Ï learned the following motivational chant while walking through the hot, hot heat in the final kilometers to Los Arcos a few days ago:
I had a good job in the army but I left, I left. i left because I did not think that it was right, left, right left.
You begin the chant while walking stepping out with your left foot. Then you can fall in sync with the steps and remind yourself to, you know, keep going and breath at the same time. This, it turns out, is an extraordinarily helpful technique. Walking into Los Arcos we felt nostalgic for the rain of previous days. The hot sun and thick heat add a significant burden to the walk. But between this song (thank you Ewelina from Vienna!) and the baby ¨chivas¨ (goats!) that we met towards the end of the walk, I was all set. (By the by, the smallest of the baby goats was wearing a giant bell and did not want to stay with the herd. I loved this goat. So rad.)
Yesterday in Viana – and boy it seems so long ago already – I was sitting in the open air cathedral enjoying the day before heading off for dinner. There were two young boys with what I imagine was their grandad. Smiling and saying ¨hola¨ to these little ones, the grandad approached asking me if I was a pelligrina. Si, I replied happily. He proceeded to speak to me in Spanish and I think I gathered that he had walked the Camino himself 6 times. One time he walked to Santiago along the Camino Frances (which Aimee and I are travelling) and then walked back home via the Camino route along the coast. He was wowed that I am walking dos Caminos, given that it´s me AND the baby walking together. He then proceeded to tell me something that seemed very important. But I clearly didn´t comprehend. He persisted. He put his hands on my sandled feet and repeated the sentiment. No comprende, sadly. He kept going. He touched my feet and then proceeded to put one hand (as if a foot) in front of the other. He repeated this gesture and his statement.
Just keep putting one foot in front of the other, he seemed to be saying. This advice came in handy today.
Today we walked from Viana to Navarette. It wasn´t the longest we´ve walked, but we seemed to hit road blocks along the way. First I couldn´t find my capris. Then Aimee couldn´t find her walking poles. Despite getting up at 5:30, we didn´t leave until 7. We missed the scenic spot to stop for our breakfast, so sat on a bench next to the highway with the industrial suburbs of Logroño in view. We went to the post office in Logroño to find that it had moved. And after we finally found it and had a cafe con leche and some more food to keep us going, we were leaving the city just in time for the high, high heat of the day.
It was a long, slow, hard day. Sometimes really hard. By the time I arrived in Navarette – over 12 hours after having woke this morning – I was at my wits end. I was exhausted, ready for a cold shower and a hot meal. And I´m delighted to report that all of those things and more awaited me here. Satisfied from the salad, and fish I had for dinner; grateful for the support of my kind travelling companion Aimee, astonished by the kindness of strangers here (the albergue owner just came by and gave me – well really the baby – a cookie…delicious!), I head off to bed happy.
And I carry with me the strong reminder of the day. Sometimes you just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other. You have to set boundaries. You must be prepared to ask for help and to receive it with open arms when it sits in front of you. Which I´m noticing it usually does.
Instead of counting sheep tonight, I may count footsteps. Left. Left. Left, right, left…
