The last 20km begin!!

And I'm off...only gonna do about 15km today! Can't believe its almost over!!!

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31 days of walking!!

I just finished day 31!!! Hurray!! And I finished 30km in record time! After yesterdays fiasco in the crappy municipal albergue I practically ran to Santa Irene so I could get a bed in the small private albergue!! Turns out I didn't need to run as it is no where near full-but I didn't want to take any chances!!!

This place is lovely! She even gave me a towel to use!!! Wow!! I think its a bit pricey and I seem to pay everything at the end (she is keeping a tab for me). This could end up expensive as I am having the lady do my laundry for me too (€12! What robbery!) But now I will have clean clothes to last the rest of the trip! I'll eat dinner here too to save walking the however far to find a bar to eat at! I hope its good!

So tomorrow - according to the signs - I have about 21km to Santiago!!! I could do it all in one day and arrive friday night, or I could just walk like 16km to Monte del Gozo and walk the final 5km all fresh and relaxed on Saturday morning. I think I like the second option. But I bet a lot of people have that idea and maybe it will be really crowded Saturday morning for the last 5km. Hmmmm...we'll see how I feel tomorrow I guess. I have some friends finishing tomorrow and some finishing on Saturday. I'll see who I run into and how I feel about walking tomorrow. But after so many long days in a row a couple short ones sound nice. But it would also be nice to wake up Saturday and not have to walk anywhere!!! I must say walking is getting a bit old now and I wouldn't mind being done!

But its kinda strange to think of finishing! I feel like I have been doing this forever. I can't imagine getting up and not walking. What will it feel like to get to Santiago after walking towards it for over 30 days?! And not meeting all the new people everyday...and seeing the old ones! Every day I know someone its like I have known them a year! And yesterday I saw a guy I haven't seen since just after Pamplona! I don't even remember how long ago that was but it felt like we were long lost friends! I met him twice weeks ago and we met last night and hugged (he was the old man I walked into Pamplona with and who gave me a foot massage when I was sick in Puente de la Reina). Really I know nothing about any of these people except we are walking across Spain together which makes a huge bond. And its funny to see the difference between talking to someone that started later to those of us that started in St. Jean. There is definitely some snobbery there! Soon I'll be able to say I walked 800km (500 miles) in a row!!! But then it will be done and the adventure will be over and I'll need to find something else to do! Hmmmm...I can see why some people do the camino over and over!

Ok...enough talking! I am going to enjoy the rest of the afternoon and read my book!!
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Trashiest place on the camino!!

If I wasn't so thirsty I would never have stopped here with the half dressed dirty locals and the rubbish covering ALL of the tables!! Blah! Good thing its only 4.5km to my stopping place! I am quite early today...although I suppose I am not there yet...anything could still happen!
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Getting closer!!

As I take a quick siesta under a pretty flowering tree...I just wanted to upload my pics from this morning!!

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All better!

Ok! I just needed a drink and some food! This place isn't too bad...had a great dinner of pulpo (octopus) and now am ready for bed! Tomorrow 30km more to st. Irene! Then only 20km to santiago. Bit I think I arrive on saturday morning not friday night. Friday night I will stay 5km from santiago on monte de gozo (mount joy) and then just walk 5km on Saturdy and celebrate. Ok! Need to turn phone off because no where to charge it here!! Hope it doesn't die tomorrow!!

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Most horrible place on earth!!!

I just spent all damn day walking 33km to get to the biggest shithole of an Albergue that I've stayed in yet!! And I was too tired to turn around and go to the hotel! I just showered in an open shower! And I am sleeping in a giant dorm with bugs flying around!! I hate this!!! I wish I hadn't come this far! How come my damn guide book doesn't say how much this place sucks?!? It might only be €5 but I have paid less for way nicer places! And I am surrounded by people that just started within the last like 5 days and are all keen and happy!!! I hate them!! Everyone except the Aussie father and son next to me! They started ages ago and the son is walking in flipflops because his feet are so bad! I could talk civilly to them! The south african ladies below me seem nice enough (grrr...I am on the top bunk) but they started 2 days ago and are super happy!

So I'll stop whining. I am at the 50km mark. So not much father!!

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Tired...

So today I passed the 100km mark (see previous post). Now I am in Gonzar, which according to my book I have 90km left but according to the km markers I have 82km left! I'll believe the markers as its shorter :)

Its very possible I will arrive on Friday!! That's 2 days earlier than originally planned. A 30km day is no problem now. Today I did 31km and tomorrow I am planning 32km. Today was a super slow day though. I fell in with some people I haven't seen in ages! If you thought I walked slow and took lots of break - then I don't know how these people made it this far!!! I haven't walked that slow in at least 2 weeks!! And we had so many breaks! It might be because we all hadn't seen each other in a while and everyone was chatting - but still. Then the guys wanted another break so me and one of the girls walked on. But we walked so slowly I can't believe the guys didn't catch up! But then we waited in Portomarin for them for over an hour and they never arrived. But some how we missed them. Anyways - we went to walk on to the next town and luckily she saw someone else she wanted to walk with so I was able to say "well, I'll just walk ahead a bit" so that I could walk a nice fast speed for the last 8km!! When she arrived at the Albergue I was already showered and visiting with the people I know! Lol!! But dinner was amazing and now its bedtime! Buenas noches!!

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