Thirty Four Days

A picture a day.

Walking in Estrella

Now that I have some time on my hands, I will post a few pics and videos of the trip. This one is from Estrella, seven days into our walk.

Under Review

Yesterday I finished the fourth edit, cutting the manuscript down to 103,499 words and 295 pages. The editor says it should be in the 80,000 range, but I can't see doing that without leaving some key parts out.

I have put the document down for a few weeks while my writer friends review it. I highly value their opinions, and it will be nice to have some thoughts from the two of them.

In the meantime, here is a short clip of the summit before you head downhill towards Ponferrada. Our group took a few injuries on this leg.

Things Are Starting to Move Along

After spinning my wheels for a while, the past two weeks have been ones of great progress. The second draft is now complete, with all the missing pieces filled in. I have asked two good friends, both of whom are writers, to read the draft and provide me feedback in whatever way suits. They both accepted enthusiastically, and I will be sending them the document next week. I look forward to their input, they tell it the way they see it, which is why I asked them in the first place. I learned on the Camino that " to give, you have to be willing to receive." That is still not easy for me to do.

Had a conversation with a cousin of Mary Lou, who has published two books, with the best advice being " there is no hurry to publish." It was most helpful, giving me pause as to my original plan. After a bit of back track, I decided to focus on finishing the manuscript, and then worry about the editor and publishing. Then the universe kicked in, and on the weekend I attended The Word on the Street festival, sitting in on a presentation on how to get published in Canada. The advice was invaluable, and I connected with a number of individuals, groups and companies that will end up saving me a month or more of legwork. 

So, this is going to happen, though I am not sure if it will be out before or after Christmas. Before would be nice.

The Morning View From Orisson 

First Draft - Complete

It took quite a bit longer than I imagined, and was a lot more work than expected, but I have completed the first draft of The Two Caminos, and am about half way through the first edit. Should be finished with a second edit next month and will send it out to my editor, all 110,000 words of it.

I was worried memories would fade between the time of the walk and completion of the book, but that was not the case. In fact just the opposite. I remember  with greater clarity now than a year ago; locations, people and conversations. And with the research and reflections required to write this,  I am far more knowledgeable of both the Camino and what this walk meant to me.

Looking forward to getting this published in the coming months.

Night Stalkers

I did a pile of research on the Camino before leaving. One of the recurring themes was concerns over bed bugs, a topic that scares away some people from even considering doing the walk. For me though, it wasn't really a concern, and in fact I had a feeling that the whole issue was likely overblown. Guess in the end I was wrong.

A little background. These little bast...sorry, biters,  are all over the world, and can be found from the lowliest dives right up to the swankiest hotels. In talking to one guy in the industry I was told that some of the professional sports teams in town have brought them back to their homes from road trips, and there are infestations all over condos and apartment buildings in Toronto. Back in my summer holidays after grade 12, I got to sleep in my older brother's bedroom during the week while he was away on a construction crew, as it gave me my own bedroom rather than sharing one with my younger brother. Unfortunately, what we did not know is he had brought back bedbugs from the construction trailers and I ended up spending a few weeks getting eaten alive at night before we discovered what was going on. While it freaked out my mother and that house was sanitized from top to bottom, I wasn't really bothered. Nothing but a few hundred bite marks on me. A little creepy thinking about that after, but really no big deal. So the threat of bed bugs on the Camino really fell on deaf ears.

Over the first two and a bit weeks of the walk there were no signs of bedbugs, and hadn't really heard any stories of them along the trail. But just past the halfway point the first rumours surfaced. Within a day or so Cheryl related a conversation she had with one of the men that stayed with us at our hostel in Angostura, who had been bitten, and in fact had seen one drop out of his knapsack when taking out his sleeping bag. Unfortunately he had done nothing about it which becomes part of the way these things spread. Then the bites started showing up on Judy, and shortly thereafter on Mary Lou, with swelling and water blisters to the point that they had to see the doctor in Leon to get  medicated ointment. Emails with Will, who was a couple of days behind us told of albergues being temporarily closed because of bedbugs, and tales of numerous people being bitten. It was like being chased by a big swarm of bees.

The biggest risk from being bitten by bed bugs is the irritation of the skin, of just plain being physced out at the thought of being bitten, and losing sleep because of it. You usually can't see the bites until a day or more after they suck your blood, if at all, since some people never react to being bitten. In some cases, people may develop blisters or even hives as a result of these bites. So it was for Mary Lou and Judy, and each morning I got out a jack knife, peroxide and bandaids to take care of MLs bites. Have to say, for all the discomfort they suffered, the girls did a yeoman job of fighting through, and were not the least bit squeamish about going to sleep. Now here is the odd part, neither Nick or I had a single bite. Go figure.

Having said that, don't let this scare you away from walking the Camino. If you do, then the terrorists have won. Though there were quite a few stories of the critters, the percentage of people that were bitten was not that high. From what I could tell this was an unusual year for them, and most people who have walked it will tell you they never saw them. If you do find them, simply wash everything in hot water and your good to go. People who  come from anywhere outside a big city, likely get more black fly and mosquito bites sitting out the porch at twilight. Says the guy who didn't get a single bite.

The Beers He Drank

There is no secret I love beer. Have since the age of 14, we start early in the Maritimes. While we all certainly enjoyed the fine selection of regional wines with our dinners each night, beer seemed to be the refreshment of choice with most pilgrims, either part way through the days long walk or upon arrival at your albergue  mid afternoon in the 90 degree heat of the day. One of the many fine parts of the journey.

From the Toronto airport on the 30 August, to our return on the 5 Oct, I wrote down the name of every type of beer I enjoyed, in the order that the glasses hit my lips. Quite impressive selection available. No comment on the total number.

Rickards Red

Kronenburg 

Affligem

EQI

Heineken

Mahou Classica

Amstel Oro

Amstel

San Miguel Especial

Fink BRAU

Ambar Especial

Paulander-Weibrier (wheat beer, the only one I didn't like)

Adlerbrau

Cryzcampo

Estrella Damm

Estrella Especial
EMD Brau

Kronenburg 1906

Fosters

Folers Hardliner

London Pride