Author: jpetesd

Happy birthday to the USA. Hope you all have a great July 4th!

The Portuguese Camino has a Central or Coastal option to Porto. I already knew I will be taking Coastal. 

I am missing the physical challenge, incredible scenery, and solitude of the Camino dos Faros. I am not missing walking through an overgrown jungle and having no clue if I’m actually on a trail. 

This “Hola” smile of the day goes out to all of you who have ever driven a tractor. You know the reward of hard work and the frustration of bad fortune.

I began this pilgrimage 41 days ago with 2 goals: (1) To raise $33,000 for the charities I’m hiking for. That would make $100,000 total over my 2 treks. We’re still progressing towards this one; and (2) To hike 810 miles so that I will have logged 3,000 miles over these 2 treks. The routes I laid out before I left totaled 890 miles so I have some “bonus” miles built in.

Last night I reached out to the person who created the apps that I have used for the parts of the Camino I have finished. I was looking for any recommendation as to how I can follow this trail. His response was “The Camino dos Faros is a work in progress. Be careful.”

I decided last night that if today was another day of inability to follow the trail that I would leave the Camino dos Faros and head to the Portuguese Coastal Camino. I can make my goal without the remainder of dos Faros.

Over the past 27 months I have walked more than 2,850 miles in 205 days. Day 205 is the most frustrating…by far.

Today the terrain was very flat. Easy to hike…if you were on a trail. Frustrating as hell if you are bushwhacking through vegetation while getting sliced to pieces.

Try walking across these slimy rocks while knowing you eventually need to go up…

The app says I need to take a right hand turn. No kidding! From there I just have to bushwhack. Tripping over vines, getting ripped to shreds by thorns.

I could have harvested lots of mussels, though!

This went on for nearly 4 hours. Constantly searching for the trail. Scrapes and cuts galore.

I decided fairly early in the day that Camino dos Faros wins. I find it hard to believe anyone can navigate this. The climbs, lack of services, and no people I can handle. The rest is just not worth it.

I don’t think things would have been much better if I had been going with the flow vs against. This is just a very rarely traveled path. I saw 0 hikers today.

Tomorrow I plan to take a bus to Santiago and get on the Portuguese Coastal Camino to Porto. Assuming I finish that, I will have done 821 miles this trek and 3011 miles total.

I am feeling defeated and just really shitty tonight but tomorrow is a new day.

Happy trails and buen Camino!

Happy birthday today to my dad. Hope you have a great day. Love you.

My tent spot worked out well. I was partially hidden by this old piece of farm equipment. Ocean to the other side…about 50’ down.

This rock is a ways out in the ocean. If you look closely you can see a guy on top. There are also a couple guys on lower rock to the right. They are trying to get some sort of shellfish. Extremely dangerous. Waves slamming into and over rock on the right. The shellfish sells for $35/lb in restaurants. Hope they’re making lots of money!

I also saw a guy harvesting mussels. He was on rocks near shore. Didn’t look fun but way less dangerous than guys above.

This trail keeps me very frustrated. It is apparently not traveled by very many people as trail is very overgrown by vegetation in many places. It’s also not very well marked in lots of areas.

That 2” diameter green dot is the trail marker! Almost like they’re trying to camouflage it. I despise that brush alongside. That’s the stuff responsible for scratching up my legs. It’s like death by a million paper cuts.

Pilgrims walk from Finisterre to Muxía (or the other way) all the time. The difference is 99.99% of them go via an inland route that is about 18 miles long and has to be much easier. This coastal way is 31 miles of torture.

It’s a good thing the scenery is phenomenal or I’d be getting off this route.

Whoever laid out this trail thinks like the people who laid out the AT. Let’s go straight up the tallest hill we can find. You can see the trail going up here.

These 2 days on the Camino dos Faros rank as 8+ on AT difficulty scale. Guess I’m just a sucker for the views once you get to the top.

After 3 hours I had seen no one. I finally heard what I thought was a chain saw. Not seeing anyone but I saw a jacket a gas can along trail.

A bit further up the hill I saw my hero and “Hola” smile of the day. He was weed whacking the growth on the trail. Badly needed and I thanked him profusely. Looks like jungle, doesn’t it!

There are virtually no hikers on this trail. I saw 4 in seven hours today. All going opposite direction of me. 2 of them had come all the way from Malpica (where I’m heading to). They’re first I’ve met doing whole thing. Other 8 I’ve seen over 2 days are “just” doing Muxia to Finisterre.

The good news is that the people who came from Malpica said that of remaining 6 days, only 2 are this hard. So I’ve got that going for me…which is nice.

It’s said that it’s not a true hike until you have your first fall. Got that out of the way today. A branch of that gnarly, prickly bush that I hate got wedged in my shoe lace (not where you tie but where they lace) and made me lose balance. The branch was so tough and wiry it took me at least 3 minutes to free myself.

That’s Muxía up ahead. At this time I was really wishing I was James Bond. Take off on a hang glider. Do a barrel roll to elude the bad guys. Land on the back of a speeding jet ski being driven by Halle Barry. Boom ba da bing… I’m in Muxía!

Unfortunately I’m playing the role of Sir Edmund Hillary and we will walk around until we find the steepest path to the highest point. Yeah, that narrow path on left 1/3 of picture looks perfect.

By jove, I think we may make it.

First though, let’s just walk through this sand.

After 7.5 hours, I made Muxía! Last half mile was on a road. Absolute heaven.

Muxía is a cool little town on a narrow piece of land. Very unique setting.

I am going to get a good rest and see what tomorrow brings.

Happy trails and buen Camino

Remember how I was going to take it easy and act like I’m on vacation. Today the Camino wouldn’t let me. I “only” went 16 miles but it was a difficult 16 miles. If this is an indication of the difficulty of the Camino dos Faros (Camino of the Lighthouses), I’m in for 7 more tough days.

I started out by coming from Finisterre up over that mountain in the back, down to the beach (very fine, soft sand…difficult to walk in), and up onto this mountain. An hour in and I was drenched in sweat.

Every mile today was a struggle. I had to use my hands to scramble over some rocks, navigate some steep up and downs, and try not to slip and fall while walking along the edges of some sheer cliffs. On an AT difficultly scale, today was at least a 7.

This is a good view back to Fisterra (left) and out to Finisterre on the point. It’s really a pretty narrow piece of land.

I took more pictures today than any other day. 2-3 times more than average. That will tell you what I thought of the scenery.

Even the easy parts were a bit rocky.

If you would happen to slip and fall here, you wouldn’t tumble far. That brush is thick, gnarly, and sharp. Would have been a good day for long pants if a person had them. The brush scraped my legs up pretty good.

I saw virtually no people today. 6 or 7 pilgrims, 4 day hikers, wait staff and patrons at 2 bar/restaurants I passed, and one lady who was yelling at me that I turned the wrong way (she was right).

Bottom line is I have no “Hola” smile of the day. I’ve been posting that pic each day on Facebook and Instagram. I’m going to put a pic on there today that was from weeks ago (before I started the daily thing). Those people will never know the difference so don’t rat me out!!

I might not have seen many humans but I did see a herd of wild (I’m guessing) goats. Look closely they are scattered all over this pic.

This is some of the finest sand beaches and clearest water I’ve seen on the trek. These are also some very remote beaches.

The sand is so fine and soft I sink in 2-3” every step. My shoes also filled up with about a lb of sand each on this stretch. Those are my footsteps, FYI.

I feel this rugged coastline scenery is just incredible.

Walk across the beach, climb the hill, go down the hill, repeat.

I’m headed for that teeny, tiny town across the water.

I found a trail app that I am using for this portion of hike. It works fairly well but sucks up a lot of battery.

At one point I got off the trail by less than 20’ but I knew that at some point I had to get back on because there was a river crossing. I found a place where I could see the trail. It was about 6’ below me on what appeared to be a slope overgrown with vegetation.

It was overgrown with vegetation but it was not a slope, it was a drop off! Hard to tell in picture but after one step I was in thorny vegetation above my waist. It took me 10 minutes to get out. I couldn’t lift my legs and feet high enough to step out so had to use my knees to push brush down enough so I could step on and over. Once again, long pants would be awesome. My legs have small cuts and scratches everywhere.

Rolled into Nemina about 3:30. A restaurant but no lodging.

Had something to eat and then walked a ways out of town. I’ve got my tent set up on someone’s land. It’s pasture with no animals in it…I hope. I’m as unobtrusive and low visibility as I can be. Hopefully no problem.

Happy trails and buen Camino!

My room last night was at Casa Bernarda. A very nice room in a lovely house. 

I try to keep weather forecast on my phone for town a couple days ahead. Approaching Finisterre, Fisterra kept popping up. Finally figured out that Fisterra is the town and Cabo Finisterre is the point of land and not a town. 

The coast gets very rugged as you pass town. You can see the lighthouse in upper right corner of pic. 

Made it to Finisterre, the most western point of land in Spain and, for centuries, considered to be the end of the world. 

I really enjoyed Cabo Finisterre. The beauty, the history, the finality. 

Fisterra is a town with many narrow, winding streets. Good luck driving an American SUV through here. 

I was back in town about 1PM. A random marching band passed while I was having lunch. There was also lots of live music being played at different plazas throughout town because it was Fisterra Jazz Fest. 

After the rough start, it became a really nice day. 

I met a group of hikers from South Africa. 11 of them walking in smaller groups but meeting up during the day and at night. They pretty much convinced me that Cape Town needs to be visited. It’s kind of on the way to Mt Kilimanjaro. 

I think I was about 7 miles away at that point. It was a great day to be walking the ridge line. Great views and a nice breeze keeping things cool. 

I may not be at the end of the world but I’m getting close!

From here it appears that the road will dump me right into the ocean. 

I’m excited to be back along the coast. 

Made it!  Corcubión is a nice port town. Got there about 2 so had a nice relaxing afternoon. 

These people work fast. I was only in town for 18 hours. Do you think it makes my ankles look fat?

Negreira is a very nice town. Old but very clean looking. Obviously the European towns are old. Some just have a fresher look than others.

The terrain through here consists of lots of rolling hills.

Combine those hills with some dirt paths through the forest and you’ve got a nice walk.

The “Hola” smile of the day. Just out for her daily walk!

There is something about Finisterre and it being thought of as the end of the world at one point in time that fascinates me. I am more excited to get there than Santiago.

Kris had suggested to me the other day that I should be walking like I’m on vacation instead of seeing how hard I can physically push myself. Doesn’t really go with my mindset but I’m trying!

This scenery makes it a bit easier to just saunter.

Today is Thursday. I hope to be in Finisterre Saturday. 3 days to do 40 miles. I’m doing my best to fight the urge to do it in 2 days.

One of the really strange things I’ve noticed is that there is no wildlife here. I have not seen a single squirrel. I saw one deer but that was on train from Madrid to Pamplona. The only non-domesticated animals I’ve seen were 4 rabbits…and they were in a yard so could have been domesticated. Very weird.

We had one pretty good climb today.

This is the biggest lake I’ve seen. Well, I’ve only seen 2 others so not a huge sample size.

About 3PM I came across a small place offering camping for $7. Very new and modern facilities. Really nice shower, bar, and restaurant.

It is operated by a mother and son. Don’t know how it will work for them financially as only spots for 3 tents…and they’re not too level.

They took good care of me though. Dinner was spaghetti with tiny little octopus legs that almost looked like the spaghetti. Quite good. Main course was baked cod and potatoes. Also good. $9. What a deal!

This is the sunset view from my tent.

Happy trails and buen Camino!

The walk to Santiago de Compostela this morning began in a dense fog. Not my brain…the weather.

As you get closer to town the trinket shops begin appearing.

Several people now walking without shoes (a custom). At this shrine, pilgrims leave excess gear. Shoes, shirts, hats, bandanas, bras, etc.

The mist eventually turned to rain. Not a hard rain but enough to be a nuisance.

The “Hola” smile of the day goes to this gentleman. He stopped me and was trying to tell me something. I eventually figured out he was conveying that I was really close to the chapel.

What exactly is a pilgrimage? I’ve been thinking about that quite a bit the last few days. You can find many definitions. I am going with “a long journey to a place that is considered special”.

I’d originally considered a pilgrimage to be solely a religious journey. If that were truly the case, I’d estimate that fewer than 10% of people I’ve met would be considered pilgrims.

The cathedral at Santiago is special because, for many people, it signifies the accomplishment of a goal. For some, it is a huge accomplishment.

You can sense the excitement level rise when you first glimpse the spires of the cathedral.

The cathedral was built in the 12th century. It is currently undergoing a major restoration and the majority of it is closed. There is normally a daily mass for pilgrims. This has been moved to other churches about town.

The cathedral is huge and has a very large plaza in front.

The plaza was significantly less crowded than I expected. Probably due to the rain.

My “pilgrimage” does not end here but I did take some time to reflect. I made 3 resolutions to myself so far on this journey:

1. Say hi to as many people as I can each day. Especially those who are by themselves. It’s easy to do and you never know who needs to feel as though someone cares about them.

2. Help the immobile be more mobile. I am planning to go to senior citizen centers near our home and volunteer to take those in wheelchairs out for walks. I’ve seen lots of people being wheeled in Spain. Many of them smiling. Plus, I’m a pretty good walker.

3. Do my part to make our environment clean. I plan to keep trash bags in my car. When I see an area with a bunch of trash, I will stop and clean it up. I’ve always been disgusted by the sight of litter. Why not do something about it.

Those are my goals. I’ll keep you posted!

Now, on to the end of the world. Santiago is in the rear view mirror.

Leaving Santiago takes us back up into the hills.

Somebody painted some really nice murals on these buildings.

I fly out of Porto, Portugal 4 weeks from today. I plan to walk about 300 more miles. Doing the math it appears I’ll have plenty of time to sit in different coastal towns drinking beer. I’m pretty good at that, too!!

I love the look of these old stone streets but they really hurt my feet.

Happy trails and buen Camino!

I didn’t get rousted from my tenting spot but it was a pretty damp and chilly night. Not sure what the temp was but guessing low 50’s. 

A bit over 7 miles to town of Boimorto and another decision point. 

It was a pretty sunny day. Quite a bit of road walking and not very many people doing their part to avoid the overcrowding. I felt pretty alone out here. 

Still passing lots of small farms and tiny hamlets through here. Not quite as many orchards as in Austurias but there are a few.

I keep seeing this tall, leafy garden crop. No clue what it is but virtually everyone with a garden grows it. 

After a while I am really ready for a chair with a back. They weren’t joking about services being limited. Saw a bar early on but really nothing since. 

Stayed in a very inexpensive room last night. Small bed that was slanted. Surprised I was able to stay on all night and get a good sleep. Amazed that my back felt totally fine this AM.

Knew that today had to be a long walk. In my head there were services at 13 miles and then not until 25 miles.

Morning was spent walking through some nice forest areas.

I’ve seen sheep, horses, and cows being herded down the road.

Followed this guy and his herd for a couple hundred yards. Seemed to have a lead cow that listened to him. If any of the others got out of place, his dogs got them right back in line.

I had everything I could do to keep El Jeffe from doing a live broadcast here. I was afraid he’d say something stupido and start a stampedo!!

This is typical of the small hamlets we’ve been walking through past couple of days.

The “Hola” smile of the day (really more of a grin) goes to this artisan. His studio was a small shack in the hamlet. He had music blaring loudly which caught my attention. I have no clue what he makes!

This little lamb thinks he’s a mountain goat.

At about 8 mile mark I passed an alburque and cafe. 2 ladies there that I had talked to last night. Strange because we had discussed no services until 13 miles. I blew past because I could easily make 5 more miles before I stop.

Went through a stretch of randomly different terrain. Very rocky and hilly for a couple miles.

As I’m nearing the 13 mile mark I am really ready for a break. Been walking nonstop for nearly 4 hours.

Just slightly passed mile 13 I caught up with Greta and Danny, a nice couple from Ireland I’d met a couple days ago. When they asked how I was I told them I couldn’t wait to get to the town up ahead. “Pete, the next town is nearly 20 km (12 miles)”. NOT good!

Danny thought there may be a cafe in 15 km (9 miles). Really no options. I’ve got some 2 day old bread, a Kit Kat bar, a coke, and a half liter of water. No problem I lie to myself.

Walked with Danny and Greta for almost an hour until they took a break. This had turned into a challenge for me. How far can I go without taking a break? My only pauses had been to take pics and pee. No sitting or taking pack off.

Decided I needed some ground rules. Had to stop if I started staggering down the road or if I started hallucinating.

One foot in front of the other. Final 3 miles was on side of a road with nowhere to sit if I wanted and definitely not a good place to be staggering. Focusing is kind of difficult after 6 straight hours of walking.

There was a cafe where Danny thought. Hallelujah! I had gone about 21 miles in 6.5 hours with no stops. You should not even try that on your treadmill at home. Where are you going to pee?

Danny and Greta caught up with me as I was savoring my second Coke. This is Danny boy.

The last 4 miles to town was a relative piece of cake. Made it only to find no hotel rooms! I think I’ll just sit down and cry. Give me a minute, please.

Well, I do have a tent. Got something to eat and found a park on outskirts of town where I pitched my tent.

I’ll sleep well unless this is illegal and I get rousted.

Happy trails and buen Camino!