Camino 2014: Day 33 Olveiroa to Finisterre (Emily)

Camino 2014: Day 33 Oliveira to Fisterra

Miles today: 19.8

Miles total: 541.2

We did it!! Fisterra was a perfect way to end the walk. At about 15 kilometers into the walk we got to a point where we could see the ocean and two of the towns located by it. It was an incredible view. Then we got to the beach...Absolutely gorgeous!! It was like what you see in a magazine. But it was better in person. The turquoise waters with the boats floating off shore, white sparkling sand, mountains stretching off into the background. Prettiest thing I have ever seen! I can't even put it into words to do it justice. It was really hot out so we took advantage of the water, took our shoes off, and walked along the waters edge till we got to the town. It was so nice. Me and Lanie decided we are going to just move and live in Fisterra for the rest of our life. We didn't want to leave! We had to go find our hostel but as soon as we got there we instantly got all our stuff settled, and gathered our things to go right back. We had about an hour there before we had to go back. We walked around, picked up cool shells we found (they have pink and purple ones!) and just enjoyed the amazing view. After a while though we did have to go back. It was time to finally, after 33 days, finish our walk.

The end of the walk is at the top of a ridge by a lighthouse. It is marked by a milestone with 0.00 km. It was a beautiful sight! Me, Lanie and Mimi held hands as we walked up and then ran across the line. After we had a huge group hug, and took pictures next to the stone. We had just walked 862 kilometers across Spain! Crazy! Amazing adventure and I am so glad I got to experience it with those two girls. When we get back to school I know we will have our own friends that we will spend time with, but we share something that we don't share with anyone else. We can tell everyone about how incredible the views were, or how bad our feet hurt at the end of the day. We can try and explain how sometimes while on the trail even your own voice seems out of place. They might think they understand but really only those who have experienced it can. And we did, and we did it together. Every 541.2 miles of it :) To end the day we sat down and watched the sunset. It was amazing! Perfect way to end the day.

Fisterra was by far my favorite place on this trip. You couldn't help but be happy out there on the beach. It made every rough day on the trail completely worth it. Every step of the way that I was hurting, tired, or homesick, came down to this moment and I couldn't have asked for it to be any better. I learned so much on this walk. Everything from how different people live over here, to things about myself. I now know I am capable of more then I ever thought. I am so thankful for this opportunity and experience of a life time, and I can't wait to see what Italy and Germany has in store!

Emily

Camino 2014: Day 32 Negreia to Olveiroa (Mimi)

Camino 2014: Day 32 Negreira to Oliveira (Mimi)

Miles today: 20.6

Miles total: 521.4

This morning started off strange! Someone new woke me up and I was so confused at to who it could be. I turned and looked at my watch and then at the stranger.  Then she started talking and I realized it was Lanie.  She relayed the message from March which said something like "No one is up yet, it will be quieter if we one at a time, bring our belongings into the hall to pack up." It wasn't quiet and there were plenty of people also up and preparing for the next day. And so we walked.

Today was a rancid day.  It smelled like Fisterra's toilet. I don't remember a moment when I smelled fresh air.  Every corner I turned, there was cow poop, horse poop, sheep poop or a field full of smelly animals.  One very clear moment, a perfect example, of this experience happened to me as I walked today.

According to my calculations, the weather was about 70 degrees Fahrenheit (28ish degrees Celsius), the wind was blowing a good three or four miles per hour to the south, and there was not a creature in sight except me, March, who was a good 60 meters ahead of me, and the farmer dude in the truck.  Now as I turned the corner off the main road, I trained into a wall of manure.  The smell hit me so hard I had to step back. My eyes instantly watered and I knew, this was my test of strength.  'How much manure can Mimi take in one sitting?'   

This Farmer Dude was driving one of the huge metallic trucks you would put methane, or gas in for transport, however, on the back of this truck was a hole that was shooting out...yup... Manure.  It looked like the manure was being spread out in the field for new crops, being dispensed in the same fashion as grass seeds; flying in every which direction.  But this, this was traumatizing. Never have I almost cried from the smell of manure.  I could taste it in my mouth, feel it on my skin and most definitely smell it.  If I return with PTSD, it will not be from the men in spandex, or the homesickness. No, it will be from this experience. It lasted a good 20 minutes over a 2km (1.2 miles).

I can say on a positive note, that I have seen a truck poop. Legitimate manure came out of the backside of a truck. Smelled like poop and looked like poop.  I can't say I tasted it, touched it, or felt it, but from what I experienced, it was enough for me to say, the truck pooped.

 

We walked near 33km today to sleep in a hostel next to a barn.  The hostel looked very nice, but smelled awful. I am grateful now for clean Oregon air, clean water, and warm showers.

Other than that experience, we walked, got lost three times, and found our way back again. Most of all, our day was spent in full anticipation of the next day to Fisterre.  Often referred to as the 'End of the World,' we will be walking our last day tomorrow.

I am so excited! Thanks for following us on this trip! One more day!

Special thanks for the day go to:

Paul and Ruth Westlund, Patrick March, Kevin Overton, Linda Carlock

Camino 2014: Day 31 Santiago to Negreia (Lanie)

Camino 2014: Day 31 Santiago to Negreia (Lanie)

Miles today: 13.9

Miles total: 500.8

One day down, two to go! It's exciting to think about. Sleeping in until about 6:30 was also an exciting thing today... Haha. We left around 7am and as we were walking down the street, we heard; "I haven't seen you guys in awhile!" And we all turned around and it was one of the friends we made way back on day five of the trip. Her name is Nadine and she is from the U.S. also! It was so awesome to see someone we knew because we hadn't seen anyone yesterday in Santiago. We talked and walked and then she went ahead to have her special moment entering the cathedral. Then we met up again after and took pictures with her and said goodbye. I'm so glad we met such a nice, friendly person like Nadine! 

This morning it was light out which was nice, because we usually can't see anything in the morning. The air was still and mysterious, and as we walked a bit further down the trail, we saw a white fluffy dog laying in the middle of the trail, not even moving a muscle. We all froze in our step, and March kept going to take a closer look. It was still breathing and it's eyes were open, but it looked like it was paralyzed or something because it didn't even twitch it's ears. March and Sahra decided to go down to some houses below and ask around so us three stood away from the dog, and just watched it. After about 10 minutes, it's head moved. Then I whistled to see if it would respond and after another 2 minutes, it got up. It was THE scariest thing to be standing there and have a dog that wouldn't even move a muscle, start walking unsteadily toward you with its iced blue eyes. It stopped to look at us and then started walking down to where March and Sahra went. It walked like it was drunk so it definitely wasn't healthy. It was so sad, and scary too! I hope someone found him. 

It got hot in the afternoon, but we took our time and took longer breaks because we had reserved beds at the hostel. A certain stop we made was  near a bridge by a river and it was gorgeous! The sun reflected off the water and the peaceful sound of the wind and the birds was so relaxing. Then we took off and arrived at the hostel around 2:30.

Before showers and washing clothes, we sat downstairs and all bought a coca-cola. But it wasn't just the coca-cola... They served us a bowl of nuts, a plate of chips, and each a bowl of pasta salad that had egg whites and tuna. Delicious! It was a full on meal when you ordered a coke! Then our dinner that night was the same thing only 5x bigger, haha! It was soooo filling and still amazingly good. And as we ate, we watched the Tour de France on TV and kept shouting "Hey we went there!" "Hey we got pictures in front of that!" Haha it was funny. The hosts there even served us dessert for free. It was like apple pie with cream cheese filling and melted cheese on top. It was to die for... 

Can't wait to get to the coast!

Lanie 

Special thanks for the day go to:

Patrick March, Ryan and Staphanie Gardiepy, Kevin Overton

Many thanks to our mile sponsors as well!

Daren and Sandy Harmon, Patrick March, Kevin Overton, Todd Wiese

Camino 2014: Day 29 and 30 Arca do Pino to Santiago de Compostela & Santiago Rest Day (Mimi, Emily, and Lanie)

Camino 2014: Day 29 and 30 Arca do Pino to Santiago de Compostela & Santiago Rest Day (Mimi, Emily, and Lanie)

Miles today: 12.8

Miles total: 486.9

Lanie: WE MADE IT!!!! AHHH!! :) Haha, it was an easy short walk into Santiago this morning and we arrived at the ginormous 200-bed hostel at 10:30, and guess what? It was completely full... Seriously?! So our backup plan was to just go ahead and walk into the cathedral and have our special moment. And that's what we did, and let me tell you... It was unreal. It was huge and the fact that we just walked 500 miles and I was standing right in front of it! We did it! It's a huge accomplishment and something that we can say we did that nobody else can. 

Mimi: We have arrived! It didn't seem like anything important.  It was a big city in Spain! Huge in fact! Compared to the tow of a population 100-200 people jumping to a population of 250,000 people, the size of Santiago was impressive! Honestly, the idea that we had just finished our 500 mile, (29 day walk) had not hit me until we saw the Cathedral.  It was glorious! We gathered with so many pilgrims, and tourists and people.  We could hardly move without bumping into anyone.  The Cathedral was packed and we stood in awe at the size and importance of this place.  After hearing about this place for 29 days, we were excited to finally see it.  It definitely made the full hostel incident a lot better.  The only let down was the Cathedral was under construction.  

Emily: The moment we have been waiting and working for, for 29 days, finally came. We arrived in Santiago! The cathedral was bigger then I imagined. It was sad it was under construction but it was still really cool to see. March walked us over to the front of the church and sat us down. He handed us each a stack of letters from our family and friends that congratulated us on finishing our walk. It was the perfect surprise and way to end it. I loved reading what everyone wrote me especially after not seeing them for over a month. March had organized it and picked one of our friends/ family members to collect letters from other people for us. Thank you so much to everyone who helped with this and wrote me letters! I have re-read them about 5 times now. Thanks to all my friends for their letters, all of which said something about boys, giving me a good laugh. Thank you to my family for all the heartfelt letters and encouraging words. Of course once I got to my dads letter I started crying, and a little boy next to me just stared the whole time. So special thanks to you dad! :) Thank you Nikki for the inspirational quotes!! And Ms.S thank you for the nice treats you sent.

Lanie: I would also like to say a quick thanks for my letters to a few people. Thank you Mum and Dad for the letters that brought tears to my eyes :') And thank you to my brother for his little letter and by the way, Cade, I'm not your little sister! Also thank you Luis for your very sweet letter that also made me tear up, haha :). And lastly, thank you Nikki Danner for your encouraging letter! You all rock! 

Mimi:  I will finish the thanks off with the people who have contributed to my special letters.  They made my day! I would like to give a wonderful thanks to my Mom and Dad for their letter! I appreciate all people preparing these letters for my surprise! It was a dear surprise I will not forget.  I have read them over five times already. Nate, Sam, and Joe, I love your letter and I miss you much! Thanks to my mentors, Miss Carla and Rachel, my cousins; Rynnie and Lele, and Nikki Danner for her joyful inspirations.

Emily: After the letters we found a hostel and ended up staying there the rest of the night. So... Fast forward to the next day! First things first, it was time to get our certificates for finishing the walk, and our certificate of distance.

Lanie: We waited anxiously in the rather long line for about 45 minutes to get our official proof of completing the Camino. When a pilgrim walks out with a little red tube, another enters to receive theirs. I was crazy excited to get mine and I can't wait to show everyone at home! We walked in one by one to a separate counter with a man or woman. I filled out some information and got my certificate!!! Yay!!! We all also got an additional certificate for the distance we walked. How cool is that?! And our cute little shell covered tube to keep it nice and safe. I'm sure all three of us will be framing them when we arrive back home. :) 

Mimi: Our certificates were cool.  We got them after the long line, but it was totally worth it! We went to get a map with March so we could go shop, shop, and more window shop! We still have three more days of walking so we put off our shopping spree until we come back so we don't have the extra weight.  We first went to get draw-string bags so we didn't have to carry all of our stuff.  After the ten or so shops we looked at we gathered information on the cheapest, best, and highest quality souvenirs.  We decided on finding food and found our way to AquiGalicia.  

Lanie: So AquiGalicia is one of Spain's news broadcasts and it was filming live right in front of us! We sat down right in front of the stage and watched most of it. The camera was on us a couple times too, haha. The woman who was the main reporter was all over the place with all the other reporters walking around the cathedral area. A bunch of groups performed and it was awesome! A lot of them sang, there were break dancers, karate, Galician dances, and cooking segments. ALL in front of us. We all clapped along to the songs and waved to the camera. And if anyone wants to see some performances, search Aqui Galicia 2014 performances and it'll say July 26th and show a couple singing groups. (If you watch very closely to the audience, you might even see us, haha) 

Emily: It was really interesting to see how everything works behind the cameras. The guy in charge of everything was just loving life. Before and after someone would go in front of the camera he would laugh and joke with them. And boy could he dance! Whenever someone would preform a song I barely even watched them, I was entertained just by him. He would dance around with a huge grin on his face. It was hilarious!! We ended up leaving early to go to the mass that was being held in the church. It was really cool to experience and it was beautiful inside!! Of all the churches I have gone into on this trip, this one was one of my favorites.

Lanie, Emily, Mimi: Our trek to Fisterra begins tomorrow! Just three more days of walking! Wow!! 

Camino 2014: Day 28 Ribadiso to Arca de Pino (Lanie)

Camino 2014: Day 28 Ribadiso to Arca de Pino (Lanie)

Miles today: 13.8

Miles total: 474.1

Well, tomorrow is the big day. Time flew by and it has been one big amazing adventure. 

I woke up this morning ready for a short, quick day to Arco de Pino. It felt like I only got a few hours of sleep because of our insanely loud roommates... Oh my gosh, they stayed up talking and laughing until midnight! It was a group of 5-6 girls our age who were apart of some group and only doing the last 100km to Santiago. You could tell they were newbies because they had they're regular bras hanging all over the room. Everywhere we look there was underwear or bras or bikinis. They blabbered so much that I hardly got any sleep. So in the morning, us three didn't try to pack quietly. 

It was dark and scary in the morning and I had seen too many scary movies or heard too many scary stories because I was constantly shining my light in the bushes and waiting for a monster to jump out. (I know.. I'm a little old to be a scaredy cat, but still) We walked 3km for breakfast and all bought warm ham and cheese croissants. They were so good! Then we did the usual... Walked. We all found our very own walking stick too. It was Emily, Mimi, and I who walked together through the whole 22km. We tried passing people and just had a really fun time laughing, talking, and joking.

As we came to a road, March was sitting on the side waiting. He then said "It's right up the road and there is only about 30 bags in line." We all had thought we had another 3km to go for some odd reason so that was the best unexpected surprise ever! Haha! It was about 11:30 when we set our bags in line and rested. We went over to the supermarket to grab some snacks and sandwiches for dinner and got into the hostel and into our room by 1:30. After showers, Em and I napped for a good three hours and got up at 5:30. 

We headed to a market where we bought some snacks and then went to a cafe and had a slice of Santiago cake. That stuff is delicious.. And we just talked about tomorrow and what it'll be like. We were excited, but also sad that we have to leave all of our new friends that also walked the Camino. 

We walked back and there was a Galician singing group performing outside of our hostel. They had bagpipes and a guitar and they were all singing. It was so neat! We were clapping along too! Haha people got really into it. 

While they played, we walked down to where March was sitting outside at the side of the building and Sahra and Mimi were playing cards. Emily, March, and I started talking about body image and how the media displays a female. It's all fake... The women on magazines aren't even real and it's really sad how a majority of teen girls look at those magazines and want to look just like the models on the cover. Beauty isn't just on the outside, it's on the inside. The Camino has brought out the beauty in all of us. I've felt so real this summer without all the makeup and stuff. It's brought out the beauty inside of me and it's actually a really cool thing. That specific talk with March and Emily, I'll never forget.

As I sit in bed, it's almost midnight and I'm insanely excited for Santiago. It's an amazing accomplishment and I can't wait to show my credential and get my certificate! Ahhh! 

Hopefully I'll get some sleep!

Lanie 

Special thanks for the day go to:

Diane Yonker, Marvin and Janie Johnson, Kevin Kerns, Patrick March

Many thanks to our mile sponsors as well:

Patrick March, Grandpa Joe Anderson, Luis Nieto-Varo

Camino 2014: Day 27 Palais de Rei to Ribadiso (James)

ICamino 2014: Day 27 Palais de Rei to Ribadiso (James)

Miles today: 16.4

Miles total: 444.1

We are currently at an albergue situated along a peaceful river some 25 miles or so from Santiago.  The town has no store, but a restaurant is nearby.  Two weeks ago this would have been an idyllic setting, but now that we are so close to Santiago, it is a different story.

In order to receive the Compostela, the certificate of the completion of the Camino de Santiago, one needs only to do the remaining 100k.  While this still takes an effort and a few days for most, what happens is that the trail we have been on for 450 miles now swells so much that there is rarely a moment all day without the clamoring of new pilgrims.  It is a literal train of people.  It has been a bit shocking for everyone.  Because these late arrival pilgrims are only out for a few days at most, they tend to approach the trail differently and can sometimes cause a bit of consternation from those of us who have been out for a while.  For instance, and this is indicative of the quiet that can accompany you on the trail, we have been startled by ringtones and loud conversations by those on cell phones.  Others are heavily perfumed and after a month or so of not smelling that stuff, it can seem overly chemical.  Even the peaceful river I now sit at is choked with new pilgrims more interested in tanning and drinking beer.  Perhaps the best example of this new trail we have found ourselves a part of is the strikingly quick willingness of those new pilgrims to take taxis to their destination, seemingly unaware that pilgrimage and vacation were two different words.  The look on the girl's faces when they first witnessed pilgrims flagging down cars was priceless.

This is all unfortunate because the trail is great through Galicia.  We climb and descend gentle river valleys, nothing too steep that our conditioned legs can't handle.  In between, we find ourselves on level, shaded paths lined with eucalyptus trees.  It is really quite pleasant so long as you don't run into the back of another new pilgrim who abruptly stopped to light a cigarette.  

The girls are taking it well, though.  On too little sleep, they are plodding through the early morning darkness to ensure we can secure a bed by the end of the walking day.  Emily's legs are still limiting her stride, so she is slow, but incredibly determined.  It is quite inspiring and it is a reminder of how impressed I have been will all of these kids.  Everyone of them has had to deal with aches and pains that can distract you and make an otherwise pleasant day absolutely miserable.  Everyone of them has in turn put one foot in front of the other, regardless of what was bothering them.  

In two days, that way of life, one foot in front of the other, will have us arriving in Santiago, the end of the Camino Frances, where 95% of pilgrims complete their pilgrimage.  We will take a day off, enjoy the sights and the symbolic end to our journey.  However, our legs will began to churn once again and for three days we will walk to the ocean.  It is there, looking out over the Atlantic ocean at a place called Finisterre (end of the world) where we will officially end.  It is with mixed emotions you greet the end of trips like this.  On the one hand, it will be nice to not have to wake at 5am and began a 6-8 hour walk, but on the other hand, we all intimately know that this was way more than just a walk.  In between the hypnotic rythym of our feet striking the ground, we found simplicity in life, peace in our hearts, and learned to quiet our minds.  We will strive to bring some of this home.  

I sincerely hope those of you reading from home have enjoyed the blog posts and pictures.  We have worked hard to post them in a timely fashion, so many apologies if you became addicted and we didn't post for the day.  More often than not we were limited by Internet availablilty and sometimes by sheer tiredness.  It is impressive to watch these girls turn out 20 mile days, but it is a whole other thing to watch them pecking away at the iPad at late hours in the night.  That being said, hopefully this will be my last post for awhile.  The teacher in me is way more interested in what the kids have to say anyway and more than likely, you as well.  

Cheers,

James

Special thanks for the day go to:

Kevin Kerns, Patrick March, and Paul and Ruth Westlund.

Many thanks to our mile sponsors as well!

Patrick March, Todd Wiese, Jan Cornelius

Camino 2014: Day 26 Portomarin to Palais de Rei (Mimi)

Camino 2014: Day 26 Portomarin to Palais de Rei (Mimi)

Miles today: 16.2

Miles total: 422.7

It is not bad walking.  It is actually quite fun! The people are amazing and unbelievably funny.  We met a man named Ben who is from Chicago but grew up in Portugal so he knows Spanish.  He has some friends who are from Madrid, and a couple from the Valencia (south-east region) of Spain.

People are great during the day! So nice, caring and always there.  At home in Springfield, I may make eye contact with a stranger and look away quickly.  I may make eyecontact and give a half-hearted smirk, or even a smile with a small wave.  But I want to emphasize the number of "Buen Camino's" and "Buenos Dias" I have said in a given with my whole heart.  I can let you know it was definitely more than I could have imagined. Honestly, most of the people here, I could give a big bear hug because we have indeed become brothers and sisters. 

This brings back a memory of a man who spoke only Spanish but wanted so bad to share his wisdom to us three girls.  He stopped us, gave us a candy and wrote in our credential (stamp card that shows where we walked from and to) a special quote.  I remember one quote real clearly that says, "Everyone on the Camino are brothers and sisters.". This definitely shines through. Today and every other day, as Emily pointed out in yesterday's blog.

Today nothing important happened while walking because it was a time of reflection, memories, and peace.  More and more have I found myself silent and looking at the trees and the people. So instead, I will bring more of a picture to you about the atmosphere of the Camino.

Imagine a dark room with eight to ten bunk beds lined up in a row, then facing across from the row is an identical row of the same bunk beds, giving a total of 16-20 beds in one room. This can then be multiplied by two because two people go to one bunk bed. We now come up to a total of 30-40 people in one dormitory. 

Every morning we have to try get out of a squeaky, creaky, bed and try to tiptoe around.  In the rush to get out before anyone else we try to gather our clothes, metal water bottles, get food from crinkly wrappers and stuff our backpack, in the dark.  Often people will start preparing for their day from 5am to 6:30 am. We attempt to be up by 5:30am at the latest so we can be walking by 6am.

The walking begins and you walk. Put one foot in front of the other. Get bored, space out, trip a few times and get distracted by the smelly or adorable animals we pass. And walk.

After the walk the pilgrims line up.  Thirty, forty, maybe sixty people stand in line for their bed after walking 15-20 miles.  In line many things occur.  You may see people sitting next to their bag, leaning on it for support. You will definitely experience people yelling and laughing passionately about something.  People are also either smiling at you or glaring at you, or too tired to even notice you are there.

The line finally ends after what seems like an hour, but it ends up being ten minute. Yes, only ten minutes.  You give the person at the reception desk three things. Three critical things you must have in the respectful order of importance: credential, money, and your passport.  Then you find yourself in another room with more people.

From here you have a series of choices. You quickly find out your priorities.  You can either: try to get a warm shower or clean up in any way (shower, brush teeth, wash face, wash feet, and pop blisters), try to take a nap, find the motivation to wash your clothes, try to find and obtain food that is still available, cheap and healthy, and of course sleep.

This is a usual day in the life of a pilgrim.  Now, today after we got to the hostal we simply washed up in a freezing shower with a near see through shower curtain. We used our athleticism and teamwork to take the world's fastest showers, guard the shower taker, and stay warm. After that we washed clothes and put them out to dry. For dinner, we didn't make anything.  From past dinners that we have gone out to eat, we seem to go to the same venues.  I hope you can guess our meal correctly! Yup. Hamburgers, fries with mayonnaise and ketchup, with a Coca-Cola! It is the food that calls our names.

Then we went grocery shopping for snacks and meals for tomorrow, grabbed any other items we seemed deprived of, checked our messages from family, journaling, and getting this blog done.  I can give you one last picture before I head to bed.

Imagine yourself in Spain, in a dark room with two windows.  One window is open so you can attempt to breathe through the humid air from sweat, and maybe see a hint of light.  The other window is open so that you may hear every little word people say outside. You can enjoy the shouts of anger and cheers of laughter as you lay in bed.  As you stare into space, hoping they would be quiet, you realize the man in the bunk next to you has a death bringing snore.  This is a typical night. Laying in a hot, humid room with ten others beside yourself, each person trying to get enough sleep to survive the next day of walking.

I hope I can give you a little bit of a more specific picture of what we do before and after our walk everyday!

Goodnight and Buen Camino!

Mims

Special thanks for the day go to:

Todd Weise, Patrick March, Bob, Linda, and Sarah Trefny

Many thanks to our mile sponsors as well!

Grandpa Joe Anderson, Sandy and Daren Harmon, Patrick March, and Matt and Nikki Danner.

Camino 2014: Day 25 Sarria to Portomarin (Emily)

Camino 2014: Day 25 Sarria to Portomarin (Emily)

Miles today: 14.2

Miles total: 406.5

Once again it was a tough day of walking, but once again everyone on the trail made it amazing. We only had 23 kilometers to walk today but my leg made it difficult, but thanks to all the people around me I had a smile on my face the whole way. 

Not long into the walking I heard someone come up behind me and I stepped aside to let them through. That's when I heard "I'd recognize that limp anywhere. Good morning!" It was Barry and Sarah, the Irish couple. We talked for a little and they asked how I was doing like they do every time they see me. They will arrive in Santiago a day before us but are staying there for a day so hopefully I will get to see them before I leave.

We reached a hill and as I was walking up it I felt my backpack lift up. I turned around a guy was holding it up for me. He motioned for me to keep walking and I did, laughing the whole way up. After we got to the top I smiled and thanked him and him and his friends went on. Me and Sahra passed them at one point while they were taking a break. Maybe 20 minutes later I felt my bag lift up again. This time when I turned around he grabbed my strap. He motioned for me to take it off so he could carry it. I kept trying to tell him that it was ok but he didn't speak much English. His friend came over and explained he was trying to help. He was being very persistent so I eventually gave in. The guy that took my bag was named Alberto and him and his 4 friends were walking for 5 days to Santiago. These were the nicest, funniest group of guys! They had so much energy and were so full of life. Every once in a while Alberto would turn around and give me a thumbs up and I would return the gesture. You just couldn't help but laugh when around them. Me and Sahra didn't know what any of them were saying but it was still so funny we had a smile on our faces the whole time. One guy in the group did speak some English so he would ask questions for his friends then translate our answers. Sahra and I were meeting March, Lanie, and Mimi at a cafe in the next town. When all of us got to the start of the town the guys all stopped. Me and Sahra thanked them, went to grab the bag, and explain our friends weren't far up the road. Alberto kept say "Un Minuto! Un Minuto!" He took some layers off, took my bag and continued on. We met up with the rest of our group so he gave me my bag and I thanked him again. I saw them again later on in the day (I instantly knew they were coming by all chanting and clapping I heard in the distance.) and they kept offering to take my bag but I assured them it was fine. They would walk ahead then wait and check on me, then keep walking. They even found a walking stick and gave it to me.  

At one point I was walking and I felt a tap on my shoulder. An older guy stopped me and asked me if I was ok. I told him I was and as I was doing that, his wife stepped in front of me and bent down. I looked down and my shoe was untied and she was tying it for me! Some stranger I have never even seen before tied me shoe for me. I was so touched. I had no idea what to do or say. "Thank you" was all I could really say in that moment but it was no where near enough.

Next I met two ladies from the United States. One was from California and she kept asking questions about my trip while the other one from New Jersey constantly interrupted to make sure I was ok and to let me know they had stuff if I needed it. By the time I was done telling them all the details about the trip we met up with Sahra and March and the lady from California was ready to bow down to March. Literally. She put her hands in the air and started bowing down to him. It was really funny. I saw them off and on throughout the day. One of the times it was while walking down the hill and the one from New Jersey kept turning around to check on me and would assure me "It's ok we're right here." Before arriving at the city she even asked to take a picture with me. They were super sweet!

The entrance to the city was gorgeous! You walked across a long bridge, water extended out on both sides and it was the most beautiful view! At the end of the bridge was an incredible staircase that you climbed and at the top was where you entered. On the way up a guy offered to carry my bag for me, I assured him I was fine, but "Muchas Gracias!"

At the hostel next to mine and Lanie's bed was a guy, probably in his late 20's early 30's, we have seen around for a while now. We ended up talking to him and he is such a nice guy! His name is Ben and he speaks English, Spanish, and Portuguese. It was really fun talking to him. Just a genuinely good person.  

I love the walking part of the Camino and I really hope to do it again some day, but even if I hated it, I still think I would come back and do it solely for the people and the atmosphere. It is just crazy how many genuinely nice people there are here. You can't help but smile as you meet each person. Everyone is unique and interesting in their own way. Each and everyday I am amazed at the people around me. I have never been surrounded by so many kind people at one time.

It really hit me today that the walk is almost over and it is really sad. You get so used to arriving at the hostel and seeing the same people at the end of the day. If they aren't at your hostel you might see them around town, or just the next day. It's kind of comforting. The past few days there has been a lot of new people just starting the Camino. Since each place has only so many beds you see the usual pilgrims less often because everyone is spread out at different hostels. Even though some of them I haven't even talked to I found myself walking around town looking for familiar faces just because I got so used to seeing them. It sucks that we have to leave soon. Don't get me wrong, I am really excited to go home and see everyone again. The difference is when I said bye to everyone at home it was bye for 52 days. Here, it's bye forever to the people and maybe bye forever to the country (but hopefully not). It is just sad to think about, but I will be forever thankful I had the chance to meet all these incredible people. 

Special thanks for the day go to:

Bree Fuqua, Hollie Kelly, and Patrick March

Many thanks to our mile sponsors as well!

Terrisa Cook, Patrick March, Mr. Morberg, Paul and Marie, Rick and Eileen, and Jan Cornelius.

Camino 2014: Day 24 Alto do Poio to Sarría (Lanie)

Camino 2014: Day 24 Alto do Poio to Sarría (Lanie) 

Miles today: 19.1

Miles total: 392.3

I would first like to announce that today is my birthday and I am officially 16 years old! Yay! :) And now I shall tell you about my wonderful day...

This morning I woke up and everyone was already packed up and leaving downstairs. I didn't get the tap on the shoulder from March and I was actually really mad.. I started rushing and getting all of my things together. I grabbed all of my stuff and went downstairs where I stepped outside and got the biggest surprise ever! On the table was a sugary chocolate chip cake w/ smiley face cookies around it, a chocolate milk, and a 1 & 6 candle lit on top. Then everyone started singing Happy Birthday and I just couldn't stop smiling! :) And it was sooo good too! There were even a few little gifts wrapped and a card. Mimi got me a red Santiago bracelet (loved it!), Emily got me a Santiago shell magnet (loved it!), and March and Sahra got me a Camino shell necklace and a card (loved it!). I also opened one of my birthday cards from home. It was from my brother and of course it was a funny one so we all laughed, haha. Thanks Cade! 

We finished the cake, packed everything into my bag, and took off. It was very very cold, extremely foggy, and already sprinkling. I walked with Sahra who had a headlamp so we could see. She also told me about celebrating her birthday on the Camino a few years ago. She received the same kind of necklace and told me it is a birthday shell:). 

We came to a little town where we took a bathroom break and waited for the others. It started raining so I put on my garbage bag. I looked like a giant clear marshmallow.. Haha. The big morning stretch was 10km to another town. There was a cafe there so Sahra and I sat outside and waited for the others. When they arrived, we all went in and I bought a birthday hot cocoa. We continued on ahead after and went 12km to the lunch spot.

As me and Sahra walked through the rain and mud downhill and uphill for two hours straight, I kept a smile on my face because not even soaked socks, a few blisters, and muddy legs could ruin today :). We came to a food place and sat under a covered area while we set down our bags and looked at the menu. We both bought a tortilla española bocadillo. It was hot and super yummy. I also opened my second birthday card and it was from my mom and dad. As I read it, happy tears filled my eyes and I could barely keep it together so I shoved my sandwich in my face to keep myself from losing it. It was the best card ever and it made me miss them like crazy. When the rest of the group came, they snacked, and we all took off together. 

It stopped raining for the last 8km we had to walk to Sarría. Thank goodness. We were all limping by the time we got to the hostel. Emily was injured, Mimi's ankle hurt, and I got some new blisters from my wet socks. We made it before 3pm which was pretty good for being a longer day. The hostel was really nice. We picked out some bunks, showered, carried our clothes down to be washed, and went back up to organize and journal. I then opened my last card from my grandma. I loved it! Thank you Nomey! 

After putting all my birthday stuff away, I fell asleep and it turned into a long, but nice nap. 

All three of us woke up at 7pm and March and Sahra said they saw an Italian restaurant up the street (because I wanted pizza). We got three large pizzas; margarita, classic, and 3-meat. I have three words for you... Best pizza ever. (Shout-out to my amazing parents for paying for my birthday dinner!) After we finished all three, we left to go to a small market, buy some fruit, and get some ice cream! I got strawberry & vanilla. 

Later in the evening I got to call some people and chat for a few minutes which was probably the best birthday present of all. I'm so blessed to walk the trail with people like March, Sahra, Mimi, and Emily, who care so much to make my 16th a special day. It was the best birthday so far.

5 days until Santiago! 

Lanie 

Special thanks for the day go to: 

Patrick March, 

Many thanks to our mile sponsors as well: 

Jan Cornelius, Daren and Sandy Harmon, 

Camino 2014 Day 23 Trabadelo to Alto do Poio (Mimi)

Miles today: 16.8

Miles total: 373.2

Hey guys!  I think it's my turn to update you on our day.  Can you guess what we did? Yup yup! We walked!  So today we got up near 5:15 am and waited to walk.  March and Sahra got all of our airplane and train tickets ready for after our walk.  The idea that the walk is nearly over is a bitter-sweet thought.  I am excited to sleep in however I gave thouroughly enjoyed talking to other pilgrims and the serenity of mountains.

So I have to write on four major things that happened today.  

First, the mountain views.  We walked today through several towns at a near set distance of 2km (1.5 miles) between each.  It was foggy and misty so as we walked we could hardly see five feet in front of us.  It reminds me of the Oregon coast because the road was winding with a steep drop beyond the left railing.  There was a continuous line of houses along the side of the road and then after so many minutes we would find the town center with cafés and tiendas (stores). The climb up the mountains was pretty steep and very beautiful. With every step we rose up above the clouds and mist.  The sunrise was very bright when we could see it. 

The quietness of the altitude and the time alone has been very relaxing for me.  It is strange to think that everyday we walk, and think, and then repeat.  But I look back and remember, this is why I walk, to strip my stresses away and find who I truly am.  It is exciting and scary, relaxing and freeing. That is until major thing number two came along.

The next great thing that happened today was not as relaxing or stress free as the mountains.  After lunch we had made it about halfway and as we prepared for the second climb up it started pouring.  It rained huge rain drops for a long time. It made the rocks a bit slick and the roads rivers. I might go as far to say that it was just as intense or more intense than an Oregon rain storm.  It got to the point where we couldn't get any wetter.  If we stepped in a puddle there was no motivation spend extra energy to go around it, nor did we really care that we stepped in a mud puddle.  It did slow us down a little bit attempting to walk up a wet hill it we finished today, got dry, took warm showers and I can say, today was a pretty good day.

The third thing that has arrived is our milestones and accomplishments for the day.  Really quickly, not that we have been counting but, it is day 23! We have near a week left of walking and less than 100 miles left!!  We have also entered that province of Spain the Camino winds through called Galicia which is known for its Celtic influence. I am getting a bit excited to see the next culture change as we head over the mountain barrier between the provinces Galicia and Castilla-Leon.

The fourth thing I want to mention in not as important, but I do want to keep you updated on injuries.  I am happy to say that our ankles/legs are getting stronger.  Emi walked with her bag uphill and felt fine so that was positive.  My ankle hasn't been bothering me as much and Lanie's just a Pro! Nothings has tripped her up except a few blisters, but she knocks those out quickly. She has walked so fast! We keep trying to encourage her to be a Olympic Professional run/walker.  Apparently you can get scholarships for walking fast and without the backpack, she just flies! I am excited though to say, nothing new injury has occurred that may hinder us walking. Let us pray that all stays good. 

The last thing I want to mention is that tomorrow is Lanie's birthday.  She will be turning sixteen and she will be walking a solid 20 miles in Spain.  How cool is that!?!  

Thank you so much for your support! 

Many blessings! 

Mims

Special thanks for the day go to:

Uncle Brad Anderson, Patrick March, and Paul and Ruth Westlund.

Many thanks for our mile sponsors as well:

Kay Yanit, Jan Cornelius, Carynn Bratton, and Jeff and Holly Tomlin.

Camino 2014: Day 22 Ponferrada to Trabadelo (Lanie)

Camino 2014:  Day 22 Ponferrada to Trabadelo (Lanie) 

Miles today: 21.2

Miles total: 377.6

As much as I wanted to roll over and keep sleeping when I got the wake-up tap on my foot this morning...I got up anyway. We waited until they opened the gate at 6 and we took off in the dark with only the street lamps and the moon to guide us. 

I've been feeling speedy fast lately and I can keep a real steady pace. I stayed and kept up with Sahra the whole day and it was really fun. We started sort of scattered in the morning and then at one stop while we were waiting for Emily and Mimi who were going a little slower because of injuries, Sahra and I decided to keep going and find a place to sit and wait for them. And for the rest of the day, it was us two walking ahead. 

As we walked, we talked about school, sports, the bad days balancing out the good days on the trip, and just random stories about back home. It was really nice to talk about everything and about being homesick and how this is definitely an amazing experience for us all. There are so many valuable lessons I've learned walking the Camino. So many new skills and stories I'll be able to tell my family and friends when I get home. 

We came to a cafe in Camponaraya where I bought a hot chocolate. It was even served with a little piece of apple cake! It was yummy! We continued on to the next town when March, Emily, and Mimi had got there. At the pace Sahra and I were going, we walked a 6km in an hour which is pretty good. We came to another small town called Pieros and there was a split in the trail. One continued on the main road and the other went off the trail onto a dirt path. They dirt path was a tiny bit shorter so we chose that one. It was gorgeous once we got to the top of the hill. There were giant vineyards and you could see all the towns in the distance. (We also passed probably 25 giant fig trees Mom!) Nothing is ripe yet but it's still really cool to see it all growing. 

When we got to Villafranca del Bierzo, we stopped at a bar and had Bocadillos. It was probably the best one I've had so far. (I had chorizo and cheese) We continued onto the main road that had a side path for pilgrims. The only bad thing about that was the path was pavement and it doesn't take long for your feet to start aching. It isn't fun, but we all pushed through and made it to Pereje at around 2:45, where the hostel we'd be staying in was. Sahra and I went in to ask for five beds and the man said the hostel was all full! That meant another 5km to the next town with a hostel! Since that was our only option, we walked on to Trabadelo. 

It was hard to add an extra hour of walking to our day especially when our bodies are telling us 'You're done, stop walking now'. We finally arrived there at about 4pm. We chose the first hostel because it had a kitchen, it looked nice, and there were barely any pilgrims staying there. It was so silent and calm with no one else around! We also got our very own room. 

After everyone was showered, had washed their clothes, and got things organized, us three girls headed to the rather super nice kitchen and made a wonderful dinner. It was the same as always, pasta with tomatoe sauce, but this time we bought a red bell pepper that I cut up and mixed in it. It was really good! We also had some bread too. As we ate, we watched Disney Channel on tv in English:) It definitely felt like home in that moment. 

After dinner, we sat downstairs, talked, and bought a hot cocoa. (It was only 1€, the cheapest I've seen!) We came up when we finished, journaled, packed up, and now everyone is fast asleep as I type these last few words. Now I shall sleep the night away...

Peace out! 

Lanie

Special thanks for the day go to:

Patrick March, Uncle Brad Anderson, Julie March

Many thanks to our mile sponsors as well!

Edie Granger, Jan Cornelius, Kay Yanit, Paul and Ruth Westlund, Jeff and Holly Tomlin

Camino 2014: Day 21 Foncebaddon to Ponferrada (Emily)

Camino 2014: Day 21 Foncebaddon to Ponferrada (Emily)

Miles today: 15.1

Miles total: 356.4

Today we walked through the Montes de Leon, and it was one of the most beautiful walks I've ever taken. You don't realize how noisy our daily lives are and how loud we get used to talking just so we can be heard. But being up in the mountains today it was so peaceful. At one point I caught up wIth Mimi who stopped to look at the view. I started talking to her and it instantly felt wrong. My voice was so loud and out of place. I even brought my voice down to a whisper, but it still felt like I was disturbing everything around me. So I just stopped talking and enjoyed the view.

At least until we came across a house with kittens and a dog outside. I instantly forgot where I was and I couldn't contain myself. There were two kittens out while others hid under some rocks. One was super playful and I got to play with it for a little while with a stick I had. The poor dog would get so excited and would want to play with them so bad. But he was just too big and they would end up getting scared and hissing. As we were leaving the kitten came running down the path beside the house to the road. It ran up to me and rubbed against my leg. I begged March to let me keep it. He said no. Then we started walking and the kitten started following me! I yelled March's name and showed him. I am currently sitting at the hostel with no kitten to call my own if you were wondering how the story ends.

We made it to the highest point of the trail today. It's marked by what they call the iron cross. There is a mound with a cross on top and it is surrounded by rocks and pictures that people have left. We all left a rock of our own that had our names written on it. It was really cool to see all the different things left behind.

I met some of the nicest people today! I have been having some trouble with my leg and it hasn't been getting any better. So when we came to a steep downhill March carried my bag for me to take away some of the pressure. While walking I came across an Irish couple, Berry and Sarah. They noticed I didn't have my bag so Sarah offered me some of her water. Then offered me her bandana or hat to block the sun from my head. Sarah walked with me the whole way to the next city. She would be ahead of me, but then would stop and continue talking while I caught up. And Berry would get to the bottom of a decline and stop and wait for both of us. I learned some Irish words along the way too. Like how to say hi and bye, how to say it when talking to a group or just one person, and how to respond to it. When translated hi means "God be with you" and your response translates to "God and Mary be with you." In her words "You basically have to out bless me." They were a really fascinating couple. At one point in their lives they both quit their jobs, and traveled for 15 months! They went to India, China, (South) Africa, etc. Since both of them are teachers they don't work during the summer so a few summers ago they went to Belize. It was so cool hearing about all the things they got to experience while in different countries. We finally arrived at the town and we still didn't see the rest of the group. Berry offered me money to buy a coke but I said no thanks. About a minute after we saw March and the others sitting down in the distance. I thanked the couple for their help and they went on their way. (We actually ended up staying at the same hostel as them!)

I walked over and sat down next to everyone and I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was a lady I saw earlier that had checked on me to see if I was ok. She started talking to March and Sahra in Spanish and offered me some anti-flammatory  cream. She got it out, handed it to me and then gave me some ibuprofen. I just kept saying gracias over and over. I felt so bad that she only spoke Spanish because I wanted so bad to show how thankful I was but I didn't know how . She gave me a pinch on the cheek and headed on her way. I ended up seeing her at the hostel where she made a point to come over and tell me (While having a lady next to me translate.) that they were giving free massages and I should go sign up. One of the sweetest ladies I have met on this trip!

All along the Camino today different people would pass by me and ask if I was alright. Then I would see them later in the day and they would check up on me to see if I was feeling better. It was so encouraging to have so many people concerned and taking time to make sure I was ok. Even though I was hurting, overall it was a really good day. I met so many nice people, ones that I probably wouldn't have if I had been up walking with the others in my group. The walk was beautiful, and the weather wasn't too bad either. The "goods" in today definitely outweighed the "bads."

Hasta luego!

Emily

Special thanks for the day go to:

Bree Fuqua, Uncle Brad Anderson, Joseph and Toni Connole

Many thanks for our mile sponsors as well:

Mabel, Edie Granger, Mark and Susan Dahl, Paul and Ruth Westlund,

Camino 2014: Day 20 Astorga to Foncebaddon (James)

Camino 2014: Day 20 Astorga to Foncebaddon (James)

Miles today: 16.9 

Miles total: 341.3

We thought we might spare ourselves the heat today as most our walk today consisted of climbing into the mountains.  We wrongly guessed that there might be trees and therefore shade along the path, but the intensity of the sun was unhindered and whatever shade there happened to be was few and far between.

For most of the morning we labored under a sun that was very noticeable, even by 9am.  On paper, these last two days should have been and I was counting on being really easy.  They were not.  It was a strange feeling to start measuring how much of the walking day you had left not in kilometers, but rather in minutes in the sun.  It was a far more accurate measure of what you had left in the day.  Above all, we are now acutely aware of how 3.8km at 6:30am are different than 3.8km at 2:00pm.

As far as our bodies go, we are up and down.  Sahra had a bit of an achilles tendon issue a few days ago, but that seemed to clear up.  Mimi's ankle seems to be doing a bit better.  Emily, however seems to have been bitten by the overuse bug.  A pain started to develop in her shin so we are monitoring that.  Lanie is injury free and has discovered cruising speed.  She was hiking at 5km per hour today...uphill.  

By early afternoon we climbed to Foncebaddon, a seemingly half abandoned mountain village.  There is not much to do here so rest and recuperation is the strategy for the evening.  In the back of our albergue you can look back down the valley to Astorga and further back along the Meseta.  It's crazy to think we spent a whole week crossing that thing, but now we are in the mountains once again and are within a couple of days of reaching Galicia, the last province of the Camino de Santiago.  From there it is less than a week to Santiago!  

We hope all is well back home!

James

Special thanks for the day go to:

Terri and Richard Roberts, Uncle Brad Anderson, Dave and Rachel Schiffer

Many thanks to our mile sponsors as well:

Ron Harmon, Mark and Susan Dahl , Jeff and Holly Tomlin, Paul and Ruth Westlund, 

Camino 2014: Day 19 Villar de Mazarife to Astorga (Mimi)

Miles today: 18.7

Miles total: 324.4

Guess what?! We slept in! Guess how late? Until 6:00 in the morning! Six! That was amazing! The hostel we stayed at had the walls covered in words.  Inspirational words, poems, stories and picture in all different languages! It was beautiful! I remember seeing one poem on the wall that depicted the the Camino wonderfully:

I tire of mouths-always moving,

I delight in the silence of the trees,

The unspoken contentment in the wise-mans face,

Loneliness follows me,

Makes home in my shadow.

But hope lives on within,

Makes home in my shadows,

For life is beautiful,

That I cannot forget.

That I cannot deny.

  BUEN CAMINO

~ Peter Gross (8/5/2013)

This poem is so pretty.  It shows the pain and serenity of the Camino, and yet the renown strength and promise it also holds.  

After waking up and looking at my inspirational poem, we walked. And my luck ended quickly.  I want to mention that I got pooped on two times in less than five minutes and not even ten minutes later I found new bird poop on my bag (except in Denmark being pooped on means luck... I don't want to know what their bad luck is).

We also wandered over the Puente de Orbigo, one of the the longest and oldest medieval bridges of Spain. This is the same bridge that overlooks the jousting arena of the knight who was renown for his skills, (he had a 300 match winning streak) in the novel of Don Quixote.  

Today was so hot! We guessed near 90 degrees Fahrenheit, 35 degrees Celsius.  We had hardly any shade and the heat sprang upon us around 10:00 in the morning, which is earlier in our walking day.  This means we had to walk more than half of our day in dead heat and sweltering sun.  We learned quickly that long breaks in the shade, drinking lots of water and wetting down our bandana's helped bring down the heat a little.

We also found a "Trail Angel" as a past pilgrim put it.  This man (whose name I forget) sat on a hill in the ruins of a cathedral. He ran a donation cart full of wonderful food. It was full of fruit, juice, and other kind of food! Best of all he had shade and comfy seats. He called his home, "La Casa de Los Dioses." We learned that he had been living up here for five years and then March showed him a picture. This picture was the man and Auna Godinez hugging and smiling. It was Auna's birthday! I guess three years ago on this very day, March had made it to this mans cart and they too were blessed by this man's heart. 

We arrived at the hostel near 4:30 because of the heat and it was nearly full. We got beds in the basement and the woman seemed concerned that we got these beds. Honestly, they are better than most! After arriving we showered and went out to eat. When we were eating we saw a class or three of high school age students walking by. It seemed like so many. We are guessing near 60 or so. They were stocking up on food. It will be fun to see them try to walk tomorrow.  

Eventually we got exhausted from the heat so we came back and decided to use the laundromat to wash clothes instead. Turns out the 90 on the cycle doesn't mean 90 liters but 90 degrees. I now have purple panties instead of neon pink, and a a beautiful light grey sports bra instead of yellow. My sky blue socks have also been transformed to a blueberry color, but it is fine. I still have them.

Today was a good day. It was hot and slow, but it turned out to be just fine. Stress levels rose slightly as we became fatigued from the

heat, but never anything like the normal at home.  

Hasta luego,

Mimi

Special thanks for the day go to:

Uncle Brad Anderson, Paul and Ruth Westlund, and Sandy and Daren Harmon. 

Thanks as well to our mile sponsors:

Marla Hanser, Mark and Susan Dahl, Laust Søndergård Jensen,Carrie Mydouangchanh, Jeff and Holly Tomlin, and Ron Harmon.