My Camino: Baiona to Vigo Day 1

September 15, 2022:

No more counting down. Day 1 of my hike to Santiago de Compostela had arrived. Filled with nervous energy I brought my suitcase to the front lobby at 7:30 AM to be transported to the next hotel in Vigo. Then I went to the cafe to join my friends for breakfast.

At 8:50 AM, the six of us stood outside the hotel, each strapped with a backpack. We kicked off our walk with a picture of our wrists displaying our blue wristbands with the Buen Camino inscription, a gift from Carla to identify ourselves as pilgrims. She took a picture of our hiking-shoed feet, blister-free for now and ready to go. I felt giddy with excitement just as, I’m sure, my friends were too.

And so the six amigos took off for an adventure of a lifetime. As we followed the route we mapped out the day before, I kept an eye on my Camino Ninja app. The little blue dot never strayed too far from the red line representing the route to Santiago. We walked along the coast, passing beaches and sometimes walking on the beach itself. We kept our eyes open for road markers, mostly a yellow shell and an arrow, and sometimes only an arrow. Many passersby smiled at us and said, “Hola, buen camino” to which we replied, “Gracias.” I sensed a great deal of positive vibes from these locals with their well wishes. 

During the stretch from Baiona to Vigo, the dazzling blue water stayed with us on our left almost the entire way. Every now and then I stopped, marvelled at the spectacular scenery and took pictures. Sometimes I didn’t want to take pictures because I preferred to absorb the beauty, and to let it sink in indelibly imprinted on my brain. But I’m glad my friends and I snapped lots of photos because I’m realising now that my memory would have faded but for the reminders I continue to see.

Around noon we saw a restaurant. It looked like a decent place for a rest stop… and it didn’t disappoint. The first person to use the toilet, either Giulia or Carla, came out grinning and gave the thumbs up. In the snack department, the choices were limited. Tom and Karen ordered croquettes. I asked the sole restaurant attendant in broken Spanish if they had empanadas. I thought I had ordered a small crescent shaped pastry stuffed with meat, but what I got was a medium plate-sized pastry, fried and filled with sardines, a much-too-heavy lunch I couldn’t possibly finish. As much as I enticed and cajoled my friends to help me eat it, they turned me down. So nagging conscience notwithstanding, I threw away the uneaten half. Karen stashed away their remaining croquettes, but I learned later that she too threw them out.

At the restaurant we met two other pilgrims, a Swedish lady who was on her sixth or seventh camino and her companion, on his first. Earlier I saw the two walking ahead of us, she carrying a backpack and he barely anything. The lady told us we should try to snack once every hour to replenish our energy, and not to eat a big meal until after we reach our destination. I thought that was good advice and easy to follow as I didn’t feel hungry, eating fruits, light snacks and drinking water. Before we said goodbye to these two pilgrims we took a couple of selfies of the eight of us in front of the restaurant.

As we got closer to our destination, Hotel Compostela Vigo, I asked if someone could take out a phone and start using good old Google to guide us there. Although the shells and arrows along with the Camino Ninja had kept us on the right path throughout the way, we could miss our hotel without Google Maps. Giulia pulled out her phone and between the two of us we kept us on the right track until we came to… oh no, a road block. There was no way to cross it, and now, for the first time I couldn’t use the Ninja. It was up to Giulia to navigate with Google Maps, our new solo guide.

After a discussion about the best way to circumnavigate around the detour, we clambered over a fence onto a parking lot, skirted around a building and got to the road. We stood at the bottom of a V fork wondering which prong to take. I turned on Google Maps too. If you’ve ever tried to follow the GPS while walking, it can sometimes make you wonder if you’re stupid or if the GPS is meant for someone much smarter than you are. Certainly I found myself questioning my comprehension when the little blue arrow seemed to move in every direction but the marked route on the map. Giulia and I decided to take a prong each to figure out the right way. The rest of the party waited at the tip of the V. I sensed some frustration from some of my friends as I took to the right and then started to backtrack when my blue arrow moved farther away from the route. Giulia called out, “This way” and we joined her. Her husband John asked, “How far are we from the hotel?” “Forty-five minutes,” she replied. John visibly blanched. “Giules, this can’t be right. I thought we’re a lot closer.” The 30-degree Celsius heat felt a lot hotter under the cloudless mid afternoon sky. 

We passed through some industrial areas and soon came back to the coast where I saw a cruise ship docked in the harbour. Normally I’d be curious to find out more about the ship, but at this point, I could only think of a nice long bath or shower and to stretch out on a comfortable bed. There was no shade anywhere, and everyone chatted sparingly now.

At last the GPS pointed to a right turn, going uphill and away from the water. After that, we arrived at the Hotel Compostela Vigo within minutes. The entrance underwhelmed me somewhat. I expected something different. But I should have known better by now after the El Mosquito hotel in Baiona. Then when I got my room key and went upstairs, I was pleasantly surprised by how inviting the room was. My air-conditioned room had a decent sized bathroom with a bathtub! Just the thought of soaking in it erased some of my fatigue. The bed looked comfortable with luxurious pillows and linen, definitely an improvement over El Mosquito.

I didn’t get to soak in the tub like I’d dreamed because the plug was missing, a ploy to deter the guests from using too much water. John later told me that he plugged the drain with socks and gave Giulia a slice of heaven. I took a shower and then stretched my aching body for half an hour. Rejuvenated somewhat I stepped outside to explore the area and to look for fruits and bottled water.

The whole group convened at the lobby around 6:30 PM. We walked to Praza Porta dol Sol where tourists thronged the square. In front of us the El Sereno Monument rose up five or six stories high, topped by the statue of a fish/man. As much as I tried to admire its artistic expression, I came up empty. It was probably too advanced for my small brain. Then we came across a picturesque fountain at Praza de Compostela near a restaurant that Carla had scoped out earlier. This fountain I could appreciate. Since dinner seating didn’t start until 7:30 PM, we browsed the stores nearby to pass some time.

Dinner didn’t disappoint. The menu contained an abundance of seafood. I had eaten fish every evening since arriving in Porto a few days ago, so that night I decided on a dish with prawns. As the only “early” diners in the restaurant, the waiter gave us his undivided attention. After walking 26 km from Baiona to Vigo, and then another 4 km playing tourist in the city, I was happy to sit back and let someone do all the serving. The food was delicious and I topped off my meal with dessert. The walk had been long, and I felt indulgent. Tomorrow we will go to Redondela, a mere 15-16 km away. It’s all about perspective!