My Camino
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Part 3 - Wild Dogs & Camino Barbie
Beware The Azucar | Egészségedre! | Radical Decisions
Egészségedre!
DON’T LOOK!
Andi is in a lot of pain. As she examines her feet one of her toenails comes off. Don’t ask me what this looks like because I didn’t look. I'd rather see blood and guts than a toe without a nail - therefore I put my fingers into my ears in order not to hear what they’re saying. I don't know what it’s like to walk without a toenail, but it must hurt like hell. I only have blisters, but they hurt, too. We all have blisters except Csaba who seems to have the most solid feet.
Andi and Gergő remain behind while we go to have a look around the city, but we don't have much time because the door to the refuge will be locked at 11 o'clock, and it's already 9 p.m.. Desperate for a decent meal, we want to find a restaurant, no matter how much they charge. We are short of time but first I want to see the sights, especially the cathedral. Gábor and Csaba get angry with me for this.
We're in a rush! There is nothing worse than being in a hurry with aching feet. Perhaps this is the worst day for our feet. During the day, when you walk, the pain goes away to some extent, but once you sit down and rest, it's very hard to get going again. The worst times are the mornings.
From the menu, where almost everything is fish, I choose trout, because they say that trout is really good. But when they put a whole fish on a plate in front of me, I realise I can't eat this. So Csaba takes pity on me and we exchange dishes. The other dish isn't very good either, but the salad and the wine are excellent. Oh-oh, we must hurry!
STUPID RULES
Really, this is funny about the camino: you're always in a hurry because of the stupid rules you have to observe:
‘A pilgrim gets up early.’
‘A pilgrim avoids walking when the sun is at it’s zenith.’
‘A pilgrim goes to bed early.’
No respect for individuality whatsoever. And, with the exception of Gergő, none of us are early birds. We always want to see the places illuminated, because Spain is brought to life at night literally everywhere. Oh-oh, we are really late! Hurry up!! Every step is painful, and we should run, but I can't. I'm trying to hurry on my heels. And the refugio is very far away. Luckily, it's not closed by the time we get back.
AS NATURAL AS GOD MADE US...
Life in a refugio is, in a way, different from normal society. Different rules and behaviours apply now. Men and women are not separated into different rooms and most of them are not even shy when it comes to changing clothes. When you see a woman undressing here, it has nothing to do with sex. It seems entirely natural - as natural as in the Garden of Eden.
THE GIRL FROM BRAZIL
Csaba chats with a girl from Brazil. She's beautiful. From what she told Csaba, it’s obvious that she hopes to find the man of her dreams here. Some pilgrims come with the idea that they'll meet the most valuable people on Earth, concentrated here in great density.
How well do you know your friends, neighbours and relatives? When was the last time you had a deep and thought-provoking conversation? Do chats with your dog, cat, goldfish, budgerigar or soft cuddly toy count?
I was anticipating having at least the occasional wonderful conversation and that did happen sometimes but when you're actually doing the Camino, you're so occupied with pain, the meeting of different cultures, the oppression of your natural habits (e.g. not being allowed to stay in bed until shortly before lunchtime), that there are few chances to have deep-and-meaningful, thought-provoking talk fests.
People are as shy here about exposing their souls as everywhere else in the world. You get to know others, you seem to get used to their presence, you trust them but you don't necessarily develop a growing understanding of them. Those whose names we don’t know are given nicknames based on what we see of their character.
THE KAPTAIN’S BOOT!
The next morning we feel like we’re in a forced-labour camp when the woman we call the 'kapo' literally starts beating our shoulders with a stick to force us to get up. It’s not a great start to the day on which we have to tackle the quite challenging Alto de Perdón. 
Experts consider carrying sufficient water and using suitable sunscreen lotion to be essential. Careful consideration should also be given to footwear in order to maximise comfort. What do you think? What would you consider to be the best footwear to take with you?
Because we are late again, we are walking under the midday sun. With the exception of Andi and Gergő, who have very sensitive skin, we don't bother with sunscreen lotion. Soon we are thirsty but there's no fountain for about 11 kilometres and we begin to regret the decision to carry little water because it's heavy. To a health-conscious person this would appear to be something of a danse macabre. Are we really dicing with death?
Contrary to what so-called experts say - we realise by this time that it doesn't matter what kind of shoes you wear. I have two pairs with me, a pair of sandals and a pair of Gore-tex shoes. All of us have two pairs with us which we change from time to time, but it doesn't prevent blisters.
MEETINGS WITH REMARKABLE MEN
Very hot, we reach the next village. Csaba dives into the little shop to buy us water. He comes out with a tall, thin guy, who turns out to be a certain Dani who is from Barcelona where he has just graduated in physics. He’s doing the Camino by himself. From this point on, we meet and walk together often, though Dani maintains a very fast tempo and sometimes goes ahead of us.
The mountaintop is covered with an enormous wind-farm, and there's also a memorial erected to the honour of the pilgrims.
Going downhill is much more painful. Firstly, it stretches different muscles from those you need when climbing uphill and secondly the path is full of little rocks that really hurt when you step on them. This is agony for Andi.
AN OASIS APPEARS
And all of a sudden, we're in an oasis. The rocky, sunburnt landscape gives place to some shady trees, and under the trees, there is an old man with a caravan, the benefactor of everyone. He's tall and has a big belly, and a very friendly face. He speaks in a beautiful English accent, and asks whether we're in need of any help. Andi shows him her foot and he disinfects it and puts a plaster on it. Even a doctor could do no more. The gentleman asks us whether we’d like something to drink. For days, I haven't had the chance to drink tea, because there was no kitchen in the refuges so far. Hesitatingly, I ask him whether he has tea.
THE ENGLISH ALWAYS STOP FOR TEA
A few minutes later he hands me a ‘cuppa’ and surprises me when he uses the Hungarian word for ‘cheers’ which is 'egészségedre'. Never in my life did a tea taste so good as this. This man explains he parks his caravan here and offers help to any pilgrim who comes along. It’s not only physical first-aid that he gives us. His being there recharges my mental batteries and fills me with joy. Meeting him is such an unexpected yet totally pleasant surprise. Another angel perhaps?
I don’t know but I think about his kindness to us for the rest of the trip.
KEEP ON TREKKING
Refreshed, we hit the road again. We meet a phenomenon. A guy, perhaps 25, whizzes past. He's alone, his eardrums stimulated by music from earphones, and he's very quick. In a week he could get to Santiago. Does he think the Camino is a race?
LINKS
Beware The Azucar | Egészségedre! | Radical Decisions