Days 8 - 10: Belorado to Burgos 55 k

HOLA!

Lots to talk about people. Thanks for your patience, no computers in Spain I guess. Barbarians. I shaved my beard and left my mustache. I have the ability to enrage men with my dress and facial hair stylings. Crazy Swiss (Swedish?) guy tried to drunkenly shave me with a knife.

OK - so, Pete (name has been changed to protect the innocent - ie. Aleza and I). A genial, round, full bearded man in Atapuerca. Welcoming at first, but with a tendency towards manic-depressive behavior. Well, hated the ´stache. Wanted to cut it off the moment he saw me. He cooked us dinner - delicious - and fed us lots of wine. Then he made weird rascist jokes and spanked Aleza. Then he (sort of) threatened to kill me. Also, Aleza says the spank was hard, then he choked/kissed her on the cheek. Bad drunk. Angry drunk. At 9PM he got alittle sad and decided it was bedtime.

Pilgrims should be in bed already!

says Pete.

But we just opened another bottle of wine!

says David. David de Carolina de Norte

When the fun is done it´s done!

says Pete (name changed to protect the innocent)

Weird guy. So, we were off to an early night.


The Swedish (Swiss?) guy hated the ´stache.

That Fokking Porno Shnausse!

he would cry out. He thought I looked like a porn star. I don´t know why this was so bad, but he was sooo angry. He pulled out his swiss army knife and came at me like an angry Nazi doctor. Then Aleza stole the knife and hid it until morning.

Let me cuts them shits off!

he would cry out, brandishing his swiss army scissors inches from all of the vital components of my face.

In an odd turn of events, I did ¨cut them shits off¨the following days, and ¨them shits¨ consisted of not only the ´stache but a sizable chunk of my lip. I should have let the crazy Hungarian (Swiss?) Nazi doctor perform as planned.... Cést la Vie!

Now in Burgos, cold, very cold. They all said it was cold but they didn´t say how much cold it was. Crazy fascist Alburgue - the dude was gonna leave David de la España out in the cold to die for showing up una minuta after closing time. And now, Aleza to explain the rescue situation:

JUSTIN: So, tell me about what happened last night.

ALEZA: Well Justin, at 9:50 grumpy Alburgue dude starting yelling to clean up and go to bed- peregrinos need their rest. At exactly 10 all the lights were out. At that point we three realized that David de España was still out in the cold. As the primary Spanish speaker I went to investi -

JUSTIN: Wait, so it was after hostel curfew and you still went out?

ALEZA: That´s exactly right, Justin.

JUSTIN: Amazing, really amazing. OK, sorry. Continue please.

ALEZA: So I left the darkened bedroom and followed the exit signs to the main door. As I neared it I heard loud pounding and yelling spilling into the entrance (the entrance inches away from where grumpy Alburgue dude sleeps). I ran to the door to help. David de España is yelling in frantic Spanish. I try to calm him, explaining that it was his friend, and I was here to help. He calmed a little and I began to unlock the door. The door is wooden, about 15 feet high with giant iron poles locking it into place. It was -

JUSTIN: -A single, working mother, ladies and gentlemen. Can you believe the strength of this woman? God bless America!

-applause-

Thank you, thank you. Please go on.

-Aleza begins to weep-

ALEZA: Sorry, sorry. Thank you Justin. So it is still pitch black as I begin blinding pulling on Iron poles and using my body weight to pull against this massive door. I hear the yells from the men outside and I begin to work faster as I fear frostbite will be setting in at any moment. At last I see light peaking through the door crack, and with one last pull the door swings open. Outside, shivering and in tears, I find not only David but two other peregriños we know from a few days past. We hug joyfully and exchange kisses and tears. Right at this moment, grumpy Albergue dude emerges from his bedroom (again, inches away from the door) and begins to yell at us in Spanish. David de España steps in front of the three other peregriños and reprimands him for leaving these three peregriños to freeze to death on the cold streets of Burgos.

JUSTIN: Burgos is, as I recall, referred to as ¨La Fria¨or ¨The Cold¨in Spanish. Is correct, Gwen?

GWEN: Absolutely, Justin, spot on.

JUSTIN: Left to die in the freezing cold of Burgos, my god. Well, that´s all the time this week, I hope to have you back on the blog soon, Aleza, and share more with us all. One more show of hands for this amazing woman!

-applause-