Holy moly! These past 3 days I think I went to hell and back. La Senda del Poeta was an amazing experience, and somehow we conquered it. Although I'm not sure how. I'm not even sure I am going to be able to explain what we went thru the past few days, but I will do my best. Well first I should say that heading into this thing, we were not prepared. We had no idea what we were doing, where we were staying, how we were eating, where we were supposed to go to the bathroom, how we were going to know we were on the right track?!!? We had so many questions.... yet no answers. All we knew is we were walking about 40+ miles over a period of three days because of some guy named Miguel Hernandez who was a really good poet; we were told to bring a backpack with some clothes, a blanket, and to meet at a train station. That's all we knew....
Friday morning we met at the train station with our backpacks and sandwiches from our madres. We took a train to Orihuela where we met up with about 2500 other people getting ready for the walk.... we got hiking sticks and hats. Little did we know that these hiking sticks would nearly kill about 6 people! (Not really - but they were pretty lethal!) Off we go.... where we going you ask??? We don't know.... hehe. About 2 hours after walking we stop and have oranges and empanadas (like small hot pockets, but they are cold and are with some red sauce that I'm still trying to figure out what it is). Anyways, we started walking again... the scenery was pretty nice. There were lots of vineyards and lots of never ending people. By this time we figured out that us "Americans" were the only one's that were carrying enormous backpacks. At first we were impressed by how little people needed over a 3 day period (we were told we needed blankets and changes of clothes, yet we saw none?!?!). Them Spaniards must be a little more hard core than I thought (were my thoughts)... hehe. Then our advisor told us that most of the people don't continue on to the s
econd and third days.... so in our minds it now made sense that they didn't have backpacks. We continued on, now a little more content that we really aren't just "stupid Americans." Hehe. We stopped about every 2 hours for either a snack or a meal (listened to some of Miguel's poems - we did this nearly every time we stopped.... I now have all of his poems memorized! hehe) and then finally ended up at the "Casa de Miguel Hernandez" (15 miles later). About 1/2 of the people bounced and then there were trucks full of all the other people's backpacks and blankets. Why did we have to carry our stuff and they get to put it in the trucks? I felt discriminated! Hehe.
Saturday morning we were woken up by poems (it was our alarm clock)... and many Spanish people having a grand old time at 6:30 in the frickin morning! We did not have to leave until 9:30 - I mean WTF?!!? This kind of stuff would never happen in America. We would have woken up at the earliest (8:30am) and if anyone made to big of a ruckus someone would have been sure to shut them up. But here no..... they are very much morning people when they do wake up. Although we live in Spanish homes, they do everything they can to make us comfortable. So really these past few days we REALLY got to KNOW the SPANISH lifestyle. They are so animated, emotional, and energetic; I just don't get it. So many things happened on this trip that would have never
flown back home. Pretty cool to see.
So we finally got up (after a few curses under our breath - in Spanish and English) and started our hike again, we still really had no idea what was going on or where we were headed. We were just along for the ride. We still had our backpacks while the other didn't and we were still walking... our legs beginning to feel like jello. This was an interesting day. I should have known when I was at lunch and all of a sudden there was a man sleeping on my backpack!! He came from out of nowhere! Just chillin on my bag like it was his own. (I was there the whole time too it wasn't like it was an empty pillow!) I got it out from under him, and then we were off again. Many times we were asked why we didn't put our backpacks into this notorious "truck"; I answered honestly, "I didn't know." We kept walking....... w
e came to a bridge where there was a stray dog. I was doing everything in my power not to touch it (flees and so on), but it was sooooo scared. It was stuck in a heard of people on a very small bridge. Backwards and forwards it would try to go (I was watching it). I had avoided it already about 3 times. When you walk the entire day you are easily entertained by some of the simplest things. Well everyone was trying to avoid it and trying not to scare it. Then all of a sudden it was me and him.... There was nothing I could do but strattle him. With the massive amounts of people walking behind me I was either going to run this poor dog over or strattle it. I didn't have a choice. Between my legs it went and the entire group (Spaniards included) laughed. I'm just glad he didn't bite... Because we all know that I would have been on a flight home (to America) to get a rabies shot (Mom would have ordered. hehe.).
A few hours later I nearly tripped and died. Had I of fallen all of the way, I think my bag would have crushed me. Fortunately, with all the times I trip I have gotten pretty good at catching myself. I guess that's one good thing to being kinda clumsy. Hehe. Well that night we finally made it to the University of Elche (with only a few blisters) and rougly another 15 miles later; we relaxed and passed out. Unfortunately though, since we were in a huge room full of tons of people there were bound to be "the snorers." There was one within 3 feet of me that sounded like he was an elephant. I wanted to slap him. I barely slept.
Sunday morning we woke up in a similar fashion as the morning before. Although a little more prepared for it this time. Hehe. One funny thing about being in a foreign country that doesn't speak your native language, is that you don't have to be discreet about what you say. As sad as it sounds yes, we do this. Hehe. You can say anything you want and the people around you have no idea what you are saying. Imagine that - you can talk crap as loud as you want about the person next to you. But be prepared for (on a rare occasion) someone to turn and look, and then u know that they know English. hehe. At this point you should escape quickly. Hehe. Most of the time, we don't talk about them, but sometimes there is a need for a discussion of why the heck is this happening?!?! Or
WTF is that?! Or what is he/she wearing?!?! Oh the joys of being the minority. Hehe.
So the first two days were very warm, I got a nice tan but the third day it was VERY cold (see last picture we were drenched in the rain). That last morning it rained almost all morning and we were muddy, dirty, and nasty. Even nastier because we had not showered in 3 days. Only had deodorant and toothpaste - roughing it?!?! I think so!
We ended up having to stop about 4 miles before our "final destination" because the rain was so bad. We caught the city bus and came back into town. I felt a bit ashamed that we did not make it to our destination. We were soooo close. But I preferred to not be sick later, than to let my pride get to me. Once I made it home, I took a shower and passed out for a few hours, everything in my body ached. I felt like it hit a stone wall. :)
To sum up... this "voyage" was to commemorate Miguel Hernandez. Over the course of the 3 days, we learned that he was a prisoner of war and died in Alicante's prison back in 1942 (he was 32). He wrote his poems while he was in there. He could have gotten out, but they told him he had to say he didn't believe in what he believed in. He said he wouldn't, and so he was never let free. Back in the U.S. we would have a dinner or something for this guy... maybe dedicate a day to him. We may have even learned more about what he did. Never in a million years, would we walk for 40+ miles. I guess it was all about the pain and struggling....
The whole trip we never did know where we were really headed or what was going on. And we found out that the reason we had our backpacks was because our advisor wanted us to really feel the struggle and to endure the pain. This pain was supposed to make us appreciat
e more what we had just done. And in truth, I do. :) But we also looked like "stupid Americans." :) PROUD, but STUPID.
There were so many more funny things that happened, and for me to try to explain them it would not give them justice. So I'm going to write a few sentences for my notes. hehe. The deathly walking sticks that Des carried up in her bag where she nearly took out like 40 people (me included). Not to mention the trees and signs that nearly fell over. The peep show I gave some lady on her driveway. The fact that there were no bathrooms at some points for hoursssssss.... oh the pain! And the orange peel bag Des attached to my backpack that looked like a crapper that some Spanish guy would not stop messing with.
On a final note, I wish I had a dime for eve
ry mullet I saw the past 3 days. :) I'd be a millionaire.
I have decided that I think my liking of the place depends on how much I like the food... hehe. I'm kidding... kind of. But my favorite food is Italian and Mexican... so it was quite a treat to eat actual Italian food in Italy. It was phenomenal. One thing about all of this traveling is that it is going to make me have cravings that I can't fulfill right at that moment!! Hehe.
much to learn - Rome is fascinating. Easter Sunday we went to mass at the Vatican (second pic). Hung out with the pope... the pope and I now go way back. Hehe. We saw so much in Rome I don't even know where to start. We actually got lost for 4 hours one evening and ended up seeing everything at least twice. Hehe. It was a night to remember, that's for sure. I won't go into too many details, but I still have no idea how I made it back to Alicante from Rome. Hehe. But that's a whole other story.
Colosseum is the Arch of Constantine, built to honour Constantine's victory over his rival Maxentius at the battle of Milvian Bridge in AD 312. Pretty sweet to see. (the top pic is of me in the Colosseum).
Fountain - this is where you are supposed to throw a coin into the fountain to ensure your return to Rome. We all did this. Hehe. 
