Little critters that bite in the night....BED BUGS! Sarria -110k to Santiago

I awoke in the middle of the night itching from head-to-toe, it couldn´t be, I couldn´t be being bitten by bed bugs...again. I tried to go back to sleep, but the itching was instaitable. I got up and looked in the mirror, but the light was too bright and I couldn´t see a thing. I grabbed my sleeping bag and took it to couch in the chill out area of the alburgue. I searched my sleeping bag, but didn´t see any bed bugs. I slept on the couch for a few more hours until I was awakened around 4am by the first pilgrim eager to start her day. That day more than 20 welps from bed bugs would appreared on my body. I look like I have a disease. My left hand is swollen. Between the mosiquitos and bed bugs I feel eaten alive! I have cut all my nails down to nubs to keep from scratching til I bleed.

Later the next day, I tell the lady who runs the next alburgue, also called the hospitalera, in La Faba, what has happend and together we seperated all my clothes to be washed and the rest we put in a bag to be sparyed with bug spray. I stripped down outside and changed into a lovely oversized red shirt with a bedazzled heart in the center and a baggy pair of khaki trousers. I was the picture of style and grace! Hell I didn´t even have shoes on. But I didn´t care one bit if it meant I wouldn´t be bitten again. I was so thankful I wanted to throw that woman in the air and give her a big hug and kiss! The scalding hot shower I took afterwards was multi-orgasmic. It was like christmas and my birthday, it took all the will power I had to make myself get out of the shower.Hot showers can be a rare occurance on the Camino. I don´t think I was bitten again that night, but it hard to tell.

Welcome to fucking Galicia...

I´m in the last province I will come to, and man have things changed. The first alburgue I came to yesterday was full, but was offering to let me sleep in the grass for $5. No Thanks. The rest of the alburgues were either full or way to expensive, and the next town was 10kilometers away.  I was with my friend Pablo who I met in Montevanero. He´s German, but grew up in Spain. And he has  a tent, but it´s illegal to put the tent up.  What the hell do we do? Well, we were left  with one good option. Sleep on the porch of the old stone cathedral. Ok I thought no big deal, until I realized the church is surrounded by graves. Yes it´s a cemetary and the graves are above ground mind you. I stood on the cold stones of the church and looked around, hardly able to catch my breath. Was I really about to sleep with dead people? All the scary movies I have heard about and seen were running through my head. Pablo kept trying to tell me about local legends of creatures that steal your soul if you look into their eyes. "Shut up Pablo!" This is not what I needed to hear. Ultimately, I did it. I slept with dead people. I was so cold and tired the dead people were the last thing on my mind. And at least they don´t snore! We awoke the next day after a fairly peaceful nights rest, considering it was in a cemetary, and realized their were graves on each side of us in the concrerte. So not only am I homeless, but I sleep with dead people!

I walked again today to find the one cheap alburgue full, so it looks like I´ll be sleeping outside again. I´m feeling a bit down today, but after two months of being on the Camino I can say that I have received more generousity and kindness than I could ever write on paper. And I have always had all that I needed. So i´m trying to be thank ful for all the blessings I have received in the past and the ones still to come as well. There are lesson´s to be learned in all things. So I will lay my head down tonight on my rolled up socks and be thankful that I´m healthy and without hunger.

i´m alive!

Hello! Sorry for my extended absence I stumbled upon Montevenero an eco village, or "hippie commune" as some would call it, 7 kilometers from the Camino.  It was founded some 20 years ago by people, from many nations though mostly German. Many were from the Rainbow Gatherings in Europe, who wanted a place to live in community all year long. I planned on only staying only 1 day and was there for over 3 weeks. The village, built in the ruins of an older village that burned some 40 years ago, is tucked away between two mountains. It´s a quiet village where you may see a horse or donkey walking down the road, and the only sounds are of children playing and the guitars and drums people frequently sit and play. Their are no cars allowed. The only thing that runs on gas is the chainsaws used to cut the wood, though only allowed on the first Tuesday of the month. (Most of the wood is cut my hand)! The only electricity is powered by solar panels. But don´t think they are doing without, there is a bakery, ice cream shop, bar, and variety shop that sells jam, champagne made from roses, and liqour from honey. There is nearly no horizon in Montevenero. On all but one section all you see is the giant mountains you climb down to get there.  You hear the people mention this frequently. Some believe this can leave you closed minded.

 The water for the whole village of about 60 people, in the summer,  flows naturallly from a couple of streams high in the mountains above the village. The people of the village, especially Teddy, have a beautiful relationship with this channel of water. Two times a week Teddy walks the length of the channel and notes the placement of each stone and blade of grass in relation to the flow of the water. It is a precious example of people working with nature, not against it.

 If you wanted dinner you had to go get some firewood out of the woods first. The toilet was outdoors and consisted of a whole that you peed in, and if you pooped you had to cover it with grass, some of which I helped to cut by hand. In exchange for one amazing organic, and almost completely vegan meal a day, I helped in the garden, painted walls with kal, similar to plaster, and helped to clean the water filters in the channel.  I also put myselft through a Spanish boot camp with the help of my American friend Sarah(yes i ran into another American from Oregan!) and Issy from Canada. Meeting them was such a blessing. I read Further Along The Road Less Traveled and Stillness Speaks, both reminded me that I´m a spiritual being on a spiritual journey. The reality that I could die tomorrow or even today has helped me to see the fleeting nature of all the things we hold so dear... how we look, what other people think of us, and protecting our precious egos at all costs! I have started asking for what I need and want. And speaking to people in Spanish without caring what I look like. Since leaving Montevenero I have made so many friends, I make new friends everywhere I go. The walls I have had around me are slowy dissloving with each hug and each hello I give and receive. Four people wanted to take pictures with me after meeting me today. Such a cool thing that my inner happiness is shining through and that in just a moment I´m able to share that with people. Their happiness helps to feed mine as well.

I bought shears a couple of weeks ago and have been cutting hair in exchange for money, food, and internet. I get to cut hair in warm air with beautiful green mountains surrounding me. I enjoy cutting hair again!

I have a little over 200 kilometers until Santiago, about 1/4 of what I started with, and if you couldn´t tell I´m in no hurry to get there. I´m actually more excited to see Finisterre, once believed to be the end of the world, and to see the ocean again. After this I have no idea what I´m doing. I live day to day moment to moment. When I get to Finnisterre I will choose then what to do next.