My heart's a drummer

The days go by, and the kilometers accumulate. I escaped the camino Frances in Burgos, walked from Bilbao to Gijon, only to be called back to the camino I started. Experiencing two caminos in one trip has been unique, and an experience I can safely say has been my own, and of my own design completely. Since I somehow deleted a post, I'll try to fill you in again on the things I've learnt on this hard journey. I've learnt that some of the communal bathrooms in the alberges (hostels for pilgrims) could do with a major hose down, but some of the warmest meals I've had have been communal ones with fellow pilgrims; that being woken up at the crack of sparrow's fart by packing pilgrims each morning has been taxing on my mood, but each small Spanish village serves goodcafé con leche to help the journey along. I've learnt that the Spanish sun is merciless, that the heat can be dry and golden, somehow distinctly African; that the flies are persistent; that each province I pass through is fiercely proud of its heritage; that Spaniards love their faith. I've sampled calimocho (coke and red wine) with a Korean, Irish car bombs with a Brazilian, sangria with a German, learnt about black rice paella from a Swede, and that I must burn a personal belonging when I get to Santiago from someone Chinese. I've walked with friars, teachers, students, loners, biologists, oil merchants, managers, actors, singers, engineers, ambulance drivers and property developers, all falling silent with their thoughts at one point in the journey. I've learnt something small from each person I've met, as we all share in this experience and wish each other Buen Camino each morning. I've learnt to be kinder to my myself as I carry my burdens with me each day, but I see the end of each day as an achievement to be proud of. I've realized that I've been bitten more times in two months by bed bugs, spiders, wasps and mosquitos in Europe than in two years in Africa; I've learnt to appreciate the smell of clean laundry, a home cooked meal, and blister-free feet, cheap peregrino (pilgrim) 3 course meals in restaurants, a soft wind when I'm walking, a good laugh with a new friend, a cold drink from a dusty cafe, the quiet and calm I sense when walking in the dark of the coming morning, the view from a mountain I have just conquered. I started off in a bad frame of mind, and this camino has somehow slowly changed it, step by step, for the better.