santiago de compostela: where it rains forever and i'm broke as hell

so i finally made it to santiago de compostela after a 12 hour bus ride that smelled like feet and regret. i'm a broke student so i took the cheapest option which meant no legroom and a guy next to me who kept snoring like a chainsaw. but hey, at least i'm here, and the city looks like something out of a gothic fairy tale, if gothic fairy tales had a lot of drizzle and tourists in matching windbreakers.

here's exactly where i'm typing this from (well, roughly):

the cathedral is the big deal, obviously. it's covered in scaffolding because apparently they never stop restoring it, but you can still see the towering spires and the massive baroque facade. i felt tiny. there's a giant incense burner called the botafumeiro that they swing during big masses. someone told me that if you slip the sacristan a twenty he'll give it an extra spin, but i'm too broke to try. i also heard from a drunk local that the thing weighs like 50 kilos and they only swing it on special occasions, so good luck with that. the inside is all gold and gloom, and for a few hours every day you can enter for free if you time it with mass. i queued for 20 minutes, got in, and immediately felt the weight of centuries of pilgrims pressing down on me. according to TripAdvisor's top attractions, it's the number one thing to do here, but honestly, just walking around the stone streets feels like stepping into a washing machine of history.

okay, the weather. i just checked my weather app for the 873th time: it's 6.61°c right now, feels like 5.19°c, and the humidity is a whopping 92%. basically, it's cold and wet and my hoodie is already crying. the forecast says it'll max out at 7.73°c, which is basically room temperature if you're a lizard. i'm shivering and i regret not bringing that beanie my grandma knitted. the pressure is sitting at 1021 hpa, whatever that means, but i think it's why my ears pop when i go uphill. this kind of damp chill makes my bones feel like they're made of old crackers. i saw a local wearing just a t shirt and looked comfortable, which made me question my entire life choices. maybe they're used to it, or maybe they're just showing off. either way, i'm layered up like an onion and still cold.

if you get bored, vigo is just an hour away by bus and it's got a massive harbor and some sick street art. or you could head north to a coruña to see the tower of hercules, which is ancient and probably less crowded. i'm thinking of taking a day trip just to feel something other than this constant drizzle.

i've been trying to eat on a student budget, which means i've been surviving on empanadas and bocadillos. the mercado is a good spot: you can get a huge empanada de atún for like three euros. someone told me that the free tapas thing is a myth; you have to order a drink to get a small bite, and i'm not drinking because that's expensive too. i found a hole-in-the-wall near the market that does a pulpo a la gallega for five euros, and it's legit. the octopus is tender, sprinkled with paprika and potatoes. i heard from a local that the best place for that is actually a place called 'O Gato' but it's a bit further out, so i'll have to check if i can muster the energy to walk there. i've also been hitting up the local supermarkets for bread, cheese, and wine (cheap galician wine is surprisingly good). if you need a spot to score cheap eats, check out Yelp's cheap eats list for 'Menu del Dia' places - they usually have a set lunch under ten euros.

walking around the old town is like being in a maze of granite. every street looks the same, and i keep getting lost, but honestly that's part of the charm. the signs are in galician and spanish, and some are just arrows carved into stone. i saw a sign that said "catedral" pointing down a narrow alley that led to a tiny plaza with a fountain. that's the kind of thing that makes you feel like you've discovered a secret, even though a thousand people have been there before. there's also the alameda park, which is nice to sit and watch the world go by, though it's usually packed with students and old men playing chess. i've tried to find the university campus just to see if i can blend in as a student, but i think my backpack gives me away.

accommodation-wise, i'm crashing in a hostel that's 15 euros a night. it's a bunk in a room with six other snorers, but it's clean and has heating (sometimes). i read on The Galicia Travel Board that some albergues are even cheaper if you have a pilgrim passport, but i'm not that kind of pilgrim, just a broke tourist. the hostel is close to the old town, so i can walk everywhere, which saves on bus fare. i've also been using the local bus to get to the train station when i need to go to the airport - it's only 1.50 and runs frequently.

one more thing: be careful with your stuff. i heard a rumor that pickpockets love the cathedral steps during mass because everyone's distracted. i keep my wallet in my front pocket and my backpack on my chest like a paranoid parent. also, if you're looking for a good view without paying for a museum, climb up to the viewpoint at the top of the hostel (some have a roof terrace) or go to the park of cerviñón - it's a bit of a hike but the vista over the city is worth it, and it's free.

anyway, i'm exhausted. it's been 36 hours since i last slept properly, and the damp air is doing weird things to my sinuses. i'm sitting in a cafe nursing a 1.50 coffee (because even that's a splurge) and watching pilgrims with their scallop shells. santiago de compostela is definitely a place that grows on you, even if it's cold and wet and my feet hurt. if you're on a budget, bring layers, bring earplugs, and don't believe everything you hear about free tapas. i'll probably be back, maybe when it's warmer, or maybe i'll just move to vigo to escape the rain. either way, i'm glad i came, even if my wallet is crying and my nose won't stop running.

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