Camino Pilgrim

Waking up super early became so natural. I am like an owl already. Morning started by helping Brianagh carry one of her backpacks 13km across a mountain to the nearest post office. The first part of the hike today actually went super smoothly. There was just enough sun to feel warm on the skin, but the morning was cold enough not to get tired.

On the way up the mountain there were several sunflower fields. One of them I captured in the photograph. This image pretty much captures the inner feelings of our group today.

Once we all had made a stop in the middle of today’s hike, our limbs and muscles cooled down so much that it felt difficult to move at first. There was quite a windy breeze and in the shade it felt really cold. Once you get out of the shade it took only five minutes at 29 degrees (celsius) to start feeling overwhelmed by the heat. And it was really HOT going through empty wastelands without any shade. I even put my safari hat on, which made me feel like a turtle wearing an umbrella.at

Walking in extreme heat was all fine as long as the next village was clearly visible on the horizon. Unfortunately for us, the last stretch was 5,5km without any shade or vision of the next village. Even the hilltops showed nothing as far as the eye could reach. It was depressing, to say the least. A feeling of utter hopelessness grabbed me, Veronika and Jasmine as we were pushing the last few kilometers. Just two kilometers before the end, we had our first glance of where we actually were going. Immediately, all the fun chatting stopped and everyone got serious about just getting to finish the day and not die in the sudden heat. Hiking at 29 degrees without shade is no joke.

It was super fun to see that one after another all members of our group made it to Albergue De Lorca Jose Ramon. This by far has been the best place we have stayed at. The rooms are really nice, the service is amazing and dinner was mind-blowingly good. If any of you reading this ever go to Camino Frances, then you have to spend a night here. Its beyond amazing. Prices are also lower than you would expect, even in the village supermarket.

For tomorrow we have ambitious plans to do a even harder day under the burning sun. It is already uncertain that all of the nine group members are able to make it. There are several ongoing issues with shoes and blisters that are getting very serious. I myself had a mini blister by the evening, but luckily in a place that doesn’t stop me from pushing forward.

Hopefully, the day tomorrow with even more heat won’t kill me. I got an extra 1,5 liter water bottle from the store just in case.