Yep, it was bad. Nils (the German I actually connected with on Day 0) wasn't quite ready to go when I was at 6:15, so I started off on my own, and it stayed that way until my first stop 7 km in. When I limped into Espinal and fell into a green plastic chair, swearing I'd never get up again. About an hour into today, I knew I was in trouble, and I tried to heed off the worst of it with moleskin and duct tape and Vaseline (my triple threat). But two hours in, I knew this wasn't going to do much.
The path was very nice, and I revived a bit in the second half. Having an audiobook is my newest recommendation so that not every single thought was "Boy do my feet hurt. Ouch, that rock was like a thorn. So was that one. Yep, my shoes are filled with blood."
I was quite confident I'd only make it to Zubiri today, which is where Nils and most of the people I'd met so far were stopping. However, there was a nice river in that town that tons of pilgrims were swimming and soaking their feet in. This gave me the boost I needed to finish the planned 5.7 km more to Larrasoana. The only people here that I recognize from yesterday are Anna again and her brother Paul (Irish), so I have all new friends again. The best part was limping to the supermarket where I overheard the cashier talking up Compeed, a slightly medicinal blister treatment that acts like a second skin; I have four on one foot, and I'm not supposed to take them off for four days! I hope this works.
The rain is rolling in. Pray it's done in the morning. (P.S. I probably won't continue a day-by-day update, but from here on out more highlights or stories.)
What Papa said ;)
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