9 Jun 2009
To Walk in the Rain, or Not to Walk in the Rain
Rainy day on the Camino (with sheep).
I’ve logged plenty of wet miles in England, and the weather here in Portugal the last two days has resembled the Lake District. On Monday Judy and I hitched a ride with our bags past what was reported to be a difficult river crossing when the water is high – which it was. Then we climbed up through beautiful pine forests over a high pass into the valley of the river Couro.
It rained on us most of the way. Here’s the problem with Gore-Tex: it keeps you dry from rain, but not from sweat. By the time we reached our hostel, I was sopping wet. Oh, well, maybe that also had something to do with the fact that I left my pit zips open – kind of like not closing the windows during a storm.
The other maddening thing about hiking in the rain is that once you put your hood up, peripheral vision is totally obscured. Luckily for us, most of our waymarks were painted on the rocks beneath our feet. And the granite rocks we were ascending on weren’t slippery when wet. The final mile or so was flat – on an old Roman road. Those Romans built a mighty long-lasting stone road, but oh, are they hard on the feet. It helps to reflect that people have been walking this path for centuries.
This was Judy’s first full rain-walking experience. She didn’t like it any more than I did. But when we saw more grey clouds this morning, and I thought about my very blistered feet, I decided to take a taxi to Tui. Judy – a brave and hardy woman – put on her rain gear and set out to walk the 14 miles no matter what.
I used to debate with myself whether it was right not to walk every mile of a trip, but no more. I just remember that this is vacation, and I’m supposed to mostly enjoy it. There is one consideration here on the Camino Portugues, however. You must walk at least 100 km to be eligible to receive a compostela (certificate of completion) in Santiago. I’ve already done over half of that, so I know I’ll make it.
Following you in spirit.
Pat
June 9th, 2009 at 10:20 ampermalink
Hey Judy,
Great seeing this account of your adventures (sounds as wet as it’s been here, but amazing)…yes, it was an All Souls reunion here at the corner store for Valerie’s show. good stuff, great fun, and now she’s off to Peru again. We’ve known them all these years through Roy’s brother, then better once they started being CS regulars…
Photos from V’s party on our website http://www.cornerstorearts.org (events page, then click on valerie gwinner)
Wishing you both DRYer traveling, and safe return.
kris
kris swanson
June 9th, 2009 at 9:25 pmpermalink
To paraphrase a spry octogenarian gal recently profiled somewhere, the question is not how will you survive the storm but how will you dance in the rain? I guess, for starters, with pits zipped!
Laura
June 10th, 2009 at 4:42 pmpermalink
It is most unfortunate that you’ve developed problems with your feet on the holy hike. When you described the injuries as two holes it brought on a shiver. Take care not to let your hands become similarly wounded or you’ll run the risk of becoming a tourist attraction. The pilgrim with the stigmata passed this way.
Michael Johnson
June 11th, 2009 at 8:51 pmpermalink