While I have been planning to walk the Camino for several months, I did no physical training for it. Most people train for months before walking but the rainy season in Mexico coupled with a couple tropical storms kept me from the long training walks most people would say are necessary to complete the Camino. For this reason I am keeping to short stages and doing my training for the Camino while on the Camino. And it is only with slight embarrassment that I admit to people that I have taken 7 days to cover the ground most people cover in 3.
Day 1 – Pamplona to Cizur Menor – 4.8km (@ 3 miles)
Not wanting to deal with making my way to St. Jean Pied de Port (the randomly assigned “starting point” for most Camino guide books) I decided to just start from Pamplona after spending the night in a comfey private room and attempting to sleep away some of my jet lag. In hindsight, allowing myself to sleep in and start my walk in the afternoon was a very bad idea.
It was approximately noon when I set out into the festival-crowded streets of Pamplona on my great Camino adventure. I immediately got lost. Having arrived late the night before I’d had no chance to explore the windy roads of old-pamplona in preparation for my walk. After receiving several sets of confusing but well-intentioned directions from already drunken revelers I finally flagged down a cop (who seemed relatively sober) who got me onto the Way.
Having spent almost an hour wading through the festival, I was well ready to get on my way but decided I should probably eat something before heading out. Finding a somewhat tame bar on a semi-quiet side street I partook of the first of many “menu del dia” meals along the Camino.
For those who have not experienced the Spanish “menu del dia” experience, it is basically a fixed price menu which includes choice of starter, entree, and dessert as well as bread, water and wine. The cost can vary but generally runs from 8-12 Euro. Having read mixed reviews of the quantity and quality variation you can encounter, I wasn’t sure what to expect but the giant mixed salad, half a roasted chicken, soup bowl of arroz con leche, loaf of bread and *entire bottle* of wine left me presently surprised and on the verge of a major food coma.
After finishing a small portion of my exceedingly oversized lunch and one glass (though it was tempting to have more) of wine I finally took my first steps along the way.
Upon leaving the cool, dark streets of the old town, the first thing I noticed was the heat. As the bank across the street flashed the temperature – 35 (@100F) – it occurred to me that I was walking at the worst possible time of day. Within 10 minutes I was drenched in sweat, within 15 minutes I was lost.
Two hours, many requests for directions (apparently there were metal medallions that I was supposed to follow), gallons of sweat, a bathroom break behind a bush on the side of the highway, and a seemingly endless uphill climb later I stumbled (literally) into my first albuergue, where I was informed by a kindly old man that he had saved the last bed just for me.
After spending some time assuring my dorm-mates that I wasn’t about to stroke out – despite my beet red face – I spent the rest of the evening drinking wine, talking, questioning my sanity for attempting this walk, and ruthlessly culling unneeded crap from other peoples backpacks (seriously, who brings 4 long-sleeve shirts AND a coat?!?) before climbing the stairs to my top bunk and laying down with the hope of quickly falling asleep.
[slickr-flickr tag=”camino”]
I’m really glad to read this post. The camino is on our list for next year. I’ll have to ask you about how physically hard it is when we meet up this week. I hike a lot at home but I don’t usually do 15 miles a day. I’m also a little worried about the heat. Maybe I’ll just start super early in the morning? Talk to you soon!
The key is to take it slow. There is no need to do 15 miles a day and the people doing that are generally sporting injuries now. I’d be happy to talk about it in more detail at TBEX!