Beldorado

The day begins with the sound of a hundred people who simultaneously fail to sneak out of the Auberge in silence. When I've almost got my things together and is ready to leave the Albergue makes it clear that this is not a place for sleep-ins by turning on a slowly accelerating barrage of classical music. When I walked out the door no one was sleeping anymore.

The lesson today is to pay more attention to my instincts. When the thought "maybe it's time for rain pants" is crossing your mind it's no time to be lazy.

The walk before dawn was miserable. When I reached the next village I noticed a road sign by the main road that proclaimed 2 km to Santo Domingo. This was after at least two hours of rain and darkness, the footpath was obviously longer than the highway and I did walk for a long time in the wrong direction. It was still not a great feeling.

I continued the hike through a dull undulating landscape on pure stubbornness in the drizzle. A bit worse weather, a bit longer walk, a little nicer to actually arrive at the Albergue for a hot shower and the lunchtime rest. Tonight we utilised the communal kitchen and I cooked for the first and only time during the trip. Inspired by Marcel I went for a hefty piece of steak and that was just about the best dinner so far. At least taste wise, I have experienced neater dining areas than this kitchen, the flies didn't help.

Sadly I feel a slight loss of focus as my walk nears it's end and I can't help thinking about going home and related things. This shows the value of allocating enough time for a trip like this. There is a need for padding in the schedule to get the best experience.

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