My Photos

I've posted my pictures online.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/72598258@N00/sets/

Hope everyone is enjoying the rest of summer.
Caryn

Hail! Hail! To Michigan...

I take a lot of ribbing from students for my loyalty to my alma mater, the University of Kansas, especially during basketball season. Those years in Lawrence had a lasting impact on my life and that institution will always hold a special place in my heart. Having said that, these past 30-plus days have been so rewarding, I must admit humming the tune of The Victors on occasion and feeling quite the sentimental attachment.

Hail! To the victors, valiant,
Hail! To the conquering heroes
Hail! Hail! To Michigan the leaders and best

Yes, we did not conquer anything but our own doubts and the only thing truly valiant about our adventure was our devoring the mystery meat served at the occasional lunch BUT, oh Michigan (and Minnesota, North Dakota, New York, Colorado & Singapore) be proud of your sons and daughters. Be proud because they rose to every challenge as a team of 11 individuals with a sincere caring for others both in and outside of our group. In the words of our dear Ryan,¨I´m not gonna lie¨, these 11 students have had (and will continue to have) a lasting impact on my life.

On July 22nd, we set out from Rabanal del Camino on a long and difficult hike very early in the morning. The presence of two high school student groups made our previous night´s sleep less than restful, yet all of the team was ready and waiting for me as I finally (and five minutes late, mind you) made it outside the albergue to start the day´s hike. No second wake up call was needed. There was no need to remind them how much time was left until our departure. No one had to tell them to pick up the trash left behind from breakfast. Quitely, sleepily, they waited. When I passed through the gate to the albergue and saw them huddled, ready to hike 30 km, I said to myself The Leaders and the Best, indeed.

Santiago and beyond

Of course, I never thought we had designed a program that students would not be able to finish, but it wasn´t until a plane leaving from the Santiago Airport flew over me yesterday morning that I realized what we had just accomplished. This year we set the bar high and students rose to the challenge. We are, as far as I know, the first university program to walk the entire trail in 30-some days starting from St. Jean Pied de Port.
These last two days have been a wave of emotions and reflection for me.
First I am happy with the fact that we all made it in to Santiago. Repeatedly this group of students amazed me. Each person has brought something unique to our group; yet, collectively grace, kindness, and curiosity is what comes to my mind when I think about the 11 of them. I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to share this challenge with them. Too often I forget that many of these students don´t speak Spanish and are unfamiliar with the culture, until I see one of them tied up in a linguistic knot with a local and then I am reminded what this experience must be like for them. Thank you all for being so fantastic and making this trip for me so enjoyable.
Now my thoughts turn to going home. Unlike most of my students, I have been feeling nomadic now for about a year, so home to me is a bit unclear. I have spent the last year living out of my backpack commuting between Paris and Berlin--a great experience, but one I am glad is almost over. A few more days in Berlin and a short trip to Italy will end my time in Europe. Now I have to begin thinking about finding an apartment in Ann Arbor and moving my stuff out of storage.
Lastly, thanks to all the parents who offered their comments. I really enjoyed reading them. I hope to have the chance to get together over lunch or a coffee sometime when you are in town. I would love to meet you all!

The Start of an End

The camino has finally come to an end for us. However I have been constantly thinking about the lessons it has tried to teach us. Thus after a night of fireworks and concert I got it out straight. Just like the camino, we all have a goal in life that we would someday love to reach. Sometimes we have easy days, sometimes we have hard days. Sometimes we like to increase the pace of our life just like being the first on the trail, and sometimes we would like to lay back and enjoy the scenery. Somtimes we get lost in life, but as long as we find our own little yellow arrows, we will know where to go again. Therefore, just like walking the camino, we should never stop walking forward in life.

Melide: 2 days to go

Today we made it to Melide. Last year the group was almost bored because we walked such short days and fatigue was no longer an issue by the time we reached this point. This year that is different. Since we walk about double the distance (both in terms of daily distance and overall distance) we walked last trip, we are always more tired. I had expected that after a month of walking, we would all have more energy at the end of these last few days, but that isn´t the case. After lunch, most of us slip away for a 2-hr. siesta to rejuvinate our bodies. What is amazing though, is that after a nap or after an 8-hr sleep, one´s body can feel just about like new. Today for the first time, talking to Kate I began thinking-talking about what it will be like when we stop walking in two days, what happens the day we wake up at say 8, instead of 5.30, and the furthest we have to go is around town? I am already feeling nostagic and we still have two days to go.

Leon con Leche

I recently understood a little bit of Spanish humor. Not particularly good humor, but it made me feel special nonetheless. First I shall give you the background information:

At one particular point in time, Castilla and Leon were regions of their own. Today they are a province with the ever-so-clever title, ¨Castilla y Leon¨. Throughout the province, there are some individuals who think Leon should be an independent nation. These dorky high-schoolers write in spray paint on the wall, ¨LEON SOLO¨. We´ve seen this often.

Coffee here is simply with milk or with out it. You get a ¨Cafe con Leche¨ (with) or a ¨Cafe Solo¨ (without)

Now, last week we saw the usual ¨LEON SOLO¨ on the wall. Only this time, someone had added underneith, ¨¿O CON LECHE?¨ (Or with milk) Get it? Leon con leche? Ha-ha.

The Worst Breakfast

Several Days Ago: Molinaseca AM


The crossaints were stale. The magdelenas crumbly. The bananas were green as our sick friends who remained in bed. When we heard the news that Allie too had gotten sick overnight, I cringed at the liklihood of it not being the last we saw of that breakfast.


Epilogue: Everyone is okay. Only queezy stomachs remain.

A matter of perspective

The other day we reached a marker that indicated we were 160 kilometers (100 miles) from Santiago. At that point walking our last 160 kilometers seemed like a piece of cake, which is strange because if you were to ask me to walk, much less drive, 100 miles, I would grumble. The truth is I don´t even like walking much, I prefer taking my bike places. But now, after having trekked some 400 miles, suddenly walking another 100 miles more seems like nothing. I guess it is just is a matter of perspective.

Check out ¨where we are¨

On the right of the blog,directly under the contributors list, is a links menu that contains a new feature Mike (a.k.a. Annie´s husband) created. It will take you to a pop up window that shows where the group is on a map of the Camino. If you then click on the shell, it will take you to an external site with details and photos of the town we are scheduled to be in for that day.

Today´s link (Astorga) has a virtual tour of the town and all of the places Casey mentions in his last post on our rest day. This is a great way to see what the students are experiencing on a daily basis.

A very heartfelt thanks to Mike for putting this feature together. We hope it helps family members and friends back home visualize some of the remarkable experiences the team members are describing in their blogs.

Lazy days

My wife asked why I don´t blog more and all I could say is I´m busy. This, of course, is not a very good excuse. The truth is I do not enjoy blogging because it takes too much time and I´d much rather quickly write something down in my own diary than publish it online. So, dear reader, please be patient.

It seems like life has slowed down a lot the past few days. In order to keep with our schedule, we have been walking shorter days and staying in unexpected towns. This has meant walking only 15-20 km and having longer afternoons in each stop. To be perfectly honest, it couldn´t have happened at a better time. This mini-break has allowed many to rest tired feet, cure blisters and catch up on much needed sleep. While the stories might not be as exciting, these lazy days will be much appreciated when we enter the mountains and encounter longer and more challenging hikes.

Broken Window

I know this happened a while ago, but I have just decided to blog about it since it still pains my heart. It was a nice sunny afternoon one day in a small town and I was having my usual afternoon naps. But I woke up to my horror to find my camera screen broken and showing me streaks of black lines instead of my pictures. It took me a long time to come to terms with my new situation. It has no doubt dampened my spirits and made taking photos that much harder, but I have made up my mind to try. Thus folks, be prepared to see some new photos of mine posted online soon!

Fotos

Old folks in Leon.
Leon.
Perry and Chun. Painting in Hospital de Orbigo.
Last night with our Danish friends, Peter and Markus.

keep the comments coming

It seems like I can´t stop blogging these days. I just wanted to let those of you reading that we love to read the comments. They are a fun way to hear from our fans back home. So keep them coming. On a similar note, please understand that we can´t always get to a computer everyday, so if we are absent a day or two (or more), don´t worry, we haven´t forgotten about you all. Sometimes the lines for a computer are long, the computers are broken, or the albergues don´t have Internet.

A Look at the Bikers

Though we have opted to walk the Camino, many pilgrims chose to complete the journey on bicycle. I can honestly say that this is an honorable feat. Though you move at a faster pace, biking the Camino is much more intense physically than walking it. Personally, I know that my legs could not pedal up the rocky slopes without rolling back down again.

So, as these admirable, athletic souls pass me by on the Camino, and call out the friendly greeting ,¨Buen Camino!¨ why do I have a sudden urge to reply with the finger?

Now don´t get me wrong. I wouldn´t actually flip a fellow perigrino the bird. I politely reciprocate, ¨Hola, buen camino!¨ But nevertheless, the feeling is there, and the time has come to look at why. Sometimes you don´t hear a biker coming up from behind you. You realize they´re there when they either ring their little bell, or someone yells out, ¨Guys, bikers!¨. Once you know of their presence, you´re not sure which side they´re coming up on, so there´s a moment where you look back to try and figure out which way to scoot. By that time they´ve zipped passed you, missing you by an inch. They basically disturb the peace. And often they genuinely scare you. Then again, maybe we just have a twinge of jealousy that they are going to have their next cafe con leche much, much sooner than we are. Either way, it is interesting that the most prominent divide among pilgrims is not one of race, class, gender, or age, but one of bicycle or foot.

Hasta pronto.
Caryn

37 down, 380 to go

We made it, 37k, 380 to go. Today was one of our toughest days, but everybody made it in pretty good shape. I think we all added to our blister collection a bit and we will sleep a bit harder tonight, yet we can all go to bed feeling great about what we just accomplished today. I am amazed with everybody in the group and their ability to walk so far every day in such good spirits. Sometimes I worry that the idea to walk so far in such a short amount of time is crazy; then, I see 60 year-old French people who are able to keep up perfectly with us and sometimes arrive before us. Tomorrow we reach Leon, the city where we started with the first group we took. I find that reassuring somehow. I feel like it is downhill from there.

The Products of Spain

I´m telling you this in confidence. I´m going to make it big one day, you know. I´ll tell you how, but don´t go stealing my ideas. Alright. So there are some products here in España that we need in the States. I know there must be a way that I can make that happen and cash in. Our Danish friends, Peter and Markus told me that in Denmark they have a little store that sells American products, and it´s the only place they can get root beer. I told them how to make a float. In any case, I plan to do a little importing myself, and I´m going to start with these products: Principes. Perhaps someone has already blogged about these little edibles from heaven, and if so, I apologize for being repetative. Principes are circular sandwich cookies composed of two light, crispy, buttery slabs of goodness filled with chocolate creamy creaminess. No American elven could make these puppies in some silly tree! They come in a roll wrapped in blue plastic, with a picture of a little cartoon prince on it. They cost a Euro or less and are a simply fabulous snack after 20 K or so. But then again, just about anything is simply fabulous after 20 K, so that is a bad example. But trust me, they´re the best! KAS. The slogan is, ¨Bebe KAS y nada mas¨. That is, ¨Drink KAS and nothing else¨. Oh KAS, why would I bebe any beverage that is not your fizzy fizziness of refreshment? KAS is a fruity soda in Naranja (orange) or Limon (figure it out). I prefer limon, personally. It´s like lemonade with the perfect proportion of carbonation. Delicious! Maxibon. A product of Nestle. Half ice cream bar, half ice cream sandwich. You hold on to the sandwich part and eat the bar part first. Hello, America! Where is Maxibon? Hasta Luego. Caryn (future business woman)

time to blog

Recently I was asked by one of our readers why I don´t post. The answer is pretty simple: time. A typical day for us starts at 5.30am. Most of you reading probably can´t remember the last time your kid got up that early. Here on the Camino we do it most every day. Today we were lucky and got to sleep until 6.30. This is to keep us from walking in the heat. Right now we are in the middle of one of the hottest parts of Spain, so finishing before 1.00 is our goal. When we arrive, some of us take a small nap and wash clothes before lunch at 2.00. Sometimes lunch can be a two-hour affair. We need to organize a couple of people to go to the grocery store and prepare food for 13 people. After lunch another nap is usually an order. Right now our bodies are not worn out from any one day of walking, but rather an accumulation of days--something that we have been warning the students from the beginning. After a nap, we check out the towns we are in, which often involves a visit to the local medieval monastery or church.
If Andy and I didn´t work on some of the logistics earlier in the day, it gets done in the afternoon usually when students are still asleep. In general, we have to work through two types of planning: expected and unexpected. We review the route we are going to walk, what we are going to eat and where we are going to stay for the next day. Sometimes that includes a few phone calls to reserve albergues if possible. Then there are the unexpected logistics, which might include any of the following: getting a sick student to a clinic, finding alternative lodging if an albergue is no longer open or likely to be full,and making sure all the students are doing ok in terms of cultural adaptation. Some days the planning takes thirty minutes, most days it takes an hour or two, on bad days it has taken up to four hours. Sometimes we do tag-team work: one person works on one thing, while the other works on something else. We´ve become a very efficient team.
By the time that gets done, it is usually dinner time. We tend to eat at around 8.00, but have eaten as late as 9.00, due to the limited space in the albergues--there isn´t room for everybody to eat at the same time. After dinner most of us head to bed. Some of us spend some time on our feet making sure that our blisters are properly cared for. By 10.00pm most of us are asleep.
Today, being such a short day has been a luxury. Today I found a bit of time to blog and shoot off some emails. Yet it is already 7.00 in the evening and I still need to get to the pharmacy before dinner time, get my clothes off the line,try to call my mom (it´s her birthday today) and do some journaling. In what seems to be such a bucholic life out here in in the Spanish countryside, days seem to fly by.

Pictures

These are some pictures that I have taken along the way, hope they add some visual to your imaginations. And the first picture is taken on Kate´s birthday, proving that we did not forget to hold a celebrations for her!

Songs and MORE songs

It is a long walk from Estella to Longrono. But I did not fear the long and arduous journey because I knew there was a group of highly talented singers with me to lighten the trip. The main singers, Casey and Kate, Oh their wonderful duets on Les Mes. While the rest of the ¨singers¨ ( Alec, Allie and myself ) tries our best to contribute. Before we knew it, we were already at the gates of Longrono.

Pleasure to the Ears

The time was five fifty in the morning, when everybody was still sleeping from the previous night of partying. And in the albergue in a small town of Puente La Rena, pilgrims are already readying themselves for another day of walking. I am just one of them. But this morning was a little different. Just as Kate, Perry, Paul and myself approach the outskirts of the town planning to start our little journey, we came across a group of choir preparing to sing. It was of pure coincidence that we met them, but it was a blessing anyways. Their voices were beautiful and the song clear. I was awakened and freshened. It was a good walk.

The Minister´s Cat

The other day we played a word game while walking called ¨The Minister´s Cat¨. What this game entails is using a letter such as ¨a¨ and going around the group thinking up adjectives beginning with the letter to describe this cat. They do not, however, actually have to describe a cat. So. Let´s say it´s my turn. I go, ¨Acrobatic¨. Then Ryan´s like, ¨Ample¨. Casey goes, ¨Agile¨. Kate: Ailing. Ti: Acidic. Chun Yi: Afluent. Etc, etc. This entertained us for about an hour (not bad, right?), though we exhausted the game before reaching ¨b¨.

Taking It Home for the Team

So back in Madrid we were at a bar watching a soccer game. Someone hadn´t finished their beer, and Casey mentioned to them, in a coach-like manner, that they should ¨take it home for the team¨. Later on, the next day perhaps, we were eating lots of meaty goodness at the Museo Del Jamon. I couldn´t finish my sandwich, and so Casey says, ¨Take it home.¨ I thought he meant for later, and so I said, ¨Yeah, okay.¨ and I put it down. ¨No,¨Casey said, ¨Take it home.¨ I think I was jamoned out at that point, and Allie took it home for me, but in any case the phrase stuck.

Soon we realized that ¨taking it home¨ applied to many aspects of our trip, and we have more or less adopted it as our team motto. For example: We´re on the trail, we´ve got 5.7 K left. What do we do? Take it home, of course. Breakfast? Take it home. Wine? Take it home. Mountain? Take it home, duh. I feel better if I think of the trip in mini-accomplishments this way, taking it home one day at a time.