I started the day chatting to a cyclist, which was fun. They were impressed with my 10 kilos. I still get a lot of people asking what I do, I seem to stand out. To me, all the people who spend weeks sitting in a caravan doing pretty much the same thing they would at home are they weird ones, but hey.
Started on the route again around 9.45, with a box of strawberries wich I ate walking out of the village. I hadn't left the village yet when a squirrel ran up and down a small tree in a garden right next to me, and less than a kilometer on from there I saw some ten baby goats running and jumping about which was really awesome and adorable (also quite adorable: the child who kept backing away fro one of the curious baby goats).
At 10.00 I entered the national park, Hoge Veluwe. Turned out Trekvogelpad takes the most roundabout inefficient route through the park, maybe to maximize the time spent in it. The effect of this was that I saw quite some parts of the park I didn't know yet, it took me 5 hours to get out again (including two breaks, one a lunch break in a pretty idyllic spot) and I ended up actually getting bored with the park. I was glad when I finally got out. The bored feeling stuck around for a while, I felt just done being in the Netherlands. It's a nice and beautiful part of the Netherlands, but it't still all so... Netherlands. I haven't been abroad for too long.
After taking another break with tea in the middle of the forest I felt better (I like being able to make tea in weird places). I also saw what a thought was a snake, but some studying when I was back revealed it was a slowworm (which is no more a worm than a snake, but a rudimentary lizard that lost its legs somewhere in evolution).
And then suddenly I reached the point where I had to leave the route to find a campsite, again surprised that I had already walked 25 km, as it was 18.00 and the next campsite on the route was another 5.5km on.
I missed the sun today, it was only occasionally visible, and it's definitely cooler. I wanted a nice campsite and dinner in the sunshine, but the first campsite I found was so vague and a bit derelict that I walked another 20 minutes (back, most of the way) to the other one, which at least had a reception. That was closed, so I went asking at the snackbar, where they promptly asked me where I put my camping car, despite the trekking poles I was carrying around. Next, they thought I was by bike. Assumptions...
When massaging my feet I suddenly understood why my small toe had been hurting so much, as it was half again its usual size due to a blister. This is why I want new sandals for my real trip.
So far, my sleeping bag is awesome, bbut as it'll apparently cool down to 8°C (there was a radio on in the sanitary building), tonight will be a good test.
I have to say I find it pretty awesome I can do this again, despite the surgery and everything. And I can't wait to be hiking abroad again.

Geschreven door Jewaontheroad