The retreat has come to an end. Our last class was this morning. Everyone seemed so sad. It was such a wonderful group.
Kino and Tim are amazing. Pilar and Jimmy (and Machi) are just the best hosts. And Lindsey is just the most amazing chef, kitchen alchemist and master of cookery. She and her team, Linda, Mercedes and Christina are really the unsung heroes of the retreat. It was the time spent together as a group for the really out of this world communal meals that she prepared which brought this wonderful group in such close proximity. The variety of dishes that Lindsey created, each something new, vibrant and delicious and the just gorgeous presentations brought smiles and near applause at every meal.
I was really sad it all came to such a sudden end. I made a lot of advancements at this retreat and not just limited to my asana practice.
Honestly the sense of melancholy I felt leaving my retreat companions is something I haven’t felt since the end of summer camp when I was a boy. The feeling you had knowing that, in the morning, your parents were coming to pick you up and take you home and that you might not see your new camp friends for another year or maybe never.
But there’s no time for such sentimentality, the retreat has ended and now I need prepare for the adventuresome part of my Mallorcan adventure.
This is serious stuff. Tomorrow I begin 4 days of hiking on the Ruta de Pedra en Sec. I’m basically hiking 5 stages, 4-8, over 4 days but in reverse, starting from Port de Pollen to Can Boi. Tomorrow it’s from Port de Pollen to the Son Amer refuge. Total is about 24 kilometers with about a 700 meter ascent.
My guide Fernando is meeting me here at the hotel tomorrow morning. I’ve got this new 50 liter backpack and I want him to help adjust it for me and go over the things I’m intending to bring and be sure I have everything I need and nothing that I don’t need. I need to be sure it’s properly packed and fit properly because I’m gonna be lugging it on my back for four days. I’m actually sure I’m gonna be fine with it but I’ve never done anything like this not even as a Boy Scout.
My friend Gabi is driving us to the trail head so that we don’t have to mess with the public buses.
I feel pretty good about tomorrow’s start. The information guide says the total is about 6 hours but we’re not gonna try to set any speed records. Second day is tougher, only about 16 kilometers with a near 900 meter ascent followed by an 850 meter descent but it’s day 3 that’s the big challenge.
I’m sure when I get to the refuge with their basic dinner I’m gonna wish I was eating the vegetarian menu at the retreat.
That’s right there was no meat served at the retreat, just vegetables because vegetarians eat vegetables but that begs the question, doesn’t it? If vegetarians eat vegetables what do humanitarians eat?
