Where's Peincess Mal???

Getting her feet rubbed in Santo Domingo...big day tomorrow

Day 8: "El Punto del Muerte"

3 am I awake with a sudden urge to use the bathroom. I coax myself out
of my warm sleeping bag and quietly tip toe down a row of bunkbeds
with sleeping pilgrims. I arrive at the door of the bedroom in order
to make it to the bathroom down the cooridor and I find the bedroom
door stuck. I quietly and gently try to ease the door open...nothing.
I push a little harder...nothing. I begin to put all my body weight
against the door...nothing. With no other solutions, I wake chris up
to see if his strength or engineering skills could open the
door...nothing. Now, both of us urgently having to use the bathroom
are locked inside the bedroom with no way out.
We sit back on our designated beds facing each other and contemplate
using the street via the 3rd floor window. Finally, we heard a pilgrim
staggering towards the door for the same purpose. Chris and I quietly
observe a large hairy Spanish pilgrim (in his tidy whities) juggling
the doorknob hoping he has more success than we did...nothing. Next
thing I know, Chris and the Spaniard (Inagi) are standing at the door
in their skivies urgently trying to solve this rubix cube...nothing.
Everyone, with a full tank of gas, returns to bed. As I miserably lay
awake, I wait for the next midnight rider with mudbutt to approach the
door. I watched 4 different pilgrims fail at every attempt to relive
themselves.
Finally, 2 1/2 hours later, the original large Spaniard (Inaki) is no
longer concerned with waking the sleeping pilgrims but for his own
life. He was at, and I quote, "el punto de muerte". A Dutch woman who
had learned the secret of the door the day before (and the only
pilgrim that didn't have to use the bathroom at the wee hours of the
morning) hears the ruckus and thinks something is horribly wrong. She
jumps up and with the nudge of her pinky finger opens the door.
All 7 pilgrims, whose blatters are moments from bursting, run to the
bathroom only to find there is no toilet paper (which was obviously
not important to those who went before me).

If you look closely at this picture, you will notice I am the only
girl (excluding the famous Dutch woman to my left). There are many
things I can do without...toilet paper is not one of them. By the time
I was finally able to use the bathroom it was time for everyone to
wake up and I had to walk 30 km on 4 hours of sleep.
Day 8 is a memorable one.

Day 6: Chasing the Horizon

We walked through the same field for 6 hours today. When we finally
stumbled into a town for lunch, the restaurant had a choice of water
or wine with the menu of the day...no brainer.

Best Vending Machines Ever

Water is not an option here

100 KM!!!!

We celebrated our first 100 kilometers with a delicious BBQ pizza with
mozzarella, veal, and bacon in a little town called Villatuerta.

Reeeally Windy Today!!!

Day 5

Had a Dutch nurse give us a foot clinic last night so we don't feel
too bad...yet. Walking through a bunch of vinyards and over an old
Roman bridge or two.

Puente la Reina

Famous for it's medieval stone bridge we had to check it out. But my
feet and knees hurt so much I can barely stumble over and prop myself
up on this ledge...back to the bar to deal with the pain.

Day 4: Getting Dressed

Now that we're getting the hang of things it takes us approximately 1
hour to get ready every morning. Here's the process:
1) Share one toilet and one sink with 15-30 other ethnic pilgrims.
2) Roll up sleeping bag and cram into stuff-sack.
3) Pop/drain blisters, dress wounds, tape feet, use hair ties as knee
braces, and pray nothing gets worse.
4) Put on same 3 layers of stinky wool we wore yesterday.
5) Tie up boots and buckle our 40 lb pack
6) Walk for 9 hours

Day 3: Pamplona

After a leisurely 15 km hike we find ourselves in the home of the
famous running of the bulls. We decided to spring for a hotel since
our pilgrim hostel last night didn't have a heater or hot
water...needless to say we felt it this morning.

Day 2: Snow Day

I'm hiking with Hollow Man/Edward Scissor Hands/Princess Mal.. After
getting used and abused yesterday we feel surprisingly re-
energized...despite the blizzard. Live long and prosper.

Day 1 in the books...

26 km and 8 hrs of walking over a snowy mountain...my back hurts, my
feet are on fire, and my legs are noodles - but we made it to the bar
in Roncevalles.

Almost to the top of the mountain...

Bienvenido a Espana

Borderhoppin' with a combined 80 lbs of contraband...

Official Pilgrims

We have registered and received our pilgrim credentials. Tonight we
test out our sleeping bags for the first time and tomorrow begings El
Camino.

9Hotel in Paris

Early breakfast in the cellar of our hotel in Paris before our 5 hour
train ride to Bayonne and 1 1/2 hour bus ride to St Jean Pied de Port.

Jet Lag Sets In

24 Hours in Paris

Chris and I warm up for our hike by walking across Paris. We saw the
Louvre, the Grand Opera House, the Eiffel Tower and ate some delicious
fromage baguettes.

Ash Wednesday @ DFW

This year for lent we're giving up our beds, cars, heat, and hygene. I
love walking through first class and seeing all the luxuries we won't
be getting. They're closing the curtain - In 10 hours we'll be in
Paris...bon voyage