Listen up. There are a lot of things in the world you can do to find adventure, but there are few adventures you can find in the world with lots of things to do. I’m not exactly sure what that sentence means but I think it accurately sums up my Camino experience. I’m not exactly sure.
For starters, you need to understand that the entire point of hiking the Camino is to reach Santiago. Santiago is the city at the end of the way where you can get your Camino passport officially stamped to say you’ve done the Camino de Santiago.
So where to start?
Well, normally you would hike the entire length of the Camino in about 5 weeks. But, there is a shorter version which is the version that you are going to want to walk. This version consists of only 21 days on the trail. You start in a beautiful little town called St Jean Pied de Port, France. It’s a quaint little village that sits at the bottom of the Pyrenes Mountains. There is a small pilgrim’s office where you can pick up your fresh Camino passport and a white scallop shell to tie on your backpack to signify that you are an official Camino Pilgrim.
Now, this is where you are going to want to start paying attention. While everyone else is trying to find a place to stay, you are going to want to go to the first house you see. There will be a sign that says you can’t check in until 7 PM. This is good. You can sit outside for 4 hours before you check in right before bed. (just make sure you ignore the part of the sign that says you can’t leave in the morning until 7 AM)
Now get some rest. You’re going to need it. When one of your teammates wakes up at 4:30 in the morning, you are going to be abruptly kicked out of the house for breaking the rules. Remember, no waking up before 7 AM. As you find yourself dazed, confused, questioning reality, and wondering if you are still dreaming while brushing your teeth next to a fountain by the side of the dark street that is barely lit by a single street light, you will know that your Camino has begun. It’s 5 AM, it’s dark, and you just got kicked out of your first Hostel. This is just God’s polite way of telling you that you need a head start walking the longest walk of your life. But look on the bright side. The stars twinkle above your head. Shooting stars trace the path of the Camino before you, and the rising sun sets fire to the clouds and hills around you. Everything is still. Everything is beautiful.
This first day is by far the most beautiful day of the Camino. The mountain range lays before you. Sky stretches out over the rolling hills in a beautiful display of rock, grass, and sunlit valleys. Streams cascade down the mountainside, sheep run across grass pasture as the sun warms the earth below. This is the normal experience. But remember, we are on the shortened version. In order to shorten your trip, a heavy fog is going to set over the mountains. This will successfully obscure your view. You will not be able to see 20 feet in front of you and it will be like walking through rain that doesn’t actually fall but instead sways side to side in it’s effort to drench every part of your body. The cold and fog will help you stay focused. This saves time by not allowing you to stop and take in the gorgeous mountain views. This saves a few hours. This is good. At the end of the day you will descend out of the fog and realize that the sun is once again shining and you have a warm bed waiting for you in a stone fortress made just for the pilgrims. You will share a warm meal, share laughter with friends, and cherish the dry warmth of the stones heated by the sun.
As you continue hiking through the next few towns, make sure to stop and dance with the local Spaniards in the restaurants after dinner. The pilgrims riding bicycles are usually the best dancers and the waitress isn’t afraid to spin. The next few days are similar and you will want to continue until you arrive in Pamplona.
Ah, Pamplona. City of the Bulls. The place where ancient culture clashes head on with the modern world. Normally, you would spend one rest day in Pamplona, but considering you are on a shortened version of the Camino, you are instead going to spend 3 rest days in Pamplona. This will ensure that your legs are fully rested and ready to walk at 5 times the normal speed for the next section of the trail. Shout out, the local wine in Pamplona was by far the best wine on the trail.
While in Pamplona, enjoy the friendship from those you met on the trail, have deep conversations about faith with those around you, spend quality time with the German couple that runs the beautiful little hostel down by the river, and dedicate yourself to prayer and rest with your team. These days are truly some of the best days of your life.
Back to travel. At this point you will want to begin the self-reflection process. Spend lots of time alone. Lots of time praying. And extra time wrestling with God over your biggest dreams and worries. Along the way, pull in your best friends and fellow Pilgrims to discuss what it means to truly know God and walk with Him. The next few days are going to go by in a blur. Camping in a random field is a must at this point. Bonus points if you eat grapes, pears, berries, and walnuts that you find along the trail.
But WAIT. You almost missed the best part. You’re going to walk 15 miles in one day and arrive in a little Spanish village. Once you arrive, quickly find the greenest piece of grass you can find. Once you find it, pull out your guitar, play a couple songs, and then pass out on the soft grass beneath you. You’re going to need it. Tonight, you’re hiking 17 miles through the night. Yup, 12 AM. Wake the team up from their slumber on the church steps in the village center. Strap on your backpack, turn on the headlamp, crank up the music and begin the long march into the night. 32 miles. 24 hours.
Now the reason you are hiking in the night is quite simple. The moon is spectacular, the stars are shining, and because why not. I mean really, there’s a Spanish party going on in the next town over and it starts at 2 AM. You don’t want to miss that. Everyone will cheer and clap for you as you march into town as all normal Camino pilgrims do in the middle of the night. Make sure to ride the mechanical bull while you’re there.
After a grueling 17 mile night hike you will arrive in Logrono. Normally you’d immediately find a place to stay. But it’s raining, so you’re going to want to stay outside. If you’re lucky, you will find a church next to the donation hostel you want to stay at. The church will be open. You can fall asleep on the floor. The priest will then take pity and lock you away in the hostel next door. Literally, lock you inside. This makes it easier for you to rest because you don’t have to worry about going outside. When your confused teammates show up and you’ve disappeared, just yell through the window and tell them you have been taken hostage by a catholic priest. They will understand.
That evening make sure you enjoy the lentil soup and family style dinner with all the Pilgrims. There will be a wonderful pilgrim’s church service that night where languages from all over the world read prayers from the pilgrimage. This is beautiful.
Back to traveling. The next section of the Camino is the hardest. This section is where the heat bakes you, the trail beats you, and you really dive into self-reflection, questioning, self-discovery, and walking through the hurt and pain of your past. YOU’RE GOING TO WANT TO SKIP THIS PART.
Instead of misery, this is where you make up time. Jump on a bus, then another bus, then another bus, until you skip past Santiago and find yourself on the Spanish coastline. Congratulations! You’ve made it to the end of the Camino! This is the place where you discover your true self-worth and purpose in life. No need for the middle section of grueling self-pity. At this point you are going to want to find a hostel. When you talk to the pilgrimage hostels they are going to tell you that you can’t stay there unless you have a stamp from Santiago. Which… you don’t have. You skipped over Santiago remember. Accelerated Camino. But! It’s ok. You have a tent! There are two lovely beaches on the coast of Spain where you can spend the next two nights star gazing and telling stories under the night sky as the ocean waves caress the soft sand at your feet. These days are priceless. This is the Camino.
Now, you are at the end of the world and change in plans mean you now must head to Madrid. This is your opportunity. Take the last bus out of town and head towards Santiago. Ah, the great Santiago! The very purpose of the Camino! When you arrive, you are going to spend exactly 45 minutes, in the dark, with no view of the city, at the train station. Then you are going to rent a small 5 passenger hatchback, cram your 7 backpacks and 7 people into the car and drive 6 hours through the night to Madrid. This drive will be amazing! The team may be extremely cramped in the back but you will be comfortably shifting through gears in a Spanish car on smooth Spanish highways with a coca cola by your side. These memories are memories to always hold close to your heart. This is what it means to be a team. This is I love you. This is together… This is also slightly uncomfortable.
When you reach Madrid your journey is over. Spend the next week resting in a mansion, playing extras for a Christian movie about the martyrs, and serving the beautiful people that provide you a place to stay for the week. Enjoy rest. Enjoy learning. Enjoy being sharpened in your faith. Enjoy different. Enjoy provision. Enjoy life. God will work in big ways through this entire trip. You might find yourself in the middle of a giant protest in downtown Madrid. Relax, it’s part of the Camino experience. It’s normal. Oh and by the way, the pastor that you meet in Madrid will be named Robert Santiago. This is the point where your teammate leans over and says
“Looks like we made it to Santiago after all…”
Honestly, the Camino was crazy. Our team’s methods were a little unorthodox and from Day 1 God controlled the path. He set the path before us and covered the month with provision, friendship, conversation, healing, growth, unity, and love. Even through the pain that came in many different shapes and sizes, God brought comfort and rest again and again. We saw fruitful conversations, met the best of friends, and felt hope grow inside our hearts. So sometimes, even when things don’t look anything like they are supposed to, or when God does crazy things in your life and you say “this makes no sense, this isn’t how it’s supposed to go” The best thing to do is just to sit back, smile, take in the marvel of life, stare at the ocean, and wonder at how amazing, loving, kind, strong, and passionate our God truly is. He continually does amazing things in our lives even through the most uncomfortable situations. He is good, though not always safe, and will always provide despite the circumstances. So how exactly does one hike the Camino? I suppose it’s much like hiking through life.
Do it with Faith. Do it with Friends. Do it with Hope. Do it with fierce unrestrained Love for your team and those around you, and definitely trust that God has a greater plan through it all.
With Faith, Hope, and Love
Nathan
