Day 20-21: The city of Leon and Eduardo

Day 21 already? It’s only felt like a couple of days since I’ve left the city of Burgos.

The City of Leon

Yesterday, day 20 was the big city of Leon. It was very beautiful, just like Burgos! There, I went to massive sporting goods store called “Decathlon”. I bought a portable gas stove, a tarp, and an air mattress! I can use those just in case I ever have to sleep outside again.

But before that, I went to a massive, 7-story shopping mall to see if I could find similar items because it was a lot closer. I didn’t find anything, but it was really nice to be back in a fancy, luxurious place with faces everywhere I look. There was even a cafeteria on the top floor with a view of the city! I didn’t go in, as it looked like it wasn’t allowed.

Interestingly enough, the albergue I chose to stay at was the same one that a Korean friend of mine had been staying at! I met him my first night on the Camino. He was there for the last 5 days. He had already done the Camino last year, so he decided to finish in Leon.

And of course, Leo was also present as well! The three of us ended up having dinner together in the hostel.

Leo (left), Darwin (right), and I having dinner!

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Day 21

The next morning, I left at around 8:30. I debated staying in Leon and exploring for another day like I did in Burgos, but decided to move on. Mainly because I now have a schedule to keep. I spoke with Leo, and he said he wants to arrive in Santiago on Christmas Eve, and celebrate Christmas in the beautiful destination city of Santiago de Compostela! I thought that was a great idea. If we follow the plans laid out on the Gronze map app, then we should time it just perfectly! That means if I want to take an extra day off to explore a location, I’ll have to catch up to Leo.

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But also, as wonderful as Santiago is going to be, it’s actually not my final destination. Legend has it that some pilgrims of old would go beyond Santiago and reach the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Back then, they thought it was the end of the world and they’d throw their worn-out boots into the ocean as a symbol of moving on.

The coast is another 4 days beyond Santiago. I want to get there on New Year’s Eve and watch the sun set on the year of 2024.

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The Camino led me through the towering buildings of Leon to continue westward. After walking for several miles, I arrived at the edge of the city and came to a branch-off point. Another one? There had already been a few of these on the Camino before. I could either continue on the main path, or go on a slightly longer alternate route through the countryside. Let’s take the alternate route. The road less traveled! I like the countryside more than the main road anyways.

And just like that, the city disappeared. Within a few minutes, I was on an old gravel road with the city buildings at my back.

I walked along the old country road through the plains dotted with trees. The sun was shining, clouds were scattered across the sky, and the wind was silent. It was a very peaceful walk, with small towns providing variety to the scenery every now and then. I’d like to include pictures but the upload seems to fail every time. Maybe I can put them up in the future.

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Eduardo

My journey led me to a small village by the name of Villar de Mazarife. There was supposed to be an albergue open here. I followed the signs, and sure enough, doors were open. It also doubled as a bar, so there was plenty of life inside.

There is only one other pilgrim staying here tonight, and his name is Eduardo. He’s an incredibly nice guy! About 60 years old and retired. We got chatting, and I mentioned I was curious about learning of other ways of life and other religions. He told me about a Buddhist meditation technique called Vipassana. Apparently, it means to see things as they really are. Having never heard of this before, I pressed further. I found out that there are monasteries in the mountains I can go to take 10-day classes to study this mediation technique! Food and accomodation is free. The only thing you pay is a donation at the end if you want to help fund the monasteries. Oh, and they’re also all over the world too. Eduardo showed me tons that were in the US, but I think I’ll go to one in Spain.

But from the research I’ve done, Vipassana is taken very seriously. The course is hard. The daily schedule looks something like this:

Wake up at 4:30 AM. Meditate for a few hours. Eat a small breakfast. Mediatate for a few hours. Eat a small lunch. Mediate for a few hours. Eat a small dinner. Mediate for a few hours. Ask questions to the teacher for 30 minutes. Go to sleep. Do it all again the next day.

Oh yeah. Also no phones. Or music. Or books. Or writhing. Or speaking with fellow students. Only discussions with the instructor are allowed. It’s basically you, the instructor, and your mind.

I don’t think they like to teachVipassana in any other circumstances. Which piques my interest. A lot. It sounds like a challenge, and something that actually works. A technique to master control over the mind? Sign me up! I think I’ll do that after the Camino.

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Man, moments like these help me remember why I wanted to travel in the first place. To meet people like Eduardo and gain new opportunities. I’m very glad to be out here, as tough as it is sometimes. It means I’m growing.

Oh, speaking of growth, I made myself a pasta dinner all on my own tonight! That may not sound like a big achievement to you, but it’s a big milestone for me because I hardly know anything about cooking. Now I know how to make pasta!