Ebipụtara: 16.11.2023
I was woken up at 5am by a pilgrim getting ready. I stayed there for a while, but couldn't get back to sleep, so I packed my things and went over to the kitchen. I checked the weather straight away. Now the weather predicted rain until around 9/10am. Normally I wanted to leave later, when the rain stopped or lessened, but the danger is that the rain will stay. Unfortunately, as it later turned out, you can't rely on the weather app. In any case, I made myself breakfast in peace (I wasn't that hungry, but with foresight I needed a good foundation for the day) and there was also coffee from the machine. Then I went outside and it wasn't raining, so I thought I'd get going. Today was the first time I wore my rain pants over my normal pants. And the good thing is that every 3-4km there is a place where I hoped you could shelter. So I set off and after exactly a minute the rain started. It's not worth going back now. So I moved on, only the rain became more extreme, so I took shelter in the garden of a house in the next town and waited for about 20 minutes. Then it became less again and I moved on. Nothing was really soaked yet. But of course it had to happen as it happened: The rain became extreme again and this time in combination with a bit of wind, so that I was completely wet at times. The rain pants only help to a limited extent because the material makes you sweat and both pants were wet. In the next town there were only a few houses, so I went to a house in the dark and there I was able to hear myself quite comfortably on a bench under the stairs. Although I was afraid that at any moment the homeowner would come out and chase me away or think I would try to break in, I was lucky. Strangely enough, every 15 minutes the light downstairs would come on for 5 minutes and then go off again, but I made myself comfortable, tried to dry my rain cape and unfortunately my backpack got wet too. That's why I waited there in the dark for almost 90 minutes and listened to a podcast. A cat kept me company and the time went by quickly. The rain got worse and worse, but then it lessened and according to the weather app it wasn't supposed to rain at all. I waited another 10 minutes and then set off with the rain cape in my hand to let it dry and also my jacket. It was light and the rain had really disappeared. Then I thought to myself, the day could still be something. I continued walking for half an hour and then things really started again in the middle of the forest. The problem was that it was really steep up the road, so I was sweating a lot in addition to being wet from the rain. Now I was completely wet again and my mood was completely ruined. I could have just stayed at the accommodation until 11/12 and chilled in bed or in the kitchen, but I was worried that if the rain continued I would have to wait all day. Ultimately, you never know. In any case, I also took a detour along the road so as not to go into the forest, where the route would be a bit more risky because of the rain. So I would love to just have a bed or a café where I could just stay and not have to walk another step. But nothing came. So I continued. The rain became sometimes more, sometimes less. There was a bar in the next town, but there was nothing else in town, so I continued on to O Cebreiro. This is a place that according to the guidebook only has 30 inhabitants, but where there are 3 bars and 2 hostels. I'll take a break then. I went in, saw 2 friends, but ordered a coffee, got a piece of cake and took off everything wet. I went to the toilet in my T-shirt and checked my socks. Surprisingly, these were still dry and my backpack was mostly dry too. Then I looked at my travel guide and saw that there were still 20km to my actual destination. And that's doable if it doesn't rain cats and dogs. And the good thing is that there is also accommodation beforehand. So I rested a bit and then continued on. So it's been a rather modest start to the day so far, but in the end nothing crazy happened. Shoes and socks were dry. Well, my jacket was wet in some places, but it will dry again...