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.
Nooo!!!! You got them!! Haha! it happens...
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