could just have the ensalada the French guy that came and and sat at my table did ask and did get just an ensalada mixta. That didn't come with bread, so he just grabbed a piece of mine, without asking, I might add. No comment. Anyway, I ate the ensalada (and they had balsamic vinegar! I was in heaven.) then I ate the pork chop and some if the fries. There are carbs or something in fries that you need for long hikes, right? And then I had Tarte Santiago. Oh yum. And café con leche with sugar. Well the result was a stomach ache which is just now going away after six hours. I can only eat small amounts, often, but small amounts the stomach aches are great aversion therapy, but sometimes I forget. 

I had a nice walk around the village. They have the typical Galician thatched conical roofs and some nice building. Went to the church a bought a big candle for a friend and got a sello. Apparently the guy who does the sellos and sells the candles took a vow of silence because he didn't talk at all. I could never do that, obviously. He lit the candle for me and I went and put it in a nice spot under a stone arch. I'll send her a picture. I love lighting candles. I'm not a practicing Catholic, but I've retained the habit of lighting candles. 

As I was writing this and icing my knee, the bag holding the ice and melted ice (Ivey water) leaked onto me encased in my Star Trek pants and my sleeping sac. If it weren't almost 8pm this would be a no brainer. Oh well, all will be well. 

Some fun and funny things and one annoying thing happened today. The annoying thing is I ran into a tour group of about 25 people on the Camino. They have a tour director who makes reservations for them (which blocked out the only albergue in Laguna Castilla) They don't carry back packs. And they seem to think the other pilgrims are like native people in a strange land. Very bizarre. What was annoying to me is that the climb to La Faba is one of my favorite parts of the Camino, it reminds me of a Hobbit forest. I keep expecting to see Bilbo Baggins around the next corner. Except this time the tour group was there. I felt like I was at Disneyland. They were in front if me and behind me, and since they didn't have packs, one by one they expected me to get out of their way so they could catch up with their friends. Oh well, everyone gets to do the Camino the way they want and I could have just stopped for twenty or thirty minutes and let them get far from me and had a nice rest. 

Fun things, i was walking up the trail somewhere before La Faba and a guy was taking eight or so cows down the trail. I backed up to the side of the trail give them room to pass. For some reason they wanted to check me out, so they came right up to me. Things with horns and heavy feet make me take a deep breath. Later on the trek up to O Cebreiro, a horse that was trotting down a steep rocky path because his owner was calling him to hour up slipped just as he came along side me. Another deep breath. The owner had apparently taken several people up the hill and was bringing the horses back home. You can rent horses in Herrios to ride up to O Cebreiro. When the horses were coming down I thought about asking the owner how much it would cost to ride up those last three kilometers. lol 

Another funny episode is that of the spider. There was a medium size spider crawling down the narrow aisle between our beds and a girl was trying to get her boy friend to kill it, but he wouldn't. In the old days, like last month, I would have just stomped on him and smushed his little spider guts. But now that I'm not killing flys, I suppose I shouldn't kill spiders either. 

Oh yes, Tito's here. I like that a donkey is like part of my Camino family. It's like a reunion here. Mike and Marion from Atlanta are here. I just had a lovely chat with two young people from Atlanta. My roomie from New Zealand (I must ask for her name again) whom I last saw outside the albergue in Villafranca showed up here. Several of the people I've met and talked to are also here. I met two women from Canada who are sisters at lunch today. 

Everything seems to be dry or drying. The sunset was magnificent! I wanted to spend the night here because I've heard that in clear weather the sunrises are very nice. 

Oh yeah, my knee and right big toe were brave little troopers today. I checked my toe tonight and the blister under the toenail has stayed deflated, despite today's trek, and there is no sign of infection. Tomorrow is another big downhill, so keep your fingers crossed. Of course by the time you read this, I will already be down the hill. ;)