Day 2: Valcarlos to Roncevaux 13 Km
(May 28, 2023)
I did no sleep well last night due to the snoring of my two roommates. I woke up around 6:30 am, packed my bag, and headed to the store to purchase some snacks before starting our day.
Today's trail presented a combination of paved roads and dirt paths, taking us in and out of wooded areas. The entire journey was uphill, with sometime steep 60 degrees ascent that persisted until the last 1.5 kilometers, where we finally descended (see post 6 for the profile of the trail). We passed one small town along the way. The highlight of our journey was the vibrant display of wildflowers accompanied us along the way.
On this walk, I became aware of the weight of my backpack on my shoulders. I took my time, being mindful not to strain myself, and took breaks whenever necessary. Lilian walked at a faster pace than me but frequently stopped to rest and waited for me to catch up. We snacked 2-3 times and made sure to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water. The weather remained pleasant, with low humidity. We rested in shaded areas and took the opportunity to cool off. We encountered three pilgrims and a cyclist along the way.
Despite the challenging nature of the terrain, I thoroughly enjoyed the entire walk. Any hardships I experienced seemed to fade away, leaving behind a sense of wonder and appreciation for the natural surroundings.
We reached Roncevaux Monastery around 2 pm where we will stay overnight. The monastery was organized like a well-regimented boot camp, with volunteers directing us every step of the way upon our arrival.
At check-in, I was told that my reservation, made on the road using my iPhone, had not gone through because I had forgotten to click the final button. The gentleman at the check-in counter instructed us to return at 3 pm, which we did. This time, a young woman assisted us with the check-in process.
While waiting in line for check-in at the monastery, I saw a sign hanging on the wall. The sign proclaimed that all the volunteers at the monastery are from the Netherlands. It was intriguing to learn about the international makeup of the dedicated individuals who selflessly contributed their time and effort to support pilgrims along the Camino.
The monastery had about 120 beds for pilgrims. We were assigned a dormitory located in the basement, adjacent to the laundry room, where we found ourselves surrounded by a group of men who did not speak English. There was an elevator that provided access to the upper floor where the bathrooms and showers were located. It was a busy day at the monastery welcoming Pilgrams from around the globe.
As I was exiting the dormitory after showered and walked out our dormitory, I noticed a man I recognized from the YouTube videos I had watched while preparing for my trip. I approached him, introduced myself, and mentioned that I had watched his YouTube and found they are humorous. We struck up a conversation, and later, I also met his girlfriend. We took some selfies together, and I learned that their names are Riki and Erica. I was curious about their journey and whether they documented Caminos for a living. They shared with me their experiences, their passion for documenting walks on Caminos, their travels on Caminos worldwide, as well as their future aspirations. From that point on, we would encounter each other intermittently on different days along the Camino.
For dinner, we joined a group of pilgrims at the hotel restaurant arranged by the monastery. During dinner, I met Peter, a young man from Hungary who spoke fluent English and Chinese. He told me that he used to work as a diplomat in China for many years. However, after endured the COVID-19 pandemic and for other reasons, he no longer enjoyed his work and decided to quit his job and embark on the Camino just four days prior to its commencement. At dinner, Peter shared with me the dried chili pepper he packed in a small zip-luck bag and insisted to give me the bag with the last chili pepper left for a future meal after he learned I love spicy food.
Lilian was seated next to me, and the girl seated next to her was from Colombia, with whom I conversed briefly with my limited Spanish.
Following photos show you what the trails looks like and what I saw along the walk.
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