Wet Day

Day 2… Roncevalles, Spain – Zubiri, Spain

As I got ready to hoist my pack on to my back this morning, I heard something on the roof of the albergue.  Rain.  HARD rain. But there’s no staying put, so I pulled out my rain gear – my rain jacket and rain pants and the rain cover for my backpack – got everything covered up and started walking.  There wasn’t anywhere to get breakfast food for a decent price, so we decided to walk to the next town.  It was pretty miserable.  Thunder and lightning and LOTS of rain.  The Camino quickly turned in to El Rio (the river), which made things just that much more miserable.  My jacket couldn’t keep me dry, so I was soaked and so, so cold. 

When I got to breakfast, I took off my jacket and pulled out my long sleeved shirt to try to warm up.  I asked the people at the store where I could buy a different jacket or poncho, but they said the nearest place would be about 5km in the next town.  So, after coffee and some food, I jumped on a bus to find a poncho.  A couple of the Aggie girls jumped on a bus for the next town to try to go ahead and get rooms in the albergue, and to take one of the girls who was so cold her hands had turned blue to a warm, dry place.

The bus driver asked me where I was going and I told him I needed a poncho.  He told me that I should buy it at the ferreteria (hardware store).  When we got to the next town, he took the bus to the hardware store and dropped me off at the door – so nice!  I bought a poncho, put it on, and started walking again. 

I got to a place on the Camino where it was no longer a trickle or a stream… it was now at least a foot deep in water!  I scrambled up to the top of a ridge and found many other pilgrims doing the same thing.  I saw about 30 huddled in a barn.  I decided to stop for a rest near a ball court in a town.  I sat down and had a pear.  That was the extent of resting for today.  Kept pushing forward and walking to get through it. 

The Aggie girls got me a reserved bed in an albergue, which was great.  Tonight I’m in a room of 8, instead of the packed bunkhouse of last night.  I was so cold from being wet all day, so I had a hot shower to warm myself up.  I’m trying to dry stuff out right now.  My GoreTex boots are soaked.  I’m not the only one.  Everyone is in the same boat.  Everyone is scrambling for warmth and dry clothes and to get things dry and ready for tomorrow.

There wasn’t much talking with others on the trail today.  Just focusing on the trail and the rain.  I couldn’t even look around to see the surroundings because of the rain and my glasses and the need to stay focused on your steps.  But it was a good day of solitude and prayer and reflection.  My knee only bothered me a little bit.  I have a bed and a warm dry place to stay and all is going well.  

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