Alvaiazere to Rabacal

That beautiful new alburgue in Alvaiazere was heavenly. I had a nice private room. Room 1, the same room where John Brierley, the author of my guidebook slept just a few nights ago. I was hoping that some of his route finding karma may have been left there to be absorbed by me. But of course I still got lost once today!

I got up really early and ate a roll left over from last night's dinner while I walked. I did find a small cafe and grabbed some café com leite to go along with it. Stores and cafes seem scarce in this area so it was halfway into the day before I found anything to add to that spectacular breakfast.

It was nice walking early in the morning while it was still cool. I felt like my body had finally adjusted to the walking all day routine.

Today was really peaceful mostly on dirt trails with only brief stretches of asphalt through little towns. The two men from Canada that I met a few days ago came from behind and we had a brief visit until they left me in the dust. But I caught them again in Ansiao where we all stopped for a bite to eat.

After yesterday's frequent wrong turns, I was extra vigilant about making sure I had not missed a single way mark. I was feeling so proud of myself when I was on the last stretch with only about 6 kilometers left, and was still on the trail. A mother and daughter team from Croatia were catching up to me shortly after I passed a yellow arrow. But there I was at a crossroads with no marker and no clue. Together we walked for a while up one path with no luck, then the other with still no luck. I knew it was too good to be true - all day without getting lost.

They checked their GPS and I checked my iPhone app but they offered no help. Our guidebooks showed that we were parallel to the road that went into Rabacal and that we would eventually join it. So I decided to just follow little 4 wheel drive tracks heading off towards the road. They followed me but I warned them of my past habit of continually getting lost. But luck was with me this time. Suddenly in the maze of beaten tracks, we spotted a wonderful yellow arrow and were back on track.

We found the only available lodging, the Casa de Turismo Residential and had our rooms for the night. My feet were very happy to stop. The rooms are private with bathrooms too. But one odd thing not included is toilet paper. I did have a small supply of my own, which is good because when I asked at the cafe across the street if there was a market they said no. There wasn't much in the way of food in that cafe either. So I guess I will be satisfied with a dinner of a sweet roll and a coke. I have a few cookies that will undoubtedly be tomorrow's breakfast.

I see that it is now pouring rain. The forecast for the next few days is more of the same.