For some reason, I was not able to fall asleep at night in Roncesvalles. It was strange because I was exhausted and my body was sore all over after having walking 27 km. By 2:30 a.m. I was still awake. This rarely ever happens to me. I’m usually able to sleep right away especially when I’m tired. I think I fell asleep at around 3:00 a.m. and immediately woke up at the sound of an alarm clock of another pilgrim who started to get ready at 6:00a.m. I laid in bed awake until 7:30 a.m. by which time everyone started to get ready.
Damian, Jonathan, and I walked to the next town about 4 km away and it began to rain very hard. We quickly put on our rain gear and made our way into town in search of a restaurant so we could have breakfast. In the restaurant I asked the bar tender if he would be able to wrap a sandwich so I can take it with me on the road but he couldn’t and so I just bought a bag of nuts to have for lunch because I needed the energy.
The three of us initially made our trek to Zubiri but along the way, Damian stayed behind because his bag was heavy and he had to take a lot of breaks. As much as I would have liked to have waited for him, I was concerned that if we arrived at the albergue too late then it might be full and we would have to sleep outside. Damian had a tent but Jonathan and I did not so we continued along the path and Damian said he will just meet us there.
The path to Zubiri was very rugged and steep on a downward slope. After six hours of hiking and 4 km to go, my feet became extremely sore. The consistently descending path exerted tremendous pressure on my toes that kept colliding inside the front part of my boots and it exacerbated the pain. Now before I went on this trip, I specially trained for this excursion so that I would develop my endurance but the excruciating pain in my feet, I did not anticipate. I found myself getting restless and agitated. I wasn’t able to enjoy the sceneries any longer because my concentration was fixated on the road and the slippery sharp rocks that were potentially dangerous. I had to be careful with every step because if I fell and injured myself I would not be able to complete the Camino.
Through this experience, God broke me down. Everything that happened that day— the lack of sleep (3 hrs of sleep), having insufficient energy from the small bag of nuts, the scorching heat of the sun, the soreness of my entire body, the pestering flies and mosquitoes, and the intense pain of my feet forced me to stop and call out to God in my distress. It was as if all the joy, excitement, and wonder that I experienced yesterday had been taken away.
Surely enough, it was there that God revealed to me my frailty and weakness not only in the physical sense but more on a spiritual level – all the times I have failed to respond out of love and reverence.
In my state of brokenness I became disappointed at myself for not having had the patience and temperance to endure this hardship and test of faith; to be able to thank God in the midst of suffering. I said a prayer and God calmed my heart. I slowly made my way to Zubiri and when I arrived I saw Jonathan waiting just outside the albergue. Many pilgrims were already settled but thankfully there were still 3 beds left so I found a spot, settled my things, and after resting for a while proceed with the regular routine of taking a shower, hand washing my clothes, and hanging them to dry. Unfortunately, we never saw Damian.
Damian, Jonathan, and I walked to the next town about 4 km away and it began to rain very hard. We quickly put on our rain gear and made our way into town in search of a restaurant so we could have breakfast. In the restaurant I asked the bar tender if he would be able to wrap a sandwich so I can take it with me on the road but he couldn’t and so I just bought a bag of nuts to have for lunch because I needed the energy.
The three of us initially made our trek to Zubiri but along the way, Damian stayed behind because his bag was heavy and he had to take a lot of breaks. As much as I would have liked to have waited for him, I was concerned that if we arrived at the albergue too late then it might be full and we would have to sleep outside. Damian had a tent but Jonathan and I did not so we continued along the path and Damian said he will just meet us there.
The path to Zubiri was very rugged and steep on a downward slope. After six hours of hiking and 4 km to go, my feet became extremely sore. The consistently descending path exerted tremendous pressure on my toes that kept colliding inside the front part of my boots and it exacerbated the pain. Now before I went on this trip, I specially trained for this excursion so that I would develop my endurance but the excruciating pain in my feet, I did not anticipate. I found myself getting restless and agitated. I wasn’t able to enjoy the sceneries any longer because my concentration was fixated on the road and the slippery sharp rocks that were potentially dangerous. I had to be careful with every step because if I fell and injured myself I would not be able to complete the Camino.
Through this experience, God broke me down. Everything that happened that day— the lack of sleep (3 hrs of sleep), having insufficient energy from the small bag of nuts, the scorching heat of the sun, the soreness of my entire body, the pestering flies and mosquitoes, and the intense pain of my feet forced me to stop and call out to God in my distress. It was as if all the joy, excitement, and wonder that I experienced yesterday had been taken away.
Surely enough, it was there that God revealed to me my frailty and weakness not only in the physical sense but more on a spiritual level – all the times I have failed to respond out of love and reverence.
In my state of brokenness I became disappointed at myself for not having had the patience and temperance to endure this hardship and test of faith; to be able to thank God in the midst of suffering. I said a prayer and God calmed my heart. I slowly made my way to Zubiri and when I arrived I saw Jonathan waiting just outside the albergue. Many pilgrims were already settled but thankfully there were still 3 beds left so I found a spot, settled my things, and after resting for a while proceed with the regular routine of taking a shower, hand washing my clothes, and hanging them to dry. Unfortunately, we never saw Damian.
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