THE
PILGRIM NOTES
On the first day of my el Gran Camino de Santiago on June 19, 2022, I arrived at my first albergue at 15:00 and I have to wait for another hour since it will open at 16:00 yet!
I was thirsty, tired, hungry and I craved for sleep. I walked a path that no touristy pilgrim would liked to be in. I never considered myself a tourist even though I was a visitor. I was there on a spiritual journey first and foremost. Sceneries were just a bonus.
My last meal was done in Lyons, France during a stopover at noon of June 18th. It was a yesterday. I came from Bern, Switzerland. June 19 was a Sunday and all the shops were closed in the morning in France and in Spain.
You cannot sleep on a chair in a bus with a tight leg space. I have long legs even in a Europe where standards are made or built around a population that was supposed to be of above average height from an Asian point of view.
Sleepless eyes are not a problem in semi-darkness conditions. It is a problem in extremely bright daylight on a very bald Purgatory Trail. Then you have very dry air that suck whatever moisture your eyes have.
Ever since I arrived in Europe, my eyes, and my brain, were already in the process of solving a simple problem of long daylight hours. In the tropics, nine hours is the longest, but in late spring here, daylight hours went to 14+ hours and it placed a strain in my eyes.
Anyway, when my red-soaked eyes saw the number 825, I cried in dismay. The effort I did today just made a little dent in the kilometers that I have to go through on the days ahead. My spirit went down. Good God! 825 kilometers! It's like staring at Everest from Ceylon on a clear day!
I did get my well-deserved meal and that equally well-deserved sleep that my courage came back the next day. All I have to do was jettison a few things to make my load lighter. Little dents removed from the weight I carried in my bag at 16.8 kilos.
It is indeed a long road when you are on your own. I craved for loneliness and I got this on this journey.
I am a pilgrim from the Philippines.
2 comments:
grabeha! kinahanglan jud nga spiritually strong, physically strong, and mentally strong if not crazy!
Your blog post about the Camino de Santiago Chronicles is a fascinating journey that captures the spirit of adventure and pilgrimage. Your personal insights and experiences bring the reader right into the heart of your adventure, and it's truly inspiring.
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