For the next three Sundays, while I'm traveling on the Camino, my posts have been written ahead of time based on where I'll be. I've found on previous journeys, that to anticipate a new place and then to actually experience it offers many surprises. In my video posts on my author Facebook page, I plan to follow the post with what that place was really like.
On August 11th, it will be my second day on the Camino. It's an eight-mile day walking by the coast along boardwalks, sand, stone and pavement from the town of Labruge to Povoa de Varzim--a beach town. I look forward to being by the ocean, that always draws me and has been a place of renewal throughout my life. I wonder if the water will be more blue, blue-green, blue-gray; surely it will restore my weary feet and help prepare them for the next day that will be a 12 mile walk.
What I'm most curious about is in the town of Viana do Castelo, where I'll arrive on Tuesday, August 13th. In my information packet, I'm advised to, "taste the local cuisine, explore the historic center of town, and take the funicular to the Basilica de Santa Luzia for great views. The locals call the funicular the elevator and it costs 3 Euros to ride."
When I first read that, the word funicular was vaguely familiar. Eventually, I remembered first hearing it when I read my friend and fellow writer, Bill's description of a scene from his novel that's set in Quebec City.
His protagonist, Peri is a travel writer covering a winter carnival. To get to her destination, she has to take a funicular ( Wikipedia describes as a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep slope) It's a scary ride for her because she has claustrophobia. Someone tampered with the braking system so it roared down the track like a rollercoaster, instead of gliding down slowly like it was supposed to. I identified with Peri since I have a bit of claustrophobia and because of my experience in Colorado riding the Pike's Peak Cog Rail on one of my solo journeys.
My big concern with riding the Cog Rail to the top of Pike's Peak, was whether I could tolerate the height. I thought I'd feel secure inside the car, since it wasn't open like a roller coaster so I reasoned that it would be okay. But, what I didn't think about was the altitude, and particularly that in the one hour ride we'd climb from 6,400 to 11,500 feet at the highest point the train could go on that windy day.
The further up the mountain the train climbed, the sicker I felt with headache, nausea, chills, and drowsiness. By the time we reached our end point, I literally "lost it" 😦 Later I would understand that I'd had altitude sickness that had been brought on by a 5,000 feet increase in one hour's time. I read that you should acclimate gradually, ascending no more than 2,000 feet a day.
My view out the Cog Rail window before I "lost it" at that highest point
Now, when I read about the funicular going up to the Basilica, the beautiful views from that height, my mind goes back to the view I couldn't enjoy at Pike's Peak. I think of Peri hyperventilating in that runaway funicular and that colors my view of potentially experiencing that elevator ride in Portugal.
Would riding the funicular be fun or would it be filled with fear because of my past experience in Colorado, my identification with a fictional character?
I'll take a look at the situation when I arrive in Viana de Castelo, and make my decision based on what I find-- and my ability to leave the past behind.
Stay tuned to my Facebook page post on Wednesday to see what happened.
https://www.facebook.com/connierosserriddle55
Buen Camino, Friends!
Connie
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