Day 9: Paper cranes

Dear traveler, 

A bright light goes through my eyelids and I wake up. Did I sleep too much? We said we're leaving before sunrise again. What did you do, Mamarmot?

I get up and notice on the window that it's still dark outside. Ah, so this was the light! These people are so weird. They always turn on the lights in people's eyes to make sure they wake up early.

The backpacks are ready so we go to the kitchen for breakfast. Here, a big log book stands, where people can leave a message. I found similar log books in other places and I always wrote a thought. I can't write too good, but I know how to draw.

We start walking in the dawn's chill, but even if it's the same time as yesterday, the sight is different. The street lights are lit and we don't need a lantern. It takes a while until we leave the buildings behind, but once we get out of the city, the sun starts appearing at the horizon.

The city limits continue through some sort of park, with lakes and wooden bridges, birds and..what just crossed our road? But before I finish this thought, I see another one. They are squirreeels! They're so fast! And so fluuuffy!

I want to catch one, at least to pet its tail!

But it's needless to say that they're too fast for me. I don't get how you can have this much energy so early in the morning.

But I can count them at least. One, two, one tail, four, another tail...I think I saw at least 10 and around 7 tails.

We reach an area with a lot of water around us, with ducks and geese. This park, or whatever it is, is very beautiful. 

We find forests and at some point, even a waterfall. 

One footstep in front of the other and we leave the park. It takes a while until we actually leave the suburbs of the city and leave the pavement behind.

The paths walk us again through wine yards, like they've did since we left, and the sights are starting to become more and more barren and wild. In the distance we see crests of high mountains, with fog dancing around them. i wonder how chilly is there as here it started to get too warm.

We find a small town with narrow paved streets and we stop at the first playground so I can play for a while. 

Then we continue our way out of the little town. not before drinking some orange juice and eating some pie. 

The path climbs and my folks say that on the map some peaks appear. Oh please, I'm already used to mountain peaks where the climbs are never ending, some hill peaks will not scare me. 

But even though they are not high, they work my legs a little bit so I jump over to dad's shoulders. 

On our way to the second peak, we find some houses made from stones. I go explore and check if I can go inside. I wonder what they are? They seem like they were crafted by dwarves...could this be a portal that takes us to a different universe? I'm trying to get in but without success. 

We leave the portal behind. it would've been nice if we could use it. Who know what universe we could've reached or maybe..at today's destination. Well, I'm a bit tired but I wouldn't take any shortcuts. Who knows what interesting stuff I would miss from the road.

The road continues to offer us the same sights. It's beautiful but I'm kind of bored. Or tired. Or who knows.

My folks say we still have some time to walk for today and they ask me if I want to listen to a story. They give me my headphones and play the Harap-Alb story and I feel like the characters are starting to appear on our way and merge with the sights. Dragons and princesses share this road with me. Sometimes dad takes me on his shoulders and I feel like I'm riding a horse, part of the story. When the story end, my folks tell me we almost arrived to our destination. Really? It seems like time passed very quick. Could it be that I've entered the portal?

We reach our destination for today, a small town, crossed by a river, with colored houses. We receive beds in the middle of the room, a huge room, and we go out to get something to eat. 

We return to the albergue kitchen and we prepare dinner. On the other side of the table, a Japanese old man smiles at me. He doesn't eat, but he has some colored paper which he folds and he keeps on writing something in a notebook. We are very much alike, we don't know much English, but from his signs I understand he tells me to enjoy my meal. I watch him while I eat. how he carefully folds the papers. I think he's making origami. I do that sometimes at kindergarten.

Before we leave the table, he hands over his palm with two papers, that took the form of swans.

-„Tsuru, mom and child!For you!”

I wonder what he said. I understand that they are for me. I wonder how one says thank you in Japanese.

I reply in English and he smiles and gets up. We also leave to our beds. 

My folks tell me that those are two paper cranes. The mom and her child.

Wow, what a lovely gift. I'll put them carefully next to Fulgeraș and the small wire pilgrim. 

It's time to sleep and I tuck into my sleeping bag. My mind wanders at dragons on hills and through wine yards, and paper cranes are flying in flocks. They lift me up and take me to the world of dreams.