Sarria is about 115 kilometers from Santiago, so it is the unofficial start of the Camino for Spaniards hoping to get a Compostela with a week of hiking. The nature of the Camino changes greatly here. The way is crowded with bunches of college students, teen-agers, and various groups traveling together. No more long solitary marches: now we are part of a mass movement.
But before we reached Sarria today, we had another quiet day as we mucked our way out of little Samos and rejoined the main Camino. We had our customary overcast skies and on/off rain, but the temps got into the 50s so were able to discard our rain gear and just get wet, which is a better alternative than wearing rain gear as you hike and being soaked in sweat underneath it!
While the trail yesterday into Samos was quite delightful, the trail back out today was a mess. Steep hills with water running down the trail, or muddy little pueblas where you choose which puddle to step in. Luckily, when we rejoined the main trail, the skies cleared and we got some sun. Perhaps it is a foreshadowing of the rest of the Camino.
Today was also a landmark in that I met my biggest Camino goal. I told my Spanish teacher in Mexico that my goal was to be mistaken for a Mexican while in Spain. When I was checking in to the pensíon today, I mentioned we live in Mexico. The hospitalera said I spoke like an authentic Mexican; I was overjoyed! Who knows if she meant it as a compliment? I’m taking it that way!