Day # 1 I decide to walk the lower route through the forest and therace track.

It's finally here. The first day back on The Camino. Let's start with last night. I'm in bed early and the Hotel actually has CNN so I do have something to watch. I have prepared as best I could and in the morning I will find out how well that really is. No more speculation or wishful thinking, I will know in a few short hours.

I don't sleep well perhaps because of the anticipation and the desire to get started. I wake several times and just stare at my watch to find that it's still the middle of the night. I decide to go to breakfast as early as possible which is at 7:00 am. Once I have given up on sleeping I start to pack for the day. First decision is which of the stunning outfits I have with me will have the honor of completing the first day on The Camino. In order to do that I must first check out the weather. I look out the window and the mountains are covered in fog. Its not raining here at the base of the mountains so that's good.

It's cool, in the mid-fifties which is really great walking conditions. I go on line to look at the forecast for the day and there is no sign of any rain. It's going to be a nice weather day to start The Camino. Okay now that is taken care of I head to breakfast, aka , bread and more bread.

I'm right it's pretty much bread with a slice of ham so thin you could mistake it for a one dollar bill. The good news is the coffee is still really good. The coffee here is so imbedded into the culture that trying to remove it from their daily life could be the only way you could get the French to go to war. They are good at coffee, war not so much.

Okay so it's time to pack up and go but first I need to make sure that everything I brought with me will leave with me. For those of you keeping score I have now lost the first item. When I left Pamplona I pulled my charger out of the adapter which means that when I arrived in St. Jean I did not have anyway to charge my iPad and or my iPhone. That would mean no blog. While I'm sure that would be a relief to many I needed to find an adaptor quickly. Fortunately St. Jean had adapters for sale and I avoided that embarrassment. 

I pack everything including my new adaptor and head to The Camino. While on the way I'm am trying to decide which route to take. The upper route with an elevation change of about 4200 feet or the lower forest route with an elevation change of about 3000 feet. What to do? As Yogi would say, "when you get to the fork in the road, take it".

Left is the upper route and right is the route through the forest. I have my doubts about my training so I take the forest route with the lower elevation change. I will soon find out that there is more than just an elevation change, much more.

The weather is very nice when I leave at 9:30. I am dressed correctly but within the first four miles I am soaked from within. I have already sweat through just about everything. I'm carring about 18 pounds because of the weight of the water. I start with 48 ounces and refill every chance I get. You cannot have too much water. Over the course of today I will drink nearly100 ounces of water.

The first five miles are uneventful. Beautiful weather, I am alone and I have not seen another pilgrim. It does not take long for me to begin doubting where I am. Remember I do have a history of getting lost.

Finally I do spot a Camino marker and all is good. I will stop during the first seven miles only four times and sit just once ... A mistake because I have become comfortable with the trail and the conditions thus far. That soon changes dramatically.

I begin the final eight miles unaware of what's ahead. First there is the raceway. The Camino begins to  move between a trail and a racetrack. There will be miles of the final eight where you are on the road walking straight uphill with high speed traffic coming directly at you with very little notice. There is no room, you just hug the guardrail and pay close attention to what's flying toward you. Large trucks, RV's and the cars being driven like race cars will make you very nervous. Anyone thinking about The Camino ... Go over the top and avoid this route.

As you leave the raceway you walk back onto the path and are greeted by the flies. The good news is you are out of the sun and walking under a canopy of trees which takes the temperature down. The last five miles were very difficult, nearly all straight up hill. This is where all of the elevation change is located. It was very difficult.

Long stretches of uphill climbs followed by a breif but attention getting declines which lead to more intense uphill terrain. I stopped many times for water and to just lean on my poles. I was sore from head to toe but all is good. The Limos are doing well and the passengers are being well taken care of. My shoulders are sore and I am getting a really good cardio session in. Finally I leave the forest and step into the sun. It feels great and there is a breeze which gives me a chill because I am drenched from head to toe. 

I have passed only eight pilgrims today. None have passed me. Did I start late? Early? Are they all on the upper route? Don't know, don't care. For those of you keeping score of the other major area ..... Getting lost. I will share with you two wrong turns I made that were saved by the same guy. I am walking towad a pretty little village when I reach a Yogi, you know a fork in the road. I look both ways and I cannot see a Camino marker so I go left. Not more than thirty feet in that direction and I hear a horn behind me. It's an older guy sitting atop a tractor and he is waving at me back toward a hill. I should have gone right. I wave to him with my poles and thank him but there is no way he can hear me. I turn back and  climb this hill into the village and again at the top of the hill there is another Yogi. This time I go right and sure enough I hear the horn again. Same guy in the tractor comes up the hill and points me in the opposite direction. Saved by the same guy on two wrong turns. That's a first. God these people are nice!

I walk into Roncesvalles at 5:00. I'm sore and I'm tired but I feel pretty good. In an hour I have recovered quite well and go to the pilgrim dinner where I sit with eight Canadian's, all nice people and all using the Donkey service. More about that tomorrow. I'm tired . Good night, Buen Camino.