Thoughts at 35,000 ft.: 2018

Vacation for the Soul and the Spirit: Hiking the Way

Camino Portugues-Camino de Santiago to Santiago de Compostela

THE INSPIRATION

I have heard of Santiago de Compostela around 15 years ago. But my imagination of the place and its cathedral was captured after I read “The Pillars of the Earth” by Ken Follett. The book inspired me to visit the place. So in 2011, I visited Santiago de Compostela. I was struck by its commanding presence and I was enchanted by the swinging of the BOTAFUMERIO during the pilgrim’s mass.

(A few months later, the movie “The Way” came out and I watched it.)

While I was there, I’ve met pilgrims who completed the hike by foot and by bike. The pilgrims looked joyful. Thus, I vowed to return as a pilgrim, hiking the camino.

THE PLAN

Fast forward 2014, I began planning to hike the camino but after researching the different routes, I realized that there are unsafe areas. Just like in the movie, I was confronted by “What If?” and simultaneously I felt brave I could do it on my own. After a thorough research, I decided that the hike would be best accomplished if I were to hike it with friends who are willing to rough it and who are willing to hike the 120 km Portuguese Way from Valenca (Portugal)-Tui (Spain) all the way to Santiago de Compostela. The hike was a year of careful planning and research.

After three friends (Edgar, Raquel and Precy), confirmed their interest, I began to draft the itinerary.

There are 9 different routes to Santiago de Compostela. These are:

Camino Frances
Camino Primitivo
Camino del Norte
Camino Portugues
Camino de Finistere
Camino Ingles
Camino del Salvador
Camino Aragones
Camino de Madrid

(So take your pick and choose the route that interests you most.)

I chose the Camino Portugues from Valenca, Portugal/Tui, Spain for our hike, due to its accessibility and its length.

Every pilgrim who wishes to complete the camino and who wishes to received the pilgrim’s certificate must hike the last hundred kilometers, or bike the last two hundred kilometers.

A pilgrim’s passport or credencial must be carried and must receive a stamp from a concello, albergue (pilgrim’s lodging), hostal, hotel, restaurant (taperia, cafeteria, cafe) or a church/cathedral. A pilgrim must get at least one stamp a day, which will serve as a proof of the completion of the camino.

THE ITINERARY

Day 1: Fly from Newark to Lisbon, Portugal

Day 2: Arrival in Lisbon catch the bus to Porto

Bus from Lisbon airport (Aerobus # 2) to Sete Rios bus terminal

Bus from Sete Rios to Porto = 20 euros approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes

frequency every 30 minutes

Rest in Porto

Day 3: Catch bus to Valenca.

Bus from Porto to Valenca = 12 euros approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes

Bus frequency 5 times a day (11am, 11:30am, 5pm, 7pm, 9pm)* Weekend bus schedules are slightly different.

Border crossing Portugal to Spain.

Cross the bridge from Valenca to Tui by taxi or foot bridge.

By foot from Valenca to Tui = 3 kms.

Day 4: First day of hike: Tui-Oporriñ = 17 kms

Day 5: Second day of hike: Oporriñ - Redondela =16 kms.

Day 6: Third day of hike: Redondela to Pontevedra = 18 kms.

Day 7: Fourth day of hike: Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis = 23 kms.

Day 8: Fifth day of hike: Caldas de Reis to Padron = 23 kms

Day 9: Sixth day of hike: Padron to Santiago de Compostela = 24 kms.

Day 10: Spend a day in Santiago de Compostela and attend the pilgrim’s mass

Day 11: Train from Santiago de Compostela to Vigo, then bus to Porto.

Play tourist in Porto

Day 12: Bus from Porto to Lisbon… Play tourist in Lisbon

Day 13: Continue playing tourist in Lisbon

Day 14: Fly home

HIKING THE WAY

May 3, 2015 - Valenca, Portugal-Tui, Spain = 3 kms.

Rain, rain, rain… I find peace when it rains. I find cleanliness when it rains. The water cleanses the air and the ground.

The rain purifies. The rain washes.

May 4, 2015 - Tui-O Porrino = 16 kms.

Hiking the camino makes you realize what’s important in life, what’s essential in life, and what’s capricious…

May 5, 2015 - O Porrino-Mos-Redondela = 16 kms.

Hiking the camino is a test of endurance.

Walking the camino is a test of faith.

Walking the camino makes you realize that there are too many unimportant things that you have.

I do not want to possess anymore material things.

I just want to keep my most prized possession for the moment, which is my poncho, my iPhone with google map. But even without the google map, there are plenty of locals to give you directions and point you in the right direction.

The google map gives you an overview of the area and gives you the quickest way from point A to point B, which is not necessarily the safest way for a pilgrim hike.

The best directions are the yellow arrows and concha signs.

The camino makes a person more forgiving…

The camino makes a person more giving…

The camino makes a person deal with challenges with a smile…

The camino makes a person realize that we are all in this world together… One quote says, “You’ll never walk alone.”

We are one big community.

The camino encourages a person to become a minimalist.

The camino is a learning experience.

The camino challenges you based on what you are carrying in your backpack.

(My backpack was approximately 20-25 lbs.)

The camino can tell much about what you value in life.

The camino teaches you about simplicity.

The camino teaches you about being flexible.

Rain, sunshine, wind, drizzle, cool air are all present during the hike at different times, and all elements of the weather at the camino teaches you about adjusting in life based on the weather.

I am malleable.

The camino teaches you to be self-sufficient especially when you are staying in an albergue. (An albergue is a dormitory style of lodging, which caters to pilgrims.)

The albergue teaches you to be quiet and respectful of the common space.

May 6, 2015 - Redondela-Soutomaior-Arcade-Vilaboa-Pontevedra = 19 kms.

The google map doesn’t show you the HIKE or the camino map, but it shows you the fastest way to get from point A to point B, which is the highway. The hiking path of the camino is not an option.

The camino hike is not a contest.

The camino hike a good exercise.

The camino hike is humbling.

The camino hike keeps you simple.

May 7, 2015 - Pontevedra-Barro-Briallos-Portas-Caldas de Reis = 23 kms.

The 23 km. hike went by so fast!

We are getting better as hikers.

We are enjoying taking pictures of the countryside, and we kept laughing along THE WAY!

Celebrated Precy’s 65th birthday!!

We are all the official PHOTO BOMBERS to each other.

May 8, 2015 - Caldas de Reis-Valga-Padron = 20 kms.

From the movie, THE WAY: “There is a difference between, The life we live and the life we choose.”

May 9, 2015 - Padron-Pontecesures-Teo-Santiago de Compostela = 21 kms.

Final strech!! 20 kms. to go!!

We continued to hike the way.

I began to pay more attention to the distance markers and began to do a kilometer countdown… 20 kms. 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and then we couldn’t find the 2 km., 1 km., and 0 km signs as we had to take a detour to reach our pensione.

Finally, we completed the 120 km. hike of the Camino Portugues to Santiago de Compostela.

May 10, 2015 - Pilgrim’s Mass at the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral at 12noon

We roamed the old city and went to the pilgrim’s office to receive our credenical de peregrino or pilgrim’s certificate.

We met many pilgrim’s along THE WAY and there is a unique camaraderie among hikers and bikers. This kind of camaraderie restored my faith in the goodness of humanity. Everyone was supportive and helpful especially when a pilgrim is hurt.

A common conversation amongst pilgrim hikers during and after the day’s hike goes like this: “How’s your blister?”, “Is your pack lighter now?”, “How many items did you toss away?”

The conversation may sound laughable, but the camino reminds you that you are human.

It was like a graduation day!!

Cardinal Rosales was one of the celebrants of the mass. The mass was in Spanish and the ceremony was beautiful. The whole experience of completing the camino and attending the pilgrim’s mass was just EXTRAORDINARY and EXTRA SPECIAL.

There were other Filipino pilgrims during the mass, and we met them after the mass.

Would I do it again? Yes, I will, but I will take a more challenging and longer route.

In the afternoon, a local friend of Edgar showed us around Santiago and the “touring” was great coming from a local perspective.

I was impressed how THE WAY is organized, and how the pilgrim’s mass was so extraordinary. We were reminded, “We have been organizing it for 2000 years.”

GOODBYE SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA

Goodbye Santiago de Compostela!

Thank you for the lessons along the camino!

As we say goodbye to Santiago de Compostela, I’m adding a special thanks to all the Portuguese and Spanish people along THE WAY, who never fails to greet us with, “Bom Dia,” “Buenos Dias,” “Buenos Tardes,” “Buen Viaje” and my favorite, “Buen Camino,” and “Bo Camino.”

We have officially named our group as:

120k P-Bombers (120k stands for the 120 kms. that we hiked. P stands for all the P words that we love, we have learned and laughed about our hiking experience)

P stands for the following:

photo

pilgrimage

peregrino

pp on the grass

pulpo

porto

Portugal

Portuguese Way

paella

panaderia

pastelleria