Jun 8, 2011

El Campo

Cada verano mi familia van al campo de España para pasar unas semanas en un campamiento de caravanas. El campamiento está tres horas de Alicante por coche y el viaje entre los dos lugares es muy rural – la mayoría cosechas y frutales. No estoy seguro donde está el campo exactamente (tengo que preguntar a mi madre), pero el paisaje es muy diferente que el norte de España y de la costa. Había muchas arboles de pino y montanas rocosas. También pasamos por un lago que era uno de los más bonitos lagos que vi en mi vida. El agua era un hermoso color turquesa y al mismo tiempo un poco translucido o niebla. Durante el verano, el campamiento está llena de personas y parece a una pequeña comunidad. Durante el ano, sin embargo, hay muy poca gente y está muy tranquilo. Fuimos, yo y mi familia, por dos días durante las vacaciones de Santa Faz (una vacaciones que solo se celebre en Alicante).
Pensaba que fuimos al campo para que yo pudiera ver su caravana y el campo. Eso era una razón, pero la razón principal era para “trabajar”. Era igual que una de las “Fiestas de Trabajo” de Tutu en su cabina. Mi madre ha comprado una nueva caravana y tienen que ponerla donde había la vieja. También tienen que mover todo las cosas dentro la caravana a la otra, destruir la tienda de campo conectada como patio cubierta y construir una nueva. Entonces, había mucha trabaja hacer. Normalmente, mi madre me trata como si estuviera su hija. Pero, con algunas cosas, soy una invitada. Por ejemplo, nunca freo los platos, nunca lavo mi baño, y nunca lavo mi ropa. Básicamente, no hago nada de tareas y vivo como una princesa. Sí, yo sé, estas pensando, ¡qué suerte! Yo creo lo mismo a veces, pero también siento un poco mal porque mi madre siempre esta tan ocupada. Entonces, cuando yo estaba sentando en una silla mirando las gotas de sudor en la cara de mi madre y mi hermana, me sentí un poco mal o cascarrabias. Desde luego, todavía yo estaba cansada del camino y no tenía ninguna idea de lo que estaban haciendo o como podía ayudarles.
Al principio, estaba muy contenta estar en el aire libre, leyendo mi libro. Pero, después unas horas, ya no quería leer más. Empezó a llover pues entramos todos en la caravana para esperar que pase la tormenta. Pensaba que nuestro apartamiento era pequeño con cinco personas, pero obviamente no tuve ninguna idea. Estar en la caravana alrededor una pequeña mesa mientras mis hermanas discutían, mientras Hannah corría encima de todas nosotras, esta era una locura.
Después cenar, mis hermanas querían ver una película. Como Michael and yo cuando éramos joven, mis hermanas siempre tienen opiniones diferentes. Eva y Andrea votaron por Mama Mia mientras Irene voto por A Cinderella Story. He votado por A Cinderella Story también; pensaba que tres horas de una musical (aka Sing-Along) tendía el poder para convertirme en una maniaca. Entonces, estábamos en un empate: 2-2. Por suerte, estaba de mejor humor después la cena y me encontré bastante entretenido los subsiguientes 20 minutos de “discusión”. En fin, veimos A Cinderella Story, porque los hermanas mayores de una familia siempre se salen con la suya.
El día siguiente consiste de más trabajo o, quiero decir, mas viendo el trabajo. A las tres era evidente que no iban a terminar pronto, así que tomaron un descanso y comimos. Era evidente también que nuestro objetivo de salir cerca las 4 o 5 no era razonable. Y que putada porque la pila de mi iPod ya estaba muerto y podía leer más. También, el polen, abundante y omnipresente, ha empezado a irritarme. Por fin, salimos a las seis. Llegamos a nuestra casa gigante a las nueve con mucha hambre y yo con mucho ganas de esconder en mi habitación.         

Jun 3, 2011

El Camino de Santiago: Santiago to Alicante (12 hours in bus)

Today we got to sleep in. Well, that is if you consider 8:30 sleeping in. (We were still in an albergue where they have early check-outs). We walked down to breakfast (well, I limped down), which was in the cafeteria for the albergue. I had pretty bad “kankles” by now, and ibuprofen only helped a little with the pain. Breakfast was tasty; in addition to toast they also had fruit and yogurt. What a buffet! Haha.
Next we got on our tour bus and rode into Santiago. Pilgrim mass at the cathedral is every day at noon, so we had a couple hours to walk around before going into the church. I walked around with Sylvie because we were able to move at about the same pace (Sylvie had blisters between her toes that were holding her back). I bought a Camino t-shirt and bracelet as souvenirs. Then I bought some Dramamine in case the bus ride back to Alicante began to give me any trouble. I was willing to do just about anything in order to prevent myself from another horrible puking experience, except perhaps walking to Alicante. (Actually, it’s probably a good thing that my feet were hurting so bad, because otherwise I don’t think I would have gotten on the bus).
Around 11:40 we went into the cathedral, thinking that by getting there early we could get good seats up front. Wow, were we wrong! We could barely fit into the cathedral and it was a challenge making are way into the transept. So it looks like we’d be standing. Apparently, the pilgrim’s mass is dedicated to pilgrims who had completed the camino the day before, but anyone can still attend. So, this meant the building was full of children on field trips, tour groups, nuns, etc.
I’m not exactly sure when mass “began”, but when we were walking in there was a nun singing in Gallego. Her voice was good, not exceptional, but the effect of her voice reverberating off cathedral walls made me want to convert right then and there. It made me wonder how I’d sound singing there. If everyone sounds decent singing in the shower, maybe everyone sounds good in a cathedral? As others around us started joining in singing, the music felt like a power force circulating through the crowd.
Then some religious guys walked down the nave and began to read from the bible. Gallego is not Spanish, but a dialect/derivative of it, and with the echo it was hard to understand any of it. Even if it were in English though, I think it would be hard to follow. This must be why my friends thought church was boring; preaching. But, since churches are always competing against each other for audiences, they can’t keep it boring for too long. So, out came the botafumeiro.
The botafumeiro is an incense burner, weighing 53 kg, which swings across the transept. According to my guide book, it reaches a speed of 68km/hr and misses hitting the ceiling by only 51 cm! It is quite a site to see, let me tell you. In order to get it in motion, it needs a crew of about 8 men pulling on a pulley system. According to my guide book as well, the botafumeiro has fallen twice in its history, in 1499 and 1622, yikes! This was definitely the coolest part of mass, but the showiness of it made me question whether it was even all that religious or just something to attract crowds. Apparently, it served a more useful purpose in the middle ages of hiding people’s stench, since showering wasn’t exactly common practice.
After mass we walked up to the same restaurant as the day before for lunch. Because we would be leaving on the bus directly afterward, I was afraid to eat very much. So, I ordered two salads (for my first plate and second plate).
To give you all an idea of how tired we all were, let me tell you something. After lunch, we had 45 minutes to do whatever we wanted before we had to load the bus and almost our entire group chose to sit outside in the plaza for this time. Those that left were back within ten minutes and sitting as well. We were all just so beat and exhausted.          
Then we boarded the bus, I more hesitantly than others. It was around 4pm by this time and we were scheduled to arrive back in Alicante between 5am and 7am. During this time I managed to sleep about a half hour, maybe an hour. My ankles were red and swollen and hot to the touch. They looked like I had gotten a really bad sunburn, but just in that one area. But, lots and lots of Friends episodes kept me at least somewhat occupied, and to my huge relief, I didn’t get carsick.
I was home in my room by 6am and spent the entire day (and following days) resting, icing, and catching up on e-mails. After about a week one of my ankles was still bothering me so I went to the doctor. He said I had tendonitis and that all I could really do was rest and wait it out. A week later I had recovered entirely and began to use the stairs in my apartment building again.