Day IV: Anha -> Vila Praia de Âncora: 15.3mi.

🛏:

Our laundry didn’t dry last night, so the first order of business today was to rig all of our wet clothes to the outside of our packs to allow them to dry better. I had done the most laundry and therefore had the most decorated backpack; super hilarious looking, mildly efficient.

Today was wonderful. Our group of four turned to into a welcomed six after we realized the two women from our albergue were planning to stay at the same place as us tonight, too.

We walked along by way of the coast and it was fascinating to see the pairs switch around and then turn into groups of three and then back to different pairs. I think everyone talked to everyone at some point and it was natural and beautiful and high quality.

We ended up taking a longer than anticipated lunch this afternoon at a quaint cafe by the coast. I got a salmon, cream cheese and arugula sandwich for only 6€ and another got the most giant bowl of fresh muscles you ever did see for a ridiculously low price. We talked and laughed and enjoyed our food and the sunshine. At one point, a friend asked what day of the week it was and it stumped us all for some time. I find this particularly funny, because it is something I ask my patients on the ambulance to determine their orientation and decision making capacity. I am not oriented to time at all here, only to whether or not I need to reapply sunscreen and to which direction I should be walking in, all while being thankful lunch beer(s) are an acceptable thing these days.

Eventually, we accepted we needed to be on our way.

The afternoon was much quieter. Most of us stuck our headphones in, myself included (but with the left side out so that I could still hear the ocean). We maintained a quick pace as our pre-booked albergue was right on the beach and we were eager to arrive and enjoy a bit of daylight there.

The views along the way and then from our beach-albergue did not disappoint. When we finally arrived, we quickly changed and headed straight to the beach. We splashed around as the Atlantic Ocean numbed our tired achy feet and it was impossible to wipe the smiles from our faces. In that moment, I remember thinking over and over how thankful I was for an experience that led me to towns I never would’ve otherwise known of and people I never would’ve otherwise met.

We showered before watching the sunset from out front of our albergue and then we walked down the street to dinner, where I drank a beer, ate soup and bread and enjoyed a local fish (served head and all) all for 7.50€.

Despite all of the good things already mentioned, perhaps my favorite part of the entire day was just now. The six of us settled into our beds in our shared room, separated from the following rooms by a partial wall, and all of a sudden we were laughing and laughing. About everything: photos and earlier conversations and had to be there things that wouldn’t make sense here. At one point, a friend who had been outside of the room walked in and asked if she could open the window “it smells a little bit not so nice,” she qualified; we laughed some more. We were smelly and sandy and icky and not one of us cared, just like we didn’t care how absolutely obnoxious we were being to the neighboring room. We all embraced the moment fully, knowing we would never again have a moment like it, and all too likely a moment where the six of us were together, ever again.

It’s all bittersweet because it seems our group will be parting ways tomorrow. One or two have decided on a short day, probably in different locations, another will go further, another is unsure of their plans and myself and the other plan to wake up early and walk six miles to a spot where we will rent a canoe and travel by water tomorrow (this will help ensure I meet up with my other friends and it will be a nice break for our feet my back).

I look forward to something new but despite how much I have learned to accept it, these camino goodbyes wreck me. I’ll miss the way time didn’t matter today and the way the world stood still for a moment tonight.

🎒:

Last camino, I brought a few changes of earrings, two necklaces and the above green and white bracelet. This year, only these 👆🏽. My bobble, which reminds me of my cousin and a girl from my paramedic class, as they were who introduced me to these stellar hair ties. A bracelet one of my favorite companies (Thread Wallets) sent me just for the spoil-me heck of it, the brand escapes me but I will figure it out and edit this post. A bracelet a best friend gave me for Christmas that simply says “say yes to adventure.” My wanderer bracelet from my last camino – I bought my friend and I matching ones before we embarked. And finally, my Neff watch; one of my favorite people was nearby when I stumbled upon this and fell in love with its colors and he bought it for me as a birthday present. Last year, I used my garmin watch and routinely downloaded my steps. This year, I know I’m stepping a lot (and that it’s one of seven days of the week in September) and that is enough.

🎶:

The song “Dry in the Sun” from this album popped into my head as I was thinking about the laundry on the back of my pack and it became the obvious way to begin my camino musically. This album was a staple on my last trek – his style fits this region and I am drawn to his lyrics and positivity. It was exclusively a Sam Outlaw kind of day, but only in my right ear.

“Let them blow like sails in the warm summer breeze, watch the wind move the air past the rocks and trees. You don’t need to hurry, we got hours of light; so let them dry in the sun, let them hang on the line.”