June 7

After a good sleep in an extremely comfortable top bunk bed, I arose at 7:00 to prepare for our departure. The hostel provided a delicious breakfast with many options including cereal, yogurt, toast, pastries, orange juice, coffee, tea etc which we all enjoyed before packing up. With my bag packed and feeling ready for the day, I went to the shoe rack to get my shoes but they weren't there! There was a pair of Hokas that were similar, but a size smaller than mine. It only took me a few seconds to realize that the Camino much dreaded accidental shoe mishap was beginning my day. We had about 16 km to walk and I had no idea of the terrain we would be covering, but I had two options walk in my flip flop sandals or catch the bus. The sandals won and we set off. Thankfully most of our day was in woodland paths and paved streets. The oak, pine and eucalyptus woodlands were a welcome surprise for the senses because I was expecting more pavement and asphalt, as we were so close to the big city of Santiago. We arrived in Santiago around 1:00 pm after enjoying a lovely walk for most of the trek. We were also happy to see Paul along the way and have a chat with him. My feet were feeling the strain of walking without good shoes but it didn't take away from the experience of arriving and feeling so thankful to have had this opportunity. We met Kamla and Joyce in the evening for dinner. My meal was scrumptious - prawns in garlic 😋. The lady who inadvertently took my shoes did return them to me in the evening, so I will be able to walk in my Hokas tomorrow. I find it a strange feeling to arrive in Santiago knowing that I have to get up the next morning and continue walking.Read more