April 12, 2013, Day 13, Santo Domingo to Viloria de la Rioja (15 km)

Today was a shorter day as I left Santo Domingo late in the day.  It was a pretty straight path roads through towns passing through Granon and Redecilla del Camino                             prior to arriving in Viloria de la Rioja.

Inner Journey

It took everything in me not to take a cab to the airport and go home.  I was finished.  Done. Complete and unforgiving.  At about midnight, when I was doing my best to sleep in the ¨luxurious¨bed at the Parador de Santo Domingo, something made me wake up and I felt me ear and realized that one of my diamond earrings was missing.  I lost it.  Instead of the earring, there was this HUGE whole in my earlove.  It just pushed it´s way out.  I felt betrayed by The Camino and punished.  It was late and I turned on the light and looked everywhere.  I tried to call Garrett but he didn´t answer.  I later found out he left his phone in Austin, TX.  I felt alone and I couldn´t handle it.  It wasn´t simply the value of the diamond and that it was a very special gift that had tremendous meaning, it was a connection to something important that I couldn´t name.  I stayed up all night looking for it.  In the morning I asked the maintenance crew if they could search the drain. They explained there was no trap that if it fell off in the shower it was lost.  Very reluctantly I began walking in tears for most of the 15 km to Viloria de la Rioja.  I finally came to the village of Viloria and there was not much there.  There were no stores.  There was an Albergue so I went in.  Immediately, I was hit with an incredible feeling of love and peace.  The Albergue smelled so good.  Incense were burning and soft chanting music played in the backgound.  It was cold outside but there were to wood burning stoves lit inside.  There was a library and small store inside.  In the libary were all of the books written by Paulo Cuelho, the author of The Pilgrimage and The Alchemist.   Two books that were transformative to me so many years ago.  I found out that Paulo was the Padrino or Godfather of this small Albergue. A brazilian man greated me with a hug and said, ÿou go take a shower and choose a bed.  When you are warm and refreshed we will then sign you in.  We will share a common supper at 7:00.¨ I knew I would be ok somehow.  Love conquers all.

I finally heard back from Garrett and he said the most amazing thing.  He said, ¨The diamond can be replaced.  Maybe The Camino gave it to someone who needed it more than you and it changed their life¨.  I realized that he is my rock…my diamond and he can´t be lost.

Bueno Camino!