The Camino Documentary

The Kings of Leon.

         During the spring of 2009 as I was some weeks into my 'first' Camino de Santiago, I came upon a crew of film makers, waiting at the entrance to the town of Sahagun. A camera man asked me if I had seen a guy with a horse carriage along the road, and I replied that yes he was still some way behind me. I had no idea then, that they were doing a documentary of the Camino, and that I would soon meet several of the characters featured in their project.


Two days later, when I was preparing to leave the village of El Burgo Ranero, I again spied the crew, we shared coffee at the local bar. Unbeknown to me then, I also met several others, whom they were following along the path to Santiago de Compostela.


My Camino was proving to be a somewhat challenging physical and mental ordeal, as I trekked the way of pilgrims across Spain, and it was no small surprise when I arrived one evening into the village of Reliegos, tired weary and desperate for some company. Who would have believed that I should meet Kings at the very next Albergue, and that they would share their table with a lowly traveller ?


A woman, well used to walking a seasoned traveller, Uschi, gave me a very friendly invitation to share the food the wine and the company of these 'Kingly' pilgrims. I was overwhelmed by the love and care that they displayed towards me as they proffered their Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh like gifts.


Over the next few days I met Hanns a great doctor, Paul (The cat) a great story teller, Carina a sharer of secrets, who like me were all walking their own Caminos' in search of answers to inner truths. These four became affectionately known to me as the 'Kings of Leon'. The photo at the top, includes three of them, and maybe you see why they earned the title.


Never the less, during the next few weeks and since, they became dear friends. I met and shared other great times with many other pilgrims too, as my poetry shall describe, and finished the Camino when I arrived at Cabo de Finestere, with my then walking partner, Cristina. 


Somehow, even after all of this, it took me a long time to understand, just what had happened to me over that six weeks of pilgrimage. I couldn't go back to 'Normal' life, the journey had opened up to me new and challenging routes of endeavour. It was later, after a request from a dear friend Kiyomi, to help her with a dissertation, (She was using the Camino de Santaigo for her masters) that I really began to understand the true meaning of the Camino, and more importantly, 'My Camino'. she had come up with a set of questions that made me stop and really think about just what it had meant to me.


Later I would come to meet Lydia briefly, and was introduced to the   
idea of the Camino Documentary.
Watching the trailer she and her team had produced, several times, soon put me back on the Camino and reminded me of the rare privilege it had been to have experienced it first hand. The people who I had known and loved were there explaining their journeys and the idea of the Camino on camera, and I couldn't help but shed a few reflective tears. 


I only hope that you could know this incredible joy, from the experience we all shared. A personal journey, yet a shared one too. We were not created to be loners, but something wonderful happens, during this walk, when you come to know yourself. 


You may think its just me being a dreamer, and you are possibly correct to a degree. But what if you aren't? What if there is more, much more that you can truly know? What if this unique opportunity slips you by and you spend the rest of your life, without real passion, having known nothing of this love?


Don't wait, please. 


Watch the trailer, discover the Camino Documentary and what it reveals.!!!


http://youtu.be/xLF3Fi1W6OY



Lydia's Website, The Camino Documentary.


http://www.caminodocumentary.org


I wish Lydia and her team a whole world of success and hope that the complete documentary is soon on your screens. Like us all, sharing is key to her projects final success, why not see in what ways you can support her and her team and me, to share this wonderful knowledge.


Big hugs,


Peaceful Warrior.

Brazil

I am presently in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.


I have a very dear friend Tania, who is really looking after me well and has given me freedom of her home. Also she has shown me many new and exotic places here in the Territory of Minas Gerais, which is the original heart of Portugese occupied Brazil. I have walked the city extensively and though it is far from a regular camino, there have been many incredible things to see and visit, in this huge city. Whilst Brazil is only a 'new' federal country, it has seemingly advanced far beyond its infancy in short time. Despite the obvious disparity between the rich and the poor here, 'posh' houses being against 'slum' areas, the standard of living seems very high for many people. The poor have a wealth of opportunities given to them free from the state and government. Free health centres, dentistry and many other social services that are tackling the health and living standards of people from less fortunate areas. There are free national park areas, with a minimum car park charge, and so many buses in the cities that you will never wait very long. The ride fee is fixed for journeys within the cities, so whether you do 1 stop or all of them, it's the same price. 
In the main, the cost of living is quite high. Food and drink that is imported is incredibly costly, and even normal things like toothpaste and vegetables are higher in value that in most European countries. But like most places, if you know where to shop there are always exceptions.
In nearly every place I have visited, there have been free concerts and music available to the general public, either in parks or shopping areas.
Whilst everyone drives like Ayrton Senna, I have not yet seen one accident, which surprised me as there are more than 2.5 million people living in this city and several more million in the close regions.
I have taken to sitting most days on the Praca Sete, the heart of downtown Belo Horizonte, to add to my poetry blog. (See attached link)

andyspoint.blogspot.com

The connection of four major roads in an eight way junction, seems like the perfect place to watch the world go by, in the absence of my favourite Coffee Shop, Caffe Nero. and a great place to write, despite the obvious presence of polution from passing traffic, but it is a calm island in a waterless sea.


Tania is one of the head nurses at the Health Centre,
 'Centro Saude do Nossa Senhora Aparecida, Sao Lucas'. 


Everyday she deals with people from the very poor slum areas and helps to deal with the social ills as well as the physical ones. She diagnoses most of the influx of patients, determining which need to see the doctor or diverting them to the other resources, (ie. hospital, or treatment centres) 
She also runs a bi-weekly LIAN GONG class for the residents of the slum, to help people with regulation and movement difficulties. Lian Gong is a type of movement exercise, very similar to Tai Chi.
She dreams of going to Help doctors in Africa, to treat the sick and diseased, and I for one hope that she gets the opportunity to fulfil this goal.


Last weekend we visited the Serra Piedade. A huge mountain here in Minas Gerais and a great view over the whole area, and city of Belo Horizonte.
I hope to get to see a bit more of the coast before I have to return to the U.K. so will put some pictures available soon.


Hugs..xx

Be the Change !!

     Gandhi, a man famous for his words, but more importantly his actions once said.

'BE THE CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THE WORLD'.

In other words, don't expect others to change the world for you, do it yourself, by being different. 


Other remarkable people through out history have also said or done this same thing, and many amazing things have happened as a result, to share the love that we all have within us. People like Jesus, John Lennon, The Buddah, Martin Luther King, The Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa, Danny Wallace and millions others who have put others before themsleves.


Of course there is much trouble on our planet, because of many complicated issues that continue to be held as important for people/races/ethnesticities/creeds. But if any of this is to bring lasting happiness it needs to stand up to the challenges of their own merits. 


One thing that continually strikes me as obvious, is the desire for people to retain their differences, but not to recognise those of others. We try to divide the planet up into little pieces, where one 'tribe' or another can practice their own brand of reality, whilst not accepting that the Earth was not created with fences and boarders. I believe that is because, this earth is created for everyone. The Earth belongs to the WHOLE human race, not just the select few, who have managed to sequester for themselves the 'rights' to more than is reasonable. I am not promoting anarchy nor any violence to rectify this wrong, but I am asking for a sense of balance to be restored to the entire planet and the human family.


For this reason, I have permanently adopted the name that better expresses who I want to be. From now on I am officially.


PEACEFUL WARRIOR.


I pray that I can honour the name and reflect the power of the example set to me, by so many wonderfully peaceful warriors throughout history and those alive still.




Hugs and Love.


P.W.




Here is a wonderful example of this, I found by accident a few days ago.


http://youtu.be/1Qd-fAnHjPg

Go MC Yogi...xx

Moving Forward

Many things had happened to me whilst I walked across Spain last year, bringing into life the book that wrote itself. I have completed the book, whilst sitting in many cafes around Spain and particularly, (My favourite) the Cafe in Salamancar, called Don Quixote, oddly enough. (Cervantes story of a man on a quest for adventures)
The book has become many things. An account about a walk across Spain during the autumn of 2010. A novel of love, romance, mystery and enchantment with old fables. A fascinating collection of stories from my encounters with strangers. The coming together of dreams fantasies and realities. A story of personal discovery and development. And finally, a renewal of my beliefs in the power of the love and kindness of human kind.


P.W.