Camino de Santiago – Day 6From Palas de Rei to Arzúa

Having walked so many kilometers the day before I wasn’t, at all, in a mood for a long walk again. And according to our maps, we didn’t have to, but... maps can be wrong. And when the GPS doesn’t work because your mobile doesn’t have enough battery, because you couldn’t charge it, because the night before you slept in a dormitory with other 50 people and only two plug-ins (And this is the truth. Can you imagine having only two plug-ins for 50 people?! As said before, "it felt like if we were on a refugee camp"), you can’t know exactly how much you have left to arrive to your destination. And for me (despite all the lessons I was theatched during the Camino, despite the fact that I was told several times "take a step at a time") is absolutely necessary to know how much I still have to walk… Otherwise, I start getting crazy. And that is what happened! After having walked already 23 kms and no signs from Arzúa, 25 kms and no signs from Arzúa neither, 27 kms and Arzúa seemed to be very far yet, 29 kms… and I was proper desperate. Especially because I knew I had to arrive to Arzúa (anyhow) because some of the other pilgrims skipped this stage, went directly there with the bus and were saving a place for us in a private shelter.

So, 2,5 kms before Arzúa I (Tchamramramram!!!! Confession moment!) called a cap. How fancy is that?! Shameful but true. I couldn’t handle it anymore. Arriving at the shelter I couldn’t stop crying. I was angry with myself for "cheating", angry with the Camino for being so hard on me, angry with my colleagues for not having the same rhythm as me (I remember one moment during the afternoon when I was at a top of a hill and saw them at the very top of the hill in front, very much ahead... but in the Santiago Path, as in life, every single one of us has its own rhythm and has to be true to it and the rest have to respect it), angry with life. Nevertheless, this anger only lasted 30 minutes. After that my eyes started to get dry and I was able to see, around me, some of the friends I thought we’ve lost after Samos and that, somehow, where there again. And also, as promised, I received a beautiful stick, shaped specially for me, with my name on, from Alejandro. During the Camino I had wonderful gifts (some spiritual and some for real), but this was the most beautiful one and it came in a magical moment.

That night, dinner was also special, shared with the other pilgrims and served by the sweetest waiters ever, the two kids from the restaurant owner.