I really expected that we would be walking alone all day but it didn’t turn out that way. Remember that we had to take a taxi back to San Juan de Ortega to start today’s stage.  Got out of our hotel a little late because one of us was too tired to get out of bed. I won’t mention who (because it was me).  By the time we had breakfast, got a taxi and got to San Juan de Ortega, it was 8:45am which is at least an hour after we usually start walking. All of the albergues and casas rurales in San Juan had long since dumped their guests out onto the Camino.  The town before San Juan was 12km away so their guests were well behind us.  We didn’t expect to see anyone. 

In reality though, it took ages to catch up with another pilgrim.  Oops, that’s a typo.  I meant to say “In reality though, it took us until Agés to catch up with another pilgrim.”  Agés is the town about 4km after San Juan so the people we caught up to there had to be walking at a very, very slow pace.  I chatted with the last two pilgrims in the crowd and the Kiwi said that the coffee in his San Juan albergue was terrible but the one in Agés was perfect so he savored it for a long time.  The next guy was from Colorado and he admitted to be slow to get up from the breakfast table.  He was walking short distances as well but I had to get back to my stride before he could tell me where he was staying tonight.

For anyone following me, after Atapuerca, we ignited the left turn to Villalval and stayed straight on the track that is an older version of the Camino and it still has some of the old signs.  We used maps.me (but Google maps works to) to bypass Villalval and take the shortest route to Orbaneja Riopico.  It saves a a few hundred meters on the day and provides better views but there is no bars or cafes there.  Once in  Orbaneja Riopico, we stopped for a snack and drink then crossed the highway on the skinny blue bridge.  Almost immediately after crossing that bridge, we turned left and on our third Camino Francés, we finally found the river route into town. I don’t get it, it is much nicer to walk along the river (after getting past the airport) than on the sidewalk through 10km of the industrial section of the city.  It’s a little shorter than the industrial way and it provides plenty of shade.  It just needs to be marked better.

As we walked towards and across the bridge, we picked up a hitch-hiker who was desperate to get to a bus stop and a comfortable way into town. We explained that we could get her closer but we would turn to the river route for a bette experience.  At the split, we pointed out the right direction but she changed her mind and decided to come with us. We also picked up a Puerto Rican – American and his wife who were looking for the river route too.  As noted, it isn’t marked well but with Jorge and Julie doing a lot of the navigating and leg work, we never made a wrong turn.  Lolita, the first of our walking companions though later decided that she needed to rest.  I reckon she needed a bus or a taxi without the judgement but she stopped in the only village on that path. I pray she didn’t try to follow up. As she may still be wandering the trails without a map. In any event, Jorge and Julie also made the last 10km into Burgos a breeze.  Once again, we chatted about everything under the sun and we enjoyed their company immensely. Sadly, they are stopping their Camino in Burgos and will come back someday to finish it.

We made it back to our hotel about 3:30pm, showered and rushed up to wash our clothes and hang out in our favorite bar / snack place / breakfast place / dinner place / and place to have fun discussions with other pilgrims.  Sadly, lightening barely struck in the same place today.  We had a good chat with Hong Kong James over dinner and Nils dropped by to say hello but that was it.  All the other pilgrims from the albergue across the road ate at McDonalds or something.

That’s all i have for you tonight.  Peace y’all.  Goodnight George, Leo and Stella