Day 14: To Cardeñuela Riopoco

Today was a nice but challenging day. I started off about 8:00 this morning, left an apple from my pack for the horse, and then walked for about 6.5 hours (not counting lunch, visiting, etc. for a total of just over 30 kilometers or nearly 19 miles.) I really pushed a bit more than I have been, because I wanted to get close to Burgos so I will have time to explore the city tomorrow. I also splurged and actually booked a ‘real’ hotel for tomorrow night. The weather was nice today and one of my Camino family caught up with me, (Elena from Bulgaria) so we walked together for the first part of the day, then I walked with my Swedish friends Maria and Oso for the last part. As I’ve mentioned previously, I always tend to walk faster when I’m around others.
One thing I have been doing the past few days is carrying my entire backpack instead of getting a few pounds off my back by forwarding a daypack to the next destination. The majority of people don’t actually carry everything on their back that they need. Most just carry a day pack and there are services that will take your big pack to your next albergue for 6€. Since I prefer the feel of my ‘real backpack’, I’ve been sorta doing the reverse by carrying my backpack and forwarding a little daypack with dirty clothes, electronic cords etc. and saving a few pounds. It is nice getting rid of the extra pounds, but the downside is you must decide in advance where you are going to want to stop for the evening instead of letting your body decide. The reality is however, they say “we carry our fears” and one of my fears is that I will arrive in a village and there won’t be an available bed for me. So, I will probably continue to book a bed the evening before to know for sure. Tomorrow, Burgos.Read more