Group 3 — Chad, Nadia and Sarah

We all woke up as early as possible to catch breakfast and left Sarria between 5:45 am for some and 6:45 am for others. Right off the bat, we found that not having a map and just following the arrows and scallop shells was one of the most surreal feelings of the trip so far. You had to rely on the legitimacy of the road markers and the community of the Camino along the way. The pilgrims as well as the locals were very welcoming and fun to talk to. We heard many interesting stories of where people were from and why they were walking. 

Something that hit us halfway through the fifteen miles, was how far apart towns were in walking distance. There’s an interesting relationship to space and time that you would otherwise be unaware of. Walking gives an interesting perspective on the man-made paths.

For those of us who had never done a hike as long as this, the toll that consistent movement takes on your body was a surprise — aching muscles, sore knees, and blisters plagued our small community of peregrinos. We are interested to see if six days is enough for our bodies to adjust to this new normal of constant movement and physical exertion. 

What’s intriguing about the terrain here is how quickly it changes. We can go from full tree coverage with dirt paths to fields and paved roads within minutes and then flip terrain again a mile later. Tomorrow we get up early and we embark on our next fifteen miles to Palas de Rei and we can’t wait until we hit Santiago. Til next time, Nadia, Chad, and Sarah.