Hospital de Orbigo to Astorga

Today we left earlier as it was to be hotter! And it was--- somewhere up to 25 plus.

Once again we took the scenic route and were rewarded with what I had at one time thought the Camino would be like, dirt paths through farm land and farm yards , through rolling hills, with the sun beating on our backs.  We have met peregrines from New Zealand, US, UK, Germany, South  Africa, Czech Republic and of course Canada. we seem to be well represented.   The demographics is interesting.  The relatively young and then our age.   No doubt the middle group has neither the time nor the extra money to travel.  Also I notice more women than men.  Lots of hills to go up and then down and  then up again.  I had planned to do more mileage this week but found out we are to climb over a mountain range to 1505 m and have actually reduced mileage! With all the planning I did I somehow lost or forgot the reservation for Astorga.  So being exhausted as we climbed up the streets to the old city I grabbed the first hotel along the route.  turns out Astorga is famous for its chocolate and it's sweets, both of which we are trying to avoid.  I have lost three inches of the eight I need to lose, after this climb over the mountain maybe I can be down four!

Third Day:

Villar de Mazarife to Hospital de Orbigo

Kathy and I spent the evening taking to two interesting ladies from New Zealand. We went to bed late and as a result we rose up late and were the last to leave the Alberque. This was our first experience with these establishments. I had managed to get a private room but still had to share a washroom with  
the entire crew. We can see how stopping in this hostels lets you meet other peregrinos but other than that we can leave them. We have discovered that you do not have use hotels either are nice private Alberques and Pasadas.  Hospital is noted for the longest medieval bridges in Spain, dating to the 13th century and built on Roman foundations.  It was here that we met the Brazilian peregrino who was continuing on to Astorga. Walking the 53 km in one day what it has taken us to do in four.  it was here that I discovered I had not booked anything in Astorga, or if I had I could not remember at which hotel.

Second Day

La Virgen del Camino to Villar de Mazarife:

 Our first day of 15 km.  Constantly  being passed by other pilgrims. I thought I was going a good pace, but appearently not.  Kathy had wanted to line the bags since she had been checking the weather site. I said no, of course I was wrong , again. Some dark clouds , thunder and lightening and 7mm of rain.   The route is quite well marked, though we were misled a bit at Chozas  de Abajo as the yellow arrows led us to a bar.  Bye this time we were wet and took the time for a hot chocolate .  Arrived in the late afternoon and booked in at Tio Pepe's.  So far the only albergue we plan to stay at .   Have to share the bathrooms with a gaggle of pilgrims.  (Ok we're spoilt. )  I did manage to reserve a private room at 4 times the regular price. We hadn't eaten much all day and are waiting for places to open. They don't even think of supper unti 7.  Kathy will be starting her own Blog as she considers mine deficient.  We will continue to do the 15 km for the next couple of days untilAstorga, as I have reservations based on that figure but both think we can up the mileage next week. 

Camino:

We landed in Madrid Tuesday afternoon.  Since then we have been adjusting to the time difference and slowly making our way to Leon .

 Saturday was our first day on the trail as we made our way out of Leon towards Virgin del Camino. 

I had arranged to stop only 8 km out of town, as the next stop would have put us well over 20 km and I thought we should test the waters first.  I have discovered that I have packed too heavy. Kathy seems to have obtained the correct balance.  My camera was broken as I left for the airport in Calgary, and that was thrown into the garbage.  We have discovered that we only needed one day pack and I could cut down on the clothes, cutting I believe about 1/3 of the weight. Live and learn.

 The trail is marked in various ways by the sea shell symbol and Kathy took a picture of the above one which was moulded into the drainage tiles, as it happens in front of our Hotel, 

We continue to work out how to put photos on the Blog.  Having taken 2 hours to put the above one on we now have to go back and try and remember how we did it!

Our stove customers and my school in the Jungle

 A house in the mountains.

 A happy owner of a better stove.

The Spanish language school in San Pedro la laguna.

Guatemala Hearts and Hands first trip

Our Team

Travel Tips

Mars: No, the Gobi

Tip: Take water and while your at it, tires.    This was a daily scene.

Travel Tips

I believe this to be one of the Gobi Pit Vipers.    It pays to check around first before squatting to relieve oneself.   Could be a real bummer.  Although we have various types of  snakes in Canada its very seldom you actually see one.  Here they are a daily sight.

Travel tips

Do explore the capital Ulaanbaatar, but be careful during the night as the streets and sidewalks sometimes disappear, there are no street lights and the manhole covers are off all the sewers, we assume they have been stolen for scrap metal.

Camping

The country is vast, but fascinating.    The fauna and flora is quite abundant, although you wouldn't think so by the  landscape.  The raptor population is diverse and plentiful. We used a local tour operator,  Bolod Tours. 

http://www.bolodtours.com/

Flag

I thought the expedition should have a flag, so I created a flag consisting of the flags of all four countries involved.  There was a minor hitch when one of the Australians would only  explore under the Republican Eureka flag.  However it did lead me to learn all about one of the first labour rebellions in Australia and strangely enough its Canadian connections.  Here is Kathy with our expeditions flag.  

Exploring the uninhabitable

Mongolia

Kathy and I still have fond memories of our trip to Mongolia.  We had been camping near the Nanaimo River Estuary, doing a preliminary study on the area, to determine its suitability for one of Kathy's projects for which we would eventually return some summers later.  However Dave and Yvonne Theriault, old friends from Squamish days, now of Australia, happened by to spend a rainy afternoon with us at the campsite.  David asked why don't we all spend next summer in Mongolia?  Why not.   The crew consisted of four couples, two French couples who were friends of Dave and two local drivers, a cook and her young daughter.