Today begins at Punta la Reina at the Hotel Jakue. I slept decently, about 8 hoirs, perhaps a bit more despite some noise from adjacent rooms when I went to bed. Still very restful.
I’m finding that the longer I walk, the further away other problems and concerns are… in other words, I am reaching into my spiritual core. And that’s a good thing on a number of levels.
In other words, the first few days of the walk have been so physically intensive that we tore Maslow’s hierarchy to its core – physiological needs had to be satisfied in terms of food, water, warmth and rest – as we spent so much energy walking through the mountains with few available stops for water and food to reach a hotel/Alberge.
The term “spiritual” need not be religious whether the faith in a higher being provides confidence that we will succeed, it can be instead (or in addition) finding the faith in ourselves that we CAN do this and succeed.
From there we move to the safety/security level as we gain confidence that our fellow travelers are good and the hosts of our accommodations are safe. Folks tend to look out for each other.
We also build new friendships along the way, and increase our self esteem. And that will eventually lead to the top of the pyramid.
OK, so I’m sure Maslow was brilliant and he did have some good ideas trying to explain the metaphysical in human terms. But I have to believe than many of the psych educators (and B-school, and marketers and government officials and other educators) never really took the time to have an experience of tearing it down and rebuilding it from the core. If they did, i have to believe that they would realize that the first two levels are essentially the same and fit like hand-in-glove. But still, Maslow is used to justify marketing campaigns and government officials that trade on fear as a means to control a population.
Enough of Maslow and how it applies to my thinking. If the reader does not know of Maslow, please see any number of online resources.
At dinner last night, served dorm-style, I met a gentleman from Finland who had been a medic in Afghanistan. He is finding that the Camino is helping his PTSD to the point he is now writing about some of the horrors. There is a ritual on the Camino of leaving a stone behind as a symbol of leaving fears, wrongs, or sorrow behind. The Finnish medic will leave a vial of sand that he kept from Afghanistan as his “stone” – it is a vial he had put away and had never spoken of. That is some powerful healing.
Moving on to today’s hike. I’ll be out shortly after 8 this morning. Puente la Reina is the location of a bridge often pictured in Camino material. I’ll try to get a picture. I have booked a room in Estella at a hotel along the Camino.
<later that day>
The story today was the wind. After about an hour it was warm enough to remove my jacket… but then the wind picked up. With the sun, I ended up leaving the jacket off for a while, but put it back on later when the wind got really strong and the skies were spitting water. Off later, then back on. So it goes.
The scenery is stunning. Where the mountains were still winter-like with a touch of spring starting, it’s spring down here. Iris, poppies, the yellow fields (I’m told it’s flax, but haven’t verified) and various other colors of spring are here. As we started into wine country, the vines are sprouting new leaves – it won’t be long now.
Ran across a number of folks I’ve met on previous days. A few short conversations in passing, but not a lot substantial. My friend from Denmark is burning up the trail. Some folks are quiet, either keeping to their own thoughts or reluctant because of language difference. Matters none: it’s their Camino…. they can talk or not as they choose.
As we exited Punta de Reina, we walk across the bridge used 8n so many Camino photos, including the Pilgrim Credential. In the morning light it was a photo opportunity.
The Roman influence is heavy and obvious. From churches to buildings to ruins to old Roman roads. At least one town (Maneru) has ties to the Knights Templar – and I expect to see more like that tomorrow.
Took the afternoon slow as one muscle in my right shoulder was tight. And with check-in at 3 pm there was no reason to rush.
The hotel is very nice. No tub, but modern, comfortable, and quiet. Had dinner a few doors down and had conversation with a gentleman from Mannheim, Germany (not far from where an ancestor came from).
I’ll call it an early night.
Oh, and I did manage to upload some photos. No particular order or captions – and there are a few dupes. I’ll clean them up later. Here’s a link to the pictures: https://photos.commbiz.com/Camino-de-Santiago-2023/
