I am in St. Jean France and so is Miss USA ...the ugly American.

I drove from Pamplona today in a taxi or perhaps I should call it a race car. The road from Pamplona to St. Jean is to say the least a road which was meant to be driven on with a sports car. You know a two seater. Something red and fast.

Well my driver was intent on going fast but it was in a white taxi made by Ford. It did have a six speed manual transmition but I doubt that the folks at Ford had designed it as a race car . I tried to look out the window in an effort to see how much I could recall from the last time I was on this route to St. Jean but it was all a blur. I could have asked him to slow down but he was so completely enjoying the test that I chose not to ruin his fun. I did see a surprising number of pilgrims walking along the lower route. There are two routes from St. Jean to Roncesvalles. 

The most famous route and the most difficult is the Route de Napoleon. This is one of the most difficult days on The Camino. There is a second trail which takes you to Roncesvalles by way of a lower route which is a bit less difficult. Weather is a significant part of deciding which route to take. Rain and fog are present right now but at least it will not snow as it did on my first Camino. 

When I arrived in St Jean the weather was good. It's bit cloudy and it rained earlier. I said goodby to Mario Andretti and went into the Hotel Les Pyrenees to check in. By the way it's the same hotel I stayed in the first time. Nothing has changed. Just as before when you get to the reception desk they do expect you to speak French and of course I can't so there is an immediate sense that you are not quite as welcome as you were before that little secret got out. No bid deal. 

I am quickly informed that my room will not be available for another three hours. I really don't want to walk around the village dragging my backpack if I don't have to so I ask if I can check it. There is some conversation between the desk clerk and another employee which I assume is about my request. They have a rather long exchange and I'm not sure which one of them is against or in favor of granting me this request. The good news is I get the answer I was looking for, oui.That of course is yes in French which is also pretty much all of the French I know. Regardless, I can leave my backpack so I head directly to The Camino office to have my Credencial del Peregrino stamped to officially list me as a pilgrim for the start of my Camino. 

When I walk up the hill to the Camino office I can see that I'm not the only one who has decided to get my Credencial stamped now. There must be between thirty and forty pilgrims waiting outside the office. There is a sign which says the office staff will return at 1:30. Okay that's only about thirty minutes from now so I will just wait. I may be the only person waiting who is not carring or wearing a backpack. While on the subject of backpacks, I can't help but analyze which of the people waiting have journeyed to St. Jean with most of what they own. There are several people wearing enormous backpacks which I will wager will become a serious problem at the halfway point on day one. I on the other hand, having listened to Robin the last time, I have left behind a significant number of items in Pamplona which has made my backpack much lighter. I'm guessing that it currently weighs about fourteen pounds. That is really a big deal. 

While waiting I get to witness a fairly ugly event, embarrisng for those of us waiting who are American's. All of the people waiting for the office to open are spread out around both sides of the small office door as well as across the cobblestone walkway at the top of the hill. There is no line. An American women, I'm guessing in her forty's pushes her way to the door and begins asking, loudly, where the end of the line is? There are people from god only knows how many country's who speak languages other than English but somehow Miss USA just assumes that she deserves an answer. A tall guy with an accent I think sounds like he is from Australia speaks up and tells her that there is no line. Well that does not sit well with Miss USA who then proceeds to push her way right in front of the door. The Aussie just tells her to relax and we will all be soon taken care of which causes her to announce that her shoulders are hurting from standing there with her backpack on so she is going first!

If I had my US Passport out I would have hidden it. She was just the perfect Ugly American. It's no wonder people everywhere seem to hate us.

Here's the good news. First she is carring a backpack well past her ability to carry it on a flat road, forget the mountain she will soon face. If I could wager on her completing The Camino I would bet she does not make it to Pamplona on day three. Second, as luck would have it when the door does finally open a staff member steps out to make a few announcements about the procedure forcing Miss USA to one side away from the door. Better yet, the staff member tells everyone to form two lines ... English speaking in one line and all others in another line. Well just Miss USA's bad luck because once the announcement is over she finds herself on the wrong side of the door being unable to get into the English speaking line. She is now near the rear of the line and I'm sure everyone there was happy about it.

I will look for her but she seems like a late starter so I will probably leave before she does and there is no way she will catch up with me. I think I may have seen Miss USA for the last time. Great.

I now have my Credencial stamped so it's off to lunch and then back to the hotel to just chill and get ready. I will be awake early and decide on the route based on weather. While I was having lunch it rained cats and dogs. I sure hope Miss USA was some place where she could keep dry!

That's it for now. Tomorrow I will post at the end of my first day on The Camino ... Wish me luck and pray for good weather. Buen Camino.