It has been some time since I posted but had difficulty logging in. It has been a hard few days. I walked another thirty miles and some with all day rain. This made the walk slippery. As it was, I turned my knee. The large hills made slow going. I passed many ancient farms and villages. Some centuries old. The smell was profusely heavy of animals and fermenting grass. Small streams passed between my legs. I met many pilgrims from all over the world. Some became close and saw you along the road here and there. I found the solitary walk through forests of blue eucalyptus trees to be comforting.
Along the way I entered a town called Melide. It had been my longest walking day yet. I felt my body give out and almost passed out three times. My success was reaching my room. The sleep came qui kly.
The next dat however the rain and wind remained a something flew in my eye. The pain increased so badly that I had to board a bus to Santiago which is a large town. The swelling increased to the point that I had to go by taxi to the hosputal. This was an adventure in itself. No Spanish from me and very little English from doctors. They were fast and kind. The object had wounded my cornia. The fixed me up and patched my eye. Now I faced walking this strange city with one eye for a few days. I survived but slowly. This place is so beautiful. The basilica is truly blessed. I went to the crypt of St. James and wheat atop the alter be hi d the statue of St. James where it is tradition to wrap your arms around his neck and rest your head on his.
This will bless me and give me an up lifting. I felt humbled.
It is time to find dinner. I will travel to the sea tomorrow. They call it the end of the earth on the coast of the dead. More later…