Where Mr. B. B?: Day 14 Camino de Santiago July 19, Ages

Ages which is pronounced Ah hez was a 27k hike from Beldorado. I love that name....Bel dorado. Like a friggin' John Wayne movie! Where's Ricky, Walter Brennan, Dean Martin, Robert Mitchem?? Beldorado had one of the nicest town squares we've visited. And it's a good thing. Today was the hottest day on the Camino - 107. There must be bodies along the Trail somewhere?
Everyone, even me, was dog-tired and hot from the get-go. I think I was hot because I didn't shower in the morning. I usually take a shower when I arrive in town and then one in the morning.
We arrived in Beldorado at 12:30 (High Noon +30) and were so tired that we stopped. We met up with Richard and Nora at dinner and had a great time joking.
My budget is doing well. Spending about $40 a day, if that! Most of that has been for tape for my ankles or ibuprofen, or Compead for blisters. It's a morning ritual that most everyone goes through: wake like they've been shot out of a cannon, get out of bunk, wrap Christmas gifts (pack up) and then go outside and perform miracles on their feet.

In the mountains just outside of Belodorado, there are some very well designed caves in the mountains. Would love to explore them, but I have enough trouble saying, "where is the cave?" Can you imagine what it would sound like saying, "I want to go inside your cave?"...and that's when the war began!

The path from Bedorado was climbing from the beginning but not too steep. We, Raj and I, left at 7:00AM and it was cloudy and cool, a big change from yesterday. Raj is a 27 year old electrical engineer that is going back to school to learn environmental engineering. He lived the first 14 years or so in Kerala, India and is currently living in Atlanta. Very nice guy.

We met up with Owen and Katrina in some little town and had breakfast with them. They were waiting on Owen's friends from Ireland to meet up with them, so we took off. Probably never see them again. Such is life on the Camino. People come into your life... and then leave just as suddenly. C'est la vie??

The Trail was remarkably easier, probably due to the overcast and cooler temperatures. It also helped that we went through an oak forest and then a pine tree forest. This area of Spain is famous for it's bandits that use to hide in the woods and ambush pilgrims.

Beautiful area. There was a lot of logging going on, but I believe it was mostly to create fire breaks. Still, for an Az. boy, it hurts to see trees fallen, though, I'm for it.

This is a site that marks the spot where many people were massacred during the Spanish Civil War. The inscription says, "Their lives were not in vain but their deaths were!" Frankly, I want my inscription to read, "It was on this spot that he took about 20 of the bastards out and this marker is merely a testimony to the generals of Franco, to beware!" Yeah...that works.

From the top of the mountain, it is a steady decent to the plains of Spain. It should take about 10 - 14 days of walking across flat hot plains. I'm looking forward to it. Plan to take my time and stop when my body says and walk when it doesn't mind! Take a good look at those trees! They're the last ones you are going to see for awhile! ha!