Camino Journal: Part 6
Reaching the ‘end of the world’
The final three or four days leading into Santiago had been crowded with pilgrims from all over the world. It is the most popular section of the Camino because pilgrims who want to officially complete the journey and receive the Compostela, the official certificate of completion, must walk at least 100 kilometers, or 62 miles, into Santiago. At the beginning of the journey, every pilgrim receives a credencial, or pilgrim’s passport. Along the way, we were required to collect at least two daily stamps, known as sellos, from churches, cafés, hostels, town halls and other places along the route.
Our pilgrim’s passport never left our side. We guarded it as if it were a million-dollar bill. But to us, it was worth far more than that. Every stamp represented another day, another village and another step forward. It represented our journey — the highs, the lows, the challenges, the friendships and the memories we would carry home with us.
When the four of us left the iconic city of Santiago early the next morning, we were energized and excited. The Atlantic Ocean was calling. Thirty-four days earlier, the coast had seemed impossibly far away. We had already walked approximately 485 miles, yet our ultimate destination was still ahead of us. For the first time, Finisterre felt within reach. But the Camino wasn’t finished testing us. The next three days would bring steep climbs and long, rocky descents. After more than 30 days of walking, we knew plenty could still go wrong — blisters, injuries, illness or simply exhaustion. But through it all, we felt that the Lord had protected us. Our Camino family kept moving forward, one step at a time, strong and together.
