5am, getting up soon, was in bed early, so already awake,
inside bedroll typing. Others still asleep or just thinking.
This is a big emotion day.
Clearly the most emotional day by far. AND a great hiking
day as well.
Bill and I left out in the dark to make it to Cristo Ferro
for sunrise. I brought a bottle of wine, we woke people as we hiked out of
town. Two big local dogs came up and led us the 1.5K up the trail, then
they just left us at the site and went home.
We unloaded packs around the "human sundial" and
Bill went up to check the monument in the dark. He came back
sobbing. I opened the wine and placed it at the sun-dial. I
prepared.my stone and waited for some light. Bill prepared his stuff as
others arrived.
It was so crazy powerful !!!!
Very few words were being exchanged. There were 8 of
us as first light came upon the cross. I went up and placed my stone,
took my time and returned sobbing, to hugs from the group, then a drink of
wine. Each followed and we literally didn't need to talk, just repeated
one by one and passed the wine. When all were finished, we were sitting on the
sun-dial and the bottle made another round. Then one guy lit up a smoke, and we
ALL lit up a smoke and we finished the wine! Maybe 10 words in half an
hour!
Unbelievable energy !!!!
It was beyond explanation,.
"You had to see it in color" !!!
It's been really hard to even write this.
Then, some Canadian tourists walked up the mound, dropped
their stones, looked at us like we were crazy and walked down other side.
The moment was over, we all got up and hugged, took some pictures and started
our hike for the day.
The hiking was great! Temperature perfect, sunshine, scenery
and lots of fun.
46,825 steps, 21.4 miles, 87 flights.
Story coming later about my shoes😁
Going to send pictures separate as this 160 bed Albergue is
about half full and WiFi is probably bogging down. 4 to 6 beds in a room, great
kitchen food cooking festival, enjoyable place.
Buen Camino
----------------------------
Relationship with my shoes
I almost wrote about chainsaw today but decided to save
it and write about my shoes.
I really love my shoes !
Our relationship started with a very short engagement before
full commitment. In the beginning we had the bliss of new love, we fought
together through some really adverse conditions of steep slopes, cold
weather and deep water.
Then, we argued for 5-1/2 days about the clicking
noise, but that passed.
We found our stride in some really long days and then the
last two days we have just been having a great time together! Today as we
were going down a tremendous rocky mountainside trail, I commented to a
passer-by that we should just be running downhill. The youngster took off
running. We ( my shoes and I) took off running as well. My shoes and I
were having a fantastic time together! We were flying down the trail.
Hopping from rock to rock and making big drops from ledge to ledge. Then,
that danged old brain of mine interrupted the fun by explaining that running
downhill, wearing a pack, on a rocky trail, in a remote area, in a foreign
country did not rate highly on the "smart things to do list". So,
after a few hundred yards of bliss, I reined in the excitement and pulled back
the pace. We were still having fun, going faster than we should have, but
at least more safely. After about a half hour, we sat down and waited for some
of those "not so well matched" couples to catch up😂
After seeing so many friends in failed relationships with
their shoes, I am so happy my shoes and I get along so well !
Buen Camino
-----------------------------
End of Day
Couldn't send any pictures. WiFi sucks and simple text
messages are backed up. Maybe these notes will make it over the night😁
Tomorrow looks like run-up/ rest day for last big climb of
Camino. LOL
Day after tomorrow is largest single day climb. Not highest
point, but starting low and climbing ALL day. Over 900 meters verticle in short
distance. I am ready.
We made great pasta, vegetable, beef dinner tonight and
hospitleros joined us because we made way too much!
Half bottle wine and 5 Mississippi Cuba libre.
Night night...
Various views. The monument for the fallen pergrino
had cool epitaph. Made me think about my boating friends. And my
lost boating friends, David Braunig and Ricky Day.
This is a really mental trip as well....
Buen Camino
O have my stone there.
ReplyDeleteBuen camino