Camino de Santiago - Day 8

We started today in Mazarife had breakfast at the hostal and started walking as the sun rose. We had another 20 Km day. We stopped a few times along the way and had coffee & some food. Our feet are feeling a little better today and I think our legs are also getting used to the walking.

We are thinking of getting some treking poles. Lots of people use them and I orginally had thought they were ridiculous and totally unnecesary. However, it looks like the terrain will be getting much steeper with some challenging down-hill sections. Both Sol and I agree that we would WAY rather climb up than go down. The steep down-hill sections are so hard on the knees! You work hard going uphill but it seems way easier for some reason. I think the poles help take some weight off your knees & back when climbing. Also - we have sadly had some scary encounters with Dogs. Twice in one day we were run down by Pitt Bulls that turned out to be friendly, albeit horribly behaved. In any case, having a large dog run at you when you are not sure if it is nice is terrifying. Today I had a German Shepard come after me while Sol was trying to grab a rock or stick. It was growling loudly and I was super scared. Luckily it had on a muzzle. The owner said the dog wasnt friendly. You think? How about a leash???!!  Yikes!  In any case, I would feel much better if I had a pole to swing at studid dogs! :)

We arrived tonight in a nice, sleepy little town and are having fun talking with people we are meeting. It is really fun to get to know lots of other people and share stories from along the way. Sol and I had a beer and a snack this afternoon as dinner is served at 7 and we were hungry!

This experience so far, even though very challenging, has been super rewarding. We are meeting amazing people and are lucky enough to have the opportunity to slow down and enjoy Spain at a very slow pace! It is amazing what you can observe and notice that you would otherwise miss in a car or train!  I personally feel really proud of the meeting the physical demands of walking on tough terrain all day with a pack. It is amazing how light and free you feel at the end of the day when you drop your pack!

We are hoping to arrive in Santiago some time around the beginning of November.