And so it goes

It has been a hard few days. I don´t know if this is because of the terrain that I have had to deal with and my sore feet, the fact that we have convered close to 500 kms and have not really had a break day in 21 days now or just the fact that the constant walking has brought me to a place of wondering what I am doing here anyway! So many people are sick or injured or just cannot walk with the problems with feet or tendons. It is not surprising to see people with quite difficult walking gaits as a result of their infected blisters or strains and sprains. The GI flu is also rampant in the group and last night there were at least 5 people quite ill in the dormitory. This has caused me to think carefully about potential causes and I have concluded that we are exhausted probably and thus more susceptible to viruses. As well, we live together in very close quarters and so the germs spread easily. The hygiene factor on the camino is not normal either. Many bathrooms do not have soap so the hand washing is not as good as it should be and the communal kitchens have dishes that may not be washed with more than a rinse under the tap. So there are lessons in all of this that we have taken on as new practices. We buy water and do not drink from the taps. We wash our hands frequently and carry hand disinfectant and are careful not to share things that could get contaminated. Can you believe that with such generosity, I witnessed a woman helping another one out with her bad blister by using her own needle. This is the needle and thread technique which is common to drain the fluid in the blister. People who are not in health care would not realize the seriousness of such a practice and so infection as well as other things like HIV and hepatitis can be spread.
Not to belabour this issue, but we found a young couple being disinfected for bed bugs yesterday when we arrived at the monastery where we wanted to stay. they had picked them up in the same albeque that we had stayed in a few days prior, however they were in a different room from ours there, thanks goodness. The good sisters were helping them to spray and kill off the offending bugs and then wash everything for them before providing them with special accomodation. they were from Australia and had been travelling for 6 months with no previous problem. Such are the hazards of communal travel. However the attitude that we all have is just to deal with it.
We spent yeterday in Leon which is simply a wonderful old city. Better than Burgos in my opnion, as the ancient part of the city is much larger and more full of character. the monastery was great and clean and the people so kind to us. Last night we went to a prayer service before bed time and were really touched by the simplicity and the beauty of listening to the 15 nuns in traditional garb, singing gregorian chants through the short service. Leaves you feeling the awe of this journey as so many people are following in the footsteps of the ancients as we trek along each day.
This morning as with a few other mornings, I awoke to the view of 16 sleeping bodies - all of them curled up in their sleeping bags in the top bunks, which I prefer even though it is a bit of a struggle to get in and out as there is often no ladder. Below were the dark forms of 16 more forms on the lower bunks. Not having had a summer camp experience in my youth, this continues to be a really interesting experience, sharing such close quarters with so many people. Since the nuns had separated the men and the women into different dormitories we had the pleasure of limited snoring which can be a problem with a lot of men in the room.
Well this morning´s walk was 2 hours getting out of Leon and then into the beauty and peace of the country side. I was thrilled to see hills once again - imagine!! But they really change the dynamic of the foot falls and are such a great thing to be able to enjoy powering up and down as my fitness level is so good at the moment. As I walked I realzed that I have been looking down for 4 days, trying to find the best place to put my foot on each step over the rough roads and have been missing a lot of the environment. I also realized that I have been carrying worry with me everywhere and have been questioning in my normal way whether I am doing this journey right!! Am I getting what I am supposed to, Am I thinking properly and meditating well, Am I just walking to get to the next bed (yes definitely sometimes I sure am!) And so I began to then contemplate what it is that I really am storing up from my experiences along this way.
Some of it is very trivial and our poet has provided a wonderful saying that goes something like - it is the insignificant in each day that provides meaning for the vagabond - and so with my list of the insignificant, I realized just how much richness there is in each day. So many wonderful interactions with so many wonderful people as well as the little things that largely go unnoticed in normal life. A few days ago I just stopped for awhile and watched an old man bent over, with his dog and flock of sheep slowly making his way across the fields as the sheep grazed on the grasses growing out of the red earth.
As well, I also know that I have arrived at some good conclusions about the direction of my life and am interested in the things that I have decided to focus on in the future around purpose, intention and adventure. I feel so strongly confident about being on my own to follow my dreams as well and know that what I need and desire will be provided for me as I am ready for it. There is an abundant energy that is available to make things happen and as well, there are so many interesting people with fascinating lives and interests. Some of my travel companions have been nothing but inspirational in sharing what they do and how they create interests and circles of friends. We conclued that it is about imagination, meaningful life that is, and the side of the brain that we do not give ourselves permission to dwell in because it does not appear to the visual world as productive and much of a contribution. And here is another realization in that I do not need to make everything I do a contribution to others of to the broader world as I have so routinely made my actions focused on in the past few decades.
Well, as this is day 21 and we have travelled close to 500 kms, perhaps the richness of the travelling will just be starting to show up now that we are entering the most beautiful part of the Camino. As I track my way along each day now, I promise myself to look up and not down - a good metaphor for my life as well- and to write down my reflections as they come which is often in the morning and not at night when I often wait to write.
Well the vino tinto is waiting for us and I must scoot off (well as fast as one can scoot with stiff feet!!).
More later..................Maggee