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Published: April 30th 2017
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Day 1 on the Trek starts with partly cloudy sky's temp. in the 60's no wind just right for the beginning. I start with a light day pack with water, rain jacket, lightweight parka, walking poles and not much else. The hotel is SWARMED with tour people who completely dominate to free breakfast area, I can't even get a piece of bread to go, Kris can't get coffee so I say screw it I am going, I leave with no food. I start the walk from our hotel which is 30 min. from the real start of the camino. Kris goes back to bed. It's a pleasant walk down to the sea to where the Camino begins. The trail comes to a dead end with no clear direction to take, right? Left? Straight? After a few minuets I find a tiny yellow arrow on a lamp post, these will become VERY important as the day progresses. Finding the way I begin the climb out of San Sebastian, it's a 3000ft climb. The trail goes thru a series of streets, side streets, walking paths, driveways, sidewalks and game trails until I come to the much desired scallop shell, the official directional marker
for the Camino this means I am truly on the right path. The trail becomes a stunning wide easy to walk asphalt and concrete path, no cars, no motor scooters, no bicycles its heaven! I pinch myself as I ditch the jacket, unzip the legs of my long pants to make shorts and trek on. Lovely rolling hills with livestock everywhere, its spring and all the fruit trees are blooming, flowers, birds every part of nature is in full swing. This trail is everything I hoped for, time flying by. After the climb the, trail is traversing the steep slope down to the sea. Vineyards above the trail, pastures below and the sea at the bottom it is so beautiful to experience! Oops just felt a rain drop, the trail narrows to a dirt path and heads into a wooded area. The trail becomes narrow and full of tripping hazards, I slow my pace and bring out my trekking poles for balance. The trail is history relived, I can see the stones placed by hand just wide enough for a horse cart. It's been a trail since 78 AD and traveled by countless Pilgrims. The ever present tiny yellow arrows
keep me on the right path on moving forward, and a slow pace. The ground is uneven and getting wetter and slippery, don't want a mishap on day 1. I come to a sign showing Orio 5 KM, sweet! All down hill from here on! Rain picks up to the point that I need to put on my rain shell, hat and pack cover. The trail down is really slick now with rain and a very steep decent, must take it slow. Finally down to Orio it's blowing 25mph + and raining like a typhoon. I looked up on the internet the night before and my Destination is only 5K from Orio. I can do 5K in my bare feet no problem and it's only 12:30 pm. I buy water, drink a beer and set off. It's a gail, wind and rain like crazy plus it's dropped 20 degrees in temp. IT'S FREEZING! I slog on thru miserable conditions telling my self only 5K, only 5K. 90 minuets later at last I see a town! The name does not sound right, but it's a town with taxi's, I am in. I am soaked, frozen and looking to get in a
warm Taxi to my hotel. I find a Camino Hostel and decide to get dry and find my hotel name and location. The hostel is full of wet cranky Pilgrims, no rooms! no rooms! the manager screams. People argue with him in 7 languages. I open my pack and find the town and Hotel name of my next stay. Looking on a map I have 5K to go. WTF? I just came 5K. The crowd leaves and I question the manager about the distance to my hotel and why it took so long to get from Orio to here, the internet said 5K? He says ya if you're driving, if your on the camino its 13K, well crap. I asked where I can get a taxi, and he says "you walked here from San Sebastian and you want a taxi for the last 4K". Ahhh enough said. I start back at it, at least is now raining so hard, still windy. The trail is right along the ocean and I soon forget about a taxi. 3 PM I arrive at our hotel 1.5 hours ahead of schedule, soaking, cold, hungry, thirsty but accomplished! Yay for day 1!
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