A Challenge For Charity

I would like to reach $15,000 for the entirety of the trip.  The fundraiser is not over until the end of August, so there is still time to donate.  If you are interested in donating to the Martha O’Bryan Center please email me at gemalone1@gmail.com or call me at 615-500-2658.

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For the final leg of the trip, we decided to head back to Sarria to do the last 120 kms to Santiago on the Camino Frances.  It was a departure from the plan, but I am yet to stick to one plan I have made during the trip, so why start now.  We arrived in Sarria on July 23rd, which was the holiday of San Juan, celebrating the Equinox.  To celebrate the Equinox, the entire town gathered in the square, where we were having dinner, and there was a huge procession of dancers and musicians.

Festival of San Juan

Dancers from the Festival

We headed up to the festival, where they were serving bacon and pork for dinner, typical Spanish food.  We headed out to walk to Santiago in 5 days.  The first morning we were going to head to Portomarin.  The weather was amazing, and we arrived in Portomarin, we decided to head on with the good weather.  We booked an Albergue, a began to walk the additional 8 kms.  The weather was hot, and when we arrived it could not be a sooner.  We were staying at an amazing Albergue, where we meet two new Australians, along with a Marcos the Spanish kid and his mother.

The Australian couple, who were on a version of a camino Honeymoon.  The next day, we planned on doing another 30 km day to get to Melide.  After we got to Melide, we headed out to watch some of the football and eat some pulpo, or octupus.  I have tried pulpo three or four different times, and I can honestly say, it is bad. The consistency of of octupus is squshy on the outside and like biting into a ligament.  So overall not to great.

The following day we headed out to go another 30 kms to Santa Irene, where Mom´s new Australian friends were heading.  It was another 30 km day, but again the weather was perfect.  We were racing against the weather, trying to walk as far as we could while the weather was good.  The last 2 times I walked through Galicia it had been raining, and we were enjoying the weather.  This was one of the most unique days. We came across a group of pilgrims huddled by a fence watching a group of cows.  We arrived to find a cow with half of a baby hanging out of the birthing canal of the cow.  After watching about 30 minutes of cow labor, I had enough, and decided to continue on walking.

Look at the Butt!

We arrived in Santa Iren to another amazing hostel.  We had a communal dinner, then I watched the US lose to Ghana, as moost of the other pilgrims rooted against the States.  I am now rooting against Spain in every future game.  We had planned on going to Santiago in 5 days, and with the good weather, we ended up walking it in 4 days. Here are some photos of the final days:

On the Outskirts of Santiago!

5 kms to the Cathedral!

I walked 500 miles and then I walked 500 more!

I arrived in Santiago for the 6th and final time.  I had to do my ritual, which was my first meal once in Santiago at the Thai resteraunt.  I knew it was time to come home, the thai food just did not taste as good.

Post Camino:

The following day we took a taxi back to Finisterre, where we walked up to the lighthouse, and in a traditional pilgrim ritual I left my famous orange shirt on a cross at the end of the world.  I think I could smell the shirt from about 10 feet away, so it was time.

Leaving the Shirt at the End of the World!

MILE MARKER 0

We are back in Portugal and coming home tomorrow. I know this last post is a little short, but I am sitting in the Guest House Dorro about to fly back home in about 4 hours.

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On June 11th I was supposed to meet my Mom in Porto Portugal to start the Camino Portugesse.  In addition, I had picked up to pilgrims to bring along for the ride, Caroline and Jordan.  We headed to the bus station to grab a bus, SOLD OUT.  I tried to rent a car – 500 €, Nope!  Finally, I just called a taxi.  We arrived in Porto, with what to this day I think is the largest taxi fair I have ever seen, but that is the beautyof numbers, not to bad with three people.

The three of us arrived in Porto to finally find beautiful weather.  Upon walking into the Guest House, I was immediately questioned about the taxi fair, and why I did not take the train, by the owner of the Guest House Carmen, who I suppose my mom had found to be a confidant after 20 minutes.  Carmen was one of the most involved small business owners I have ever meet. I asked her about a movie theatre that plays English movies, and she said she would call me with times.  When she called a few hours later, she first told me the Prince of Persia, the some other movie. I asked what it was, and she began reading the description of what sounded like the full porno version of Brokeback Mountain.  Unphased halfway through the description, she finished the plot summary, and said ¨I think Prince of Persia sounds better”.  Tough decision, I settled on finding a theatre a little further out that played decent movies in English, and Caroline, Jordan and I went to watch Robin Hood and Bounty Hunter or Ex-wife (Jennifer Anniston). We watched the Jennifer Anniston movie first, and I have not seen a movie in English in forever, and it was literally the worst thing I have ever seen, except for Sandra Bullock in Premonition.  Disheartened and prone never to return to the States, I voted we go to Robin Hood.  After a good movie, and with my faith restored in American entertainment, I slept soundly back at Carmen´s Guest House.

Heading out on June 13th, we decided to take the unmarked route down the coastline from Porto to Vila de Conde.  Jordan decided to leave her pack behind, and I put on tennis shoes instead of boots for the 1st time since March.  I was ecstatic, just withthe feeling of tennis shoes.  We were walking down the boardwalk along the beach and it was beautiful.  Then we lost the board walk.  Walking on the beach with a 20lb pack on is like communism.  It sounds great, but in reality, it just does not work, and your efforts never seem to be fairly rewarded.  To cover a kilometer usually takes 1,800 steps, on average, now it took about 6,000 steps.  When we finally arrived, my joy for the tennis shoes became regret.  My heels killed, and all I could think is why did I ditch the boots. 

The next day we headed out to try and find our way back to the trail using John Brierly´s horrible directions.  There were many directional guesses that had to made, which I would make, and was right (though each decision was thoroughly questioned).  I tell you this in confidence (kidding), being stuck with 3 women (1 of which is your mom) on a hiking adventure where sense of direction is the main tool you have to guide with may be a real life version of purgatory. We finally found the trail.  About halfway through the day, we found an Englishman wandering the trail on his own, Sam.  In classic American fashion, we came to the English´s rescue again, and he joined our group.  In addition to saving the English, my heels were killing in my new tennis shoes.  Only 2 days early I was dancing in the streets of Porto as I returned from the gym just because I had them. I realized an important lesson that I should of learned with the knee brace.  You only really appreciate what you have once you lost it, and I needed my Vasque Sundowners. I spent the entire day thinking “Why in the hell after walking 850 miles in those boots would you switch out for the end”. We finally arrived to Barcelos, and it could not of been a moment to soon, and after I checked into the 1st Pension, and told everyone they are welcome to stay there but I am not walking anymore, I looked at my feet. My heels had cracked and were bleeding.  I decided I was going back to get my boots.  I took a taxi, a Mercedes (taxis over here are better – sorry America), back to Porto, and woke up Carmen to get my boots.  After scolding me for interrupting her nap the price of the taxi, she gave me a hug and sent me on my way. Two moms, on trip.

The highlight of the day though was getting to rag Sam that England couldn´t even beat the States at soccer. We don´t even play soccer. Though I do think we should set aside a few billion dollars and train soccer players until we are unreal and win the World Cup everytime, just to mess with them. But then again I am old school politics, hit em where it hurts, in their past times.

The next day we headed out early, 3 Americans and 1 Englishman, Jordan was done with the walking. We had 33.6 kms to walk, but I was back in my boots. This day I played sweeper, staying back and walking behind the group.  I have to give my mom some credit. The first 2 days were hard days, and this one was 22 miles over 2 big hills, and she wooped it.  At 62 years old, I only think there are a handful of people that could of done it. We arrived at Ponte de Lima just in time for the Portugal world cup game. Ponte de Lima was gorgeous, and overall Portugal was much prettier than Spain. For my mom´s efforts during the day, she got to stay at literally the worst Albergue I have stayed at. We had no sleeping bags, since they have blankets in Spain.  This Albergue had no blankets, the mattress was covered in plastic, so you stick to it, and the worst snorer, named Mr. Snore.  Mr. Snore, a german, snored in a manner that was not even rhythmic.  It sounded like random sounds from horror movies, then he would stop, and you would think he was dead, then he would start right back up.  I thought Mr Snore had about a 10% chance of making it through the day, since every pilgrim was looking at him in the morning.  With the Ipod playing at full blast and shivering from the cold, it was a rough night.

The next day we headed out to walk a shorter distance but over a big hill.  Everyone was dragging from the lack of sleep the night before.  The walk tough, but a good one. When we arrived, we saw Mr Snore and no blankets. Things were not starting good from an accommodation standpoint. We were staying in a refurbished old school building, and in the middle of no where.  We all decided to go back to Ponte de Lima to use the Internet and get some dinner. It was a great decision. When we went back to the Albergue, we used the sleeping pads over the mattresses as blankets. Mr Snore seemed not to be as clogged up, so everyone got a pretty good nights sleep.  Lucky for Mr Snore cause I probably would of snapped.  

The next day we had another short walk and crossed the border into Spain from Portugal. I had now walked from France to Spain, and Portugal to Spain. The Tui Albergue was another no blanket place. Sam bought a sleeping bag, and he was the smart one. Mom, Caroline, and I shivered in misery the entire night.  Between the communal showers, the freezing nights, and the snorers, I think my mom was about to lose it.  

The next day was a long walk, which is what we needed.  I was tired of only walking 18kms.  I preferred to walk atleast 18 miles, but we had been limited by the layout of the accommodation.  When we arrived at the Albergue, still no blankets, but luckily the day was scorching hot so no one was to concerned.  In our modified pilgrim style, we took a taxi to Vigo, about 20 kms from the Albergue for dinner on the beach.  

The following day, Caroline left us to go to a music festival in France, and we were down to Sam, mom, and me. We walked to Pontevedra, and meet a Kiwi named Fe.  We thought we had replaced Caroline, but things didn´t work out.  Fe was in detox from her Camino Frances, where she apparently got hammered every night.  She was mainly just sleeping and walking.  That night we ate at a real Italian restaurant, and it was awesome.  It was also one of the best nights of sleep in a while.  I had become an avid top bunk sleeper, now that I can get into the top bunk without serious safety concerns.

The next day was again a short one, only 18kms. It was driving me insane. Sam was having blister problems, and fell behind. When mom and I arrived in Caldas de Reis we picked a spot right by the river and ate peppers, a local specialty, and drank beers. After about 2 hours mom starting freaking out about where Sam was. We had told him where we would be and I was not concerned, but it did not matter, she was freaking out. Just as we started to head out to find him he came stolling in with about 6 Spaniards. 

We had walked two 20 km days in a row, and I needed a little more distance. I convinced them to walk 31 kms the next day to Teo, just outside of Santiago.  I convinced mom based on a short walk the following day, and Sam is a 24 year old male that is skinny, he couldn´t say no to what a fatter 27 year old and 62 year old were going to do.  We headed out the next morning for Teo, and after about 5kms pulled away from Sam.  We stopped after about 12 kms, and again mom starting freaking out where Sam was.  This is a completely competent 24 year old male who came down there by himself, I was positive he could survive a day, and if not then he was in trouble.  He never came, but we pushed on after a popsicle, which was awesome.  When we arrived in Padron, 10 kms short of our destination, we had lunch and again waited for Sam.  He never came.  After waiting 1 1/2 hours, I was sure he passed us without our knowledge. He did, and we caught up with him. The day before mom had asked 3 Vietnamese Germans if the had seen a single man.  Before we caught up with him, we caught up with the VG´s and mom again asked if they had seen a single man.  The rest of the trail every time we would pass them, they would ask her if she found her single man.  It was pretty funny.

We arrived in Teo with Sam and the Kiwi Fe in the group.  We checked into the Alburgue, which had blankets.  The next day mom and I walked the 10 kms to get to Santiago pretty early, and Sam and Fe came a little later.  We rain into everyone randomly in Santiago, including Jordan, and decided to meet at 6:30 at the Cathedral for dinner, at the Thai place. I don´t eat anywhere else in Santiago.  Mom and Sam were laughing because all these poeple in the old city of Santiago know me cause I have walked in 6 times.  After dinner mom went back to her hotel, and Sam, Jordan, Fe, and I had some drinks.  What began as just drinks became a spirited debate on who is better, England or The States:

Sam says that England gave us everything, our language, our sports, Shakespeare, and many other things. My response is thanks for English, but you can´t keep riding on that one, we made the sports better, England can´t even beat us in soccer and it is maybe the 10th most popular sport in the States, behind the World Series of Poker, and I would take a Hemingway book over Shakespeare anyday.  Here are SOME OF the best American Inventions:

• Facebook – yeah, your welcome for that one (I personally do not use it)
• Jazz
• The Airplane 
• Airplane the movie
• the Steamboat
• Sign Language Baseball – though sam claims it comes from rounders (British game)
• Blue Jeans
• Bourbon Whiskey (Jack Daniels)
• Air Conditioning – I could use some of that right now
• Motion pictures
• Assembely Line
• ATMs
• Carbon 14 dating
• Computer

Ok, you have English, and you did have William Shakespeare. Out with the old and in with the new.

http://corporate.britannica.com/press/inventions.html For a complete list please see!

The following day, Sam headed back to England, to tell the Queen of his defeat. Mom and I decided to scratch Finisterre and head to Sarria to repeat the last 75 miles of the Camino Frances.

I will update you all again in 2 days.

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I left you last in Samos, about to start long days in a push to get to Santiago. Over the course of the pilgrimage, or pilgrimages, I was always annoyed by the pilgrims that woke up at 5:30 or 6:00 in the morning to start walking, wondering why they would get up that early.  This is when I became the pilgrim that I had loathed on the first pilgrimage.

Day 7: Samos to Mercadoiro(32 kms = 20 miles)

I woke up at about 5:45 a.m. to soft tugs on my foot.  My first thought was “screw this”, considering if you know me, you know I am not fond of the morning.  Begrudgingly,  I got up and grab all my stuff and went out of the monastery, to pack outside.  I already hated myself for becoming an early rising pilgrim, I couldn´t live with myself if I was one of the ones that rattled around in their stuff for 30 minutes.  The four of them, Bill, Amy, Jordan, and Caroline, can out shortly after, and we headed to breakfast. After breakfast, we all set out walking on what was going to by a 20 mile hike with lots of up and down terrain.

We all walked to Sarria, somewhat in a group, and afterwards were heading up for a rough climb, all the way to the Alburgue.  I started to pull ahead, because I am a panter. Some people walk up hills and you can hardly hear them breathing.  I sound like some deranged beast, and to be honest look the part pretty well also.  Amy, Caroline´s stepmother, caught up with me, and we ended up walking together the rest of the day.  Much like the Auzzie women,  Amy was an incredibly fast walker, and the two of us began spurring each other on, passing everyone on the trails.

We arrived at the Alburgue that I had liked when I passed it the first time. It was in the middle of nowwhere, but it had a couch, and sitting, even for 5 minutes of a real couch, was awesome.

Amy and I at the 100 km mark!

The Alburgue

We had dinner with an Irish woman who was an addictions counselor, in Ireland. This woman could put down the Vino Tinto and Cervezas, which I was right there enjoying with her. She was very nice, and I am sure  is probably very good at her job, but if the addictions counselor is having 8-10 drinks a night, how much did her patients drink, by the barrel?

Day 8: Mercadoiro to Palas de Rei (32 km)

The weather finally turned back to what I knew.  The rain and cold took over, which always makes walking somewhat a laborious activity.  Jordan, Caroline, and I walked together in the morning, but Caroline and I pushed ahead during the afternoon.  There were hundreds of pilgrims on the trails, and lodging was becoming a serious concern. Due to the phenomenon know as the 100 km pilgrim, whom are slightly discriminated upon by the rest of the pilgrims, getting a bed in cities past Sarria can sometime be a challenge. The competition for beds, and the lack of ailments or dirty clothes by the 100 km pilgrims, leaves other pilgrims claiming they are merely tourists. Below is a couple pictures:

100 km Pilgrims flood the Trails

Caroline - walking through the rain!

We arrived at Palas de Rei to find no rooms available. Continuing from Pension to Pension, using what is now revered as broken Spanish with a southern accent by pilgrims on the camino, we found a pension with room for 5. 

Day 9: Palas de Rei to Arzua (30 kms = 19 miles)

We headed out late this morning, around 9, to walk a shorter walk, but with the weather and the last two days, the walk was hard. I completed the family circle and walked with Bill for a large chunk of the day. Amy had pushed ahead, and Caroline and Jordan were close behind.  I was enjoying hearing about their family from the three of them, and was finding their experiences and values admirable, to say the least.  The rain continued to beat down on us, and the best thing about the day was getting out of the rain.

Day 10: Arzua to Santiago(42 kms = A Marathon, literally)

We woke up a 5:30 am. We have enough sugar from the grocery stop the night before to fuel an army, which we ate, and headed out at 6:30 into another day of rain. Amy and I immediately pushed ahead, determined to make it there as early as physically possible. This is when Tiffany was born. The inserts for my shoes were ruined the day before, and I had to stop 3 times in the first 20 kms, to fix my feet. Every time Amy just waited with her backpack on, and it was killing me because I was holding us up. She was awesome about it, but when we left I was making claims like no stops today. Finally I got it fixed by putting on two pairs of socks, but not before I named myself Tiffany for slwoing down the day.

We arrived into Santiago before 2 o´clock, which was unbeliavably fast, especially considering Tiffany was there. As we were walking down the street, both exhausted, I was using my sticks to support 50% of my weight by this time, when I look up and there is Jordan. Jordan was having issues with her feet, but more importantly, it was Jordan´s birthday, and she walked in the rain for a moment, then thought the hell with this, and took the bus. We all went to the Thai/Chinesse place that I love, and sat down for a meal. Jordan, seeing the pitiful condition we were in went out to find a place for us all to stay.

That is when all of our ailments hit. First, Amy threw up her lunch at the resteraunt. I now had pretty much no ability to put any pressure on my feet. We went to the hotel, where Caroline and Bill shorty arrived. Bill never made it out for dinner, and Caroline did only after a throw-up session of her own. Not that Jordan needed any reassurance, but after seeing our state, she knew that was not what she had in mind for her birthday. Suprisingly, Amy, Caroline, Jordan, and I were able to go back out for a celebratory dinner at the Thai place, at Jordan request. It is nice though, they all know me like I am a local, cause it is the only place I eat at in Santiago.

4 CAMINOS COMPLETED, OVER 800 MILES WALKED. WITH YOUR HELP, OVER $8,000 HAS BEEN PLEDGED TO THE MARTHA O´BRYAN CENTER.

WE ARE CLOSE TO FINISHED, BUT THERE IS STILL MORE TO WALK!

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After the wors nights sleep I have had, I was heading out to hike up and back over the mountains into Galicia. Last time this was in the rain, and I debated cutting it out all together for this trip. 

Day 4: Vega to Fonfria (25 kms)

I headed out in the morning ahead of the Peebles.  I love to walk by myself, cause i get to think and don´t have the responsibility of keeping up conversation.  Sometimes walking with people is nice, but I was motivated this morning to get done quick. About halfway up to Cacabelos, I ran into Dez and Mary, and we finished to the top together.

DezMary and I at the top

I want to talk a moment about this orange checkered shirt. It is the ugliest damn thing i have ever seen, but i bought it for it technical aspects, and did not realize how bad it was at the time.  I only have 2, so this is the one that is worn when hiking.

I made a quick stop at the church and lit a candle for some of you at home, and headed out. Dez and Mary were stopping for lunch. The church was pretty nice, and I am not exactly a person that is easily wooed by churches.

Church at O´Cebreiro

I left O´Cebreiro and continued on. The day was gorgeous, and I was hiking above the clouds, which created this spectacle of mountain tops poking through the clouds.

This picture hardly does the view justice.

The day turned out amazing. I hated the hike the first time I did it, but with a little better weather it was great. I arrived at Fonfria hours before everyone, but was able to book us all beds. This alburgue was like a mountain resort in the middle of nowwhere, and I got a great night´sleep.

Day 5: To Samos (20 kms)

The fog had rolled in pretty thick to make the morning a cool and mysterious walk. Here is a view:

The pilgrim in front of me, barely visible, is only about 30 feet ahead. I hiked with mary and dez the entire day, though short.  I was stopping after only 20 kms to stay at the largest monestary in Europe.

My Alburgue in Samos!

Dez and mary went ahead after lunch in Samos, but the Peebles were staying in Samos, who I joined up with.

While in Samos, the Peebles somehow convince me to join them in their yoga session is a field.  I have lost a sigificant amount of weight since January, but not enough to be trying yoga. 

After Samos, and my amazing yoga display, I somehow convinced the entire Peeble family, including their camino adopted daughter Jordan, to start walking crazy distances so i could make it to Santiago by June 10th. 

Jordan, Dez, Mary, Caroline, Me!

continued……

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