Days 27-32: A Whole New Camino

The last time I wrote, things were very different. I was sitting in a hot albergue, somewhat unaware of the road ahead.

We left Villafranca super early in the morning since it was going to be a long walk. I always hate waking up early, but it does feel good to rack up 10 kilometers before 8 AM. Things were good until we hit the steep climb up to O Cebreiro.

The ascent went over 500m and lasted several kilometers. I originally started off with two guys, but they soon left me. I really struggled in the beginning with the steepness and the rocks. Luckily, podcasts exist! I put on a podcast and got to the summit by 12:30.

O Cebreiro is a cute town, but there isn’t really anything to do. Also, the municipal albergue doesn’t have any shower curtains in the bathrooms. That was super awkward.

We left O Cebreiro in the morning, in time for the fabulous sunrise. It looked like the mountain peaks were islands rising up out of the water amidst the fog.

We didn’t quite know where we were going to end up that night. The recommended stop was at Triacastela, but that was only 20 kilometers, so a pretty short day for us. Then there was Samos, which was a little out of the way, but promises a great monastery.

Well, on a whim, I threw out the idea of going to Sarria. It would be a 38 kilometer day, but we would officially make up a day and be treated with smaller stages in the future. Sarria is also the starting point for many people on the Camino because it’s 110 kilometers away and you only need to complete 100 to get the certificate.

That night in Sarria, we mocked the people walking around in the streets with their new shoes and new backpacks. Some girls staying in our room in the albergue were fresh and clean. Meanwhile, we were comparing the dirt lines on our ankles.

Coming out of Sarria, there were a ton of new people, as expected. It gave us joy to pass all of these people out. We arrived in Portomarín and found a swanky albergue for €10. Right next door, there was a great restaurant with great views and a pilgrim menu that was actually made with fresh ingredients.

By now, I had passed the 100 kilometer mark. Would this be the Camino everyone raved about? Our luck changed the next day. As soon as we left Portomarín, all we could see was a stream of people as far as the eye could see. There never was a moment of solitude.

We became annoyed with these people. They all wore their tiny day packs, while having their bags and giant suitcases shipped ahead. Most of them walk with hiking poles, even though it’s not necessary with the terrain, clogging up the path even more.

Finally, we hit Palas del Rei, our stop for the night. We were turned away from several albergues because these new pilgrims were reserving ahead and having all their luggage transported. Meanwhile, we’ve been carrying around 20 pound backpacks for the past month and have to scramble to find something.

One old man in a bar took pity on us. He told us there was a café with a small albergue. We found it and found accommodation for the night. It wasn’t great, yet it was perfect. There were three beds in one room for the three of us.

Instantly, I began looking for places for the next few nights. I found a place for the following day and booked it, just to be safe. Knowing we had a place, we had a super leisurely morning. We didn’t end up leaving until 8:30. We stopped often and meandered.

On top of the new pilgrims, the weather has also been sub-optimal. It often rains and then is sunny then drizzles then downpours. We’re constantly putting on and taking off the ponchos and rain coats. About midday, the rain started pouring down. We had stopped in a restaurant when this happened, but it was still a little drizzly when we left.

Because of the rain, the day seemed to drag on forever. We arrived after 3 PM to our albergue. We were surprised to be given a room with three beds (no bunks!) and a TV in our room! There wasn’t anything else to do in the town, so we climbed into our sleeping sacks and watched some garbage TV.

Then, there was today. The weather today was all over the place, from pouring rain to sunny. We shouted out the kilometers on the stones, well, when there were numbers. Some people have decided to take the plaques for themselves. Rude.

I knew today would be difficult. Between our stop and Santiago, there wasn’t much. We started to look for things about 15 kilometers out. Several places turned us away but gave us looks of pity as we left. My worst hope came to be true. We had to walk over 35 kilometers to the place just before Santiago.

We arrived just in time. Soon after arriving, before we even could check in, the rain started lashing down. We were so lucky to have gotten there when we did. We were also lucky that this place has 400 beds.

So, now, here we are. We are 5 kilometers away from Santiago de Compostela, meaning we can get there in under and hour tomorrow. I finally can wear different clothes and make up and stop walking. I can’t believe this 800 kilometer journey is almost done.