I made it to Torres del Rio today, to get there we walked nearly 30 km in 39'c heat. Truth be told today was one of the hardest days so far on the trail, most because I can feel pain in my feet with each and every step. Despite the pain we arrived once again at a Pilgram's Paradise as our Aubergue once again had a pool.
No matter the village there's a easy way to distinguish the locals from the Pilgrims....it's in the way we "walk" at the end of the day. See for yourself in the video that I will try to upload!
The Camino is much tougher than I thought and the life lessons are much greater than I had anticipated. Two of the greatest lessons that I have learned in the past couple of days have been about: humility and hospitality.
Humility
The trail is tough and if you don't humble yourself to this reality there is no way that you will complete it. I don't like asking for help and I certainly don't like admitting that I'm struggling at something. For some reason we associate asking for help or admitting that we're struggling with something as a sign of weakness. But out here it's a healthy thing to do, as the only way we're all going to get through this experience is by taking rest breaks and with the support of our fellow Pilgrams. Out here there is a real sense of camaraderie, where we try to take care of one another, and quite often it's the little things that make the world of difference. Just yesterday I met Monica from France, who at the time of our first meeting was frantically trying to find someone who spoke French. She took a risk and asked for help, which I gladly responded to. This led to other occasions for us to help one another out. Without getting into too many details, our time last night will remain a highlight of this journey.
Hospitality
Everyday my group and I try to find the "best" aubergue to sleep. Most time it is a cheap hotel-type situation, where the owners care very little a out our pilgrimage and journey. We have however stumbled upon two auberges where the host truly receive us into their home and seek to care for our tired bodies. In both case the host have taken my feet and have cared for them, gently tending to my open blisters and giving me important advice as to what to do and watch for in the coming days. I don't know about you, but I think feet are disgusting and I don't enjoy caring for my own feet, let alone a stranger. But these people have shown me what it means to be a generous host and how to truly care for another.
Tomorrow will be a "rest" day, meaning that we'll only walk 20 km - I'm curious to see what lessons God will reveal to me tomorrow.
- Buen Camino
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