Hello A Paso de Formiga

During one of my previous Caminos I passed by this place and was enchanted about the cool bar and nice guest rooms - so I thought let’s give it a try and stay there tonight.

But first I had to leave Sarria in the right direction - as I went to the monastery yesterday ( 100 meters above my hotel) I saw why I lost my way on the two previous Casinos - I oversaw the right turn to the monastery before because of the stunning SARRIA sign. When I get to the monastery for evening mass though I have to realize that no mass takes place here tonight - so I walk back down to the church in town and join the mass there.

Early in the morning this extra way came in handy as I now know that I have  to pass by the monastery first. The way today is challenging 1500 meters up and 1400 meters down the path. I don’t think I ever sweat as much as today in my life.

At the first downhill I hear a Brazilian lady scream from the top of her lunges into her smart phone: she is on face time with home wanting to share here every emotion with her beloved once - just not realising that there are dozens of other pilgrims listening in. I pass her as quick as I can and after 5 minutes her voice disappears in the distance. And then a SouthCorean talks on speaker phone with his girlfriend. “ He does not love you anymore - he talks to you while walking”, I scream into his phone while passing. A thin lipped girlfriend and annoyed boyfriend give me angry looks - just keep walking fast, Andreas. What’s wrong with these people? Don’t they realising they polluting the 6:30 am morning mood of others? Maybe I am too strict/serious - maybe not.

I pass through several little villages consisting mainly of farmers and youth hostels; in the beginning I keep tip-toeing around the cow poop spread all over the street, but soon I stop caring about this stuff and just walk through it - I won’t eat from the soils of my shoes anyway.

I get to Portomarin after a very steep decline and start feeling hungry but force myself to go on as I still have a whooping 14 km incline ahead of me. A stone fabrique and a smelly chicken farm follow in this now ever incline way.

I finally reach paso de formiga; my clothes are soaking wet and my legs feel tired. So I try out their massage leg Maschine - does not do great things but at least revives my legs.