How did the Camino supply your needs?

[Anniesantiago]

I'm going to start this topic in the hopes that people will share their experiences in how the Camino took care of them when they needed help. I have several stories, but here's one to start:

I had walked the Camino Frances before and knew that there were fountains all along the way. When I decided to walk the Via de la Plata in August, the guidebooks said, "Plenty of fountains," so I chose not to carry a camelbak water system, but to simply refill my bottles at those many wonderful fountains.

THAT WAS THE WRONG CHOICE FOR THE VDLP in AUGUST.

The many fountains were dry. Long stretches with no water. After two days, I realized I really did need a camelbak. I kept saying that to my walking partner, "Damn, I need a camelbak, I wish I"d brought my camelbak."

So I'm walking down the trail, and suddenly I look down, and there is a perfect, brand new bite-valve for a camelbak!

I laughed at the sky and said, "Gosh thanks! But that's not quite what I needed... you got the rest?"

I kept walking, and a mile or so up the trail, there was a brand new, perfect piece of tubing... for a camelbak.

Now I got goose bumps... because this was just tooo weird...

We got to the tiny alburgue. Nobody was there. Went to get the key at the swimming pool facility. Walked in... and there on the counter with a sign that said "Free" was a CAMELBAK... missing it's tubing and bite valve.

The Camino ALWAYS supplies your needs!

 

[skilsaw]

This is a VdlP story as well.
I was walking in late April and the spring flowers were in their prime. But I hardly noticed as I trudged through a 12 or 15 km section crossing a private estate. The oak trees were leafing out, and there were literally fields of wild flowers but I was feeling ill and sorry for myself.

When I came out to the road, really just a dusty country lane, I sat down and contemplated my life. What did I do to end up here? A spanish pilgrim caught up to me and asked how I was. Not knowing the word for sick, I did the next best thing, and puked in the ditch. That's what I would call effective sign language.

To make a long story short, the pilgrim flagged down the next car on the road (perhaps the only car that day on the remote country lane) and asked them to give me a ride to the next town. Fifteen minutes later I was lying on a bed in a cool albergue, sipping fresh water.

The next morning I was ready to go again. The pilgrim who had helped me the day before walked with me for an hour, then spirited off down the camino.

David, Victoria, Canada

 

[Jacki Dufty]

My diary entry for one day last September, leaving Belorado on the walk to Ages:
Fifteen minutes into the walk and still dark, my stomach started doing dreadful things - last night's beans? I desperately needed a loo. Well, miracles DO happen. For the first time, as we walked alongside the main road we came across a truck stop/service station. Not only was there a ladies toilet but it was open, had lights, was clean and had loo paper, hot water, soap and paper towels! Thankyou St. James!
Jacki.

 

[newfydog]

OK, weird thread, but I have a story.

The first pigrimage saw us bike past a tourist infested Ocebreiro, with a big thunderstorm on the way. We followed a yellow arrow, which lead us to a power line road, something we didn't want to be uder with lightning, so we stayed on the road and descended for miles....only to find we were wayyyyyyy of route. The storm hit with fury, so we set up the tent in a pig pasture, and hunkered down, dry and secure......with no food but a bike bottle full of wine.

That was ok, because we ate so much pulpo in Cacabelos that we were not hungry, but we knew we would have to climb out in the morning without food. Packing up, an American power bar fell out of somewhere. We had been biking for weeks, and we didn't even have any of those at the start. Where did it come from? Either St James. St Roche, or it had been lost in the liner of the bike bag since we left and just fell out now.

We split the power bar and started the long climb back up. All the way, we had been seeing dried up, over the hill blackberries. Here, the only place the whole trip, the blackberries were still plump and ready to eat.

The milagro of the power bar and the blackberries fueled our climb to the Alto St Roche, where we found food, water, a store , and the route.

Incidentally half way out, we told a local farmer we were a bit lost, and could we have some water? He said no, too bad for us--- we should use our head and not get lost. Only time i've ever seen that! The Camino provides, but doesn't go overboard with it.

 

[dislp38]

I was attempting to walk from Los Arcos to Logrono in one day, Somewhere before Torres del Rio, I must have stepped wrong. At first, my left leg just felt tight and I figured it would go away. And here's the stupid part, even though my guidebook said "get water here" because there's no place for 12 kilometers, I didn't.

About 6 kilometers in, I was limping and dehydrated. And crying. there was a winding road yards from the trail but I figured if I looked pitiful enough, someone would have mercy on me. And I started to pray to anyone.. St James, Jesus, Mary and Joseph.... that someone would stop along side the road and rescue me. Oh, and God, could they have some ice cold water too?

There had been three German women slightly head of me. I didn't ask them for help because I didn't know how they could help me. At some point, there was a fairly steep hill to climb and I was literally howling and sobbing to get up the blasted hill. At the top, I stopped and looked down. The German women had stopped at the bottom and were talking to someone.

And I put myself together and realized it was a man with a motorbike and he was selling drinks and food. So I think I drank 2 bottles of water. We talked for a bit and he realized I was limping. He offered to take my pack (and his supplies) into Viana and let me walk without my pack the 3 kilometers I had left to town. Without my pack, I managed better. And the thought came to mind "Either he's an angel or a devil.. I guess I'll find out."

And true to his word, he was waiting with my bag. I still call him my angel.