Pepe dropped us off in Aruza about 8:30am and we joined the stream of pilgrims heading west. We made use of our rain gear for the first time today as the sprinkling rain intensified. After an hour or so the rain stopped and I was happy to take off my plastic poncho. Along the trail, I took notice of trees, tall and thin with smooth white bark and pale dusky green elongated leaves. I learned that they are eucalyptus trees and are farmed for their wood pulp
Pat and I met Vivian from Cape Town, South Africa. She's on the Camino with her sister who was walking
somewhere ahead of us. Vivian is
personable, easy going and pleasant to talk with. She told me that the eastern coast along the
south of Africa is beautiful and great for hiking. I pushed on, walking by myself and for a time
lost track of Pat and Mike. I caught up with them at Casa Verde, the most unusual café so far on the Camino. Although it was only mid morning, lively music was sounding from outdoor speakers energizing the peregrine's who were taking their morning break. As I walked up the steps the bar was crowded with people. The decor included t-shirts hanging from the ceiling and graffiti covering just about every square inch of the interior. While there are many types of bars, I'd say this one is an authentic Camino bar.
By early afternoon we made it to O'Pedrouzo, our stop for the night. We stayed in a triple room at the Pension Arca. It's modern, clean and Manuel, the owner was most hospitable. The hotel definitely exceeded my expectations. We took a short walk to the main drag of town and had a nice two course dinner at a local restaurant. An entre with bread, dessert and wine was 28 euros. The meal seemed a bargain. We all did our laundry, relaxed and it was early to bed, so that we would be ready for a our final 18.5km to Santiago de Compostela.
