Mind Over Matter

Uphill, I can deal with. Downhill, no problem. But walking 15km on an empty dirt trail with no signs of civilization and nowhere to sit and rest...now that's hard! When I began my walk yesterday I felt both mentally and physically tired. I knew the nearest town would be about a four hour walk, so I had my "halfway coffee" before I left. I don't know why but my backpack felt incredibly heavy yesterday; even though I was carrying less than I usually would because I didn't have any fruit in my bag. But, I pushed through and kept walking, it wasn't too bad, I just took my time. However, when I went to check my guidebook to see approximately how far I had walked, I discovered that it had fallen out of my backpack! (This is the second time I have lost my guidebook. The first time was back before Burgos and this guy Stephan had found it and gave it to me in Atapuerca). I walked back along the trail and asked people if they had found it, but I wasn't having any luck. I decided I wasn't going to let it bug me; in two days I would be in Leon and I could buy a new one. So, I continued my walk and then four hours later I caught a glimpse of the first sign of civilization! Finally! I have never been so happy to see a slum city; now I could take a proper break. During the last 5km before I arrived in Mansilla (my destination for the day), I was exhausted. This happens every day though. It doesn't matter whether I am walking 15km, 20km, or 30km, the last hour is always the hardest; all I want to do is take my backpack off and take a nice cool shower. But, after six hours of walking I arrived in Mansilla. After finding the albergue I wasn't in the mood to walk around. I have been spending A LOT of time outside, so I was going to spend a majority of my time in the albergue. None of my roommates were in so I had the whole room to myself. I took a nice long nap, watched FRIENDS, and drank a litre of juice. When I did go outside for a stroll I was not too impressed with the 38 degrees and very humid weather. I couldn't have taken more than five steps before I was drenched in sweat! It was disgusting; and it's not like you can do anything in this weather, so I sat under a shady tree. By the time 9pm rolled around it was time to go to bed, however, it was still 35 degrees outside, and even with the window in my room open, it was still unbearably hot and I couldn't fall asleep...that is, until I tool some gravol. I did end up having a really good nights sleep though. When I woke up this morning I was eager to arrive in Leon where I would be taking another rest day, AND I would get to enjoy the San Juan And San Pedro festival! I was excited! The walk was much easier too. Even though it was along the highway, the towns were all fairly close so I didn't feel like I was in the middle of nowhere. I did however discover a dull pain in my right knee so I walked slower as to not irritate it, but, what I have come to learn through walking is that the camino is more mental than it is physical. We all experience some sort of pain along the way, but the severity of the pain all depends on how much you think about it. I consentrated on my music and the pain went away. When I arrived in Leon it took me a while to find a place to sleep for the next two nights. Because I didn't have my guidebook, I didn't have a list of the albergues or hostels. But, when I found the albergue I was informed that I wouldn't be able to stay here for two nights due to the festival and the fact that the albergue isn't a municipal albergue but is rather run by the church. Now what was I to do? I asked at the information center if their was a cheap hostel I could stay in for one night (and then sleep in the albergue on Thursday night), but they kept directing mr to a bunch of hotels. I didn't want to treat myself to a nice hotel room in Leon because I was just in one last week when I was in Burgos. I am planning on treating myself to a nice room in Sarria though which is 100km from Santiago. But, my options seemed limited here in Leon, that was until a I talked to a different lady at the tourist office and she pointed menin the direction of a "hostel-type" arrangement but with private rooms. It only cost me €20 so it's not too bad. On the plus side, I have my own room and my own bathroom...just none of the luxuries such as towels and a TV that I had in Burgos; but who cares, I'm not treating myself to anything in Leon. It's just funny how these things work out. Originally I had considered splurging on a hotel in Leon, but after much consideration, I thought it best to wait until I reached the point most pilgrims start walking from (in Sarria). But I feel that there is someone looking out for me, and they know I didnt want to spend too much money but somehow and for some reason they wanted me to have some privacy for a night - something we are deprived of while walking the camino. After I settled in I went for a walk over to the cathedral. Now I still can't believe it, but this random guy walked up to me and was like "did you lose a guidebook yesterday?". YES!!!!! Unbelievable! I asked him how he knew it was my guidebook and he said he saw the Canadian flag on my backpack, and my guidebook was marked with sticky notes that said "Lifesaving Society BC", soooo, he put two and two together and assumed the book must be mine. Just when I thought things weren't going my way, they always seem to work out in the end. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, the camino always provides. Thanks to that guy I saved €20 because I didn't have to buy a new book. But, twice is lucky...very lucky. I'm putting that stupid book in the bottom of my backpack where it will never fall out! That's all for now, stay tuned and tomorrow I will share with you my adventures in Leon :) so far so good! Bye for now.