DAY 4
Día 4, Capítulo 1: Mutriku a Markina
5:00h-13:00h
20km
The alarm goes off at 5AM. The life of the pilgrim starts early. I’m a light sleeper, so once I’m up, I’m up. After getting ready and downing my diesel insta-coffee, I’m the second pilgrim to leave the Albergue. The girls were sound asleep and apparently were the last to leave at around 9.
It’s pitch black and I’m in the mountains. Time to activate the headlamp. I’m alone and it’s perfect.
The Camino curls uphill. 45 minutes of climbing. I reach an epic view of the valley below and the sky is exploding in pinks and oranges as the sun rises. I sit down and enjoy one of my best desayunos of the camino. Walking through the wilderness and experiencing the transition from night to day was one of my favorite experiences on the Camino. I need to do that more often in the ‘Default World’ (borrowing some Burning Man lingo – there are definitely parallels to the experiences). 
The goal of the day is to enjoy the Camino. I’m not going to rush. I’m going to take it slow. En plan, tranquilo. Make photos, take breaks, listen to music, stretch, investigate weird looking trees and plants.
This stretch of the Camino is known to be one of the hardest. The elevation profile gives nightmares to even the most seasoned Camino veterans.
I fell into a nice rhythm of deliberate walking and being present to the epic beauty around me.
Sweaty pilgrims charged past me as they flew up the hill. That was me the day before. To each his own. You got to walk your own Camino.
There were a few groups that were going at a similar pace as I was. They would pass me, then I would pass them as they took a break, then they would pass me as I took a break – and the dance continued. I met a wacky pair from Andalucía; Isidro and Carlos – from Sevilla and Cordoba. They met at a clown school and I believed it, they are funny dudes. I respected their Camino style; walk 10-15km per day but really enjoy the journey and get into adventures. The night before, they had slept in the tiny pueblo of Olantz on a picnic table. They met an old man who had a pet eagle and awoke to horses licking their faces. They were all about the adventure! They also developed a curious system to communicate with each other since they had different paces; it involved yelling and whistling; a call and response – which I thought was bizarre at first, because I just saw a guy yelling as he walked. It all made sense after I met them, though.
Carlos was selling me on living in Granada; beautiful mountains, dryer climate, beach nearby, young, fun city. So many places in Spain to explore.
I continued onward, largely solo but with some sporadic conversation with similar paced groups. The beauty of the Camino is that you can have a deeply spiritual, soul-searching, solo journey – and you can also have a social, connecting, communal experiences. The best of both worlds. Today, was largely solo. After the constant socializing of the day before, I didn’t mind a bit of alone time. I enjoyed listening to music, getting into the zone and powering through a scorching day of heat.
I finally arrived at Markina by mid-afternoon. It was hot. The first fountain I found, I doused myself in water. I had a reservation at a local albergue (which is why I wasn’t rushing) and headed over to check in and relax.
I spent much of the afternoon laying in bed, trying (unsuccessfully) to echar una siesta and plotting my plan for the next few days.
Markina is a sleepy town and it was completely dead in the afternoon – everyone was avoiding the summer heat and staying inside. At 6 or so, I ventured outside with my new roommates to grab a beer and escape the heat of the albergue. We found the local plaza and sat down for a drink. We were an eclectic group, representing many parts of Spain: a 40-something Madrileño who has done dozens of Caminos and walks 40km day, the friendly father/son pair from Cataluña, the adventurous Andaluces and me, a dude from California that lives in Bilbao. It was super interesting to hear such different accents all at the same table. Despite communicating in the same language, each person had a unique way of using and pronouncing the words. There were also plenty of misunderstandings; even between native speakers. It reminds me that I should be less hard on myself when I have misunderstandings; language is dynamic and unique to each person; even amongst native speakers, things can be misunderstood or poorly articulated. On that topic, my confidence in speaking Spanish was at an all-time high. It was basically a Spanish immersion course; the Camino is filled with Spaniards because the entire country goes on vacation in August. There was also plenty of ego-stroking happening; people were complimentary of my command of the language.
The rest of the evening was uneventful. I had some delicious bacalao and txakoli for dinner and called it an early night.
DAY 5
Día 5, Capítulo 1: Markina a Mendata
9:00h-13:00h
18km
Another day on the Camino. I slept in a bit today, needing to catch up on sleep. I left the Albergue around 8:30, this time rejoining the Barcelona girls from the day before. We had a nice walk along the river and into deep Euskadi; leaving the pueblo environment and re-entering the mountainous forest.
Along the way, the girls and I got separated and I joined John, a friendly brit from the night before. A chatty guy with a contagious positivity, he made for a good Camino partner.
The day was damn hot and we settled on an Albergue about 7km from Gernika.
The albergue was perched on a hill, overlooking a valley; pure nature. It had a nice communal vibe to it. The owner, a bearded, man-bun sporting dude warmly welcomed me and showed me the fridge stocked with soda and beer; everything was on the honor system – help yourself to drinks and drop the payment in the box at the end of the day. It felt like being at a friend’s house! It was super relaxing. The day was super hot (again) so activity would be minimal. I found a hammock, enjoyed some ice cold brews, scribbled in my journal and read my novel (a murder mystery set in Bilbao during the 80’s). 
The dinner was a communal meal served by man-bun dude. It was delicious. I had gazpacho for the first time and I’m in love. It’s delicious sipping it with a spoon, dipping bread in it or literally throwing it on any food you can imagine. It makes everything taste better. The second course was carrillera (pig cheeks) and was incredible. The communal albergue dinners are fun; a way to enjoy a tasty meal with your fellow pilgrims. 
During my journaling, I laid out some thoughts that I had been chewing on for the past few days. The experience of meeting friendly people from all over Spain has given me much-needed energy and enthusiasm for continuing my adventure in Spain. I’m committing to one more year in Bilbao, but I’m still not 100% sold on this being a long-term location. Previous to this trip, the idea of moving to a completely new location, starting over and trying to meet new people was not at all appealing. But that has changed after meeting cool people from all over Spain and hearing them describe their hometowns with pride and enthusiasm. I could now see myself living in Valencia, Madrid or Granada. Each place has pros and cons, of course and it’s impossible to know what the future will bring but it’s encouraging to know that there are options that I’m excited about.
DAY 6
Día 6, Capítulo 1: Mendata a Morga
6:00h-19:00h
17.3km
The plan is to wake up early (as usual) and walk the 7km to Gernika, where the prize of a cafe con leche en vaso at a friendly local joint will be awaiting me.
It’s hard to get up and start walking without coffee. Walking is always better with coffee.
The walk is beautiful, the sunrise is fantastic, all is good.
I locate the bar, Arribaltza. My brother and I were in Gernika last Semana Santa and discovered the spot; the place was filled with señoras starting their morning routine and the ladies working the bar were super friendly and interested in talking to us.
Cafe con leche en vaso (giant cafe con leche) and bizcocho is ordered. Friendly ladies remember me.
I formulate a plan to check out the beachside surfing village of Mundaka and then take a little boat to the popular local beach of Laida. The day will be scorching and more walking doesn’t sound fun. I’ve always wanted to check out Mundaka as well. I finalize my plan and decide to go on an “off-Camino” side trip and do a bit of sightseeing. I grab a 15-minute train to the coast and stroll through Mundaka. It’s a tiny fishing pueblo, the bright sun and festive atmosphere of a beautiful Sunday enhance the experience. There is a boat of singing ladies taking off from the harbor. People are out and about; heading to the beach, having drinks, enjoying the epic weather. I head to the tourist office, grab a map and some surfing school brochures (thinking about taking up surfing) and grab some pinchos near the harbor to take in the vibes.
I grab a little boat to a beach across the bay: Playa de Laida. The scenery is stunning; green/blue water, green hills, picturesque pueblos, ample beaches. I secure a nice spot on the beach that has a bit of shade and cool off in the ocean. After about an hour, I’ve had my fill of beach time (I’m more of a mountain person) and walk to a local pollería that was recommended by a friend who’s from Gernika. After chowing down on some delicious rotisserie chicken, I grab a bus back to Gernika to re-enter the Camino world.
Back in Gernika at around 15h. It is 35 degrees. Scorching. I have about 10km of walking to do but I want to wait until it cools down. I’m not sure what to do with myself. No one is in the streets, it’s too hot. The concept of taking a siesta from 14-17h is finally making sense to me. After killing time in a bar, sipping on an Aquarius, I head out of town for the second part of my walk.
I reflect on my decision to go “off-Camino”. While it was nice to see the pueblo and experience the beach, I felt a little bit out of place. I was no longer a pilgrim on the Camino, I was just a tired-looking guiri with a backpack; lone-wolfing it in a world of Basques enjoying their Sunday. I felt more like an observer than a participant. The built-in community of the pilgrims was long gone. While I enjoy solo traveling (going to a place alone) – it’s way more fun to do activities and sightseeing with other people; to share the experience. It could be traveling with old friends or making new friends on the road. Humans are social beings and it’s natural to want to share moments.
At this point in the journey, I hadn’t heard from my original travel buddies, Ashley and Cody. As I was walking out of Gernika, I come across another Pilgrim, Tyler, who says “Are you Patrick?” when he finds out I”m from California. Turns out, he has heard of me from C and A; he’s been traveling with them for the past 5 days. The Camino is a small world! We share stories of our experiences and I pass him my contact info so that we can all stay in touch. Camino moments.
What follows is probably the worst portion of the Camino. It was already 18h; but still very hot. I walked alone for 2 hours, sweating and simply wanting to rest. Walking after relaxing at the beach is very difficult.
I finally arrive at the albergue. The last night of the journey.
DAY 7
Día 7, Capítulo 1: Morga a casa (Bilbao)
6:30h-13:00h
22.7km
Last day. Out the door at 6:30 AM. Paulo, from Extremadura but living in Madrid, happens to be leaving at the same time. We share a similar pace and enjoy some easy conversation with natural silences. Two hours later, we are out of the mountains and start to encroach on the ‘real world’ the industrial areas of Lezama and Derio. It’s a shock to walk along a busy road after spending so much time in nature. As a pilgrim, you feel like more of a homeless vagabond when you enter more populated areas. When you’re in the wilderness, you feel like an intrepid camper; you’re John Muir, exploring the untamed wilderness of Euskadi. It was a bit sad to be transformed into a homeless person, entering the society of concrete, cars and industry. 
As I marched on, I was mentally preparing for the journey to end. I looked forward to summiting Monte Avril and recognizing the trail of el Anillo Verde (a system of hiking trails that circumnavigate the hills around the city) which I know quite well.
I summited Monte Avril at a breakneck pace. Pounding techno-fueled the descent and I enjoyed the workout. My heart rate was up and I was sweating. It was a fun challenge. I had the ‘ah ha’ moment when I reached the top and recognized the path that connects the Camino to el anillo verde and the panoramic view of the city. From here on out, I know exactly how to get home.
The Camino then descends into the city and passes through the heart of El Casco Viejo, washing the pilgrim down the 300+ stairs that connect Parque Etxebarria to Plaza Unamuno. I was envisioning descending those stairs to enter the iconic plaza; a place which holds many memories of my first year here. The journey coming full circle. It would be cool to have pilgrims join me for the final stretch, but as it turned out, I was solo.
I began the journey alone, I’d end it alone as well.
The descent into Plaza Unamuno was rather anticlimactic yet satisfying. I strolled down the empty stairs and when I reached the plaza I asked a tourist to take a photo of me. I triumphantly help my poles in the air, realizing I had finished with 7 days on the Camino. I survived. It surpassed my expectations. It was the best Camino experience I’ve ever had. The nature, the people, the adventures, the weather, the introspections. It left me feeling energized, motivated, inspired. Without a doubt, I know I’ll be back. Next time, Bilbao to Santiago.
