12th Stage: the journey is the destination

My day starts with taking down the tent. After checking out, I hitch a ride to the beach in Salema to spare myself and my feet the 1.5 kilometers on the road that I already walked last night. In Salema, I buy some food and have breakfast. Around 11 a.m., I set off. First, I go up the streets of Salema and along the cliffs. I pass a few ruins and some beaches down to reach Burgau. There, I walk past holiday resorts and a collection of cacti.

After another stretch along the coast, which becomes a bit flatter, I pass through Luz. Here, I briefly cool off in a church, eat an ice cream, and once again watch the surfers.

Then, it’s a steep climb again before it gradually goes down. More and more people pass by me - many more walkers than hikers - so I stop greeting everyone. I reach Lagos, where I linger briefly at the beach and then search the streets for the way to the hostel.

A few kilometers towards a peninsula just outside Lagos, I save for tomorrow, so the withdrawal from hiking isn’t so harsh. ;D This is the last stage of the Fisherman’s Trail, and I've been sad for the past few days that my hike is coming to an end. All day, I reminisce about the beautiful moments I had here. And it becomes clear to me that it’s not about arriving in Lagos, but simply about the hiking and being on the road itself.

Upon arriving at the hostel, I actually want to shower first, but I immediately get into a conversation with Florio, who cycled from Cologne to Portugal and wants to continue to Nicaragua. Since I’m also very interested in cycling tours, we have a lot to talk about. We also weigh my backpack with his scale - it’s about 31 kilograms!!! Even though my shoulders hurt a bit at first, I didn’t expect it to be that much; I’ll weigh it again at home. After I manage to shower, Florio and I get a döner and sit down in a busy spot in the city. Simone soon joins us, and we sit down for dessert in a nice beer garden. Thus, the last hiking day comes to a lovely end.