Cambarro to Armenteira
Today’s goal: out by 8:30. We all need to arrive about the same time to get picked up by Andre or not.. if we don’t arrive the same time we’ll just sit at a cafe but we do need to get picked up because house rental is in another town for the next three nights. We didn’t want to keep moving around for the next three nights so we have a house rental and we’ll take rides back and forth to our walking point.
Meeting point: Cafe next to Armenteira monastery
Actually started 8:50. First wrong. Turn less than 10 minutes into the walk. No big deal a little u-turn
Lots of gradual uphills so far but beautiful views so it’s a good excuse to stop and catch my breath. We still wanted the grain houses that they glassed in the sides and made it into a sunroom.
Around one bend someone had set up an ice chest with cold drinks in it with a sign for pilgrims to take. I did and I left you urine but it was a little too much so now Amy’s carrying it.
Just caught a picture of an amazing bird. I heard the call and thought I was hooking up for pigeon or a dove and why was I surprised? I’ll have to look it up. No idea what it was.
But writing this down now is good therapy cuz I can’t breathe and had to stop at the top of this hill. Eurasian Hoopoe yay! I’ve always wanted to see one of those.
I’m sitting in a little covered bus stop. Trying to catch my breath again. This is just steady up. Not super steep but steep enough.
Walked with an American from Chicago.. She just graduated Ohio State in environmental policy and will be starting a job in Glacier National Park with a non-profit doing education.
Next I met up again with Branca from the Netherlands.. She was at our hostel last night. We walked together quite a distance all the way to Armenteira.
Passing thru Fern and eucalyptus Forest. She reluctantly followed me up the extra incline to see the Galician petroglyphs.. Just to make our difficult walk even harder. I could make out the concentric circles but the goats were tough to see.
We walked we talked we whined about the rocky riverbed like path. We got to a ‘T’ in the trail with no marker in site. I pulled up my ninja map and saw we lost the trail someplace along the way.
We went right to meet up with the trail but that way deadended just short of the trail. About- face. As we went back to go the other way Tina found an arrow pointing left. Of course we were already off the trail so many others must have gone this way too. In fact everyone today went this way I think. No one could figure out where we went wrong. Anyway left ended up down at the road into Armenteira, with a trail marker.
Soon we arrived at the cafe where Andre and Evany were waiting. First stop the monastery to get a stamp then I snacked at the cafe with Branca. We had to await the rest of our group to arrive.
Once we were all there and we knew the house was ready, we piled into the van and off we went. We knew the house was ready because I finally answered the call I thought was spam. I had ignored the previous 3 calls. Evany rescued me because the caller only spoke Spanish.
Big van narrow road sharp turn into the garage. No idea how we will get out. I don’t want to watch. It’s a crazy setup 6 bedroom house. Lots of room for everyone. We’ll have to share 3 bathrooms but we don’t have to eat out every meal for 3 days.
Next stop the grocery store.. We walked, no way we were moving the car. Back to the house, I left with Amy for a walk. Back to the house, now I’m totally exhausted. Andre and Joana cooked up a feast. After dinner a few went back to the grocery because we found out they would me closed tomorrow May 1.. Holiday.
9 miles on the trail and another 3 in town.
8:50 am to 13:00 so only 4 hours but seemed like 8.