Sarria to Palas do Rei 47.5 K Day 27&28

When I sat down to write the blog last night, I was uninspired and thought that other than our celebration of reaching the last 100K marker (which was a lot of fun with our community circle ceremony), the day was really just blah, blah, blah, more of the same.

As we approach our ´home´destination of Santiago, I am starting to think of my home and ´visions of soaking in my hot tub dance in my head´! While roses line the Camino trail and at times actually seem to spring forth from the concrete itself, producing the most amazing blooms (which by the way I do stop and smell, trying to live in the moment, life on the Camino is not always a bed of roses. ¨Vamos¨.....here´s my one and only RANT!!

Firstly, there´s the ´Pilgrim Meal´. Do you know that they serve french fries with every one of the same six selections they offer from Pamplona to Santiago? Last night I actually escaped from the Pilgrim Menu and tried to get eggs; I had two choices: fried-egg pizza or an egg on my hamburger (I chose the later, which by the way was delicious.) I have now given up one Pilgrim Menu selection, Galician Soup, after Monica found what we believe to be a tooth in her last bowl! I have eaten enough Chorizo to give me a life-time supply of sodium nitrate and I am surprised I can still have a bowel movement at all after all the white, crusty bread I have eaten. HOWEVER the great feature of the Pilgrim Menu is the all-you-can-drink red wine, which has been my life-line because of problem number two........sleeping in the albergues.

Although now used to ´discreting´ stripping down in front of men of all ages (sometimes I do question the ¨O yes, we are all pilgrims philosophy¨), the real question is how does one discretly get out of those hiking sports bras that have no give whatsoever! I think my biggest risk of injury comes from trying to manouver in and out of this contraption without separating my shoulder! What the hell was I thinking.....I could have bought the UnderArmour one for the same price!

The chorus of snoring and coughing starts long before I´m asleep. Not to fear, I´m ready for this with my endless supply of earplugs. I figure if I throw enough on my bed, I´ll be able to grab one without really waking up in the night.....reminiscent of how I approached Geoff and his night-time soother problem! BUT the biggest fear of all is the bedbugs. Having brought the recommended -10 degree sleeping bag (What planet was that lady living on?), I cannot even zip it up which leaves me very vulnerable to the bedbugs! I only sleep on the top bunk because I am afraid the little creatures will drop on me from the mattress above if I sleep on the bottom. PRAISE BE for my orange silk pajamas and the silk liner Therese loaned me! She has yet to be bitten and she claims it is because she sleeps with her mouth open and eats the bugs for protein! So, to protect myself, I lie huddled in my cocoon of silk, afraid to stick a leg or hand out, and bathed in sweat from the down sleeping bag below me.....ladies, this makes hot flashes seem like a welcome relief! However, I think my best strategy for dealing with the bedbugs is sleeping close to Monica because they really like her!

Then there is the shower problem.....the sinking realization that I have now let the shower run for three minutes and all hopes of hot water have been dashed! I am still attempting to shave my legs and have to balance precariously (sorry I can´t get spell check to work) on one leg, in an exceptionally small space, and rake this horrid, hollow-handled razor across my leg, all the time trying not to touching the walls of the shower because I am sure they have some disease on them, which in turn reminds me that yes I forgot to get that Hepatitus booster shot after Guatemala!

I challenge Rick Mercer to beat this for a rant, but here is the real kicker folks! What would I change??.....not a single solitary thing....the laughs have been so worth it and the gratitude I feel for the simple things like hot water, toliet paper, and great cafe con leche is all-consuming when it happens.

Three more big walking days left.....I can feel the finish line and it feels exhilerating.....WALK CHICAS WALK!