Allen, Nathan, and The Road to Santiago

Yesterday, we rode from Los Arcos to Santo Domingo de la Calzada, a day which was marked yet again by the weather, this day however was the day of the wind and the semi-truck. The wind blew in our faces all day long, which itself made for a long slow day of riding, but throw on top of that the N120 highway which we rode on all day, with Semi-Trucks passing you at 100km/hr and it made for a very entertaining day.

Then with only 15km left to go, it became quite evident that I was bound for a pilgrim´s entry into Santo Domingo. I broke a spoke on my rear wheel, which is not in and of itself debilitating, but marks the need for a bike shop when we get to Burgos today unless I am to face a total collapse of the rear wheel after spokes break one by one. Then the chain slipped, again minor. Then the rear tire came up with a sizeable gash causing the tube to be exposed and so the tire blew up, again, not a big deal, however in replacing the tube my pump broke, so Allen said he would carry it for me. So the tire replaced and once again on the road, not 1km into the ride the tube blows again, it is now evident that I need to replace the entire tire as well as the tube, so Allen and I decide he will continue on to Santo Domingo, only 2km, and get a place to stay for us while I change the tire and the tube. After an epic struggle getting the new tire and tube to become friends, it hit me...Allen still has my pump, so, a 2km walk into Santo Domingo, perhaps a proper entry for a pilgrim on the way to Santiago...

Still to me it seems as if none of these factors are very much of a distraction at all, the countryside is so beautiful, and I am enjoying the life of a vagrant so much. There is something liberating about riding down the side of a highway in a torrential downpour or a devastating headwind. After dealing with all of these things, pain, wind, rain, never ending mountains, angry mountain goats, it seems as if part of this trip, part of the journey is to overcome fear, breaking out of those traditional bonds that we hide behind or that prevent us from truly realizing our potential. I wouldn´t change a thing...although maybe next time I will carry my own pump