Health problems coming up combined with log on problems to the blog - time to back up

Sorry for the interruption of the block, I am back up now!

I wake up early in my hostel room in Los Arcos. It was hot all night in the room as I kept the electric heater next to the bed full steam. For the first time on this Camino I did not freeze in bed. However the temperature outside is not inviting - only 5 degrees, however I pack up and prepare the envelope for the luggage transfer.

I immediately freeze as I get outside so I decide to walk a little faster.  ‚Trrrrrropical Summmer…‘ I start humming the 80s solo debut of ABBA‘s Agneta. The world was so simple in the 70s when ABBA came out with a new hit almost every month. I did not really follow them, but 4 girls in our church group in Willingen were totally into this music and prepared a costumed and staffed lip sing number for our monthly party: Sabine & Monika Golick, Elke Höss and Freia Therborg - I even start remembering their names. Well, of course I remember them: had a short fling with Sabine and Elke and of course French kissed my first true love Freia…..those were the days. I return from my day dreaming/flash backs…

The first 8 km lead through grass and tree landscape with ever up and downward climbings. Then finally I spot the first vineyards - I made it to The Rioja area - one of Spain‘s finest!!  I was looking forward so much to this part of the Camino as I made reservations for lunch at the Bodega ( vineyard) Marquese de Murrietta. With this extra motivation I force myself to walk even faster realizing that I am already soaking wet by my sweat today.

The sun simply does not make it through the clouds today and I feel how my hole body starts getting cold. In the beautiful village of Viana I already can look down on the outskirts of Logrono. I feel though that I have a temperature and some wise voice in the back of my head demands me to see a doctor…now!

I find a taxi in front of the church and ask the driver to drop me to Logrono oldtwon to a medical center just a kilometer away from my hotel. He gets me there in less than 10 min - this distance would have taken me at least 2h by walking.

I fill out the different forms at the medical center noticing that a constant sweat drips off my head. The friendly host behind the counter seems to understand that there is something wrong with me and gives me an express pass to the doctor on the second floor. Doctor Maria ( sorry forgot her last name) starts taking blood, Urin and spit samples. After about an hour she calls me back into her room checks a few more things around my body and starts speaking with a very serious face:‘You have bronchitis, fever, your body is dehydrated and you either have a blatter infection or prostate inflammation‘, then she pauses and looks at me. After a while I ask,‘ Do you think I could walk again tomorrow on the Camino?‘ now her face gets almost angry:‘Sir, you are sick and you need to recover for at least a week. Please take this serious.‘

Is this the end to my Camino? Doctor Maria hands me some prescriptions with drugs to take for the coming 7 days and I leave for my hotel. On the way I come to realize that she only told me what I have been feeling already for the past days. I will take this serious and try to recover fast.

Short before the hotel a school class with young students in uniform pass me - it must be some king of student field trip da. as groups with their teacher approach from all directions. As the students pass by me they look up to me full of amaze ‚que alto‘, how tall, how tall…it echos from everywhere. They put back a big smile on my face and uplift my spirit - yes, I will try to recover.

In the hotel then I decide to skip the lunch at the bodega and start brainstorming what to do next. I have a teams conference with a potential client at 3 pm which I better start preparing for. I brought one dress shirt with cuffing for this instance which I put on after cleaning up. I somehow make it through the conference successfully and lay down on my bed - what should I do now?

My initial plan was to visit Hebsche, Sigrid‘s brother, who lives in Benidorm Spain after the Camino. So why not fly down now, recover for a week in warmer weather and come back if possible after - let’s just do it; I book my flight for next morning 6:30 am departure and stay in bed drinking lots of water to rehydrate. I really want to continue, but I need to learn to back up now and accept the circumstances of my health.