Miles walked: 8.8
Cumulative miles walked: 131.3
Flights of stairs climbed: 15 (many more than that downhill)
We did the same today as yesterday to make our walk the length we enjoy, i.e., we took a taxi to cut the 13 miles to about 7.
Walked about 3 miles and came to one of the best bars ever, in Villamayor del Rio (“main village of the river”).
We loved the bar because: they made our fried eggs and toast with a smile, coffee was amazing, the bar appeared just when we really wanted to stop, it was decorated with flags reminding me of my dorky hobby of learning geography including country flags. Mostly it reminded me how many I’ve forgotten since I haven’t been doing my flashcards while on the Camino. Believe it or not, we stay too busy! Sometimes we are busy resting, but … It’s gotta be done.
When we were leaving the bar I told the people running the bar and kitchen how much we liked the coffee and they beamed and told us “it is Colombian coffee.” The cups said “Candelas” brand.
The walk itself? Well, there was maybe a mile that was quite nice. But all the rest was on a wide path that followed just feet from a busy, noisy highway. It was pretty country and beautiful weather, but that traffic noise is tiring, probably our least favorite walking day. (The part we missed in the taxi was along the highway, too. The true pilgrims endured that the full 13 miles.)
After we got into our place for the night in Belorado (Hostal Punto B), we went for lunch. The best meal we’ve had so far. More about that in a separate post!
Now, true to routine, we are in the bar across from our hotel blogging and listening to music. American blues mostly. Very nice.
I recognized a goodly number of the flags, including Bhutan.
Bhutan does have a memorable flag! Is that where you were trekking, Henry? At one point not long before I left on this trip I could identify probably 80% of the flags. But since I haven’t reviewed for about 3 weeks it’s amazing how many I have forgotten. Very poor short-term memory. I’ve been studying with some flashcards (anki) that are supposed to ask you right when you are about to forget. I think it’s called spaced repetition. But if you don’t keep up with them then you start forgetting.
My first trek in the Himalaya was in India to the base of Kanchenjunga, but I preceded that with a cultural tour of Bhutan.
I had learned in my geography study that (as I’m sure you know) Kanchenjunga is the 3rd tallest mountain (after Everest and K2) and that, very interesting to me, few people have climbed it because a great number of those who have attempted to climb it died.