It’s not something one normally regards as an essential, or even an optional, travel accessory, particularly when luggage is limited to what can be carried in a 50 litre backpack. We acquired it in Leon so that we could soak our sore, tendonitis-ridden feet in cold water when we stopped for lunch and at the end of the day.
We had originally got a round blue tub, but it was a bit too small for Greg’s feet, and even though the pink tub was larger, being rectangular meant it was easier to fit in his rucksack and carry.
Of all the things we tried for our feet – adhesive strapping, voltaren tablets and ointment, shoe inner soles cut to support the arches of our feet – I think that soaking them in cold water for at least 10 minutes was the most beneficial. When we did it at lunchtime, our feet felt like they had in the morning before we had walked 10 or 15 kms.
That pink tub had other uses as well – we did our washing in it because it held more water and clothes than little hotel bathroom sinks, and when Greg got sick … well, that’s what he got sick in. It saved him a few dizzy dashes down the hall to the communal bathroom.
I lost track of the pink tub at the hospital – trying to keep an eye on our 2 backpacks and Greg was about as much as I could manage at the time. I hope that tub has found a new home somewhere nice, and that its new owner appreciates it as much as we did!
Soaking my feet in the pink tub
