Days Twelve and Thirteen

I woke today and thought My ankle is really starting to swell so I made the decision to send Pete ahead as it was pouring rain and i did not want to risk slipping down a hill ;). Although my ankle hurt it did not take me more than 4 hours to complete the 16 mile trek to Palas De Rei. Upon arriving for the day, I saw Pete and took out my flip flops waiting to be checked in. The guy at the reception desk took one look at my ankle and told me I had to go to the hospital and he pointed to a small building across the street. My ankle had turned a strange raspberry color and part of my shin was also turning the same weird color. He insisted on carrying Pete for me to my room. I showered did my laundry and went to have some lunch, At this point 2 nurses came in Angela from Scotland and Maria from Ireland who were traveling together. They had seen me the day before so sat at my table as is the Pilgrim way. I showed them my ankle and my leg and they insisted I get over to the hospital immediately apparently I had Cellulitis. Here is where it gets kind of fun when I arrived at the clinic (As I struggle to call it a hospital) nobody there spoke a single word of English. I would write down what I needed they would type it into the computer and it would translate it for them into Spanish. The nurse took one look at my ankle and took me back immediately to see the doctor. My limited Spanish does not span medical terminology. The doctor gave me a prescription for antibiotics as well as a steroid cream to be filled at the pharmacy he then told me I was not to walk for two full days and not with Pete for 10 days And with a big smile he said Buen Camino. Lol. When I returned back to where I was staying the very concerned Raphael at the front desk drove me to the pharmacy to make sure I got my medicine. He also took care of making reservations for me up in a pension for the next leg of the Camino as well as made arrangements dor Pete to be slack packed. Off topic: Met some older ladies from Australia who informed me it was called executive packing and not slack packing. They were on their fourth attempt to complete the Camino. Lol! I walked a mile to the bus station and took the bus to Ribadiso. The bus dropped me off in the middle of nowhere, I thought now what do I do and where do I go? Eventually I found the road for the Camino And followed it into the town about 3 miles away. I am at a pivotal spot in my Camino do I take the bus another day forward and try to walk to Santiago from there without Pete or head home? I realized a very valuable lesson and my Camino that it is not my ego that I need to honor but rather the spirit of the Camino, As I sit and ponder my now what I see a young woman walking with her blind father he has got his pole attached to her bag and he is holding the other end and she is guiding him along the way. Is the goal the certificate or the goal the experience at this time I believe the goal for me was the experience. As I sit here resting my ankle and looking for Pete he currently is nowhere in sight.. I believe if I wake in the morning and my ankle feels better I will continue my trek, if not I will take the bus to Santiago and try to change flight and head home. This was not the Camino I had expected for me but perhaps in that is the lesson. Side note: wouldn't it be funny if all Cellulitis could be cured by antibiotics, ice and cream. ;). And Baby is peaceful at this time not a peep or complaint ...sigh