Camino friend's blogs

Here's the blogs and albums a few of the people we walked with:

* Erin & Peter from Adelaide, Aus: blog (scroll down to 'Camino Frances'). Hannah & I make it into a few of their posts: here and here. They cycled across the south of England then down the French coast before starting the Camino. So they were already a few thousand kilometers into it before we even started!

* Clem from Wellington, New Zealand: blog. Clem walked well beyond Santiago (925kms in total)... then decided to head straight back and walk the Camino del Norte for an extra 825kms! OMG!

* Nikki from Hungary: places album; people album (LOL @ her piccy of us)

Day 41: 9/06/09: Final day of walking: Santa Irene to Stantiago de Compostella (0.00kms to go)

Well, this is was our final day of walking. We've walked almost 800kms over 41 days, and haven't caught a single bus/taxi/train/etc. Every single kilometer has been done by foot..

We've had rain every day for the last week, but for our last day the weather clears up and it's a lovely stroll towards Santiago.

In Galicia, the north western part of Spain where we are, introduced euclaytpus trees account for almost a third of the forests. (Eucalypts were introduced to Galicia over the last century because they grow much faster than the local oak. However, being an introduced species they've upset the eco-balance and are poisonous to many native birds & animals.) Eucalypts have such a distinctive smell, they can't be mistaken for anything else. It's bizarre being on the opposite side of the world, smelling trees that we associate with home.

Many people stop at a place called Monte de Gozo, where you're first able to see the towers of Santiago's cathederal. From here it's only an extra 4kms (~1 hour) to Santiago, so we continue on. For this last bit we're out of sync with most other pilgrims and walk into the destination just by ourselves, which is exactly how we wanted it.

We have a very brief look at the city as we come through... then collaspe into the closest hotel and sleep for about 48 hours. Our bodies feel as though we've... well... walked 800kms.

I've no idea what to write for the end of this. It's not something I can put into words.

We're both very proud to have completed the Camino, and are very privileged to have met many of the people we've met along the way. It's changed our perspective on a lot of things and helped us prioritise the things that are important to us.

Would we walk the Camino again? Definitely.

Day 40: 8/06/09: Ribadiso to Santa Irene (19ish kms)

In Galicia, the north western part of Spain, it rains on average 1 in 3 days during the year. But since we reached Galicia several days ago, the rain has barely stopped for a second. Every day we arrive at our destination grateful for our warm waterproof clothes.

We´ve walked so far over so many days in the rain that it no longer really worries me. However, today´s rain is a torrential downpour and I'm at the point where I really can't get any wetter. My feet are floating within my shoes, and the water resistant pants decided resistance was futile hours ago.

Some parts of the track are completely under water for hundreds of meters, and we climb through the bush until it gets shallower again.

I jokingly issue the challenge "Bring it on, Little Storm!".

Note to self: if I'm ever again miles from shelter carrying thousands of dollars of photographic equipment and decide to issue a direct challenge to the elements: don't. The elements win. Convincingly.

By the time we reach the next cafe and burst in through the door, we're carrying enough excess water that by simply standing there we flood half the cafe. The front balance packs have two inches of water in them... and this is where all the camera gear is, along with our passports, this diary, the guide books, etc. It's all floating inside our packs!

(postscript: although the camera didn't survive, the memory cards with the photos were OK. Phew.)

After moving the essentials from the front packs to the waterproof backpacks, we grab a coffee: partly to get warm; partly to apologise for the pools of water on the floor. We're by far not the only ones doing this -- dozens of pilgrims huddle around their hot drink of choice.

Heading back out into the storm, we head directly to the first albergue we can find, rather than to the town we'd originally aimed for. We'd been due to do laundry anyway, so when the host offers (for a hefty fee) to wash & dry our clothes, we give her every single item we have, and I huddle under a blanket in my bathers while eagerly waiting for their return.

The rest of the day is spent trying to dry our equipment. Right before bed we discover that water has seeped in through the bottom of our backpacks, and the few things we'd thought were dry (like our sleeping bags) are actually wet too.

We have a great dinner a group of people new to us, where we all laugh about the day, talk about our Camino so far, and post Camino plans.

Tomorrow is our final day of walking. Many people stop overnight at a town 4kms from Santiago so they can attend mass in the morning, but as we'll be in Santiago for several days we don't need the extra stop.

Our perspective of time is distorted. It's only been 40 days of walking so far, but it seems like ten-fold that amount. It seems so long ago that we left home.

Day 39: 7/06/09:Palas de Rei to Ribadiso (28.5kms walked)

* Every few minutes for an hour or two, we hear a gunshot somewhere nearby. We never find out what it was, but I suspect it may have something to do with the red meat industry. I decide to have mixed salad for dinner tonight.

* 39 days down, 2 to go. Then we hit Santiago where we can finally sit down for a few days. We´re a little road weary. We both want to still walk the extra 90kms to Finisterra on the west coast, but we need to rest our feet first. And I think we´ve earned a celebratory drink.

* Upon arriving at the albergue each afternoon, I have a different priority. Sometimes it is a quick nap; sometimes food; sometimes a self-provided foot massage. Today was the third consecutive day we´ve spent walking in the pouring rain, so my main priority was a warm shower. Followed by a quick nap. Followed by some lunch. Deciding this sequence is one of the primary chores of the afternoon.

* We have only 2 more days on the road. It´s been weird for the last few days. For so many weeks we´ve been seeing the kilometer markers count down through the hundreds. 760kms... 740kms... 500kms... 400kms. And now we´re finally into double digits. 50kms... 45kms... 40kms. The destination of Santiago de Compostella seemed like a pipedream for so long, but we´ll hit it with only 2 more days of walking. They´re both short easy days -- maybe 5 or 6 hours of gentle downhill on both days. I think we´re both ready to finish this walk. Our bodies have picked up a fair amount of wear and tear over the last 750ish-kms, and our heads are craving a break for the daily communal living. But we´ve already decided our route for the extra 90kms to Finisterra. And we´re already talking about our packing list for our next Camino.

From Hannah:

* Today is our 13th consecutive day without a hotel and/or rest day. I know so because I counted and I know so because my whole body is telling me.

* Xunta albergues in Galicia are only 3€, including the one at Ribadiso, however this town has no other amenities so following showers, lunch and a snooze, the only option is the attached bar. Here I opt for 2 primeros (entrees) and no secundos (main course). I get sick of the meat and oily chips.

Day 38: 6/06/09: Portomarin to Palas de Rei (26kms walked; 68.5kms to go)

* Numerous wind generators poking out of low lying cloud, their warning lights blinking sleepily.

From Hannah:

* Showing our veteran status, we had a solid day of walking, covering 26kms in 5 hours. This is great time for us! Wondering how long tomorrow´s 28.5kms will take us (third last day).

* Although we made great time, we:

• got the last two beds in the private hostal due to an accidental 2km detour out of town looking for the municipal albergue
• lay in my bunk together for an hour, barely moving. Jason napping and me wide awake feeling my feet pulsate.
  

Day 37: 5/06/09: Sarria to Portomarin

* Several of the new walkers kept me awake by loudly coming into the room noisily & repeatedly after lights out, then finally drunkenly dropping into bed 2.5 hours after the standard curfew time. In the morning (after standard lights-on time) I returned the favour by packing next to their beds, and accidentally shining the head torch in their faces. The Camino has taught me quite a few things, but turning the other cheek isn´t yet one of them.


* About 3 weeks ago the soles of my hiking boots wore through. I kept them usable by spending an obcene amount in insoles (some of the Parmacists along the camino know they have a captive market for shoe/foot/knee products). And today I found out that my shoes are no longer waterproof. Walking for 5 hours in wet shoes isn´t all that pleasant. It´s traditional at the end of the Camino to burn your shoes. I´m looking farwards to fulfilling that tradition.


* About half an hour from our destination the weather changes from hot t-shirt weather to pelting rain. In seconds, we´ve got the backpacks off, havwe found and donned our heavy rain jackets, have the backpacks back on, and are on our way.


* During the days we both carry about 12 or 13kgs for 20 to 30kms each day. We climb the steepest ascents at the speed we used to power walk around the flat paths at Albert Park Lake. Yet every night after dinner, we hobble out of the restaurants as though we´re 150 years old. All the pilgrims have the same walk at night. It´s easy to tell who the locals are... they´re the only ones not limping. But all the pilgrims have an extra twinkle in their eye.

Day 36: 4/06/09: Tricastilla to Sarria (25 kms)

This is quite out of date, but I´m adding the diary entries as I get online time. Not much internet access in the rural farming villages in Spain. :)

* Took the longer route (by 6.5km) to Sarria via Samos to visit the 6th century Monasterio de Samos. We arrive after it opens, but are told we´ll have to wait 40 minutes until a group arrives so we can all tour the interior together. With many miles still to walk, we decide to explore the exterior instead before moving on. Attached to the outside of the monastery is a small petrol station where somebody is impatiently honking their horn. I figure he´ll have to wait 40 minutes for a group of cars so they can all fill up together.

* On the approach to the monastery we pass a herd of cattle and stop for a look. Some Spanish cyclists also stop, and tell me ¨Vaca Español...mucho leche, mucho carne¨ (Spanish cows...lots of milk, lots of meat). The only relevant Spanish sentence I can come up with immediately is, ¨Me gusta mucho leche¨(I like lots of milk), which seems somewhat inappropriate, so I simply agree with, ¨Muy bien¨ (very good).

* Sarria (our destination tonight) is the minimum amount people can walk and still get a certificate for completing the Camino. It´s 100kms over 5 days, rather than the 800ish kms if you do the full Camino Francés that we´ve done. It´s much less of an undertaking, so it seems as though they do a lot less, if any, research before starting. Tonight we met a couple in the albergue that hadn´t realised they needed to bring sleeping bags, so Hannah translates directions to a store that may have some. When you´re paying 4 or 5 € per night, you don´t generally get extras like fresh linen. Postscript: the following day we saw the same couple soaking wet in long sleeve tshirts during a brief yet heavy rain. Apparently they hadn´t bought jackets either. In Galicia, the western part of Spain we´re in now, it rains one day in three during an average year. Not having a sleeping bag means you haven´t done much research, but not having a jacket takes lack of preparation into a completely new league.