13 June to San Xulian

R u sad about the close end… looking forward to coming home?

Questions from Rob this morning. My answers may have been sufficient, but they probably were not satisfactory.

No and yes.

I’ll explain more now that I’ve finished walking for the day, done my hand washing, have made some lunch and am sitting down to eat it at 2:30pm (while I blog).

That handwashing….I’m a bit over it! And wearing the same two sets of clothes for ten weeks is getting a bit old too. Squeezed inside a silk sleeping bag liner every night instead of cotton sheets is losing its attraction. And having to carefully watch valuables all the time, even while taking a a shower was never a highlight. But more than that, I have discovered I miss my family more than I had expected to. On past trips I have never felt ready to come home – but I have always been with family. This time it’s different. I have also worked out that I want to be writing and there has not been a lot of time for that (that is to say, I have chosen to spend time talking with others and blogging rather than writing). So I’m not sad for the end to be approaching (and I am looking forward to a change of pace before I head back).

I will remain “present” while I’m here and make the most of the opportunities that are unique to this time and place:

Where else would I try Hola Cola? 37 cents a can at the supermarket

I will be grateful for the little things that happen….like receiving a hand written postcard at the breakfast table this morning – there was one for each pilgrim who stayed last night.

I will enjoy the different architecture…

…the churches…

…the rural scenes…

…the forest walks…

…the frogs…

…the interesting people…

…the quirky artwork…

…not having to cook…

…the shadows…

…and wearing a backpack.

There is much to enjoy right here and I am purposely not thinking about “what next” until I get home.

At the same time I am looking forward to being home.

And I really need a haircut!

And I’m hanging out for a spicy curry and roti.

PS I am happy to be surprised, as I was today….the last 100km is supposed to be crazy busy, and there have been patches of that. But today I only saw a dozen or so pilgrims as I walked from one “off-stage” village (where there were only ten of us last night) to another off-stage place, where so far there are only three of us. As I have sat here typing there has been a constant stream of people walking past, so there ARE lots of walkers out there, but somehow I managed to get in between the bubbles today.