They all used the phrase 'to do', which
I honestly do not understand because
the Camino de Santiago is already
'done'. My Brazilian friend said that
never had he lived a similar experi-
ence. The conclusion he’d reached
is that of 'having known', and now
knowing how to recognise its limits,
and having shared with other human
beings limited experiences.
Thousands of pilgrims roam
the square, weary and holding on
with the help of their canes, their
eyes irritated with so much crying,
dishevelled, some hurt, others limp-
ing barefoot and dirty. A spectacle
that surprised me.
These pilgrims walked hundreds of
kilometers to 'find themselves in life'.
I was watching this collective deliri-
um for a while, thinking about those
old people, that human mass that
came from all corners of the planet,
sleeping in shelters, suffering the
cold, enduring the rain, with blisters
on their feet, controlling the despair
that was the effort.
I asked myself, "why?"
No matter how hard I tried, I could
not understand the phenomenon,
and in some way, I detected a hint of
envy towards them all. Maybe, if I
had the faith they have, my life would
be much simpler. But no matter how
hard I tried on that day; I could not
TRAVERSE 68