Day 7

While getting ready to leave the alberque this morning I bumped into Peter from Austria young man in his late twentys and a medical doctor that speaks Spanish.  He noticed that I was holding back and I explained that I was going to have a rest day.  He said he was taking two in that his feet and legs were trash.  He went on to explain that the first pair of boots that he bought had cut the circulation off and his toe went numb so he bought a new pair. Just two weeks ago.  Not being broken in properly they lamed him.  He is going self medicate and then if that doesn't help he wil bail. We agreed to find a hotel or "pensioner" together.  He could hardly walk.  Across the stree from the Alberque was a little. Very clean bar that sold real sanwiches a drinks to the pilgrims.  I had a egg buddy a sweet roll and three cokes.  I don't want to be too graffic but I only need to pee once in the morning and once at night.  I drink real coke for the sugar and calories.  You can't believe how they slip down. While there I ran into Rich an attorney from Cal.  He's bailing.  Ran into Lucy this is her fifth time and she is bailing. She kissed me on both cheeks like the French do and started to cry. I am not sure why five times because her English is not that good, but it had to with the spirt of the way that she thrived on. Mike the strange one was in there from Oregon, he sat his bag down and was taking pictures yesterday and when he turned back around it was gone.  He spent the day with the police.  I offered him money in that every thing here is on a cash only bases.  He said he was fine that way and tapped his chest meaning he had a pouch around his neck.  He has to bail but said it's only temporary, he will be back.

Mary a teacher as Peter and I if she could hang with us today in that she needed a rest day and didn't want to be alone in the city.  She speaks Spanish very well so the answere had to be yes.  We all got our own rooms at the pensioner for 30e, works for me.  Very small ran by a very sweet lady in her late 80,s.  I still need to go back down and pay her and get my pilgrim passport stamped.  No stamp no staying at the alberques......very strict.  I have a death march to morrow of 13.1 miles the last seven miles there is no food or water.  I need to be very careful with this part.  

Lara from Panama was with us last night and I told her I needed tape for my feet.  We went in and spoke with the drugest he wrote down a note and told me to take it down the street to a different shop.  It turned out to be the tape you see on real sport people in all kinds of color.  Very pricey but well worth it.  I am well impressed with it.

Tomorrow I will be going from Estella to Los Arcos there is tow ways to go, one over a mountain and one around the mountain, not sure yet which trail I will take, but while writing this I actually feel the excitement welling up inside of me.  Could this be what they write about when they write as to the spirt of the way.