Leon and being unwell

On Saturday we reached the last main stop on the main part of the meseta, El Burgo Raniero. The town was great disappointment as the shops and bars overcharged us and the hostels weren´t very accommodating! Also at 12am we heard the loud sound of the local rave that would last until 7am! We headed out in the direction of Mansilla where we decided to catch a bus to avoid the tiresome stretch into Leon. Although some of you may say that that is technically cheating the great guide of the Camino, John Burley, says this is a good alternative to wading through the ugly, industrial outskirts of Leon.

On arrival in the city we noticed a massive difference compared with Burgos, and we could see the Leon mountains in the distance. The hostel, run by Benedictine nuns, was very accommodating but I began to feel a heavy growling in my stomach. After a cheese and tomato baguette the pain was beginning to get worse and although I did my best to take in the sights of the city, all i really wanted to do was get back to bed. After a quick tour of the cathedral, which was superb, I ran as fast as I could to the convent. I locked myself in the bathroom and then it began, 12 hours of sickness. Without going into the nitty gritty of it all it suffices to say that it was bad enough to make me consider flying home. Being sick is bad enough, but when you have to share 2 toilets with 80 men in one hot, smelly dormitory I was thinking of calling Ryanair!

The next morning I decided to take a rest day and checked into the more upmarket part of the convent. With my own bed and bathroom I could relax a lot more and I slept for 7 hours! At 6pm I finally got up and met Linda, Agne, Andreas (German spiritual guy!) and Anne Marie for dinner. Managed to keep down some penne pasta and a glass of coke so headed back to the hostel for another 8 hours sleep. It had dawned on me that since finishing work on the 22nd July I hadn´t had a single lie in, nor more than 7 hours sleep. My body was obviously telling me to stop.

Yesterday I left Leon to begin the final stage of the camino, from Leon to the mountains and into Galicia. After a day of rest I could feel my legs beginning to hurt as they had done at the start of my journey. Then my feet started to ache and my throat called for regular supplies of liquid. It was a tough day in the 38 degree heat, but myself and Linda eventually reached a fantastic medieval town called Hospital de Orbigo. It was a great place that welcomed pilgrims with open arms and glasses of cold water-superb! However, in the middle of the night my stomach began to growl again and back came the midnight toilet visits. I couldn´t work out whether this was a sign to stop everything and come back and finish the camino at a later date or just another small glitch in an otherwise enjoyable "pilgrimage".

I left this morning for the hills but only managed 21k before my bidy packed in. The heat and effects of an upset stomach meant I had to call it a day today and so I´m here relaxing in a new hostel at the foot of the mountains I have to climb tomorrow. Linda decided to press on and so I´m now a solitary pilgrim once more. I hope to make it to the peak tomorrow morning without needing to call 112 (emergency services). Any advice or words of support will be appreciated over the next few days!

Love and peace to all!