Stage 6: Caminha - Oia

If this isn't the consequence of my own stubbornness...

Unfortunately, today didn't go quite as planned...

At 7:30 I took the 'taxi' to the 'ferry' to Spain on time. In reality, a lady in a rickety van was waiting outside the accommodation, who took me after some initial communication problems ('no barco' means 'on the boat' in Portuguese, but with Spanish in my mind I always understood 'no boat' 😅). On a bumpy road, we headed to a small private boat dock, where there was a little ticket booth. I was probably the only one at that time, so the 'captain' ferried me alone the hundred meters to the opposite Spanish sandy beach. 🚤

From there, I walked about 4 km along the sea towards A Guarda. However, I quickly realized that today wouldn't allow for large distances since my ankle was very painful. Slowly and with many breaks (and one Ibu on an empty stomach 🥴), I made my way step by step along the wooden path. Along the way, I booked accommodation in Oia (in Spanish!!) to secure at least a bed, as I couldn't expect to make quick progress today.

Upon arriving in A Guarda, I met Noah, Ronja, and Bernat at a small café, who were also taking a break. Bernat wanted to go to the local hospital for his blisters, so I joined him to get my ankle checked out just to be safe.

The doctor's advice: take a break and don't walk too much 🥲🤣 - got it. Since I wouldn’t get far without painkillers anyway, I decided (and also Bernat, who has to take a 2-day walking break because of his blisters) to take a bus for the rest of today's route.

Theoretically, I could keep going with painkillers as long as my ankle can take it, but I don’t want to risk a permanent injury. So, I’ll keep it low-key as long as my body needs it.

Upon arriving in Oia, I said goodbye to Bernat (he is heading to the next town), fought my way down the hill, and arrived at my accommodation. For tonight, I splurged a little - I got a private room with a bathroom 😍

The accommodation has a beautiful garden with a sea view, where I can relax and unwind in the evening. I hope that a bit of rest will do my ankle some good, so I can walk a little further tomorrow. If not, I’ll cover part of the route by bus again.

No matter what happens next - the experience has already been 100% worth it. The landscape, the path, the people, the feeling - simply unique 😊