Day 4 - January 8

Foxy Camino was the center of our universe yesterday. As I look back, it all just happened so quickly, naturally and all too easily. How many street dogs have we seen on this trip so far? How many in the eight years I have been on the Caminho? Countless. And the older gentleman who told us these are all street dogs and us thinking nothing of it. Until this one dog decided to come. Even as I said to Amy don’t look back we don’t want to displace him from his home, he chose to relentlessly follow us. Our hearts were turned not as he tried to protect us from other wild dogs or attack cars as they came close to us, but when he got hit by the car and we thought if we didn’t help him he would be left to die there. I can only say at that moment we both knew we had to to at least help him for the commitment that he made to us. And then we went into action to make him a new member of our party.

The guys bought him a little mat that I put in my room near the bed and while we went out to dinner last night he slept. He was given medication‘s and a big vaccine so he was groggy. During the night he arose twice to eat from the bowl of dried food that we left him and then at 5 AM he sat by the door of the room looking at me and letting me know that he needed to go to the bathroom.

Our little posada tonight as we arrived late at 7pm, was very simple and it was on the Caminho so it seemed convenient. But, it was also on a busy corner and a concrete factory that ran 24/7 and wrapped around the two sides of the little Posada. Therefore with trucks coming and going all night it was difficult for Amy and I to get any sleep. Nonetheless when the sun rose and we got back out onto the trail we began feeling our old selves again. No rain this morning but the daily thunderstorms are predicted and the weather is chilly for the first time in eight years that I’ve been here; perhaps the altitude at 4000 feet or just a freak patch of weather for the Brazilian summer.

We stopped for lunch in the village of Monte Santo de Minas where a crew of women in an open hearth kitchen prepared us delicious fried chicken cutlets, eggs, farofa, pasta w meat sauce, rice, beans, xuxu and freshly made pineapple juice of which we drank 4 glasses each!

Back on the trail for the final 10 mile section of the day we decided to bring Foxy as the Vet told us to ease him back after his treatments. He has anemia, a tic born heart disease and malnourished so better to play it safe. He follows along as a quiet companion and then you hear a bird and he is gone. We ran through cattle ranges and he fearlessly charges in at the bulls and start a pack stampede then turns around looking for us. He also attacks cars and especially motorcycle on the trail but not in the city. He does this even after he was almost killed yesterday. Need to find him a dog therapist…

Weather was spectacular for running in the morning but we didn’t escape without rain in the afternoon and the blisters are starting to become and issue for both of us. No relief in sight until next Thursday when the BR135 starts.

Heading out for dinner with the team -

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Cheers,

David.

Amy loves her flan!

We found a great bakery where we had a wonderful lunch cheese bread, great flan and strong coffee

Foxy after herding cattle you may notice on his left breast a puncture wound from busting through the barbed wire fence