In 2022 my posts to this site from the Portuguese Camino took the form of open letters home. These were well received and provided me with a natural, conversational, way to communicate that hinted at the relationship that Christine and I share. I was writing to her, yet aware of the larger audience. A side benefit for me was that I felt her presence as I penned each word. It was a relief from the shadow of being alone.
This coming June my 15-year-old grandson Britton and I will depart for 6 weeks in France and Spain. Life and fate willing, we will be hiking the 500+ mile “French Route” of the Camino de Santiago. This will be the longest time that I have spent away from Christine and the longest spent with any of our grandchildren. It will be the longest that he has spent apart from his mother and siblings. Britton is one of three surviving quadruplets. He has been with brother Simon and sister Delaney 7 months longer than he has taking breath in life. (Their births came very early, and they were very tiny.) Think about it. There is also his 6-year-old sister, Lennon, who will certainly feel his absence.
I have no doubt that he is up to the physical challenges. Britton is nearly 6 feet tall and is a muscular 190 pounds. However, the trials for both of us go beyond the physical requirements of walking many miles, day after day. We are separated by 58 years and 2 generations. He must learn and adjust to my peculiarities and I to his.
It is my hope that Britton might contribute an occasional paragraph to his grandmother and mother, giving insight to his own unique perspectives. However, recalling the focuses of my own teenage years I will not hold my breath.
A good friend recommended a book to me, “Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel”by Rolf Potts. Those who know me might well imagine that the title, particularly the extension, would catch my interest. It is short at 204 pages, has been in print since 2004 and is an international bestseller with multiple translations, over 30 printings, and more than 300,000 copies sold. I bought it.
Vagabonding is loosely defined as wandering from place to place without a permanent home and often without a regular means of support. It is travel without destination. The journey is the purpose. Technically speaking I do not qualify as a “vagabond”. I have a home, and my past working life and disciplined saving has provided me with a means of support. Nevertheless, Potts presents a philosophy of opening oneself to change by engaging with new people and new places. He rejects “vacations” as being brief forays that do little to give insight into the lives of others. With me he preaches to the choir.
I am fortunate that for nearly 20 years I have been able to take the time to engage in travel that has allowed me to meet and come to know many wonderful people and places. In the last 5 years we have added 4 cruises to our travel experiences. These have taken us to places we previously only dreamed of, Cape Horn and the Panama Canal being two of them. I dearly enjoyed the friendships made aboard and the sights seen, but I also experienced a sense of hollowness. What was missing was the time to really engage with the local people and diverse cultures. The passengers were like me in origin, socio-economics, and life experiences. It was the ships’ crews that really drew my interest and curiosity. They represented men and women from over 40 nations and a score of different faith traditions. When time allowed they were willing, and even eager, to share their “stories” with me. A woman from South Africa who once thought she was the “wrong color” to find a position shipboard, is now an officer in Guest Services. Various housekeeping staff, servers, entertainers, and lecturers… from the Philippines, Nicaragua, Bali, Bermuda, Norway, Thailand, Zimbabwe, Peru, Vietnam, Korea, Mexico, Kosovo, Canada, and many other places, provided me with the opportunities to vicariously embrace life seen through other eyes.
We need not travel long or far to engage with others and drink in the wonder of humanity. The spirit of vagabonding resists tribalism, rejects prejudice, and encourages us to intentionally reach out and engage with those who are different from us, be they across the street or across an ocean.
There is a quote from the book that stopped me short and gave me pause, its origins are unknown but there is suspicion that it is either ancient Talmudic or Buddhist:
We Don’t See Things As They Are, We See Them As We Are.
In this coming New Year be open to expanding who you are.
Written November 23, 2023, at Kansas City, Missouri.
In 2013 most of our grandchildren were barely beyond being toddlers.
The grandchildren in 2013 (including 2 visitors), each wearing the Camino shell I had made for them. Christine displays our Camino guidebook.
One was not yet a “twinkle in our daughter’s eye”.
The grandchildren today, including Lennon, the “twinkle in our daughter’s eye”.
Christine and I were consumed with preparations for walking the Camino de Santiago, over 800 kilometers from southern France, across the Pyrenees Mountains and west across Spain.
Our enthusiasm brought curiosity from the “grands” such that we often needed to explain the adventure in terms that they might understand. “Spain is on the other side of the world.” “Wow!” they would exclaim. “Grandma and I are going to walk so far that it is like walking from your house to St. Louis or Springfield and then back!” They had been on drives to both cities and in their little minds knew that it was VERY far. There were gape-mouthed expressions, eyes wide with awe, and more “Wows!”.
On our first night in Barcelona Christine thought of another way to impress upon them the grandness of what was ahead for us. Using her cell phone, she called each household for a video chat with the “little people”. Directing her phone out of our upper floor room to the evening panorama of Barcelona, she explained that we were so far away that while it was daytime in Kansas City it was nighttime where we were. The images held their attention and wonder.
4-year-old Britton, one of the three surviving quadruplets, broke the silence. Seeing the rush of evening traffic and the street below us he exclaimed, “Grandma! They have CARS in Spain!” “Yes Britton, just like in Kansas City.” “Then why are you WALKING across Spain?!!”
Delaney, Britton, and Simon. The red lips are from Easter candy.
From the mouths of babes…
Yesterday, now 15-year-old Britton, a muscular high school freshman nearing 6 feet tall and who plays football and wrestles, eagerly anticipated the day’s mail.
Minutes after the mail arrived Britton sent me a text message and picture with the captions, “Yay!!!” and “My hair looks so bad!”. His passport had arrived!
Britton, Simon, and Delaney today along with their little sister Lennon.
Next June, life and health willing, an odd couple will join thousands of other making the 800+ kilometer trek across Spain. One age 72, in the evening of life, and one 15 with life’s lottery still spinning its wheel. One searching for his future through the telescope of imagination and the other reflecting upon his past through the bifocals of what cannot be changed. One with the experience of three prior Caminos, and one brimming with the excitement of tackling his first. Who is the teacher and who is the student?… well, that depends. What is certain is that there will be marvels each day for both of them, but only one person will have to polish the tarnish of years from his child-like wonder.
I will observe that there are still cars in Spain. “So Britton, why are YOU walking across Spain?!!”
Life comes full circle.
Peace Everyone. Pete
P.S. For those who have walked at least the last 100 km in a continuous journey to Santiago a reward awaits at the Pilgrim’s Reception Office. First, one must produce evidence that they have completed the requirements of the journey. This is done in the form of a Pilgrim’s Credential (“Credencial del Peregrino”) upon which the stamps from lodgings, restaurants, churches, etc. are acquired each day to prove the journey.
Second, the trekker/pilgrim (“Peregrino”) gives their reason for undertaking the journey. If for religious or spiritual reasons they are awarded the “Compostela”, suitable for framing.
If, however, the journey was undertaken for some other reason such as health, pursuing a physical challenge, or just checking off an item on one’s “bucket list”, then the award is in the form of a “Certificate of Distance”, also suitable for framing.
Thus, the question, “Why have you walked across Spain?”, is actually asked of and answered by each of the thousands of pilgrims arriving in Santiago each year.
Written November 8, 2023, in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of the Baja Peninsula, Mexico.
Today and tomorrow are at sea days. We are scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles on Friday, November 10th. We will transport from the ship to Los Angeles International Airport and board a non-stop flight to Kansas City. I am ready to be home, as is Christine.
It seems that no matter if the trip has been 2 weeks or two months, at about 3 days before the end I grow restless and perhaps even difficult to be around. Having known me for over 49 years, Christine (thankfully) tolerates my moods.
We spent yesterday in the port of Cabo San Lucas, located at the southernmost tip of the 775 mile long Baja Peninsula.
First light as we approached Cabo. Cabo’s iconic land’s end. The harbor Pilot escorting us to our anchorage.Cabo beachfront resorts. The 300 foot 150 million dollar yacht, Attessa IV.
Our 3 hour land excursion took us away from the busy tourist port to the smaller and less hectic San Jose del Cabo.
Our ship’s tenders transported us ashore.
Rather than taking time away from Christine these final two days to write an extensive explanation of the day, I hope that the pictures with an occasional caption will suffice.
Our guideThe Mission Church at San Jose del Cabo..The Mission Square. Shops……and more shops.Back onboard.Land’s end nearing sunset.Also at anchor, the 4,000 passenger Norwegian Bliss.
This will be my final post during this trip. I intend to follow-up in Kansas City with some closing thoughts, the result of ruminations fermenting in my mind during the journey.
In the meantime, enjoy the pictures and…
…Peace Everyone. Pete
PS. Another delightful crew member that it has been our pleasure to meet is Lucia from Peru.
There are 465 crew members aboard, representing 43 countries and 7 different faith traditions. The head of guest services spoke with pride of the camaraderie of the ship’s crew, and in the next breath reflected, “Why in this world of ours can not everyone follow this example and live in peace with one another.”
Written November 4, 2023, in the Pacific Ocean @150 miles west of southern Mexico.
The weather has gradually deteriorated since we left Panama on October 31st. Today winds are near gale force and seas are approaching 20 feet.
A passenger leans out from his stateroom. Bigger waves chased him inside.
The Captain has indicated conditions may continue to worsen. Barf bags have been deployed.
The waves are crashing into the ship at a height greater than our state room.
Fortunately, conditions still favored us as we made port in the protected waters of Puentarenas, Costa Rica on November 2nd.
The long narrow cruise dock looked quite fragile compared to other ports that we have visited.
Our outing for the day was titled “A Walk in the Clouds, Costa Rica’s Cloud Forest.” We were transported by luxury coach 90 minutes into the mountains. At an elevation of nearly 4,000 feet the temperatures were moderate but the humidity contributed to periods of dense fog. We were literally driving in the clouds.
Our guide, Exon, provided us with an information and humor filled lecture en route.
The drive time passed quickly, punctuated by a bathroom break at a large crafts shop where souvenirs could be purchased and coffee sampled. There was a beautiful garden and best of all, an enclosed butterfly habitat.
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There were dozens of butterflies fluttering about. Christine visited with a caretaker who was busily harvesting butterfly eggs.
At our destination there was another bathroom opportunity before we descended into the “Cloud Forest”, lead by Exon. Here are some images:
.This is a “walking palm tree”. It is believed by many to move in the forest by putting down roots on the sunlit side while those roots on the shady side wither. It is a myth. This large pine cone shaped plant holds water in its upturned cavities. The water takes on antiseptic properties and smells like shampoo...Look closely! This snake, hidden next to the trail, is a pit viper. It is one of the many varieties of poisonous snakes in Costa Rica. ..
Afterward we enjoyed lunch consisting of beans, rice, and roast pork richly seasoned with garlic.
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As Exon explained, if one prefers an alternate dish, just ask for rice and beans instead of beans and rice.
We departed port shortly after dark with 4 at sea days ahead. The original itinerary included a day in Nicaragua, however the government has currently closed the ports to cruise traffic.
Like the weather, and sunsets, some things are beyond the control of our our Captain and crew.
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Peace Everyone. Pete
PS. What is within the control of the crew is the remarkable service provided by personnel. In just a few days many members have worked their way into our hearts. These are hard working people who are dedicated to the comfort of the passengers. To me they are more like friends.
Christine and Hiep from Vietnam.Myra from the Philippines, Christine, Princess from Zimbabwe, and Ika from Bali, Indonesia.Ika from Bali, Christine, Nanci from Mexico, and Princess from Zimbabwe.Christine and Princess from Zimbabwe.Christine and Sasa from South Africa……and Guna from the Bali, Indonesia with Unray from Bermuda.
