PC #78 – Here comes the Cavalry!

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I’ve been truly missing in action today.

I’ve had my head down on the last section of the book. Climbing up into O Cebreiro, meeting a bunch of Brazilian riders who were starting off there and riding into Santiago.

There were some pilgrims I walked with who didn’t like the Brazilian riders. They thought they were elitist, and the horses were fouling up the way with their manure.

Certainly we always had to step out of their way when they came through. I’d hear a high pitched whistle behind me, then I’d turn and see it was the cavalry coming again. I’d have to step off the track and wait till they’d trotted past.

Then avoid walking in horse shit.

For me, they were pleasant enough. They were certainly well heeled. I saw women with Hermes scarves and men with Patek Phillipe watches.

The reason they were always passing me was because they were always stopping for drinks or long lunches. They sat on terraces and always angled their faces up to the sun, to keep their suntans enriched.

I went into a bar where they’d stopped, and they were paying for expensive bottles of wine with credit cards. Credit cards! 

Anyway, I tried really hard not to judge them. It was the last section of the Camino, and I saw it as a final test for me. If I judged them, I failed.

I might have just scraped through on a D minus.

Cavalry

65 thoughts on “PC #78 – Here comes the Cavalry!”

  1. Talk about a picture being worth a thousand words! Not just the riding gear, Bill -even their horses match!

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    • haha –

      Like I said, they were sweet people when I talked with them.

      I know of doctor near where I live, diagnosed with a life threatening condition. He did the the Camino on a horse.

      Whole different ball of wax though.

      Bill

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  3. Hi Bill and PGS Family – the horses were one of the best memories of the Camino for me last year. One day we shared several hours of walking with ten or so Spaniards/Brazilians (we weren’t sure what nationality they were) – all on gorgeous horses (the riders were pretty easy on the eye too!) and one of the riders had the largest ghetto-blaster ever seen on the Camino on board, playing Spanish songs as they went! Britta will confirm this! We were lucky that we encountered them on the wider paths and country lanes so we didn’t get in each others’ way – if it were on the narrower paths we would probably have had a different view. It was a GREAT vibe on a beautiful day – so I guess Bill, you could say it’s ‘horses for courses’! Cheers – Jenny

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    • Hi Jenny –

      that’s a wonderful recollection.

      Yes, we can get so “thingy” about all this stuff –

      Tolerance and forbearance. Tolerance and forbearance. Tolerance and forbearance.

      😀

      Bill

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      • Hi Bill – We can all be “thingy” about this stuff – the ‘cavalry’ was your experience and we had a different experience with the horses – BUT, just get me going on the cyclists! Our experience of the cyclists would make for a totally different post! That’s why I love Peter’s quote – “Use your bell baby”! Cheers – Jenny

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        • Hi Jenny –

          I didn’t find them a problem. I said hello to them each time they passed me –

          They seemed to be very nice people –

          another of the pilgrims though took umbrage at them – but that person was very political about these things!

          At that point in the Camino I was very mellow!

          (Still am!)

          😀

          Bill

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      • Hi Bill – great that you didn’t see the riders as a problem – they bring their own magic to the Camino don’t they? Thanks to everyone for all your fabulous stories on this post – I’m enjoying them all so much. Cheers – Jenny

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  4. They look good! And more power to them! If they were snobby… Well, that’s another thing altogether.
    I haven’t seen any horses yet, other than the wild ones in the Pyrenees and there have been a few times I wished I’d had a little burro to carry my load. Then again, that’s about having an intimate relationship with another creature. It’s easier being alone.
    I grew up around horses, competed in hunter/jump meets all dressed up with a shirt and tie, jodphurs and jodhpur boots. knew dressage. I helped people show their horses, was a blacksmith’s assistant and had to ride the newly shod beast around to show the owners that all was well, after I’d just held the horse’s upper lip in a twist of rope looped through an axe handle. Those bad horses hated me and they would rear up and try to buck me off… Fun stuff. Kentucky, circa 1960, before civil rights. Luckily for me, growing up on Army bases, which were integrated, I had black friends. I’d love to see a group like that on the trail.
    The bicyclists, on the other hand are downright dangerous! I say over and over again, “use your bell, baby!”

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    • Peter – Your quote “use your bell, baby!” rocks! – could you put it on the PGS and Ivar’s forums for the Camino public ‘at large’ to note? What a fantastic thread heading it would make! Cheers and Buen Camino – Jenny

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      • Use your bell, baby… I live in Manhattan from time to time… A couple of years ago, I got a Dutch bike and once on a narrow crowded street… I’d just come out of a store on Orchard, on the lower east side… Got on the bike but it was in a difficult gear and my leg muscles were not the rock hard things they are now… I almost slammed into two rather intimidating looking “brothas” crossing the street. The one guy was nudged by his friend and I almost hit him when he moved out of the way and he said “use your bell baby!” In a very high voice… I felt this immense love for this man’s generosity of spirit… I think of him often when I’m riding bikes, so I’m a shameless bell ringer! Okay… The term Indians use for this kind of teacher is “Sat Guru”. This is just an ordinary person who can teach you something… The readiness is all. The Japanese second person singular, sensei, means teacher, person, you. So, Bill, when Steve calls you “guru”, I think he actually means sat guru… That is, unless he’s just trying to get your goat!

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        • Hi Peter –

          That’s a great story.

          It’s wonderful how these apparently random incidents can impact on your later life – and yet that bloke that said that to you would probably now have no recollection of it at all. As for Steve having my goat – nah, not Steve…

          What are you doing for your birthday?

          Bill

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      • Hi Peter – thanks for sharing the story behind ‘use your bell, baby!’ – a great story! An ordinary person teaching you something … ‘love that. ‘Hope all’s going really well for you – Cheers, Jenny

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    • Peter –

      it’s your birthday today?

      What a way to spend it mate!

      Congratulations. I hope you have a great day.

      Let us know how the day pans out.

      Best wishes to you –

      Bill & Jennifer.

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      • Hi Bill, doing laundry, organizing my pack for the next push, having a snooze, here at hotel jakue, Puenta la reina… Quite hot 30+C. My week of going slow is almost up…. Nice day though… Visited another beautiful old chapel earlier to say some words of remembrance toward my dad and mom… Good day all in all. Thanks. Grateful to be alive and well.

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  5. I love their coats with the cape… Being a Leo, today I am 64, the sartorial pleasures are a particular weakness.
    How man hats do I own? I have no idea!

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      • Bill, I could tell early on in your blog, without even knowing your birthdate! BTW, I think you’d totally like my NOV8 GTX’s! Very light and conservative enough looking! I did the same thing… I guess I’ll take them to the Salvation Army… I’ll never wear them. I pretty much tossed all my clothes before I left. Why?

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      • Why?… Come on guys… Nuttyleo here… So
        I can make room for more?
        I’m never sure where these response comments will land though.
        There’s always more with “The Universe”. But you have to make space for it… Whatever it is. My tossing away old clothes was a pre Camino decision. So i don’t know. i was just following orders. trusting the universe. Folks tend to simplify after they return home. I’ve needed to do this for a while now. I brought my old clothes… Some good stuff too, linen shirts, nice khakis, to the swap shop at the Vinalhaven Dump. Universe central. So others can pick through it. I set an intention. You could call it prayer, in a way. And it will appear, in some form. But like Sister said in an earlier post today. Watch what you ask for. You might just get it. I have an abandoned blog on WordPress named “the things I’ve found at the Vinalhaven dump.”

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      • Thanks Jenny and Arlene… That’s nice.
        Hotel Jakue, is very nice… Great bar! Very busy… It’s a beautiful town… The chapels are marvelous. I don’t usually do my birthday unless I’m trapped because guests might have come and I have to cook… Otherwise I get on a fast motorcycle and run… Too much focus on me!

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      • Happy Birthday Peter,

        Enjoy the day, a great place to spend your day. I stayed in the Hotel Jakue last year, nice place isn’t it?

        Arlene

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      • ●▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬●
        •●♥Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ♥●•Feliz Cumpleaños •●♥Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ♥●•
        ●▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬●
        Peter

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      • Thanks for all the special Happy Birthday wishes! It means a lot to me, giving me other, better thoughts to chew on, walking to Estella! Thanks, w/ much love, Peter

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  8. I can certainly confirm Jenny’s recollection of our day spent in or near their company. We also ended up in the same restaurant … pulpo, definitely not my favourite!! for lunch and we surmised they were friends of the owners as they definitely seemed to get special treatment, or I guess it could be that they just spread lots of money around? Mind you I too used to spend a lot of time with horses as a teenager so the smell of their poo was like a wonderful memory to me!!

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    • Huh – I had a lot of Pulpo last time I was in Galicia, when I was there for nearly four months.

      When done right it can be beautiful – but I still prefer a good juicy steak!

      Bill

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  9. Bill,

    I only came across one horse and rider on my Camino last year. It was climbing up to Alto de Perdon, the rider was walking leading the horse up the steep incline.

    I also saw a traveler riding a mule with another mule behind carrying “stuff”. I don’t think she was a pilgrim though.

    But, I did see many cyclists. They never bothered me, my son is a mountain bike racer so I guess I am extremely tolerant. I do know they are definitely in control of their cycle, it is our fear of being run into that causes the anxst among walking pilgrims.

    Arlene

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  10. I liked the horse riders and the bike riders as well as all the walking pilgrims. And the few people i encountered walking with dogs. Any inconvenience was not worth remembering. There is room for everyone.

    Happy 64th Peter. You are still a baby. 🙂

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      • Wishng you a very happy birthday from Canada,Peter! Sounds like you’re having a really nice one. I’m like you, used to run from my birthdays, too -just to get away from the attention. Until I lived reclusively for a few years -and after awhile the solitary birthdays and Christmasses got lonely and dull. Now I’m grateful if anyone remembers at all. Definately a case of “be careful what you wish for “!

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      • It’s true, Sister, slowly turning the ship around. Changing old habits is hard. We’ll see what comes of it. Thanks.

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  11. Bill, I actually looked into renting and riding a horse when I first started investigating the Camino. But then someone pointed out that I would need to take care of the horse as well as myself the whole way. All of a sudden, it didn’t seem like it would be as helpful to me as I originally thought. PS: Someone above asked if the horseback riders also earned a Compostela, and yes they do. Like the bikers, they have to ride twice the minimum distance, or 200 km.

    **Happy Birthday from Michigan, Peter!**

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  12. grrrrr, I just wrote a rather lengthy comment and whoosh it is gone.

    Long story shorter 😉 I met great Caballeros on the way from Manjarin to Acebo, they on the trail, I am on the road, passing each other for a few days and always greeting with waves. Even waited for me once in a while to make sure I was ok and also offered a ride, which I had to decline. We finally had a drink in Acebo, great looking and kind chaps from Pamplona.

    I also met a young French women who was riding her horse all the way from her home.
    She told me it was not that easy with a horse, she always had to be a bit out of town for lodging. I also know from having been a horse owner myself, horses have something wrong with them all the time. Whoever coined the phrase “Healthy as a Horse” never owned a horse!

    Bicygrinos… ah what a lot… they sure thought we could hear them, usually only when they were on top of you and if you turned the wrong way (as I did one time) colliding is no fun.

    First impression, a Slovenian Mountain biker hurdling down the stoney path to Roncevalles, shouting out a “good morning” in his language and I answering in kind… almost made him trip over!

    With time I gained a healthy respect for bicycle pilgrims, especially if they had to push their gear up those mountains… but then they had fun shosshing down.

    All part of the Camino, and all great memories. Ingrid

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    • Right Ingrid. All Camino memories are great memories, even the weather, though I have to admit it was not so great at the time. Now if I can just get my hips back to normal. Off to see a physical therapist today. OK when I move but a little stiff when I stop. Maybe I will learn to stretch. 😦 Nawhhh 🙂

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      • ;-), well Steve, no nasty weather stories coming from me… I had the most wonderful understanding with the weather gods. Only 1 day of warm, gently rain from Gonzar to Palas de Rei… I loved it, I am a waterdragon after all. ;-0

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      • Actually, Steve, the stretching does help a bit. I wish you success at the physiotherapist ‘s. My hips are killing me!

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      • Bill, hahaha, I speak a mishmash of Slovenian/Kroatian with male grammar… meaning that both languages have female and male words, similar to French. Very funny to my relatives when they hear me.

        I have a gift for languages. My mother tongue is German, I was taught English from grade 4 and French from grade 8 onwards.

        I speak and understand enough of some Slavic languages, as well as some Italian and Spanish – understand enough dutch …. not to be sold to the gypsies…. that is an old saying where I come from. Add body language and a smile…. I was a perfect “Tower of Babel” on the Camino.

        I did miserable in remembering words in Korean, not progressing in Chinese or Japanese.. so there is room for improvement.

        Once my mind cleared of “stuff”… I so quickly remembered and was able to tap into this gift.

        Other people remember names and numbers… or have the patience of Job to take a picture… 😉 I don’t

        It all evens out – doesn’t it

        Ingrid

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        • Ingrid –

          my goodness you are such a talented lady!

          You are very lucky to have an innate facility for languages – although it also requires a lot of work too, I know.

          My daughter is like you – she takes to languages relatively easily.

          She speaks Spanish fluently (lived there for nearly 8 years) and not so fluently German, French, Italian, and a smattering of Russian.

          She was also learning an Arabic language – and has bits and pieces of Hindi.

          I’d love to know Hindi!

          Bill

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    • Yes Julian, only encountered one cranky husband/wife pair right from the start and was able to avoid them until Santiago – and there they were again… not any happier. lol

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      • Hi Ingrid, & Julian –

        I too encountered a husband and wife that were really rude to me, for no apparent reason. They were Australians, too.

        Maybe it was my Swannies cap, and they were Collingwood supporters.

        😀

        Bill

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  14. Thanks for answering my question, Julie! I think it is wonderful that the horses are acknowledged for their contribution to the Camino. I hope the Brazilian riders had the horse-sense (pun intended) to obtain Compostellas to display in the horses’ stable. The only horses I saw were the wild ones in the Pyrennes foothills. They were absolutely gorgeous. I love sharing the Camino all two and four-footed species. Then again, I was not dodging manure on the trail! Julie, too!

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    • Hi all

      Reading this blog all the time it seems Yoga is the thing to do. From what I can gather all of you that do it get enormous benefit from it.

      Donna

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      • Donna –

        I started doing yoga thirty years ago after my car accident when I fractured my spine. I still have two metal plates in my back from that accident, but yoga has kept me pain free.

        At one point I was seriously considering becoming a Bikram teacher – going to LA and doing the course – but circumstances prevented me from doing it.

        Bikram is tough, but very effective. It’s a shame we don’t have a Bikram studio here in Mudgee… I did it for about 6 years, and each year did two “challenges,” which involved doing a class every day for a month.

        Anyone who’s done Bikram knows how tough that is!

        I can’t advocate yoga strongly enough.

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        • Thanks Bill. A girlfriend of mine started Bikram yoga about a year ago and I’ve never seen her so passionate about anything. She sent me a text the other day to say she had just completed her challenge. She said “now that’s a lot of sweat”. There is actually a studio right around the corner from my place. I think I should go and check it out.

          That’s two things I’ve learnt this week. 1. Take up Yoga
          2. Buy some tablets for my knees.

          I thank the BBF (Bill’s Blog Family) for this.

          Cheers

          Donna

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          • Hi Donna –

            Bikram’s not for everyone –

            take a few classes and see how you feel about it. It’s a very particular way of doing yoga.

            You need the Bikram studio though because they raise the heat – although I remember once during a heat wave in Sydney when it was up around 42C that it was cooler inside the Bikram studio – one of the very few times I could say that!

            The challenges were certainly that – a challenge. But I enjoyed them. It’s a shame there’s not a studio here in Mudgee because I would definitely continue it – but like I say, it’s a particular and very rigid form of yoga, and not for everyone.

            Bill

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  16. Hey i am having a terrible time posting over the past few weeks . If you get this let me know. I have tried to post nearly 10 tomes unsuccessfully. Don’t understand what is going on. Glad you posted this about bikes, looks like rather than give up on the camino we will be riding rather than walking. Mike thinks he can handle it even with his injuries. If you are fillowing Rambler1859 youwill know what i am talking about, let meknow if you get this thx, Kat kpschlesiger@yahoo.com

    Sent from my iPhone

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