Yesterday was comically miserable. The night before, when my feet were breaking down, Nacho from Jaca assured me that A: It wouldn't feel as hot as I expected and B: It was really flat.
By the time I got to Puente la Reina, after 9 hours of sun strokes, hill climbing misery I straggled in Puente la Reina.
Did you know that Puente la Reina has its own fiesta, with a running of the (small unintimidating) bulls? Yup. It ended yesterday. When I got into town at 5:30, I waltzed into the Plaza Bar, and the key to my room at the Plaza Hostel which was around the corner. After I did my usual laying down, take a shower and lay down some more, I was ready for beer o'clock and dinner.
By then, they had blocked off the Calle mayor for bull running. My feet, ankles and left shin were killing me. I'm not kidding, I thought I might be injured enough for it to affect this trip. At one point I took a step and the pain on the outside of my left shin made me afraid to look down at it because I figured a bone must be sticking out of it. For 30 seconds or so the pain stopped and I could step on it again so I knew it was wasn't serious. Bones and tendons aren't that forgiving. It must have been a newly awaken muscle or something that was spasming out from its sudden awakening. This morning it still kind of hurt but in a "I'm here to help" kind of way. I say that because I feel pretty, pretty good after a long hilly day.
I digressed from the running of the bulls part of the story. The closures meant that I had to walk hundreds of yards to find my first beer- and food. I finally did though, and it was worth it. Best of all, I took the opportunity at the bar to use a toothpick to yank the linty gunk out of my phones headphone jack so that today I could start the day with both music and a new helpful muscle on the outside of my left shin.
No comments:
Post a Comment