I do not often get really sick, but when I do, it is always on some international journey that I have spent months preparing for. Ken and I are now waiting for a bus in Cea, to Santiago de compostella. I have been sick with a cold for 4 days, and the days spent walking are clearly making it worse. I coughed all night last night, and now Ken has the early signs of it. He also has a tendonitis of lower leg. I have decided that this ” way” has always been about the journey……..far more than the destination. So we are taking bus to Santiago to try to get better. Seems hiking 25 km/day with 20 lb pack is not conducive to getting better. We have loved the journey, but walking while sick is not lovable.

This is not the first time…… In 1999, I had trained for Maui marathon, caught a stomach bug on the flight and was too ill to do marathon. 2 days later I ran from Kihei to Lahaina just to console myself, but all of the marathoners were wearing the “Tshirt”……everywhere…sigh.
Then in France 2 years ago, on cycle/barge tour. It was a small barge we stayed on, and of the 20 people on the barge, ONE person had a cold, at the beginning. By the end, everyone had a cold, except Ken and I……. Well so we thought, but the next day we both were sick.

Well here we are in Santiago de Compostella, and we found an airb&b that is a very short distance walk to the cathedral. I know there is no way I could have walked today and clearly should not have yesterday. Not sure if I can remember ever coughing so much……..so we found a farmacia, (all pharmacies have a green cross on the building)(which is funny because in Washington and I believe Oregon, the green cross stands for a marijuana sales outlet)
We wanted some voltarin cream for the sore tendons, and I asked if they had ventolin inhalers……(which is prescription drug in Canada and the USA )… And she just went and got it.
So at least I have something for the cough. Ken is wondering if we could have gotten a steroid inhaler, which on retrospect might have provided more relief.
Strenuous exercise when you have a viral infection, has been shown to make it worse, mild exercise is believed to make it better. Hard to know where the grey zones cross.

Well I have to say we both feel disappointed to be here in Santiago, having walked 430 km towards here, and not having completed the Camino……I guess we are sad today and sick. Tomorrow is another day.  This is a photo of the cathedral of Santiago.  It is under reconstruction too.