Day 16 – Hola Guapa!

Day 16 – Hontanas to Boadilla del Camino, 30kms, 9.5 hours.

Today was amazing! It was tough, it was hot, it was cold, there was no shade the entire day, it was brown, there were ruins, different style towns, churches, sunflowers for miles, wheat fields for miles.

As usual we werent in any rush to head off. ‘The camino provides’ is our slogan. We arent booking anything, we dont even know where we are heading each day, nor do we know why we are even walking 890kms across spain. The others study the guide books religiously at night, planning their next day diligently, planning their stops, their food, and pre booking beds. But thats not me. I may have done planning for a job but that certainly doesnt translate to my life. Spontaneity is good. What if we meet someone who wants to show us somewhere good, what if we find some town thats worth checking out for a while. We found a wide brimmed hat before breakfast, ill take that thank you – ‘the camino provides’!

And so we set off. The 730-830am hour is such a nice time to walk, there was a frost, it was bitterly cold but the soft glow of the sun on the fields and blue skies, you cant help but smile and count yourself lucky youre here.

I loved everything about today. The people we met, the villages we walked through. Even the 1km uphill was enjoyable! The view back over where we’ve walked makes it so rewarding! We then turn to where we have to walk and it is just flat as far as the eye can see.

At the top of that hill. Jess and i were having a bit of a photo shoot when all of a sudden we hear before seeing, this girl, huffing and puffing like she is about to die. Its this asian girl decked out in clothes appropriate for the snow not the desert!. It was all too much for her. So we tell her to take off her jacket but she just wouldnt! Ah well we tried.

We continue and then come to the end of the ridge, the view ahead was unbelievable. I just stood their amazed for a good 5 minutes. We had so far to walk but the browns and gold, the white dirt path ahead of us trailing off into the distance. The wondering of whats beyond the horizon just got me so excited!

We walked alone for this part, both listening to music, in our own worlds. Jessica in a dark place, me in a happy place. Bjorn later telling us he hated every minute of that day. Its interestng how different everyones thoughts are about the same landscape and parts of the walk.

As we were walking we see 2 quad bikes coming towards us. Jess and i were like lets flag em down! We yelled ‘heeeeyyy!!’ As they came screaming towards us. To which we got ‘hola Guapa!’ In return and off they road into the distance. Damn.

Im not going to lie, we still had another 10kms to go and it was 1pm, and we were 1 km away from a town where we could stop for lunch. Id had enough. When this excitable middle aged american man comes power walking up to us ‘ARE YOU GIRLS EXCITED??!!!’ . I gave him a death stare and just went super sarcastically ‘OH YEAH WE’RE EXCITED!!’ Then off he marched. Was that a pick me up, im not sure, did that make me more certain than ever that hearing the sound of the quad bikes coming towards us in the distance, i was getting on no matter what! And sure enough our 2 quad bike guys appear and slow down and signal to jump on. Well again my spanish lets me down so i dont know what they said but i was already on the back of it before he had come to a stop. And so jess and i then hoon down the road on the backs of quad bikes, to other pilgrims yelling ‘ayyyyy thats cheating!’. Whatever. There are no rules on the camino. Im going with, whatever gets you through you do and as long as there is a local involved its all good.

So we get taken to the next town and stop for lunch and buy Daniel and Sergio a drink and give them a billion hugs and kisses. Muchas gracias!

They then leave, our new american friend, calls us crazy aussies and jess and i sit having the best ham n cheese boccadillo and beer in the sun for a good hour.

After recharging and the boys having lifted our spirits, we set off for the last 8kms. The hours fly by when youre chatting or both cursing your feet together!

Bjorn out of nowhere appears so we walk into Boadolla del Camino with him and try find and Albergue to stay at. Boadilla town is dead, like a ghost town there was nothing open the entire time we were there and i only saw one man in a wheelchair. (Hes lucky to still have his wheelchair…)

I was reunited with green pants french man at the albergue so had dinner with him. There was a man from quebec there so he acted as an interpreter for us. Michel is a retired financier from Bordeaux.

I was so tired after dinner (the unlimited wine helps) that i headed up to our room to sleep. Yeah right. Jess and i have come to the conclusion we just attract the crazies! Or that maybe because we always seem to be happy that people play up.

In our room is 2 spanish man-children. Tony and Luis. Id say mid 40’s, work for mercedes. Holy moly. What an hour before bed. Looking back now i cant even comprehend what went on. At one point luis is flicking tony with his wet toothbrush. Tonys yelling at Luis. Theyre yelling at us. They sung they danced, we had a near pillow fight. It was just one laugh after another until all of us got into our sleeping bags, and realised no one turned the light off. So we had a spanenglish conversation on whos getting up! Luis drew the short straw. But not before hitting me in the dark as payback. Just another night in an Albergue.

No clue what is going on

Blister advice

Tony and Luis

R x