Camino de Santiago Day 15: Hontanas

It’s a mirage!

Today was the first day in the meseta. Many say that this is the mental portion of the Camino. Most days are filled with long walks through this Spanish desert where you can see the trail for miles and miles up ahead.

Well it’s no joke that this stretch can get to your head. Not only is it a mental workout, the distances in the meseta are pretty long as well. Today was a 20 mile walk and I felt all 20 miles.

I woke up this morning in pretty bad pain. My blisters on my feet were getting worse and I knew that I needed to take it easy. My Camino brother Frances (from Ireland) and I took it nice and slow. We left Burgos around 8:30 AM. Stopped for a second breakfast around 10:30AM. Lunch in a small town around noon. Every stop was much needed and we took our time relaxing, taking our shoes off and giving ourselves a little grace.

After lunch we came across this little church and received a pilgrim blessing and a necklace with Mary on it. It was a moving moment and one that I won’t soon forget.

The final hour was one of the most challenging moments I’ve had so far. We were deep in the desert by this point and couldn’t see a town to save our lives. Despite our maps and guides telling us we were getting closer, there was just nothing in the distance that clued us in to our arrival time. Just when I was about to give up a mirage appeared in the distance. Two hands waving, running down the trail at me screaming my name.

I was so confused and delirious that it took me a minute to recognize Hillary and a glass of wine coming to meet me. She greeted Frances and I with huge hugs, vino tinto, grabbed my pack from me and carried it the final stretch. Hontanas is one of those towns that you walk down in to, so it truly does sneak up on you. I was so grateful to see Hillary and moved to tears by her kindness. They call it a Camino family for a reason, these are the people who have your back out here. They look after you; mind, body and soul.

Tomorrow is another long day! My blisters aren’t getting much better and my Camino family Geraint was nice enough to survey the damage. We had a great room at the El Puntido Hostel and were served a delicious pilgrim’s menu.

Time to celebrate a job well done and get some much needed rest.

Until tomorrow, Buen Camino!