The Samba Kings

Well after just under a week in Rio de Janiero we have farwelled the fine shores of Brasil. It is hard to sum up the hedonistic capital of the world in a just a few sentences but our time in Rio was perhaps some of the most amazing since we left Australia. On day 1 we walked the entire length of Copacabana and Ipanema beaches approx 11km in total- the beaches themselves are comparable with Bondi Beach- very chaotic and not the most asethetically beautiful, however, what they lack in beauty they more than make up for in atmosphere and character. The local life revolves around these beaches and the beaches are packed no matter what day of the week it is.
We hired bikes oneday and rode around the lake which was extremely pretty, this gave us our first real glimpses of sugar loaf mountain and christo redentor. As the afternoon set in we had a late lunch and went to a beutiful park which was at the base of christo redentor. We could have spent the whole day here but time didn't permit. In the evening we went to Lapa, a suburb of Rio, which was the location of a street party and a great samba club, Funidcao Progresso. The line up consisted of some well known samba groups that play new years and carnival each year. The atmosphere at the street party was sureal- very bohemian- you could literally find every interest group catered for. The samba groups didn't kick off to 12.00am so we had a late night getting in at 3.00am- Sahra represented when it came to the samba- me not so much.
On day 3 we did a tour of the city which involved visiting a national park, a beautiful waterfafall, christo redentor, Santa Teresa and Lapa- including the famous steps- as popularised by the snoop dog film clip- 'favourite girl'. Lunch was some salted meat from the north-east of Brasil.
Day 4 was the best sporting experience of my life- Brasil v Cot d'Ivore- on the big screen at Copacabana beach with 70,000 of my closest Brazillian friends- the atmosphere was insane- the goals were plentiful and the antarctic beers were cheap- the rest is a blur. Luis Fabiano's wonderful juggling act where he handballed twice in the one goal only served to increase the enjoyment of the day- 'Joga Bonito'.
Finally we ended our stay with the most informative and enjoyable cultural tour Brasil has to offer. There are over 920 favellas in Rio itself and we visited two of them including the biggest which is called Rochina. With a population of between 80,000 and 120,000 it is grand in scale and an impresive site. Despite the bad reputation favelas receive we felt completely comfortable and safe- even despite the fact we encountered civilians carrying uzis and assault rifles. Mick would be happy to know that one of the first songs I heard in Rochina was Charlie Brown Jr- tudo mudo.
Have arrived safely in Quito which is a wonderful city with an amazing outlook- and massive volcanoes- our trip to get here was a haul- Rio to Sao Paulo- Sao Paul to Caracas- Caracas to Bogota- Bogota to Quito. A measly 4 flights with 3 carriers- Our bags could only be checked in as far as Caracas and the longest lay over we had was 1hr- how we got here with our bags is anybodies guess.

Whats Three More Days

After arriving in Santiago and having a few days of sight seeing and rest, we started to get itchy feet and decided like forest to just keep on walking. Finistere (which means- end of the world) was only another 95km, or three days walking. We lightened our loads slighly and decided that day packs would be an easier option. The scenery was again stunning especially the last day as we finally glimpsed the coastline.

It was really nice to be walking again and to be away from the crowds. The last week before we arrived in Santiago things got quite busy. On the road to Finisterre we were lucky to see 4 other pilgrims a day. However, after our beautiful quiet hotel room it was very difficult to go back to the dorm with all the snoring, farting and sleep yelling! Communal bathrooms and bunk beds are things I will truly not miss and after our experiences I am much more appreciative of the fact that Aidan doesn't snore.

On our last day of walking we did an easy 34 kilometers. We arived in Finistere to streets laiden with flowers and we met up with a lovely English couple we had met previously and spent the afternoon looking at the sea drinking gin. Unfortunately the day had to be cut short as we had to get the bus back to Santiago to make our early morning bus the next day to Porto, Portugal.

Finishing the Camino

Finishing was quite a surreal experience, we got a little bit carried away on our second last day and instead of walking 23 kilometers we decided to just keep going. After walking 43 kilometers we could see the spire of the Cathedral! It was so exciting to arrive in Santiago but also a little bit sad as another chapter of our journey was ending.

I was very disappointed that there were no cheer squads as we entered the city, I was hoping for a street parade, maybe a marching band.... at least a line of people ready to hi-five us. But alas, we walked in, did a victory lap of the cathedral and took some photos, a bit of an anticlimax really. We were lucky however that a few Aussies we met along the way had arrived the previous day and were on hand to give us a slap on the back which was great.

I did get a little emotional, one- because I wasn't expecting to arrive the day we did and two- because it was finally over. We had been walking for 31 days and the whole time I was focused on getting to the end and when I finally arrived I was emotionally drained and physically exhaused.

We did go to the nearest pub and celebrate with the biggest beers we could find!! We found a great hotel which had opened only a few days earlier right next to the cathedral.

The Final Contdown

Not only is this a great song by jefferson starship but this is probably the best way to describe our feelings at this point in time. Everything we have been doing for the last 29 days will culminate in five days time.
Today we had a lovely walk and we find ourselves in a town somewhere in Spain, on someday of the month on someday of the week. You really feel like you have achieved youre goal when you seriously cannot answer the above questions. The beautiful undulating greenhills of Galicia, with roman walls dotting the countryside and celtic huts littered around the place continue to amaze. A little old lady walks out of a barn and offers you a crepe with sugar- the sweet smell of freshly cut grass in the early hours of the morning. A church bell dings in the distance as you wander through a herd of cattle, can the world be at any greater peace. Welcome to the world of the Camino.
After packing up our lives in Canberra I feel so removed from the previous 12 months of anxiety and stress- sadly I am already thinking about returning home! Happy to see family and friends but disappointed that Spain and Africa will be a memory- something to be treasured forever but non the less a memory.

Alas there is still much to see and do and Portugal and South America are on the horizon.

300, 400, 500 & 600

Well since we last posted a lot of milestones have been met and targets exceeded...... sounds alot like program management jargon right?
The weather has finally cleared, we are back in shorts and shirts and have seen some amazing country. Castilla and Leon was amazing with many beautiful old churches and castles dotting the countryside.
We recently completed three big climbs and decents- the first was at Cruz de Ferre which took us up to 1500m and amongst snow capped mountians- an unusual sight in Spain weeks before Summer. Today we summited O Cerebrio at 1270m followed by a decent to 1000m before another climb which took us to 1300m. Today we set a new record for distance covered in a day- 36km- not bad considering it including 17kms of climbs.
Today represented our entry into Galicia pronounced Galithia which means we have less than 130km to our final destination of Santiago de Compostella- in real terms this is less than 6 days of walking. As this is a holy year- we are looking forward to walking through the door of forgiveness which wipes the slate clean with the big fella upstairs. This only occurs in the holy year so for those of you out there who need forgiveness, start saving for 2021.
The niggling injuries such as blisters and tired muscles that plagued us at the start of the walk are a thing of the past- Sahra has been band aid and plaster free for almost 7 days and Ive taken her off the fibre cookies which caused a few problems along the way. I am almost injury free, have a blister which has cropped up for the second time, which I am paying close attention to. Had some shin splint problems but that has cleared up.
To reward our efforts we have decided to walk for an extra three days to Finisterre which is on the coast and will allow us bragging rights of having walked the entire width of Spain . We have also booked some accomodation in Porto after we finish for some well earned rest and relaxation.
Overall we have experienced some major highs and a few lows in the past 28 days of walking. I have to put my hand up and say I really underestimated the physical and mental challenges of this journey. Thus far we have overcome all the challenges thrown our way, we have learnt a lot about ourselves, as individuals and as a couple, which will serve us well in our life together. Overall it has strengthened our bond and helped us realise just how similar we both are and that we want the same things in life.
All in all a great expereince which we will never forget.
Will try and post some photos celebrating our milestones but until we reach Santiago- Peace

Blisters, blisters, blisters....

Aidan´s toe and Sahra´s heel.

Day 10- Azofra to Santo Domingo de la Cazada

Well, after three straight days of bad weather surely things would improve today.....wrong. Yesterday it was five degrees today it was as low as zero. Overnight the drizzle continued making the clay paths from Azofra to Santo Domingo near impassable. A section around 1km long took us 30 minutes to navigate through. Just when we were getting accustomed to the cold, wet conditions, the driving rain commenced leaving us around 1km from the nearest town. Sahra glanced up at the hill only to notice snow at around 850m, we were walking at around 750m. Undertking the walk during spring we really didnt think thermals or wet weather gear would be all that necessary. It seems like one thing after another on this walk challenges you to the core.
Once we reached Ciruena at around 11am we thought we were on the home stretch but again we underestimated the powers that be- time for the sleet and hail to test our wits. By this time we were both tired and wet and to be honest so overwhelmed that it was like water off a ducks back. Bring on a cyclone we both said.
Despite everything we continue to tackle this beast head on. While we only managed 14km today we are still on track, yesterday we did over the recommended distance.
My toe continues to be a source of trouble- not sure what the solution is- its not really the blister that is causing the problem its the toe itself. Before entering into the walk we really thought it would be a challenge- thus far it hasnt dissappointed, and its not the physical aspects that are the challenge- its the associated unexpected elements such as the weather or your feet.
To end on a positive note we passed the 200km mark yesterday, see photo below.
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