Day 5, Tuesday, August 27th, 2019: Cizur Menor to Mañeru

Aug 29

Aug 29 Day 5, Tuesday, August 27th, 2019: Cizur Menor to Mañeru

We awoke knowing that today might bring rain, but would definitely bring a big climb over Alto de Perdon, a hilltop that would have us climb 350 meters of elevation over 8 kilometers (see how I’m getting all metric-y and stuff!). Suffice to say that’s a lot of hill in not a lot of distance.

So, with a big day ahead, we headed out in the dark at 0530 hours and promptly lost our way in Cizur Menor! We made the mistake of following a couple of Peregrinos instead of the marking for The Camino and paid for it with an extra mile of walking. Luckily, I had downloaded an app called “maps.me” and our iPhone got us back on track.

This produced another “Camino Lesson:” Don’t follow others blindly thinking they know where they are going and will lead you where you want to go! Find your way using all the smarts God gave you, not just some.

So up we climbed in the dark. It was cool and comfortable and the first part was not too bad. We reached the small town of Zariquiegui about half way up and saw two folks get out of a cab to start their day. They had obviously stayed somewhere like Pamplona, and decided to make their day a little easier by cabbing the first part. Guess what?!? Another “Camino Lesson:” We all must find our own way to Santiago.

No mater your destination in life, you have to find your own way there. It may be the same as others or it may be totally different. When I decided as a young man to go to college, I never dreamed that route would be through becoming a soldier and then being selected to go to West Point. Set goals and be open to short-cuts and delays. Just keep going.

Up, up, up we went, finally treated to wonderful views and a lovely sculpture in iron at the top. Then it was about 2 miles straight down a difficult rocky slope! One misstep and our Camino would be over. We took our time and were again thankful for our trekking poles.

We arrived Puenta la Reina, a beautiful little city, and headed on to our last leg to Menaru. The last 2 km were straight up! We reached the town completely wiped and were greeted by Mariola, the proprietor of Albergue El Cantero. She showed us to our bunks and we showered, had a great mug of Amstel, and then napped until dinner with the other pilgrims.

We met two lovely ladies from a small town outside of Paris, Arlette and Josette, and they knew almost no English. With us knowing very little French, we turned to Google Translate to bridge the gap. And it was wonderful! We learned they were both 70 years old and had been best friends and hiking together since they were 18. We exchanged life stories and parted the dinner the best of Camino friends. It was very special and one of my best memories so far.

One last “Camino Lesson:” If you want to communicate badly enough, you will find a way.

How often do we just ignore trying to communicate when it seems difficult? We often just make excuses. We wanted to include our new friends and found a way to do so. It wasn’t easy, but it was grand! Make the effort. It is worth it.

Off to a well deserved rest and an early start to Azqueta!