Day nine Camino 2024

 It seems that I've been walking forever but it's only day nine!!!!

I belong to several Facebook groups about the Camino and they keep posting the number of people arriving in Santiago. Thousands each day, yet I hardly see anyone. Now, I guess to be fair, a lot of cyclists are on the route. But I might see 20 at the most in a dayÉ I was expecting throngs of people from the moment we arrived in Sarria. 

But I guess with staggered times of leaving the alberques, they are either ahead of me or behind me. Every cafe I passed this morning was empty. Iˋm now in a small hostel with ONE other person. Where are the people? 

Granted there are many other routes to get to Santiago - I guess I just got lucky. Plus I'm really trying to stay out of the most popular places and seem to be doing a great job at that. 

Once I passed through Palas de Rei, I had the choice of four alberques. I passed up the first one, then the second, and went onto the third. Closed until 1 PM and well, I decided to keep walking until the 4th. Yikes --- I almost missed it and at first thought it was closed. 

The next bed is 8 KM away and I certainly did NOT feel like walking that far today. 

I'm now in a very small village of Casanova where there is a restaurant and the albergue. The restaurant closed at 3 PM, so no more food until another 8 KM. The pilgrim meal was very hearty, so I doubt I'm going to need food for a long time. But I bought a wrapped pastry just in case I need for the morning. 

OH--- some excitement at the albergue as I was leaving. Every place here in Spain has motion lights. I was sitting in the entrance of the alberque finishing getting ready. And the lights would go off. I would have to get up and make some motion to turn them back on. 

As I was sitting there putting my bandage stuff away, and the lights were off, I spotted a shadow come to the door which was all glass. A man - but I didnˋt hear any vehicle and he had no backpack. He looked in the window and although I was barely 5 feet from him, he couldnˋt see me in the dark. DONˋT MOVE-- do not make the lights come back on!!!!

He went to the restaurant door and pounded on it then back to the alberque door. Looked in again. Nothing. then he went to the back of the building and then back to the front. Hmmmm --- no one was answering him and the alberque was quiet and dark, except for me. 

I donˋt know where he went, but after five minutes of not seeing him, I escaped and onto the path. Who was he and how did he get there - no idea 

Despite walking in the early morning when itˋs dark, Iˋve never felt frightened, nor did I feel frightened this morning. I just didnˋt want to let him in the building. I refuse to life afraid of anything -- OK - mosts things. A good fright once in a while is OK, but not to cripple me. 

The day was pretty quiet. Good paths, lots of shade, and while there were ascents and descents, it wasnˋt too bad. However, I was tired when I arrived arrived around 12:30. 

The problem is not so much the distance but all the climbing. It can add up to 1 hour or more on a 20 KM walk. An example is rom Portomarin to Palas de rei has over 1,000 meters of climbing!!!!! That is a lot of climbing. And we have climbing all the way to Santiago. 

It was cloudy and cool this morning and if I were home, I would have had a sweatshirt on. But with all the climbing, thereˋs been no point in digging out my sweater. 

The sun came out as well, which warmed things up, but because of the near constant shade o the tres and my getting in by 12:30, Iˋm good. But I do NOTwant to walk in the heat!!!!

My blisters are OK. The baby toe is a disaster. I should have drained that darn thing sooner and now it's a mess. I forgot to put a thread in the second one to drain it so it was full when I arrived. I must be better at that tomorrow as it can  make it uncomfortable to walk. But not unbearable. 

I an see people still walking from where I sit. Not tons of people passing, but enough. Some of them are slowly walking past and a young couple just now practially ran by. I saw a guy with two dogs. I don't think it's fair to take dogs on the walk - not in this heat, but not my dogs!!!!

The other person who arrived here about 30 minutes ago, is on of the girls in my room last night. OK-- so she arrived here FIVE hours after I did. How can that be? I walk fast, but NOT that fast. 

the guide book, the trail markers and the app all give different mileage to the finish. Iˋm going by the app which says 50 KM. Iˋm givinig myself three days to do it. Since the route is not crowded, I might as well enjoy it because life will be crazy when I get back home!!!

The sentence for today: Do not let the fear of the unknown (where to find a bed or food) be paralyzing. Know that there is always a way! Have faith and no regrets. 

Iˋve never been one for doing what others do and my choice of alberques says that!!!!

On that note, Iˋm off to finish the last 150 pages in this massive book. How she kept track of all the details is beyond me. 

Have a super day!!!!

Cioa!!!!!