El Camino de Santiago - 213kms walked, 600 to go

It´s hard to believe, but we are more than one quarter of the way to completing El Camino de Santiago (St. James' Way in English). After 10 days of walking and 2 days of resting in Pamplona, we have walked 213kms from St. Jean Pied de Port in France, to our current location in Santo Domingo de la Calzada. The first 3 days were definitely the most challenging, up and over the Pyrenees in rain and wind. With sore feet, and my knee and right hip complaining, we decided to take 2 rest days in Pamplona, after just 3 days of walking. Our bodies definitely liked this break, and the past 7 days from Pamplona to Santo Domingo de la Calzada have been great - we have adjusted well to the routine, our packs feel good (especially after posting 3.5 kgs ahead to be waiting for us in Santiago), and now we just have to take good care of our blistered and bruised feet.

It´s a pretty amazing feeling to be walking on the route (if not the exact path) that millions of pilgrims over the past 1000+ years have traversed in order to reach Santiago de Compostela, where the remains of St. James are reputedly buried. Even now, about 26,000 pilgrims each year walk the 800km route from St. Jean Pied de Port in France to Santiago, and over 100,000 pilgrims annually walk the last 100kms to Santiago, which according to tradition qualifies them for half their time off purgatory. The route also sees many bicyclists, who we watch with envy on the flats and downhill stretches (they have to cycle 200kms for the purgatory discount). The Camino is well marked by yellow arrows painted on rocks, signposts, farmers' fences and any other stationery object along the way, as well as badges of a yellow scallop. The scallop shell (which many pilgrims also have tied to their packs) has several different meanings - some say it is a pagan fertility symbol, others that it is a symbol that the pilgrim has successfully reached the ocean.

The routine of the day is quite similar to trekking in Nepal - lights come on at about 6:00, we race for the bathroom, dress and pack, and scarf down some bread, yoghurt and fruit. We then join the other pilgrims in our routines of bandaging our feet with plasters, bandages and duct tape (the best thing we´ve found to prevent and protect blisters). We set out around 7:00. Each day we walk 20 to 24 kms through varied terrain - some on roads, much on trails and on the farmers' roads through vineyards and huge fields of wheat, barley and oats. There are also splashes of brilliant red - fields of poppies like we have never seen before. We pass through the little villages, most of which seem deserted, pause to see the monuments and crosses along the way, and usually stop for some packed lunch of baguette and cheese at about 11:00. We usually arrive at our next destination between 1:00 and 2:00, which co-oincides with the long afternoon siesta. With no shops open until at least 5:00, we check in to the albergue (guesthouse) for a shower and nap until shops are open at 5:00 and restaurants start serving dinner at 7:00. We then join the other pilgrims at restaurants that offer special 3 course meals for the walkers, complete with all the bread and wine we can consume. To bed by 9:00 and lights off at 9:30. The albergues along the way are generally huge dormitories with bunk beds and communal showers and toilets. Accommodation is around $7.50 per person, or sometimes by donation. We are very happy that we have good earplugs to block out the snorers!

There are many interesting traditions and sights along the way. At the albergues, and sometimes at churches and tourist offices we collect stamps in our "Credencial" or Pilgrim´s Passport - proof of where we have been and how far we have walked. We will need to present this in Santiago in order to receive our Compostello and time off purgatory (which by the way we are thinking of selling to the highest bidder!) Just outside of Estella, at the Bodega de Irache (Winery), we sampled some of the local wine that is dispensed free of charge from a fountain. Every town has at its centre a massive cathedral - often the altars are guilded in tonnes of gold. Our favourite cathedral so far has been the one in Santo Domingo de la Calzada, where for over 700 years, a white hen and cock have lived in a chicken coop inside the church. The chickens are donated by locals and are changed monthly. Tradition says that in approximately 1300 AD a married couple and their 18-year old son Hugonell arrived in Santo Domingo on their way to Santiago. The girl at the inn where they stayed fell in love with Hugonell, but when he refused her affections she planted a silver goblet in his luggage and told the local Magistrate. For this crime of robbery the innocent Hugonell was hanged. When his parents found out about their son´s demise they went to see him and heard his voice telling them that the patron Santo Domingo had saved his live. The parents went straight to the house of the Magistrate and told him of the miracle. Incredulous, the Magistrate replied that their son was about as alive as the roast cock and hen that he was about to eat. At that moment the cock and hen leaped from the plate and began to crow. Since then the city is famous for the lines "Santo Domingo de la Calzada - where the hen crows after being roasted."

The local response to the walkers has been very warm. Occasionally, horns are tooted in encouragement, and people wave and shout "Buen Camino" to us along the way. Just outside of Logrono, an older man cycled past handing out handfuls of walnuts and hazelnuts to all the pilgrims he saw along the way. We are a bit surprised however that there are very few facilities along the way and every day we join the many pilgrims who dash off the path into the vineyards or behind a bush.

Surprising to us, we are amongst the youngest people on the walk. The vast majority are seniors - retirees who have been planning for a long time to do the walk. Everyone has a unique story about how and why they are doing the walk. Most of the walkers are from Spain, France, and Germany, with a few Brazillians, Americans and Aussies thrown in as well. I think I am the only Canadian who is not from Quebec, and Edwin is the only Kiwi we have met. In the dorms, it´s common to hear 4 or 5 different languages spoken. The common themes seem to be regarding blister treatments, sharing bottles of wine, and cries of "Buen Camino". Some pilgrims walk faster than us, some slower, but as the days pass, we see the same core group of people each evening in town. One of our favourite pilgrims (although we have to communicate in broken French and Spanish with him) is a 75 year old Frenchman named Girhaud who did a portion of the Camino last year with his family, and has returned this year to do the entire route "before he dies". At the pace he keeps, we are sure he has many more years ahead of him.

Location: Santo Domingo de la Calzada, Spain

Friends and Food - our vists in Europe

On May 4 we flew on Virgin Atlantic (very good service) from Delhi to London Heathrow. Making our way through London was like arriving in another world compared to our past couple of months in Nepal and India - things were clean, trains were on time, people didn't stare or even try to sell us anything. We made our way to our friends Nic and Maria's flat where we had a quick visit and met their five and a half month old daughter Amelie for the first time. Nic and Maria had kindly agreed to store our excess luggage so we could travel lightly through Europe. We snacked and drank a quick glass of wine before catching the last train to London Stanstead Airport. We joined many other travellers who were sleeping at the airport (tucked under check-in counters, and sleeping in front of the closed shops). We found a quiet spot behind the Avis Rent-a-Car counter, and spread our newly bought Indian sleeping bags on the floor to settle in for the night. We found it funny that the floor of the airport building was much cleaner than some of the beds we had slept in while in India.

We managed to catch a few hours sleep, and flew the next morning to Munich, where we were greeted at the airport by Matt, an Aussie who had introduced Edwin and me to each other in Kathmandu in 2003. Matt bicycled from Perth, Scotland to Perth, Australia and had cycled with Edwin for a couple of months from Nepal through to Laos. I had met Matt at a bank in Varanasi, India. Matt worked as an engineer at the Hague before joining his German girlfriend Babette in Munich. We went with Matt to watch his team play an Aussie rules football match, Munich versus Frankfurt. An injury prevented Matt from playing, but he was asked to referee, which looked hard enough to us - they never stop running! After the match it started to pour and we ran through the rain to a bier garten where Matt introduced us to Bavarian style food and drink. Bretzen (pretzels) with a delicious dip of soft cheese and onion, and the one litre stein of beer, locally called a mass. The next day we went to Andechs Monastery, just south of Munich for more delicious Bavarian food and beer. The view of the countryside was beautiful - rolling hills with church steeples towering over small villages - just like the photo on the chocolate box. On our final day in Munich, Edwin and I wandered around the centre, looking at the old architecture, visting the Englischer Garten, and of course eating more bretzen.

On May 8, we took the train from Munich to Volkermarkt, in the province of Corinthia, very near to the Slovenia border. In 1988, I had been a member of a choir from Powell River which toured Europe and was hosted by families while in Volkermarkt. My friend Lorill and I were lucky to be billeted with Gerd and Kathi Bosse, a lovely couple with whom we formed a wonderful lasting friendship. Over the years, the Bosses had visited us in Canada in 1991 and 1996, and Lorill returned to Austria to visit them in 1996 as well. At 85 years, Gerd looks and acts like he is maybe 55, and at 68, we had a hard time keeping up with Kathi on our walks. They were thrilled to meet Edwin after hearing so much about him through letters and photos. We spent 5 days with them, visiting the local sights, going for walks, and eating amazing meals together. We settled quite easily into the routine of porridge and heavy rye bread with cheeses and jams for breakfast, soup and schnitzel and potatoes and veggies for lunch, cake and tea in the late afternoon, and more bread with cheeses in the evening, followed by ice cream and liqueurs. All the time we kept saying, "we'll be walking El Camino in a week".

Another scenic train ride put us in Vienna yesterday, and we've enjoyed strolling down the Mariahilfer Strasse, looking at the beautiful buildings, sidewalk cafes, and dozens of museums. Tonight we fly to Biarritz via Frankfurt, and we will begin the 800 km El Camino de Santiago in the next few days.

Location: Vienna, Austria

India the Cool - McLeod Ganj to Shimla

After 2 weeks of 40+ degree weather, we were more than ready to escape to the hills, and on May 18, we left the Punjab for the state of Himachal Pradesh, in the Himalayas. The role of guide switched, as Edwin had ridden his bicycle through Himachal Pradesh four years ago, while I never made it to this northern state.

Our first stop was the lovely town of McLeod Ganj, situated at 1700m, and 10 kms north of its more famously named neighbour Dharamshala. It seemed many foreigners had the same idea as us - seeking refuge in the cool mountains - there were many other travellers relaxing in town - some studying yoga, meditation, Buddhism, or Tibetan cooking. Although a very touristy place, we enjoyed the chilled out feeling of the town where the Dalai Lama and his Tibetan Government have lived in exile since 1959. There are many Tibetan refugees here, and the town has often been called "little Lhasa". Many monks live and study in the monasteries that dot the hillside, and one night we went to a cafe to listen to two Buddhist nuns tell their stories of torture and imprisonment by the Chinese during the 1990s. It's in McLeod Ganj that the "free Tibet" movement is perhaps its strongest, and it felt a bit strange to us that it was here, in India, and not in Tibet that we saw the Tibetan flag flying for the first time, and photos of the Dalai Lama - both are forbidden in Tibet. It also felt a big strange that the monasteries and temples here are quite new, having mostly been built since the Dalai Lama's arrival fifty years ago.

We spent five nights in McLeod Ganj reading, going for walks in the hills, visiting the monasteries and Tibetan museum, watching pirated movies, and sampling as many lemon-sugar pancakes and chocolate brownies as we could find. At the Dip Tse-Chok Ling Monastery we were blown away by fantastic sculptures made of butter. We also marvelled at the feeling of wearing our fleeces in the evenings and not sleeping under a fan for the first time in over two weeks.

We left McLeod Ganj on a night bus bound for Manali, which was only 252kms, but 10 hours away on a very windy, very bumpy road. We had paid a premium for a "deluxe" bus, but were only a little surprised when a 12 passenger van pulled up (this is India, after all!) We were very glad that we each took a motion sickness pill, as at least 3 passengers were sick out the front window. The driver drove like a maniac, and we arrived in Manali at 5:00 in the morning. We then hopped in an autorickshaw for an even smaller village, Vashisht, about 3 kms up the Kullu Valley. We stayed at a family guesthouse where Edwin had stayed 4 years ago, and the owner was thrilled that he had returned to stay a second time. Customer loyalty brought Edwin back to the guesthouse and it was our stomachs that kept us returning to Raju's rooftop restaurant next door at New Dharma Guesthouse where the food was "cheap and best" and his company was also outstanding. Things were very shanti (relaxed) in Vashisht and we spent our time sitting on our balcony enjoying the gorgeous view up the valley to the snow capped Himalayas. Apple orchards lined both sides of the Beas River, and on our most energetic day we went for a little walk through the pine forests to a small Hindu temple set just below a beautiful waterfall. At 2200m, Vashisht was very cool, to the point where I had to dig out a pair of socks to wear in the evening - yeah!

After four nights in Vashisht, we boarded our final Indian bus, bound for Shimla, the capital of Himachel Pradesh, and the former summer capital of India during the time of the British Raj. Close to Delhi and the Punjabi border, Shimla is a haven for Indian honeymooners and holidaymakers, and also home to troops of macaque monkeys. The main Mall is pedestrianized, lined with shops selling clothing, toys, balloons and ice creams to the Indian tourists and their children. Every day we would be sure to visit City Point cake shop (delicious chocolate walnut cake) and also the fruit market. The fruit vendor would wrap our bananas and mangoes in newspaper and we would hug these packages close to our chests to keep them safe from the macaques who strolled the streets looking for any opportunity to snatch a free snack. A family of macaques lived near to our hotel and we fed them from behind the safety of the bars on our hotel room windows (who's in the zoo now?)

For our return trip to Delhi, we boarded the Himalayan Queen rail from Shimla to Kalka which was a beautiful journey that wound through the rhododendrun forested mountains, passed through over 100 tunnels, and after 5.5 hours delivered us from 2200m back to the heat of 300m in altitude. We then boarded our second (air conditioned - yeah) train which took us back to New Delhi and the familiar surroundings of the touristy area called Paharganj.

Our last two days here have been filled with haircuts, laundry, internet and a little shopping in preparation for the last leg of our year-long journey - Europe. Tomorrow (May 4) we will fly to London and the next day we will fly to Munich. We are looking forward to visiting with Matt, our Aussie cupid who introduced Edwin and I over four years ago in Kathmandu, and his girlfriend Babette.

Location: New Delhi, India

More India-isms

Here are a few more India-isms that we thought were quite funny:

* When you check into a hotel, you should ask whether there will be power cuts or water cuts - there is almost always one or the other.
* Shops have dozens of strips of single serve shampoo, paan, and ketchup hanging from the ceiling. We heard a statistic that 60% of all shampoo in India is sold in single serve packets.
* Shopkeepers have a habit of talking over you, very loudly, not really listening if you have a complaint. Nepalis call Indians "the loud people". Their favourite saying is "no problem" or "as you like". They say it to any concern, issue, complaint you raise, but they don't really listen to what you're saying.
* In the state of Himachal Pradesh, the roads are so windy and bumpy that when you depart the bus, at least one side is guaranteed to be streaked with vomit.
* Indians are thrilled when they find out that you have returned to their place of business a second time (in our cases, after 4 years). Loyalty like this means the world to them.
* Indians are very surprised that two people from different countries can be married.
* School children often approach us and want to shake our hands (mine especially). Some families have asked us to pose for photos with them.
* Bollywood actors and cricket players seem to be present in almost all advertising.
* The use of English can be quite funny - a common expression painted on shops, hotels or restaurants is "cheap and best". You can buy "lite water"and "child beer".
* Touts will follow you from the train or bus station to a hotel that you have already chosen, and then try to tell the owner that they have brought you, in order to collect commission.
* One place where you can be confident you will NOT be cheated is on the trains. Tea, coffee, drinks, newspapers are all fixed price and the wallahs (salesmen) do not try to charge tourists a different price.
* At shops, it is very common for the shopkeeper to start serving you, then tell you to wait, serve a couple other people, and then come back to finish with you while you stand there.
* If you can distract a street kid from begging, they are really fun and love to joke around. We have one little friend in New Delhi who calls us Taxi (Edwin) and Ricksaw (me) and we call him Chapatti. This comes from the habit of touts appealing for business with cries of "Hello rickshaw, hello taxi". This hungry little boy called to us "Hello chapatti".

Location: New Delhi, India