Camino day 1, 2 and 3

Day 1: don’t tell anyone, but I used Algebra!    I wanted to figure out the slope of my hike up the Pyrénées for the day. “What the hell am I doing” was the slope. It was tough (and carrying almost 20 pounds on my back was not helpful). The downpour of rain halfway up also added to the challenge. There was a lot of inner and outer cursing,

Finally, I made it Orisson, where I was shown my bunk bed and given a token that would give me a five minute shower (we were in the middle of the mountains...).  I shared a room with a woman from Colorado, two from Italy, one from Belgium and one from Poland.  We had a lot of time to killbefore dinner so a lovely nap was had.

That night we had a communal dinner where everyone stood and gave their name, where they were from and the reason why they were hiking. Orisson can only sleep 39 peopl and that night we had people from: the US, Italy, Belgium, Poland, Russia, South Korea, Taiwan, Germany, Finland and Ireland. The weather cleared up and me and my newroomies, and some others, we able to hang out of the patio.

The cows are watching me....

Day 2:

I’ve watched the sunrise over the Grand Canyonand it was amazing. Today’s was even more beautiful.  Got started to day 2 of hiking a little after 7:30.   Weather was great, sun was out, good wind.  These first two days are suppose to be the hardest two of the entire hike.  Day two saw more of an incline, but over a longer distance and not in the rain! I walk led with two of my roommates from Orrisson. The hills were hard, but the decline into Roncesvalles was rough (all mud and stone on a pretty step decline). Very glad I had my hiking poles.

The second night I at a place that has 186 bed for pilgrims (have to show your pilgrim passport). It’s very organized, and they have wonderful volunteers whom will do your laundry (just for the few of the washer/dryer).  Before dinner I went to plPilgrim’s Mass at 8pm in the church next to the hostel.  There was another communal Dinner where I met a guy from Italy doing his 5th Camino, and two women from Barcelona doing the Camino for the first time.  Lights out in the dorm at 10pm, and slept pretty well until the woman in the bunk above me decided to start getting ready at 5 (and I passed her today...).

Marker showing the way.

Home for the night.

Day 3: lots of up and down parts, but much smaller slopes up and down! However, about 3/4 of the path was rocky again, so it took my about 7 hours to finish (multiple small breaks and doing slower that a snail down any declines!!!  Nap time!!

Kind of like a bridge...