I am in shangri-la, the Albergue in Guemes (actually called Albergue La Cabana del Abuelo Peuto ). This one is special and my guidebook said “not to be missed”. I see why. It’s like, for one day, I live in a special commune. There are many pilgrims here, we had lunch together and now we are all resting. It is a beautiful day and the shared rooms are all facing a nice little outdoor space. This is where I sit now, watching the laundry on the lines flapping the the breeze, listening to many different languages being quietly spoken in small groups spread around. People are lounging in the grass, gathering on the shady porch, and one lady is playing a guitar and singing softly in Spanish.
Paradise.
There’s a meeting later and then a shared dinner. Breakfast in the morning. The cost? By donation, what you feel you should give. I understand they run this primarily with volunteers and any extra funds go to support various service projects. I plan to donate generously.Today’s walk was pretty and scenic, lots of farmland and vistas, sheep, goats, cows and donkeys. It was nice, and I was in the regular levels of pain (second half of walk developing the characteristic limp of hurting feet and burning legs). One girl called it “the dance of the pilgrim”. I thought it was a nice way to say we all waddle like toddlers at the end of each day.
So….from hunchback, to pimp, to toddler. Progress? I wonder how long it takes to get through a whole day and walk like a normal person at the end of it.