day 7 + day 8

Hello again =D

truth is I didn't fill my notebook last two days, so I'll write it now, it's not the same but I need to finish this trip =D =D

When we finished day 6 I though the hard job was already done, mistake again, this looks like trip of mistakes :P

The worst part was still waiting for us, there were no more mountains, but Galicia is a mountain in itself, so all the time you need to go up and down, you have not finished going down and you are alredy going up again. We wanted the last day to be easy in order to have some time and strenght to see the city of Santiago, so we decided to cover more distance on day 7. It was really tough again, you know, for me it was like if km didn't pass...maybe I was already too tired, I don't know. The good thing is that when you go down in the forest, with stones and rocks everywhere it is really fun, dangerous and fun. From this point of view Pablo is much more crazy than I am, I've allways been a bit chicken, so sometimes when I saw that my bike spent more time in the air than on the ground I decided to slow down and Pablo had to wait for me. Anyhow it was damn fun. Once, one guy was following us, I was going down as fast as I could, I was leading the group and behind the turn there was a river with this small bridge made with stones, when i saw it I braked down and shauted CUIDADOOOOOOO...Pablo braked on time and the guy too, but you know, he was this close |---| to get into the river...I have to say that my evil side hoped it so much...jajajaja.

This day we had lunch watching F1 (Fernando Alonso didn't brake on time :P) and we finished with a lot of effort the 80 Km we had planned. Then we watched football match (Real Madrid didn't succed neither) and slept the whole night long with Santiago waiting just 36 Km ahead of us.

Well, now I remember something which happened on day's 5 night, we slept in hostel with a family, it was like 10 beds room and there was this whole noisy Spanish family. We went to bed around 8:30pm because we were really tired, they did so around 11. Well, they woke me up before at 9 because they needed to take some stuff before having dinner. Then, at 11 they came there, switched on the light and prepared themselves to sleep. By prepare themselves I mean that they went to toilet and when the first came back he said...I made the biggest shit ever...then every one who came from the toilet was shauting about the horrible smell of that guy's shit...Afterthat, before sleeping, they decided to tell some jokes, I was so pissed I told them shut up...but I think they didn't give a fuck because they continued laughing...

do you know the best part??? next morning they were talking about snoring or something and the oldest of them asked me...did you sleep well tonight??? I though...you gotta be kiding me...I just answered...so so

summary, I don't like Spanish people, I mean, in all hostels they were noisy and not educated people, foreigners (there were lots of germans) were much more kind.

I continue in the last day, this day we woke up after some other noisy Spanish night (these were people with education but still noisy), had breakfast and continued our way to Santiago, it was really close, but you know, when you are so close to the end every Km feels like 100...I don't know if you have had this feeling some time, but I felt it like that. There were many slopes too, but I managed to take some pictures.

This is one hórreo, typical construction in Galicia. It is meant to store food, they build it in high so that mouses and other animals can't take the food.

This is monte do gozo, from this mountain you can see Santiago's cathedral, they say that pilgrims used to cry here after 1 month walking to Santiago (average time to cover the whole way walking). Nowadays you cannot see it because the city is much bigger =(

I had this document and in everyhostel they give you a stamp, so that when you arrive in Santiago you can prove you are pilgrim and they give you something like diploma which says that you've done it, they ask about your reason to make the trip and they only give you the "diploma" in case you have religion motivations to make it, that wasn't my reason, but you know...I wanted the diploma, so I finished my vacations with a small lie =( =(

This last day we took our bus at 9:30pm and I slept all the night, to be honest beers helped as they did with this bus from Riga to Vilnius on my bday. My advice, people, travelling by bus is boring, but if you are a bit drunk it's not that boring :P

This is Santiago Cathedral, the end of my trip...I hope you liked what I wrote, thank you very much for reading me and hopefully soon I'll have some new adventure to tell...maybe camino de santiago walking??????

day 6

Hi there again,

I write this lines from a tiny small village in Galicia.

This is nice, few houses here, only old people, nature and hills, lots of hills!!!!!!!!

We already went through this mountain, it was 26Km of pain, it took us a bit more than 2 hours but again views and the freedom I felt up there made it worth it.

You know, I was up there and I just wanted to call you all, to tell yoy this is heaven, but finally I decided to keep it (selfish :P)

After that we though it was over, mistake, in Galicia you go up and down all the fucken time, so I think it ain't gonna be over untill we are back home :P

Anyway, this is so so so so so so (1 millon so) beautifull, that I don't mind about hills anymore.

Story, today while having lunch we met this lets say 65 years old guy who is doing the same as us. Today he got lost in the mountains and he covered many km until he found the right way. He was alone and we invited him to join us having lunch. I've never seen anyone so exhausted, he was shaking and it was even difficult to speak for him, you know, he came without map, he told us he broke both knees so he can't walk (bike and swimming are the only sports he can practice). I just wanna say that when I'm his age I wanna have those big balls and do the same. Now we are concerned about him, I think it's dangerous for him to be alone without map...hope he'll be ok =D

When we arrived in the village where I'm writting from, we met this ¡¡95!! years old woman, she was alone in the park where we wanted to fill our water bottles and she started speaking to us.

It was like 1 hour, at the beggining it was ok but she told us 3 times the same story. Anyway she was great taking into account her age.

i was surprised she spoke good spanish (some old people are anunderstandable in this region).

At the end we almost run because she didn't want to shut up, she just wanted to feed us. She offered me chorizo (she knew how to conquer me :P). I think I've got new friend, she told me that if we meet when she goes to Madrid she will invite me to have a coffe...jajajaja...

I don't know, it was nice experience too.

Again so many things I forget!!!!!!!!!!!

c u soon friends!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

=)

ps: this day I didn't sleep well because I step on a grave while visiting the graveyard and I was afraid =(

ps2: this is me in the top of the world

Day 5

Hello there people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is me again xD

Everything started where we left it yesterday, first thing in the morning we had to climb this mountain called "cruz de ferro" (it means iron cross, pictures attached).

I've never seen such amazing views (liar, I have, but these were B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L)

It was kinda tough, and again the same mistake...we found another couple. I don't know why guys who travel with their gf when they see us they want to show us how fast them and their girlfriends are...the result??? Again the same, first 4Km of mountain she was pretty ok, we saw them all the time like from 20m distance , then she died...when I passed her she was almost stoped and the asshole continued without her, luckely world is fair (sometimes) and in the end of the slope the asshole stopped and continued walking because he wasn't able neither to follow his own rithm. My conclussion, I promise if sometime I do this with my gf I won't be such an asshole, and if I change my mind at least I'll kick her so that she falls and she cannot follow me anymore...come on dude, if you do something (good or bad) you gotta do it well =D

Today's post is about human beings and how mean we can be. I have another one. Yesterday night we slept in the hostel (7€ each in the 4 people room). Pablo and me were alone in the room, that means there were 2 extra places.

When I was trying to fall sleep I heared by the window how 2 guys arrived. They said they had broken the bike and it took some time to fix it, so they couldn't arrive before (it was like 10pm). They asked if there were some extra places and the guy said.

-We are almost full, I only have a double room for 44€.

WTF?????????????DUDE, WE WERE ALONE!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't understand people, those poor guys found another hostel for 5€, but anyway that was one of the worst things I've ever seen. It was bloody difficult to get up there, and it was cold, and if you wanted to continue to the next village you had to reach 1500m high in 7Km. People are bad, I can understand things, but come on, for 30€ difference you cannot do this to these poor guys!!!!!!!!

Today we met them, and they were really sympatic. We joined them some Km but they are clearly faster than us :P

Now my trip, today 79Km again, we are near the most difficult mountain of the path, everything is green here, really nice, you can see some pics :P

I'm not as exhausted as I was yesterday, so hopefully we'll make it tomorrow with a lot of effort.

We talk with people all the time, this is cool, but I feel I'm not able to write it, you know, there are so many details, so many things that happen everyday...

I don't know, you just need to be here to feel it =S

Write you tomorrow people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

day 4

My fourth journey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today Pablo joined me, well, yesterday in the afternoon to be precise. He didn't want to miss my demonstration of stupidness loosing my wallet. I still wanna shaut when I remember those 15 minutes until I found it again.

Today the journey was tough again, it wasn't supposed to be that hard but it was.

First of all, we didn't want to do it through the road because it was big one and we are young to die :P, so we took another way through the mountains. It was 10 Km extra and it was all the time going up and down the hills. We found a couple in our way, I think the guy wanted to impress us or something, so he was going a bit fast, after 5 minutes I told Pablo that this rithm was too fast for me, after 10 minutes we had to go up the hill and his wife wasn't able to follow him anymore...GOOD JOB ASSHOLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He really impressed us, but the result was him and his wife 10 minutes after us at the top of the hill and our legs more tired with no reason.

We wanted to have lunch in astorga and afterwards cover the last 20 Km, finally we decided to have lunch at our goal, huge mistake!!!!!!!!!!!!!! During those 20 Km we had to overcome a slope which leaded us from 800m high to 1200m high. We had face wind, a really strong one. Summarizing, it took almost 2 hours to make it and Pablo was as exhausted as I was (That makes me happy because today was his first journey and that means that I recover pretty well at nights).

pfffffffffffff

well, I'll explain, what I wrote here is crazy and I don't think I wanna share with everyone, so I'll rewrite it.

Again a long story in few words...

I AM CRAZY

jejejejejejejejeje

Truth is that for me (as for many people) there are two paths, one is the actual one, I have fun, I think about the bike, it is adventure...etc. But there is a second path, a path inside myself, and somehow I made both through =D

enough crap for today... see you all in my crazy world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

=)

ps: Today I broke 3 (not 1, not 2....3!!!!!!) air chambers of my wheels. I don't have any extra more. It seems someone up there does not like me so much :P

ps2: I forgot it, but I'll add it now...in the middle of the country, 6 km far from the closest city we found this hipie guy, he gives drinks for free to people, you can give him some money if you wanna help but it's free =D

I drunk two natural juices and lemonade...people are even crazier than I am...I love them!!!!!! I attache picture of his "store"

when we left he told us...have a good life guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Day 2 + Day 3

Two days without writting and it feels like a month. So many things have happened, and so damn fast. I think this is somehow like my real life, everything changes everyother day :P

I started my second journey at 7:30 am, I knew from the beggining that I had to cover many Km, I planned to cover 110Km, I didn't know whether I was gonna be able or not, but I wanted to know from the very first moment that it was gonna be tough, bloddy tough.

For me, if you know that what is waiting for you is hard, then when things get difficult you are not surprised, and it helps.

First 60 Km were Ok, then I decided to have lunch. I asked in a village and they told me to go to the next village to a house where they offer a nice menu. Come on, it was A-W-E-S-O-M-E...when I arrived the girl who was there told me to sit in a table, she brought a bottle of wine and a bottle of water and she asked what I wanted to eat, she said there is not menu, she just cooks what people want. I told her, ok, maybe a salat and some meat. There are not enough words in the world to say how amazing it was, the pictures speak by themselves.

With that lunch and some rest I decided to start the tough part of the day. I divided the map in 4 parts and I scheduled one hour for each part.

I got on the bike and I saw three guys, by that time didn't know so, but they were my three guard angels. I even don't know their names, but for sure without them I had never achieved my goal. i was kinda bored, I had singed, I had talked with myself (at least in 3 languages). This was time to socialize. I asked. Do you mind if I go some Km with you??? Of course they didn't, so I joined them. Dude, they were so bloody fast, we covered 15 Km in 30 minutes, I was exhausted, but 15Km closer to my goal and half hour ahead schedule.

Picture of my angels when they left me to have lunch.

Worth to mention that villages were really nice, everytime I passed through some village it was like a breath of fresh air, eventhough I was really tired.

After I left my angels I had 20 Km through the country without any village, the floor was like if a potatoes track had been throwing potatoes all along the way. There was no tree, it was like desert...pffffffffffff I don't wanna remember it :P

After I passed through this potatoes path (we'll call it like this :P) I was really close to my goal, but too tired, so I decided to sleep some 10 minutes in a park, afterwards I don't know how I found the strength to continue, anyhow I made it.

I arrived in the hostel located in the village I wanted to get (Terradillos de los templarios)...and surprise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hostel with swimming pool!!!!!!!!! It was great!!!!!!!!!

Well, not that great, I was in this 4 people room with a couple, we were just 3, they had dinner somewhere and then they came back. I was assleep but they woke me up, anyway I pretended being assleep. (big mistake)

They were talking and then one gave massage to the other, they were saying something like, yes, there, a little up...ooooooooohhhhhhhh...

Trust me, I wanted to die in that moment, I wanted to jump from the window or something...

Then the guy said " I love you and I like loving you". I made a big effort to avoid a loud laugh...

Then the girl said "next time we make love we will see fireworks"

I was hoping, please noooooooo...not now...I'm afraid of fireworks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think they didn't make it, but after those sentences I think I have diabetes. Too much sweet for me.

Next day, meant today I "only" needed to cover 70 Km before lunch in order to have lunch at Sara's place in León. I was singing a lot and telling myself there was not pain. But I made it!!!!!!! Yuhuuuuuuuu!!!!!!!!!

Bad news, I didn't rest because today Pablo joined me and we decided to visit Leon with Sara. Worse news, I lost my wallet with EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!

Good news, it was in a bar and the witter keept it and gave it back to me...pfffffffffff...I think it was worst 15 minutes of the year!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm such an asshole, this things allways happen to me....

It is difficult to tell here everything I feel, summary: I suffered, I didn't give up, I know myself better (still asshole) and I definitely feel that somehow I'm not alone, this is weird, actually I've never been religious guy, but being alone I didn't feel so alone, I felt you all friends were there with me (yes, I'm crazy, damn crazy).

c u soon people!!!!!!!!!

Day 1

Everyday, when I arrived in the hostel I wrote in a notebook what I lived that day. I'll try to write more or less the same, somethings of course I'm gonna delete (because I'm damn crazy) and other things I'm gonna add because I forgot to write in that time =D

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Today I started Lada adventure II, better known as "camino de santiago". Guys, I'd like you to be here to see how cool this is. I'll start describing it.

Long story in few words, you walk, or ride your bike, or your horse, from one village to another. In villages and cities some people have "hostels" in their own houses and you can sleep there. ¿Price? It's up to you, they are volunteers and you decide how much money you wanna give to help them. (this is not true everywhere, but when I wrote it I though so).

Usually volunteer people are really nice people, and from the very beggining I felt it.

Today I started in Burgos, a city with really nice cathedral, and this was the only picture of the day.

In few Km I realised that brakes of my bike were broken, lets say they braked too much...like all the time :P

I stoped after 11 Km and while trying to fix them a guy came, he told me he is volunteer and he has this hostel, he tried to help me but we weren't able to fix it, so he told me to come back to Burgos to the bike store, ok I had to come back.

11+11=22Km? NOOOOOOOOOOOO 11+11=0 Km

=) I was still in Burgos =S =S =S

I made it to the bike store and they told me: In a couple of days it will be fixed...

No way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I told him, well, could be a bit faster?? you know, in a couple of days I'm suppossed to be in leon.

He answered, ok, you are pilgrim...then...1 hour would work for you?

People are nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They fixed it and I came back to this hostel. 11+11+11=11

It's pretty late, so I'll spend here the evening and sleep here. tomorrow double journey and everything is gonna be all right. Things didn't work out as I expected but this is adventure anyway, I'm on vacations and nothing can get me pissed.

I'll choose an idiom I love for todays day. "Si la vida te da la espalda tócale el culo" (If life turns back you touch its butt)....

See you soon mates =D =D =D

new adventure

This blog was meant to tell friends about our Lada adventure, as you know I'm kinda crazy guy and I decided to do another similar trip this summer, well, it's not that crazy, it's called camino de santiago and many people does it. I did it with the bike, and I can totally recommend it to everyone. Cheap vacations, in nature, meeting people, visiting new places...and safe!!!!!!!!!!!!! (this safe part is the one I'm not proud of :P)

This way to Santiago is a way that pilgrims have done for a lot of centuries in order to visit the grave of Santiago "Sanctus Iacobus" and clean their sins. I'm not expert on this topic, but if someone is interested on knowing more you can find information on wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Way_of_St._James

I'll tell what this way means for me, for me it means meeting a lot of nice people who are willing to help pilgrimgs, since nowadays it's a touristic path and many people are doing it, it means a way to make money for people in villages, however many of them want not only to make money but also to help pilgrims who walk long distances and need a cheap and hot meal and some bed to rest. During the path you can find many free hostels, yes free, some of them are paid by regional gouvernments, other are christian asotiations (nuns or monks) and some few are just volunteer people. Of course they accept donations, so you usually expend like 5 € sleeping there. There are also many private hostels with nice people who like helping pilgrims and by the way getting some money. There aren't expensive neither, so you really can have cheap vacations in nice tinny small villages surrounded by kind people. Moreover you practice sport and try to reach the end over all trouble you will for sure find during your way. For me it sounds like best plan ever. But maybe I didn't make the point clear, if for some reason in the end you cannot make it to Santiago it does not matter, because the path is not in the end, the path is the path by itself. There is a poem about the path I'll copy here. Translation is mine, so sorry if there is something wrong :P

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Lo más hermoso de los sueños se encuentra en el camino que lleva hasta ellos.
Lo más hermoso de los sueños es soñar.
Si, más tarde, la vida tiene a bien hacer realidad tu sueño, agradéceselo y disfruta de esa realidad. Si no, agradéceselo también, sabiendo que te llevas en tu corazón la mejor parte de todo el proceso.

The most beautiful of dreams is on the road leading to them
The most beautiful of dreams is to dream.
If, later, life gives you the present of making your dream true, say thanks and enjoy that fact, otherwise say thanks too, knowing that you carry in your heart the best part of dreaming.

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About my way, I made it from Burgos, I couldn't start in the beggining because we didn't have enough vacations, anyway, it was around 550 Km and I think i had enough :P