My Camino del Norte - Video

Finally the video of my Camino del Norte in May is ready. It's basically a photo progression of my whole journey from Irun to Santiago de Compostela and then onwards to Muxia and Fisterra. Over 900 km in 36 days.

I didn't want to use any commercial music for the video only to have YouTube warn me a week later to take it music out due to copyright infringement. This time, I have something better, my own brother Victor who composes music for a living (thanks bro!).

I guess he is constrained by the video which has a picture transition every second, but the final results are fantastic. Together with Dharma from the band The Observatory (where Victor is an ex-member) I now have a great professional soundtrack for this video.

After three Camino de Santiago pilgrimages, this fourth Camino is more like an escape. Just an unadulterated descent to a simple life of walking, sleeping, eating (drinking) and washing (laundry).

You can change the quality of this video's playback to HD for better picture quality. I've also upload the same video to Vimeo.

Enjoy.

Backpack differences on the Camino

A big thanks to Francis for these photos. I believe this was taken after Miraz, a cold morning. We took our jackets off only after about 2 hours of walking.

You can see that both backpacks are on 2 opposite ends. Jonathan's backpack is 17 kg, with a 2 person tent, cooker, and that giant umbrella while mine is more of the norm at half that weight.

Carrying that much weight one risks injury especially on a long journey. I guess the age (younger) helps. :)

Picasa photo album of my Camino del Norte

Including photos not posted to this blog.

Link - Camino del Norte

Internet Access in Spain - Prepaid SIM card

Cheapest way to access the internet on your phone. Available at most Carrefour or Alcampo supermarket, here's more info on Yoigo.

When I got mine when I arrived in Spain, the price was 30 Euro including the SIM card plus 800MB per month, enough to check emails, facebook, and upload the photos onto the blog without needing to find a wifi hotspot. I did of course ran out of the data limit it tells me that an additional 300MB I need to pay another 5 Euro. Not an issue as I don't make local calls and have enough balance to deduct for the additional data.

With this, I am more relax during this camino as I don't have to hunt down for the library/casa de cultura or bars with wifi. If there are free wifi at the bar that is fine, at least I don't need to search for it this time.

The video of the sunset in Fisterra

The wind noise can't be helped as I don't have any special microphone with me there.

What a great way to end the last of walking at Land's end in Fisterra, at sunset, and the sweet voice of Miya playing the guitar.

Miya is a musician. You can check out more about her and her music from her website and also her Facebook page.

http://miyaautumn.com
http://www.facebook.com/MiyaAutumn

The really really last entry for this Camino

The singer at the lighthouse in Fisterra and her companion John from San Francisco was on the red eye bus from Santiago de Compostela to Madrid with me. They will be here for a couple more days to enjoy the city.

Her name Miya Autumn is a pseudonym. She speaks mandarin, spend a year and a half in Beijing. Miya is actually 米雅 (elegant rice).

That's it. Unless I bumped into someone else on the flight home.

One more for the road

Casa Manolo, probably the most pilgrim friendly restaurant in Santiago. Excellent environment, menu in 4 of the major European languages, excellent food in just the right portion, 2 course meal plus dessert and water (unfortunately no wine this time) for only 9 Euro.

Last post for the my Camino del Norte

The rain has become a drizzle. I've hug goodbye to my old friend Jimmy at the cathedral. Soon it's time to go.

The botafumeiro unfortunately was for the mass at noon which missed. Ah well, as least I have seen it before and there is a video of it in the blog.

Hope you enjoy the journey with me.

Back to Santiago

Bus leaving 21:30. Done the last minute shopping, basically just pins and chorizo. Left the backpack at the pilgrim office for a euro.

The botafumeiro at the Cathedral is hung. Not sure if it was for the noon Mass or for this evening at 7 pm. Will check, maybe I will get lucky this time again and see it swinging.

A wet day in Fisterra

Glad it is already over for me. The weather is looking to be wet the whole day. Also, my bus back to Santiago before noon has gotten into some complications as it is over booked. This is probably also due to the weather and many deciding to just back to Santiago. Another bus came 20 minutes later that is going up to A Coruña and I got onto to that one, which stop half way in a town and I transfer immediately to another bus going to Santiago that has got seats available. If there is a Spanish system, this is probably one of it. Just have to tranquil about it. It will work out in the end.