I just ran downstairs to get some cafe con leche so I ca stay awake long enough to write this blog and I ran into Kaitland. Her birthday is September 5 and mine is September 10. She will be 24 and I will be 66. She is a speedy walker, I was surprised to see her. She had planned to just go through Burgos. But she said she stopped because her foot was killing her. She was with the Australian girls. Earlier I ran into the woman Josef was following because of her leg issues from the motorcycle accident. I was surprised to see her too, because she had decided to take a rest day the last time I saw her. She Sadi she took the bus part way. Lots of people do that if they have injuries, infected blisters or other debilitating issues. It's fun to see people you've shared an Albergue with or or passed or been passed by on the Camino. You start greeting each other.
I finally have phone service. At least for now. Which meant I have data, which is helpful because the Albergue last night and the one tonight don't have wifi. So I woke up this morning at 4:30 am and couldn't go back to sleep. Other folks were already up. So I had some emails to answer and I read my Facebook messages. Thanks to all of you who take the time to write me. I haven't been to a meeting since Barcelona which was about a month ago. So my sharing with you is my meeting time. Anyway, I got up and got ready.
Yesterday was Sunday so nothing was open in Atapuerca when I got there, so I had nothing for breakfast and I wouldn't see a cafe on the route for about three hours. I was told the Panaderia across the street from the albergue opened at six. At six I headed out the door to get some cafe con leche and something to eat. It turns out it didn't open until 6:30. With my data and phone service working I had gotten a message from Verizon that I had used 100 MB of data since July 19. I decided to call them and explain how difficult that is to imagine since I hadn't had phone service, never mind data since July 21. I called. The guy I talked to was very nice. He looked at the info Verizon got from Vodafone in Spain and it said I had been using small amounts everyday. Anyway, he's going to research it further.
By this time the Panaderia was open and I got a yummy empenada with jamon y queso (kind of a square flat croissant flaky crust stuffed with ham and cheese) it was so big I had to save half of it. When I got to Burgos I heated it up in the micro wave and ate it for lunch.
I got started walking about 7 and it was great. It was foggy and I went up a long hill. At the top of the hill was a big sign talking about the wonderful view and that we could see Burgos and the pueblos we would be passing through on our way to Burgos. I laughed. I couldn't see more than 100 feet in front of me. At this same spot there was also this huge bullseye on the ground made out of rocks. Spain is a very, very rocky country. A little further on there was a big cross on the ground made out of rocks.
Then we came down the hill and it was walking on the side of the road for 10 miles including a very tedious 5 mile stretch coming into Burgos past factories and warehouse with big rigs passing within 3 feet smelling of fuel and exhaust. After all these days in nature it was overwhelming. At one point I was ready to step into a cross walk when a Goliath big rig rolled up to turn right and get on the main road. The driver was talking on his cell phone and still looking to the left for a break in traffic to pull out. He never looked to his right, he never saw me. I was so grateful I was not already on the crosswalk when he rolled up. I wonder how big the ticket is for squishing a pilgrim flat as a fruit roll up in a cross walk on the Camino. lol
So I finally got into Burgos and then it was another 2 miles through Burgos looking for the Cathedral, because the Albergue was next to the Cathedral. When I finally found , what by now was the fucking Cathedral, there was a long line at the Albergue. I waited in line for about half an hour or forty five minutes, not knowing if there would be a bed available when I got to the front of the line. I just kept thinking it will be however it is supposed to be. And I guess I was supposed to be here tonight, because here I am.
I showered, washed clothes, napped, went to the store for food and water and the bank and now it's almost time for bed. Nighty night.
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