Day 12: Borderless friendships

Dear traveler, 

I would've liked saying I woke up at the crack of dawn, but I woke up at the crack of floor. In fact, no floor has been hurt in this story, but this is how it sounded like. 

Creeeeeack!

Yes, there is a downside of sleeping in an attic, and for what is worth, this sound is far from the plastic bag rustle sound I got used to so well.

It was time to get down for breakfast anyway, so I get out of my sleeping bag. Creack creeeack!

In the kitchen, we meet again with everyone from last evening, including with Pai, a girl that always wears a smile on her face which yesterday stood right in front of me. She asks me how I'm enjoying Camino and she tells me about the places she comes from. I could've sworn that she's from China just by looking at the shape of her eyes. 

But let's hit the road. 

We start walking together with the barefoot boy. Hm, I thought he lives here, but it seems that he's a pilgrim as well, just like us, and that he stayed a few days in this albergue, until last night when he offered us his room. 

He tells us he is from America and that a few months back he was very sick. He dreamed that he had to reach this place, Tosantos, and from here was meant to start walking barefoot on a long road. Awoken from his dream before he found out what happens at the end, he chose to take the first plan towards Spain, and as he stepped in Tosantos, he didn't feel sick anymore. In his dream, the departure day was actually today. 

It's hard for me to believe that this is not only a story, but looking at how easy his bare feet step on the rocks, something is quite strange. 

Watching him moving away, I turn on a story in my headphones. Around the earth in 80 days, quite an appropriate story to listen to while you walk through the world, barefoot or not.

80 days seems quite long, but if I think about it, from here to Santiago we still have around 20 days. This means liiike, a quarter around the world? Hmmm..

With the story echoing in my ears, we quickly reach a small forest filled with hammocks. Aaaah, I really wanted to rest a bit my feet that are walking around the earth. 

We lost the barefoot boy from our sight for a long time now, but we meet Pai and two Chinese guys, whose names I don't recall. Pai is laughing all the time and she's jolly at each step. She's just like me!

At this resting area, it seems to be the middle of the earth, as per these signs I find that are showing how far it is towards all corners of the earth.

I don't know how it feels for others, but in my case, all these numbers make my feet feel veeery heavy.

Luckily, I've got my dad, on whose shoulders I can climb whenever I need.

We continue further and after a few orange fields, the path leads us into a small dense forest, crossed by a river.

Then we step out on a ridge covered by a plant I recognize from the trails I did with my folks in our mountains. Did we actually climbed a mountain?

Mamarmot says we climbed on a small peak. 

Honestly, I did not notice any climb. But maybe now that the story has ended, I feel a bit of tiredness. Who wouldn't be tired after a trip around the earth, right?

In a small village, we stop for a snack in a very nice place. At the table next to us, I recognize a face. Hey, it's Berndt's friend. I knew that Berndt is nearby and that I will catch him. But where is he?

He tells us that Berndt has continued further. Hmm..let's not linger for too long, I'd like to catch him as I wanted to ask him something. And now, after I took a detour through the North Pole, I have some new questions for him.

Outside, it's getting warmer and warmer and the trail becomes deserted. No other pilgrim in sight for now. With tired feet, I climb onto dad's shoulders, from where I gaze in the distance. Empty fields, crossed by the rocky path, with bigger and smaller rocks, more round or more sharp, with sharp corners which you probably feel when you are barefoot. 

We reach into the village we'll be stopping today. Our room has a few iron beds, that are creaking from every corner. It's gonna be an interesting night.

Unfortunately, no trace of Pai, the barefoot boy or Berndt. Maybe they continued to walk further and I will see them tomorrow. 

We get out for a stroll in the surroundings and after I play for a while in a small playground, we go looking for a shop. 

It's probably the only shop around here, as a small queue of people is here, and judging by their sunburnt faces, they're all pilgrims. I study each and every one of them until I reach to a familiar face. Hey, it's Berndt! I knew I'll catch him today.

Apparently Berndt stays in a different albergue, but we decide to meet up in an hour at our place. My folks ramble with him on different topics and they translate for me from time to time. He tells us that he lives in princess Elsa's hometown, in Arendal, and that from his house you can send a letter to Santa directly. This man is getting more and more interesting. He answers to my curious questions about the northern lights and we agree that in a few days I will hand him my letter to Santa and that he will deliver it with express mail. It's settled! 

We soon return to our beds. I tell Fulgeraș about the new things I learned from Berndt and then my mind goes to the trip around the earth with bare feet. I'll start from up north and after I visit Berndt, I'll go south towards Thailand, from where Pai is. I don't know if I need to turn left or right, but I'd like the shortest way to America, to visit the barefoot boy. I have a few roads to walk, but it doesn't matter how many countries I have to cross to get there, as these friendships are borderless.

But until then, let's get first to Santiago de Compostela..