Before we set out I asked the hostess at the albergue what time the pharmacy opens because the medicine I had for diarrhea wasn't cutting it. It opens at 2pm... Great... And it's not like it is in the states where you can by over-the-counter drugs at the grocery store. Off we go!
Here's my one picture for the day. I'm eating my lunch (crackers). I don't have any other pictures because it wasn't cery pretty. It was probably my least favorite day as far as scenery. We were near the highway some if the time and it was just dull, flat, and boring.
Emily did a good job of keeping my mind occupied so I wouldn't just be thinking about my upset stomach the whole time. First, she had coffee with her breakfast so she was in a great mood and a lot more talkative than usual in the mornings. Next, she made me tell her stories of my other traveling experiences in Europe, specifically when I studied in Austria. It helped the time pass quickly.
Here's Rabe de las Calzades where we stopped for the night.
At first I was concerned about the albergue as the sign said it opened at 12:30 and at 1 there still wasn't anyone there... And I had to go to the bathroom, if course.
But when it finally did open we were welcomed by a very kind Spanish woman and we knew it would be a pleasant stay in this tiny village. We signed up for dinner and breakfast at the albergue since we didn't see a single restaurant or grocery store in town. Total $18.5e for bed, dinner, and breakfast. Not bad. We try to keep to a budget of $20e per day.
So we played a card game, at soup for lunch, and laid down for a nap. Emily went to use the public wifi in the center of town. When I woke up I heard an all-to-familiar sound. It was a Korean group we had encountered several times before. This is an amazing group of 18 people. About 12 of them are youth with special needs. The amount of patience the 6 adults must have to walk the camino with them is truly admirable. At the end of the day it's enough work to bath yourself, wash your clothes, make your dinner, and attend to your blisters.... I can't imagine being responsible to do all that for others in addition to myself. I really admire this group. Okay, that being said... Emily and I pretty much decided after the albergue in Pamplona (which was one huge open room that echoed) that it would be best not to be in the same albergue as this group. Yes, I admire them, but they're really loud and we need our sleep. And here they are, at our little 4 room albergue in our tiny little village. We accepted the fact that we might not sleep too well and moved on. In our room however we met several new friends. One French woman who is walking the camino for the 3rd time. She first walked it after she had cancer and she walked from st. Jean to Santiago in 23 days!! Oh, and she was 48 at the time. Crazy! Another friend is Jane, a very sweet Korean girl. The five of us ate dinner together and at the end our hostess told us there is prayer for the pilgrims at the convent a couple blocks away. I was pretty excited about this because the smaller villages don't have daily Mass and also because praying with the Religious communities was one of the things I wanted to experience.
All 5 of us women went to the convent for evening prayer with the dozen sisters followed by a prayer for the pilgrims.
But the best part, by far, was talking tithe sisters afterwards. They had robe the kindest and most joyful group of sisters I've ever met. Even though they didn't speak a word of English, they wanted to know all about us and they hugged us so tightly when we left. Their "buen camino" was so heartfelt and I know they are praying for us. They are Sisters of Doctors of Charity and they said they have sisters in the States as well.
We were informed there would be Mass at 7am the next day with the Korean group. This is wonderful news since this stretch if the camino is mostly smaller towns that don't have daily Mass.
Oh! Also, I asked our friendly Spanish-only-speaking hostess if there is a pharmacy in town and she said no but asked what I needed. Lucky for me "diarrhea" is the same word in Spanish, because it would not have been fun to try to describe or act out in charades! She looked in her medicine cabinet, frowned at me, then picked up the phone and called a doctor (I think). She got off the phone and told me my medicine will arrive at 7pm. Yay!
When the medicine arrived I quickly scanned for directions if how many to take and took it. I couldn't read anything else on the box or the information page, but hey, sometimes you gotta go on faith. And the medicine is working :)
I'm thankful for our nice little room of five women, a very kind and helpful hostess, and the joyful sisters!
I learned to expect the unexpected on the camino (and in life) both good and bad. I never thought I'd get to go to Mass in Korean. I also never thought I'd have to pop-a-squat for diarrhea on the side of the trail. Unexpected good things... and unexpected bad things!
Quotes
"Soon you'll be as healthy as a ... duck." -Emily
"It's so weird, feel how hard it is!" -Betsy, in reference to her healed and now rock hard pinky toe.
"I am NOT touching that." -Emily
"Ok, feel it through the sock then." -Betsy