So here we are, trudging !!!!
To trudge....... To walk slowly with heavy steps. To continue walking with weariness. To walk with great difficulty due to exhaution.
But, with joy in our hearts and some respect for our own shortcomings and misgivings, to keep us earthbound we forged ever on, the heat of the day rising, and our pace reducing.
By about 1 o`clock we decided, despite the coolness of the levanter that we needed to rest once more, for sustenance and a siesta. As a jovial and excited trio we sat and shared the treats each one had carried lovingly to the pavement. The makeshift table in the meagre surroundings of a deserted Venta. A rest stop, that had stopped giving rest to weary travellers some years ago, by the look of the weeds and Ivy growing everywhere. Broken windows, cars smashed from accidents, tow trucks that had long since been themselves used, to clear traumatized steel from the Andalucian hyways, sat whistling in the vehicle cemetry on windy ridge.
I was tired, Qt had begun the shine of blisters accumulating and Shai made us all laugh hysterically. I wandered off in search of something useful to hang our as yet still damp washing from the previous evening. On my return, an improvised ice-cream vending board in hand, I was pleased to hear that Shai had taken up the caring role of listening to Qt`s love woes. Not that I had grown tired of being the listening ear, But I felt sure that she could possibly gain from a further insight into the failings of our judgements, with regards to being in love. From the sounds of his kind and thoughtful words to her and his reasonings, he too had suffered, as we in fact all have at some point. For me, being in love is the most amazing joy anyone can ever experience or hope to recieve. Like wise it could also be the most destructive and painful experience too, being a confusing and traumatic low, even thoughts of killing ourselves were common in this scenario, when it hit rock bottom. One hell of a rollercoaster ride of emotion. That was what, ´Being in love`could do to normally sane people.
During the siesta period, Shai recieved an sms text message, from a young German woman he had met a few days earlier. He explained how very lovely she was and how much he had hoped to spend some more time with her, but surprised that she had messaged him. She had moved on with her own travels, but it seemed that she had returned to Tarifa. The few days they had spent sowing the seeds of friendship seemed for Shai to have come ripe for the harvest. Apparently she had invited him to meet for a coffee, upon her return from Cadiz. Shai was noticably glowing with a new kind of energy, above what he already displayed. I said that it was a pity that we were so far away now from Tarifa, well along the road to Santiago. He replied with a conviction that he would happily walk back the whole way, for the joy of spending just one more minute with her. I know that when we guys talk like this, that we are indelibly marked with the stirrings of real passion.
"So what will you do?" I asked already knowing the answer, and what his response would be.
The twinkle in his eyes, gave him away long before we said our goodbyes.
We waved him off, as he mounted a scooter, a local girl giving him a ride to far away bay.
"That`s the last we will see of him," said Qt, as my thoughts returned to the road ahead. She was possibly correct, but I am sure that we will see Shai again, but on a different camino. We never got to see him use his devil sticks that he carried, or see him turn the flower. I admire the way some travellers have mastered certain arts by the way of performing entertainment to people. Shai had begun my training that morning, after coffee, showing me the technique needed to be able to juggle lemons. I have always wanted to be able to juggle, but somehow never had the opportunity or teacher to train me. I hope that I will still be able to get the knack of it at some point. If not, then at least there will be plenty of juice to drink.
What I have noticed so far in this life, is that we all have a talent, something to share. Some of us use it to bad effect, unfortunately. But most of us are either too shy, or too affraid to use their given talent. I am a little sadenned that those with real talent, don´t become empowered to display their gift. But of course I do not judge them for it nor pity them. I accept that some people, want to be quiet unassuming souls. Me however, just try and shut me up !!!
The rest of the afternoon was spent, slowly advancing on one wind turbine farm after the next. Huge fields full of machines designed to harvest the wind energy that comes for free in such great quantities here. Sensibly we had rested during the hottest part of the day, yet at shortly after 4 pm, it was still incredibly warm, if not disguised by the breeze. Three had become two, as we strode mightily towards our destination of Tahivilla. The road seemed to go on forever, the tarmac hot beneath our feet, and I wished that there had been a more remote dust track to the village. None such exist at this time, so we made do with occasional stops in the shade of trees along the hyway, resting on the Armco. The road ahead was so straight, but it was consolation that with each footfall, we neared the rest point. Having no idea what we would find in the village, what services were available to weary pilgrims like us, we at first on arriving had to scout the village. It was little after siesta time and still no-one could be seen in the village. We found ourselves eventually in the village plaza. Qt commented on the prettiness of the place, the array of colour and greenery and the layout of the plaza. A bar on the plaza remained dormant and we desperately needed a drink. I got my tin cup out of the back pack and filled it for Qt, from the font in the centre of the plaza. I made a comment about the calcium in the cup as I refilled it. The non use of the tap, possibly had led to a build up. Qt went back to the tap, to either refil the cup or wash her face and hands, I cant remember which, as all of a sudden there was water spraying everywhere, covering Qt.
After I had stopped laughing, we soon realised it was in for the long haul, the basin below rapidly filling. These kind of fonts have a tap that is designed to close automatically after a short period, to save water. This one seemed to have other plans. I tried to cover the spout of the tap, hoping that the return pressure would close the valve. It actually had the reverse affect spraying from the tap head with more force, sending the water further across the plaza, me and Qt. Well at least the trees were getting a good watering. I quickly retrieved my pocket tools from the backpack, the pliers finally getting hold of the tap head and closing the flow eventually. We surveyed the once dry plaza, that looked like we had recently had a downpour, and still not a soul moved, besides us.
We finally arrived at the hotel that also doubled as a roadside rest area, no other type of accomodation seemed available. It was a really lovely place, clean and with comfy beds. The people were incredibly at ease with us as pilgrim warriors. I explained about Qt`s feet to the manageress, and she was very helpful in prescribing aloe vera for her blisters, saying that we could help ourselves to some from her garden, when the sun had gone down, as it would be too liquid at the present moment. Once we were ready to eat we found that the restaurant adjoining was closing, so we had to go back into the village plaza to find something to eat. Fortunately for us, the plaza de agua had dried, and no-one seemed to notice that we had been responsible for using up, almost the entire village water deposits. The bar served tapas and small plates of delicious local faire, but we soon realised that we needed an early night, if we were to be up bright and refreshed in the morning. An old gentleman in the bar however, had other ideas. He kept buying us drinks and remarking on how beautiful he thought Qt was. In fact if he`d been younger he would have been chasing her himself. Fortunately he was a harmless old gentleman who liked drink more than women.....
As we returned to the hotel, we were greeted by the hosts, bearing gift. Detailed maps and information on our onward journey for me and a carefully wrapped piece of aloe vera for Qt. Plenty of help in the administering of said remedy, and we were again surprised, at just how such lovely people seemed to just pop out of the woodwork, just as we needed them. A further evidence of how the universe conspires to provide for us, when we walk the camino. All it seems you needed to do was simply mention the Pilgrimage and people came along with help. We planned to be up at 7am to get the best out of the day, and with our first day and 25 km under our belts we slept as a pair of logs. A well earnt rest.
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