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A pilgrim statue and yellow arrow mark the way on the Camino de Santiago.
Source: britannica.com
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I am not sure whether it was divinely designed to walk 13-14 miles two days in a row or absolute insanity, but we did it! Thank Goddess Marshall walked with me yesterday because I was needing his masculine protection and stamina. We made a mistake in calculating the time it would take to get to our destination of Portomarin, so we actually had to walk side by side with a flashlight showing us where to step. By that time, after 11 hours of walking, we were surreally surrendered, kind of feeling like some other part of our bodies was turned on to put one foot in front of the other carefully but constantly.
Because it was too dark, our team called us and picked us up with a cab from a mile long bridge we had to cross. There are so many interesting people on the road and we all seem to speak the same language even though we don´t! The knowing looks we seem to automatically share between each other of how grueling this road is, is very comforting.
At one stop, a so blessed stop that seemed to be the only oasis for at least 6 miles, was full of Flemish, German, English, Italian, Spanish and some other language I couldn´t identify...and though we couldn´t understand each other, we were ´doing´´ for each other. Like bringing the other the beer they ordered as we picked up our own...or making space at our table for someone who had just come off the road and was trying to peel their backpack off of themselves.
There is such a longing in all of us to connect and get close....it really moves me to tears sometimes as I walk. It seems clear to me we all have to find ways to be together like this because then we see how much alike we are, and how much we want to create the many blessings there are to being alive instead of the opposite. There are no conversations about politics, religion, or what our countries are going through; but instead conversations about walking the Camino and why we are walking it.
I can´t help but wonder if the scenery has changed much since the Camino began, because many of the villages that we walk through feel like they have been in existence for a very long time. The corn, the pigs, food and other vegetables are almost ready to pick, taking in the last vestiges of Sept sun to be ripe. Apples are falling off of the trees and berries of all sorts are growing everywhere. You can see that the Irish spiritual seekers clearly migrated here long ago because their craft of building with stone shows up everywhere.
Evidently when an Irishman decided to walk the Camino, he knew he would never return to Ireland because it was such an enormous effort to get here and then walk it!
Today we have had our day off for washing, channeling and pondering, So, tomorrow we are off on the road again. We will walk around 9 miles. Except for yesterday, I am finding that the miles walked don´t seem to make much difference in regards to my energy. But what does make a difference is my practice of surrendering to the earth step by step. In other words when I just give into the next hill I see coming up rather than tightening up, it happens as it happens. Very Zen. It´s also interesting that my body can hurt so much at the end of the day but feel fine the next morning! Something beyond is afoot! Must have something to do with all of your prayers!
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