June 19. boots

Today I headed to my least favorite outdoors chain store to getao.ideas on boot sizes 

I did try some salomons but they were too narrow for my feet. Even standard the merrels were no good, but the wide merrels were just right. 

I was happy that I had gone to that shop to try on some real shoes in the real world. I had been considering how ,"the merrels I have are too tight

 So if i add a size I'll be good".  But no no no! In the store I followed the recipe broadcast by Nancy on "You on the camino" podcast; buy wool blend hiking socks, try on shoes, with laces lose tap your toes and check there is a finger width space behind the heel, lace up with light but even pressure. 

Doing it properly I ended up buying 1.5 oversize. Also, I reconfirmed that I did need a "wide" sizing. I had effectively saved myself from buying another unsuitable pair of boots and had bought boots that felt "just right" on. 

Even now, air tickets paid for and shoes bought, I can't believe I've signed up to wall 800k across a strange land on the other side of the planet. My last decent hike, the 50k Milford Track in New Zealand, caused me to bloat with fluid and after four days I felt depleted. I haven't worked out the bloat, a d could reasonably suspect that after walking a week of look like theMichrlin Man and fall into a pile on

The Way. "Balloon Man Discovered on The Way: The mam known only a Balloon Man has made a miraculous recovery after a qiick thinking hiker jabbed him with the spike of his hikng stick. Several litres of a gooey mass bled off and the Balloon Man regained consciousness.  

I suspect the just-add-boiling-water hiking meals. They are full of salt which might have caused water retention. Well I hope so. I've given myself eight weeks for a 32 day hike, so I'm either going to work through it or " die". All part of the adventure I suppose. 

My life here had been so predictable and comfortable these last few years, especially after my wife left, I just haven't had much stress. Eight weeks in a strange country, foreign language, no fixed address and pressure to walk right across the entire country.