be completed on foot in order to receive the stamps necessary to earn your certificate of completion. “There’s no grand beginning,” recalls Koteles. “We took a night bus to Lugo about 120 km (outside of Santiago. We got off the bus at 7 AM and started walking—and we didn’t stop for five days. You think you’re going to get lost and that you won’t be able to find the path, but we just got there and asked somebody where the Camino was and they showed us to the first sign.” The shell is the official symbol marking the path, but in the wilderness spray-painted yellow arrow and the footprints of other pilgrims will show you the way. Most travelers appear on the path during their summer vacations, but if you want to
Comment [ML9]: You could create an anecdote introducing Koteles with something like this. The shell and arrow thing could be cut.
experience the best weather and smaller crowds, the Camino is ideal in May. As you walk through the green growth of spring, you will make new friends and get to know the warmhearted Spanish people. Eventually, after many days—or weeks, depending on where you begin your journey—you will meet up with the majority of travelers about sixty miles outside the city of Santiago de Compostela, where the buzz of excited travelers will accompany you as you cross the final hamlets to reach your destination. Choose Your Adventure Though some people do it on bicycle or horseback, the Camino is defined by those who walk the path. Whether you choose to trek the hills in hiking boots or to take the paved paths, it is important to be physically primed for the journey. It is not a mountain climbing expedition, but there are many hills that can be rough on unprepared feet. Despite this, many men and women over the age of seventy walk the path each year. There is no expected walking pace on the Camino, and there are plenty of small towns and cafés along the way where travelers can refuel or take an afternoon siesta.
Comment [ML10]: This paragraph seems to include two topics that maybe should be separated or worked in other places. “go in may” and “outside the city the pilgrims meet”