Day 21

Day 21 - Detour to Pozo de San Indalecio and back to Villafranca de Montes de Oca - 4.6 km

I'm a very indecisive person. If I can pass off decisions onto others, or the winds and the waves, I will gladly do so.

This morning I was trying to decide what to do today. Head west to San Juan de Ortega and beyond. Or detour to the church, bridge, fountain, river, gorge, and reservoir. With the option of making the trek to San Juan in the afternoon.

Randy refused to make the decision for me, saying he was game to hang out with me whatever I decided. So I said, "If the albergue will let us leave our backpacks here for the morning, we will detour. If they won't, we will follow the Camino."

I asked the hospitelaro if we could "dejar las mochilas" and she said we could pick them back up at one. Which is how we ended up hiking the most beautiful off beaten path, climbing a dam to see the beautiful reservoir, and bouldering our way up the rock face to a cave. That we would probably still be in had we had our flashlights.

Weeks ago we exchanged stories about the fun times we have had spelunking with our brothers. Meandering for hours. Getting lost. Worrying our parents. Elbow crawls, underwater dives, narrow passageways. Memories to last a lifetime.

So when Randy suggested we take our fresh fruit snack up the mountain to the cave we could see off in the distance I naturally said yes.

And for perhaps the first time in three weeks I didn't feel like a pilgrim. I didn't have a backpack. An agenda. Or kilometers to tick off. I was simply an adventurous soul exploring the great outdoors with a friend. Trying not to fall off a mountain.

I needed this "rest day." A change in the daily pace. Time. Counting. And came back to town feeling refreshed.

A very wet snow was beginning to fall. My stomach began to think about tortillas and bocadillas and donuts. (They have the best donuts in Spain!!) And rumor has it there isn't a hot shower for at least 16 kilometers.

So I decided to stay in town rather than walk the 12 kilometers to San Juan. To stay in the "exclusive" (only) hotel in town, take a hot shower, put in several hours of work, and look forward to walking in the snow, refreshed, tomorrow.