Walking for Water with Camino Jim-Day 30…Money Laundering

The room problem for Pat is solved before we go to dinner. Pat found a room back about ten miles and would drive there after dinner and then drive back to my hotel on Sunday morning and we would walk to Portomarin. Once we arrive at Portomarin Pat has a room at the same hotel I’m staying in so he would take a taxi back to Sarria, retrieve his car and then come back to Portomarin, clean up, handle laundry and we would then meet for dinner between 6:00 and 7:00. Got it?

We had dinner last night at a nice place that Gary found just two blocks from our hotel. It was me, Pat, Gary, Margot, Don, Candy and a new face … Shelly from Seattle. Shelly is a therapist. The food was very good as was the wine but the service was suspect. No matter, everyone had a great time and we wrapped it up at 9:45, because Don, Candy and Shelly were staying at an Albergue which had a 10:00pm curfew. If your not back by 10:00 they simply lock you out and no one inside has the key to open the door to let late comers in. Fire codes in the US was would never allow this system. There is a short panic when they realize that they may not get there in time and call for a taxi. One call to the Albergue to beg forgiveness and to tell them they are on their way and all is good.

Pat has to drive his car back ten miles to find and check into his hotel. Pat put the GPS data in his phone but when gets to where the system tells him to go it’s a simple house. He knocks on the door but there is no answer. Plan B kicks in. Just in case Pat cannot find a room he has in his car a sleeping bag and will just sleep in his car in a parking lot close to my hotel. On his way back to Sarria he sees a sign for the missing hotel and it’s all good and he gets his room.

So now it’s Day 30 and Pat and I step out of the hotel to walk to Portomarin and we immediately are stopped by three Americans who ask us how to get to the Camino. We give them directions and we are off. The Camino is packed with people just like the three who just asked us how to find the Camino … it’s Sarria and the traffic jam starts from step one and continues for the entire 12.5 miles. The solitude and time without distractions are gone. In very short order we begin to see the first day people sitting on the ground dealing with blisters. They are in trouble if they have blisters after just a few miles. As the day goes on you just try to ignore the volume of people walking on the Camino. Many don’t know the basic rules of the Camino like if I’m walking at a faster pace than you move aside and let me pass easily, you don’t make me work my way around you. Most annoying are the people who are walking three abreast and don’t realize or don’t care that they are taking up all of the trail. I’m hoping that the crowd is larger than normal because it’s Sunday and there are locals just out for a walk which means they will be gone tomorrow. One thing is certain … I have never seen so many taxis fully occupied by so many first day pilgrims. I’m getting closer just four more days on the Camino before Pat and I walk into Santiago which means that today I have completed SANT.

I’m sending a photo of today’s laundry work … I did not remove my cash from the shorts before I washed them so … you’ll see.

Good night. Buen Camino.

Miles today: 13.1

Miles to date: 447.8

Steps today: 36,350

Steps to date: 1,0650,056

Total Flights to date:887