Costco Camino

I smell awful. I SHOULD take a shower, but I presently don’t trust my legs or my feet to do their job right now. 

We spent a little over 8 hours waking 21.6 miles today. After the hostel we lucked into last night came alive this morning, we fell into line with a very different experience than yesterday. There was a highway of people all headed in the same direction. It’s so wild to see people that you have zero idea where they’re from, can’t predict their language before it comes out, don’t know their experiences, but you  do know exactly where they’re headed. 

After a quick meal of coffee better than any I’ve ever tasted and that cursed chocolate bread, we headed out. 

There were so very many hills today. At a total evelvation gain of only 2,400 feet, they weren’t insurmountable hills, but for someone who thought there were no hills, it seemed like a lot. 

Since today was the Costco Camino, we had opportunity to get in conversation with strangers. The London Japanese guy strongly recommends travel to Malaysia. His oldest daughter trains in jui-jitsu, and he’s contemplating taking the family to Mexico City to vacation because he thinks that will suit everyone. (*shrug)

We also met Renee and Jim who are 31 days in to their trip in which they are trying to fundraise $5000 to support their local Christian Athletes program They lost a mini Aussie 2 years ago named Tessa. She’d lived a full 16 years and is still missed. 

The I-5 level of people mostly peeled off at at town called Palas de Rei. I thought we may stop there and try to find lodging instead on we pressed.

I’m not a Camino expert, but it seems that there are the big stops that draw the crowds  that are set about 15 miles apart. Then, along the trail there is hit or miss in the way of lodging. We decided to chance it and like any good emotional roller coaster will do, it was a great idea when we walked on with the trail to ourselves, then it was horrible as every hostel we found was closed, then back to bliss when we landed on a cute hostel that looks straight out of a fairy tale. I’m not basing that description entirely on the fact that there is a bona fide toilet, but it also didn’t hurt its appeal. Peeing on the trail with legs you can’t trust is its own adventure. And here I was worried I wasn’t going to be able to work out.

Also, it seems very clear that the bulk of folks start and stop at the same times. After the masses peeled off in town, the trail was mostly ours again. I couldn’t tell you how many hundreds we shared with from 8:30 till 3:00, but from then till 5:30 there were a total of 5 people on the trail with us.

Today’s scenery continued to stun. There’s far too much to try to capture either in words or pictures.

I can’t wait to see what tomorrow has to show, or to learn who has the best of that frickin’ chocolate bread.