UPDATE for Jan. 21
O PEDROUZO - SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA
This is it. The final push. I woke up before dawn (which isn't really very early tbh) as usual, but today there's a luxury of tea making facility in the pension I'm staying, so I made one cup for myself and watch the sunrise, trying to take it all in before my pilgrimage comes to an end. I raided the fridge for some chorizos, jamon hams, bread and snacks (it's a very fully stocked kichen, I told ya), left my luggage for the last leg of the Correos service, got a stamp, then left the hotel.
I also dropped by a cafeteria for some coffee before setting out; it was here that I had my last stamp on the Pilgrim's Passport.
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Nice motivation. Only less than 20km to booze time!
By that time, the sun was already rising. I can't believe my luck; I'll complete the Camino in January with sunshine everyday!
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The strangest thing happened to me as I was walking. Remember the feeling of regret and sadness I wrote about in the days before? Suddenly I had none of that. Any anxiety is now replaced with excitement at the thought that by today's end, I'll be in Santiago de Compostela. I'll have accomplished the dream journey of my life. I'll get to tell myself: I've done it. It also helps that the path out of Pedrouzo gives me yet more taste of rural Spain. The landscape is hardly changed from the previous days, despite the short distance to the city.
I've also met pilgrims that I had not seen before. They're from other Caminos, like the Camino Norte. Two of them stood out for me, 2 Spanish men who don't speak English well and carry a speaker playing nothing but non-stop rock music. Singing along parts of "Sex on Fire" and "Eye of the Tiger" with them in the woodland somewhere on the Camino is really a surreal experience.
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As the hill climbs, the trees start to thin, and eventually I emerged onto the highway outside Santiago's city limit and the airport. The terrain then switches back once again to villages, green hills, cow pastures, and lot of empty countryside. But definitely more cars and signs of urban settlements, as expected.
I've read that the stream outside Lavacolla is where medieval pilgrims bathed and washed their feet before entering Santiago. As a man of tradition and cliche, I attempted to dip my feet as well -- only to step on some plants with thorns right by the stream. Ouch!!! I abandoned the ritual and settled with just washing my face, drying my feet, and changing the socks. The price for historical reenactment.
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Top 10 famous photos before disasters.
Another memorable moment: I met a pilgrim walking the opposite direction from Santiago. He didn't speak a lot of English, but based on our brief chat I gathered he was walking the Camino "in reverse," toward France! There's always the hipster kind everywhere I guess.
After one last uphill slope, I found myself at Monte de Gozo, or the legendary "Mount of Joy." It's actually more like a park and less like a hill. To my surprise, the famous statues of two pilgrims expressing their joy at the first sight of Santiago Cathdral wasn't on the Camino itself. I had little problem locating it from the pathway though, and I was half-running, half-walking toward them... all the while telling myself not to look at the city before I reach that spot!!
It was indeed an impressive view. I was laughing like a maniac somehow when I saw the towers(?) of the cathedral. Not sure if other pilgrims had the same experience, but it was really a Mount of Joy for me. More so because I was holding my water along the route through a village earlier so I had a really joyful release behind some pine trees near the statues.
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After Mount of Joy, the path crosses a bridge over highways (I think this was also the the spot of the last "seashell signpost" that has been counting down the KMs) then enters Santiago proper. It's my least favorite of the entire Camino, same as many other pilgrims I'm sure. It's a long, seemingly endless yomp through residential areas. It's noisy, it's hot, the view uninspiring, but at least it feels good to be back in the city where many restaurants and cafes are open!
As I reached the Old City, I felt my heart squirming. I could tell I was close now, judging from the medieval-looking churches and alleys and streets. Sure enough, I reached the "tunnel" that I've seen from photos and videos about the Camino. I suddenly stopped, knowing that the end is so near. It felt so "heavy" on me, to take another step forward.
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My palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy
I paused there for a moment, thinking of all the moments on the Camino, and trying so hard to jot them all down in my memory. And then I stopped being such a drama queen and took the final steps into the square.
Where I was immediately greeted by Eduardo, the pilgrim I missed from the other day! He already arrived at the Cathedral but happened to be walking in the plaza just as I arrived, so it was a pleasant surprise to see him here! After greeting / high-fiving each other, he let me take in the moment of my goal. My first thought was, holy sh*t, the cathedral is way grander than any photos that I've seen.
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It was so perfect the photo almost looks photoshopped!
I won't even attempt to describe the feelings I had on that plaza, because all of you have already done the Camino, and you have experienced it more times than I had, so let's say,
I understand it now.
Eduardo was taking photos of me when the 2 Spanish ladies, Maria and Catherine, who were my first-ever "walking buddies" from the Sarria-Portomarin leg, also enterred the square at the same time. So he managed to capture the emotional, tearful reunion right there and then. It's one of those "images you can hear!"
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"You made it!" I told Catherine, who's in her 50s, if you remember. She struggled time to time because of her legs. So I pat her knees and told her, "You're very strong!"
She wiped her tears, shook her head, and pointed to the cathedral, "No. I'm not strong. God is strong."
I hope I'll never forget that moment.
After an obligatory, celebratory selfie (thanks to Eduardo), we parted way. I also had them sign farewell messages on the unused spots in my credential. Their friendly company and kindness are, after all, also indelible stamps of my journey in a way.
The pilgrim's office was almost empty when I arrived. I acquired my Compostela and, for extra 3 euro, the Certificate of Distance. So this it, 7 days, 130 km, 1 diarrhea, 5 feet blisters, a grand total of 3 times that I (briefly) had to retrace my steps because I missed the Camino signposts, and 0 bear attack later, I've accomplished my top bucket list.
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And this weather the whole journey too!!
I'd also like to take this chance to thank ALL OF YOU on this forum, which has been my top source for all kinds of questions and concerns when I was planning my Camino. Please do keep up a good work! I'm sure many future pilgrims are reading this site as we speak, scouring for advice and wondering -- like I did months ago -- if they should commit themselves to the Camino and go for it. To those who're still deciding, I say very simply,
go.
Now that I've completed my lifelong travel dream, I'll struggle next time when someone asks me what my dream destination is.
Maybe the whole route of
Camino Frances? Never say never!