Made it to 5am this morning! I booked a room for tonight yesterday as well.
Last night after posting I wandered around town and ran into a few people I knew. The tall South Korean guy who walks fast and keeps passing me, the retired guy from Florida and Edward the young French kid from Angers. Edward was also looking for food and we went to a place and had a few small plates and a beer.
I was not going to start the day without cafe con leche so I went in search of some at 6:20. I wandered around a bit and found a place on the Camino route that opened at 6:30. Croissant and cafe con lache. Now I was ready to pack and go.
I was on the Camino at 7:30 and only walked in the dark for a few minutes. Getting out of Pamplona took a while and it was soon light. I was saw Aussie girl from Brisbane and we walked for a while. We were in the same room in Zubiri and now I learned her name is Renee. We crossed paths several time and chatted quite a bit.
Today featured a big climb to one on the iconic Camino locations. Every Camino media features this place. I was expecting a harder climb but either I am healing from the first day or it was a lot easier day. At the top I took the requisite photos and video. The two 160 degree views were pretty good.
Renee passed me here and lightly danced down the steep descent at twice my speed while I dug my poles in on every step to stop getting sucked into the core of the earth.
At Uterga there was a bar and I got a cafe con leche, an egg and pepper sandwich and a tortilla for 7.50€. Renee came in just behind me and we sat together. A few minutes later Jose from Spain joined. Jose and I walked on and off together, sometimes with Renee for the rest of the way. Renee is pretty fast and I can't keep up that long with her. I can hang with Jose a little longer but I faded just as we got to the final destination.
The Camino dynamic is interesting. You meet people and you chat but then you just push on. If you both walk the same pace conversation is longer but at some point one pushes on and one drops back. Today I passed my favorite Texans, Mike and Christina. Sat briefly with Mark from Ireland. Said hello to tall, fast Korean guy, short fast Korean guy and chatted a few minutes with tall, older guy from Stuttgart. Irish Kira from dinner in Roncesvalles said hi in passing in Uterga.
My hostal is on a narrow street lined with stone buildings. My room is big enough for a double bed and a bathroom. It's perfect. Sitting, still all sweaty with a beer. Mike and Christina just walked by and said hi. I will get a shower in a few minutes and have lunch here. And now here is Dennis at my bar. And now Kira walked by and stopped for a beer.
I showered and washed my clothes and then headed down stairs in the elevator - my body did not want to do stairs. Dennis was still at the restaurant and talking to a retired Scottish named Kenny. I joined the and ordered food. Kenney did too and Dennis left. Dennis knows everybody.
After lunch I headed out to wander around the small town. The street I was on was most of the town but it had a few spots were people gathered. People were becoming familiar and there were many waves and nods. The town had a cool stone bridge over the river. At the center bar with lots of people I recognized from I thought I should get a beer. The tall fast Korean guy, henceforth known as Su, waved me over and I joined the Korean table. There were 8 Koreans, all strangers before Camino. They were waiting for restaurants to open and I drank a few beers waiting with them. Then I joined Mark, Eddie, a bunch of Austrians, a Canadian and a few Americans.
I stayed out late but left with the party in full swing. Back at my hotel I ordered a pizza (12€).
Time for bed and hoping to sleep past 6.
That sounds like the most beers you've had in 4 years
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