Well I have a had a fantastic time. i did not do what i had hoped to do in that I only went part way up the via del Plata the reason is that mostly at least it is a track which at times is very difficult to walk just might be possible to pass if you are a strong cyclist on a Mountain bike but out of condition me on my vastly overloaded touring bike no way. But I did get from Seville to Zafra and I learnt some important lessons. The first was that however determined I am to do something there is no point in pushing myself into exhaustion. I am actually required to enjoy myself. On this trip i was very fortunate to meet another plgrim who saw how afraid i was of failing when I should have been concentrating on the value of success.
He also made me talk about my life and of course i talked about Lilly.He made me look at things through different eyes by asking me what I would want for Lilly if I had died first and not her. Of course my answer was that i would want her to find a new life and be happy. my friend of course said that would be just what she would say to me.
He said I should stop feeling guilty and confused and get on and live life to the maxim. He also said that I should stop thinking Lilly was gone forever but that she was in a different place. This I had a lot of problems with but he said the body changes every seven years and this means that nothing is left of us as children. that person has gone but the essence remains. he wanted me to accept that in some place there is Lilly and although we are separated. he said there is no difference between were she is now and her being at home in Caracas while I cycle in Spain.
well as you can see I have been thinking and trying to balance life a little.All the while peddling away. My children are everything but there are still parts of my life that I need to find.
In Zafra I was hosted by a young American couple, Savi and Levi, who are teaching English in Zafra. After I had been there a couple of days they said how Happy they were to see how I had revived. Apparently when I arrived they both thought I looked exhausted. They fed me great food and told me about their lives. Teaching English is a sort of boat they are using to sail around the world. They have a happy and relaxed little ship. Work seems to find them in that word of their skills spread through the community and walking with them in the street it soon became clear as a lot of people called to them to say hello. We talked a lot. Their next country will be tieland starting in September 2012 they suggested I come and see them there. They painted a very tempting picture of the English teachers life so there is another path that I might follow.
After Zafra I came to Madrid just in time to meet Alicia and Alvaro who literally the day before had finished cycling around the world.
Wow. It was a real privilege to see how they tried hard to remember what it was like to live in their own house. to go to the supermarket, to face family problems and the annoyance of a neighbors barking dog. Their kindness was immense and so was their wisdom. I told them about my battle on the via del plata and was told to be patient with myself. That was just another way of saying what the pilgrim had told me. Perhaps this time I will pay attention. They also repeated that cycle touring I not a race. Take all the time you need go the distance your happy with.
www.rodadas.net will tell tou much more about this very special partnership
Now it is almost time to return to Venezuela. Was this trip a failure. No I don’t think so. It is amazing how we stumble through life now I am being forced to think about things and make choices based on simple things like having patience with myself. It was not the pilgrimage I intended but it was a pilgrimage.
I must also mention the others who shared their thoughts with me and helped me untangle my ideas especially Edo Chris and Ben who filled me with happiness to see their happiness. Alberto who would like me to take a vow of poverty so i can better appreciate just how lucky i am, Anna and the joy and enthusiasm .she has in life. Katrina and Lucas for their warm supportive friendship and determination to find their way forward in life and Ester the highly indignant one finding solutions to some very tough problems together you all make my life wonderful.
I know you can never be lost for words!