Today something happened to me that hasn't happened since 1980. More on that later.
The day began as I watched Natalya, Sasha, and our fellow pilgrims start off without me just before 7 am. I was staying behind hoping to be able to acquire a bicycle so that I can continue our quest to reach Santiago. The first store I went to had a very sad selection unlocked saddlebags which would be essential for me to store my gear in. Because it was raining, and in the interest of Saving Time, and because I was being a little bit lazy, I took a taxi to the other store, the equivalent of a Dick's Sporting Goods in the United States called Decathlon.
I was pleasantly surprised. Not only did the store stock everything that I needed but also quite a bit of what I wanted and several interesting things that I had no interest in at all. The prices what about 30% to 50% lower then what comparable items would cost in the United States and they were of high quality.
So, Santarem is located at the top of a hill, perhaps some 250 meters or so above the surrounding agricultural land. The hostel was atop the hill, in the middle of downtown. Decathlon, the the sports store is located at the bottom.
The sales assistant spoke excellent English and was able to help me build the bike I needed, including luggage rack, saddlebags, helmet, etc. I forgot a few things, a few very important things, but we will come to those later. As he was building the bike I toured the store, and upon completion he added gratuitously lights and a bell. I was thoroughly impressed with Decathlon customer service.
I left the store and began the climb, a light incline at first, keeping in a low gear. The incline only increased, and I soon found found myself climbing the hill for the second time (the first being the previous day), this time with the bike that was, ironically, supposed to allow me to ride and not walk.
I returned to the hostel to find the place in disarray. The night before had been stuffy and hot in our rooms, with a window that only opened a few inches. Today, workmen were installing air conditioners in our room. The irony thickens.
I got my gear loaded on the bike quite efficiently, filled my water bladder, and got in the road, expecting to make very good time, as the first bit should all be down hill. It was. Steeply, and awkwardly, and rough on broken cobblestone steps that had long fallen I to disrepair. Descending 250 meters took over an hour.
I traveled through a delightful village at the foot of the hill whose residents take great pride in their roses - pink, white, and red blooms larger than my fist.
Then I entered farmland following the traditional Camino path, but realize that as a biker I prefer paved road, whereas as a walker I prefer soft earth. Rough ground on a bike is less than pleasant on one's rear.
Corn field. Vineyard. Tomatoes. Corn. Corn. Vineyard. And so on for what was hours for walkers, but was only fractions for me. Zooming by the tall stalks of ripening corn, the budding nodules that will ripen on to juicy green grapes.
I caught up with the group in Azinhaga and we enjoyed a wonderful lunch of paninis and come I a park where two small children flirted with the idea of interacting with us. In small villages such as this parents can let their children wander free without worry.
I then stood ahead of the group, finding us room in a hostel, and, grateful of the energy I had saved by biking, made fajitas for the group. Nataliia was, as always, a super trooper and helped me with the shopping, while we all gathered in the kitchen chipping vegetables, watermelon, and opening bottles of wine while I filled the room with tear inducing scent of paprika and onions.
We ate on the veranda and enjoyed hours of conversation and shared contact information, having decided that we all mutually liked our fellow travelers.
As cleanup began David, our friend of Austin, found a few pieces of chicken remaining and decided that someone needed to eat them. He afixed a piece to a fork and approached me. "here's the airplane, coming Imin for a landing... Zoom zoom zoom...."
It has been 39 years since a grown man tried to feed me with the airplane game...
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