Day 37 - walking from Arzua to Arca (19km)

I woke up last night around 2am with a smile on my face. The thought in my head was that God is going to decide when I arrive in Santiago and I have to try and accept that. As much as I would like to control my life it is not in my hands. Awake in the dormitory I could hear the many sounds that a room full of thirty or so pilgrims can make at night. It was far from quiet with all of the snoring and coughing. It was another albergue without heating. Some of the pilgrims had gotten out their silver survival blankets and had them overtop of their sleeping bags. I had arrived early and had one of the few blankets from the albergue.

When I got up in the morning my walking stick was gone. Normally albergues request that you leave them by the door and I had done so before going upstairs to lie down and rest my back. I didn´t really need it anymore I was more sentimentally attached to it and figured it would be good to practise walking without a stick. More than anything it was a way to scare away the stray dogs, but I think my rain poncho could be just as effective. Later on in the afternoon as it poured rain I walked past a group of pilgrims huddled in the entrance of the restaurant and I noticed that one had two walking sticks. I walked on ahead, but then stopped in a rest area not far ahead. When the group of three arrived I started asking them questions about what town we were in and then why the one guy had two walking sticks. He explained something about one for each hand, but he seemed to be using one, mine in particular and dragging the other one. Not long after they gave me back my walking stick. I might have been a little more generous if it was actually being used.

Another day of raining, but the albergue in Arca had heating and a real, functional kitchen. A French man and I both agreed it was like being in heaven which was in an albergue with the comforts of a real house. It was a bit of a reunion in the evening when I caught up with some pilgrims I hadn´t seen in over a month. Tommorrow we arrive in Santiago and it sort of feels like Christmas eve, over one month of walking and finally we are about to arrive.