Day 9
The trek out of Leon was a long one, mostly up hill and industrial, and with all the touring of the town then night before, my hips and knees were screaming at me.
I also ran into a lot of partiers on the way out of town, folks walking home after the 6am close of the fiesta… I’ve noticed, in both big cities and small, that the parties here go loud and late, or long rather.
After making it past the industrial district, I found a dinky little down called Fesno del Camino, which was more like wood lake or prunedale del camino.
I ran into Hele and Guillerme there, who stated they both have plans to backpack across South America after they finish the camino and take a twin month break at home.
I finally arrived in Villar de Mazarife where I had planned on staying at Casa Jesus, a municipal albergue were folks can draw/write their experience with Christ on the walls of the albergue. While I planned to do so, was tempted by the green front lawn, wifi, spacious bunkhouse, and fridge full of Coca-Cola Zero at the first albergue entering town, St. Anthony de Padua.
I checked in and then took the longest nap ever, waking up only for te communal pilgrim dinner and then heading right to bed thereafter.
At dinner, I met a gentleman from Taiwan, who had heard about the Way from three different movies, two of which were the Way, with Martin Sheen, and then a movie based on Paul Coelho’s book.
At the table also were three gents from Belgium, doing the camino by bicycle, having started in Belgium, and planning to finish within three weeks, over the course of their vacation.