Traveling with Joe

I have had heard that “Necessity is the Mother of invention” and had probably even been forced to improvise so in the past but when it started raining again on the trail after weeks of good weather, I was caught unprepared.  I had the gear to protect my upper body but none of my pants are waterproof and there was no place to buy rain gear.

I stopped at a small bar in the middle of nowhere to have a coffee.  Sitting there contemplating my fate, I noticed a trash can with a black plastic liner.  Hmmm.  I asked the owner if I could buy a bag from him so he barked at his wife to take care of me.  She came out of the storeroom holding their last bag.  She told her husband but he still told her to give it to me.  I offered her money but she wouldn’t take it.  

After I had torn the bottom of the bag open, she even helped me tuck it into my pants.  My rain jacket has a string to pull to cinch up the bottom so I sealed the raincoat over the top of the plastic bag.  On the second day I made further modifications so the bag could not fall down and began my final 16km trek of the Camino.

Even with my Dolce & Gabanna quality crotch umbrella,  by the time I got to Santiago I was completely soaked.  Sadly,  my waterproof boots had gotten wet as well; only the second time in the entire trip.

I plan on starting a clothing line when I get home.  Watch out Prada, here comes “White Trash Outerwear”.