I still can’t believe how much my little toe recovered overnight. It was a little sensitive for about 5 minutes walking today, then it was TOTALLY fine.
Today’s walk was pretty good. Yes, aches and pains here and there, but nothing too intense and all pretty “normal” for the Camino. But, as I come to realize, EVERY day of the Camino presents you with a challenge of some kind. I think that’s kind of the point of the Camino.
Today’s challenge was that I (and many others) ignored the longer, new-and-improved Camino and took the older and shorter “primitive” Camino to Noja. Oops. In the rain….major woops.
See, this one goes up and over “El Brusco”, a small mountain headland over the sea between Berria and Helgueras. The path is narrow, steep, rocky and (when raining) muddy and slippery. Slipping and sliding in mud with steep dropoffs uncomfortably close is not a fun way to spend the day. Then it was time to go back down, sliding, slipping, trying not to fall. I did not see a single person who wasn’t obviously terrified and regretting the decision. But, there’s a point fairly quickly where retreating is no better of an option than pushing forward.
All that said, I made it without falling and without major injury (minor scratches and pokes from very unfriendly thorn bushes). But….boy was I flithy! Mud everywhere on my legs, on my clothes (yes…the ones I washed yesterday
), hands, arms….you get the idea. I had used every kind of strategy to get down the mountain in one piece, and it showed.
But, I met a few nice people as we worked our way down and offered each other moral support and encouragement.
After that, it was just a few more miles and I was done for today. Now, I am clean and warm and dry, resting comfortably and trying to motivate myself to get dressed and go explore this nice little beach town. Or, maybe I will just read and take a nap.
Views from today:
Sorry, no pictures of the scary parts…was too busy not falling!!