2023-008 | CAMINO DE SANTIAGO CHRONICLES | SNIPPETS | DAY TWO

SNIPPETS OF DAY TWO

Day Two. June 20, 2022.

Found an empty table which I shared with my Swiss friend and trail companion at Kolon Txiki, a taberna in the town of Orio, Gipuzkoa, Basque Autonomous Region. I was wearing my TNF jacket because it was cold and there were light showers outside.

I came at the right time of 21:30 and waited for my food by downing two mugs of San Miguel Beer. I ordered vegetable salad, ox tongue and croquetas. The servings were huge, good for four people, especially the lengua which were eight pieces in all. Eight ox has to be butchered to satisfy me! 😳

The dinner ends with another beer mug and capped by an Irish coffee. The best! It was my second time to be inside a Basque tavern and I get to see how life goes around in a typical Basque town. The rustic insides and displayed items amazed and led me to understand the culture of my great grandparents. I have a quarter of Basque blood in my veins.

I am a pilgrim from the Philippines.

2023-007 | CAMINO DE SANTIAGO CHRONICLES | THE PILGRIM NOTES | DAY TWO

THE PILGRIM NOTES OF DAY TWO

The main highlight of Day Two on my journey of the Camino del Norte on June 20, 2022 was my brief visit of the great city of Donostia, Gipuzkoa, Basque Autonomous Region. I call it by its Basque name although it is more known as San Sebastian. It has scenic beaches and Michelin-rated restaurants.

I stopped for an hour in Donostia because I have to acquire Spanish SIM cards for my iPhone and Android phones and for a pair of reading glasses. Then I have to buy data at €20 each so I could update my kinfolks and friends back in my country.

I started from Pasaia San Juan very early that day and, at that hour, there were no open cafeterias and tabernas. Fortunately, I passed by Los Doce Tribus and enjoyed their home-baked bread and their arabica coffee. I just passed by earlier a Roman acqueduct and a path which used to be a Roman road.

From Donostia, I climbed up a road to Monte Igeldo. A yellow arrow led me to a forest trail that bisects another rural road that led into another Roman way, then a highway, and the arrow led me to a country road up a hill to Albergue San Martin in Orio.

It was raining in the late afternoon as I arrived at 16:30 and I need to stay out of the cold for more than an hour since I was partly drenched. When the rain stopped at 19:30, I went out to hunt for my dinner, wearing my TNF jacket. It was so cold.

I am a pilgrim from the Philippines. 

2023-006 | CAMINO DE SANTIAGO CHRONICLES | BEST PHOTOS | DAY TWO

BEST PHOTO OF DAY TWO

The best photo I took on the second day of the Camino del Norte. June 20, 2022. I passed by this tunnel-like passage on my way to the wharf where a ferry would help me cross on the other side of an estuary.

This was in Pasaia San Juan, Gipuzkoa, Basque Autonomous Region, and it was early morning. Tolerably cold for someone who lived all his life in the tropics. The pavement were made of shale while the walls of the structures were made of sandstone.

After dinner and the night's rest, I regained my confidence to finish the last 825 kilometers to Santiago de Compostela. Somehow, it was too early for cafeterias and tabernas to open and I learned another lesson in Spain: they have their own time standards and I must respect it. Off I went without breakfast for the second morning.

I am a pilgrim from the Philippines.

2023-005 | CAMINO DE SANTIAGO CHRONICLES | SELFIES | DAY TWO

BEST SELFIE OF DAY TWO

My best selfie of Day Two on the Camino del Norte. June 20, 2022.

That smile says it all. That is confidence. I just crossed safely over from Pasaia San Juan into Pasaia San Pedro on a small boat despite those waves from the Bay of Biscay rocking the inlet waters. Despite the cold weather and deprived of even a simple cup of coffee. Despite the thought of 825 kilometers more to pursue.

This was the day that I wore that t-shirt for the first time which defined my identity and my image for the rest of my life-changing journey. It is from my organization: the Camp Red Bushcraft and Survival Guild, which I displayed proudly along the route of the Camino de Santiago. I wore this everyday. Washed it every night. With my long hair and my dark skin, I stood out from the normal touristy look of conventional pilgrims.

Behind me is a German pilgrim and ahead of me is a Swiss friend and fellow pilgrim. I was climbing up a flight of concrete stairs on the way to Monte Mendiola and to the city of Donostia (San Sebastian).

I am a pilgrim from the Philippines.

2023-004 | CAMINO DE SANTIAGO CHRONICLES | SNIPPETS | DAY ONE

SNIPPETS OF DAY ONE

On the first day of my el Gran Camino de Santiago on June 19, 2022, I arrived at Hendaia (Hendaye), France in darkness. The bus dropped me and my Swiss collaborator at 02:30 in the earliest of mornings. I was excited. It was very cold and I was just wearing a flimsy collared t-shirt. We kept moving just to stave off the cold. We walked on concrete sidewalks and on asphalt streets until we crossed over into Spain.

After so much effort to find a meal in Hendaia and in Irun, light begun to claim the skies. Then I found that elusive arrow. We decided to push through with or without food and God be with us! The road goes up and up from Hondarribia until we arrived at the chapel of the Guadalupe Hermitage. I prayed and asked for blessings inside. Outside, I got the first stamp for my empty credenciales.

Still walking on empty stomachs, I blindly followed a path up a mountain, completely trusting on my intuition on which arrow I would choose and hound the rest of the day. My hunch was answered as we passed by ruins of Carlist watchtowers. I knew of these structures during the making of this DIY Camino del Norte. I designed that I pass there, not knowing that it was the Purgatory Trail, and it was one of three routes of the first day.

Then came the lone dolmen, a stone monolith erected by Celtics, long before the coming of the Romans. I scaled Monte Jaizkibel and walked among its ridges, enjoying an aerial parade of eleven serpent eagles circling above me, paying homage of my presence. I went down and followed a well-beaten path that finally led to Pasaia San Juan (Pasai Donibane) and to our first albergue.

I had my coldest mugs of beer and that elusive meal, all rolled into one super dinner, Spanish time (22:00). It was a super effort upon my part to remain awake, despite the beating that my eyes received as it adjusted to the long daylight hours which the Europe is enjoying at this time of year. After that very late dinner, I hit my bed and there was no turning back.

I am a pilgrim from the Philippines.

2023-003 | CAMINO DE SANTIAGO CHRONICLES | THE PILGRIM NOTES | DAY ONE

THE PILGRIM NOTES

On the first day of my el Gran Camino de Santiago on June 19, 2022, I arrived at my first albergue at 15:00 and I have to wait for another hour since it will open at 16:00 yet!

I was thirsty, tired, hungry and I craved for sleep. I walked a path that no touristy pilgrim would liked to be in. I never considered myself a tourist even though I was a visitor. I was there on a spiritual journey first and foremost. Sceneries were just a bonus.

My last meal was done in Lyons, France during a stopover at noon of June 18th. It was a yesterday. I came from Bern, Switzerland. June 19 was a Sunday and all the shops were closed in the morning in France and in Spain.

You cannot sleep on a chair in a bus with a tight leg space. I have long legs even in a Europe where standards are made or built around a population that was supposed to be of above average height from an Asian point of view.

Sleepless eyes are not a problem in semi-darkness conditions. It is a problem in extremely bright daylight on a very bald Purgatory Trail. Then you have very dry air that suck whatever moisture your eyes have.

Ever since I arrived in Europe, my eyes, and my brain, were already in the process of solving a simple problem of long daylight hours. In the tropics, nine hours is the longest, but in late spring here, daylight hours went to 14+ hours and it placed a strain in my eyes.

Anyway, when my red-soaked eyes saw the number 825, I cried in dismay. The effort I did today just made a little dent in the kilometers that I have to go through on the days ahead. My spirit went down. Good God! 825 kilometers! It's like staring at Everest from Ceylon on a clear day!

I did get my well-deserved meal and that equally well-deserved sleep that my courage came back the next day. All I have to do was jettison a few things to make my load lighter. Little dents removed from the weight I carried in my bag at 16.8 kilos.

It is indeed a long road when you are on your own. I craved for loneliness and I got this on this journey.

I am a pilgrim from the Philippines. 

2023-002 | CAMINO DE SANTIAGO CHRONICLES | BEST PHOTOS | DAY ONE

BEST PHOTO OF DAY 01

My best photo on the first day of my Camino de Santiago. Taken at Playa de Santiago, in Pasaia San Juan, Province of Gipuzkoa, of the Basque Autonomous Region, Spain; last June 19, 2022; with a RealMe 5 Pro, powered by Android OS version 11. This smartphone, was my main equipment for photography and video, and for social media and communication. I had another one as backup which is an iPhone 6.

The colors and the architecture of the structures seemed to burst out from a movie scene. It looked so strange to me but it is kind of nice to look at. It became so familiar as the days went by. All the structures and houses were designed in simple proletarian designs, utilizing local sources of building materials like sandstone, granite, slate, oak and pine wood, bricks, and modern items acquired from hardware shops. Most of the stones are smoothed through the ages and some, among the steps, are worn out.

These houses are old and are hereditary. Fresh splashes of pastel-coloured paints or a coat of varnish makes it attractive, trendy and pop. One structure has two different houses with two different designs but sharing one roof. On closer inspection, the stones betray their age, which could go as far as the 12th century, in the case of castles and watchtowers that are utilized now as habitations.

This was the main plaza of Pasai Donibane (San Juan). The date of my visit coincided with Father’s Day. It was also celebrated here like in my country. So many people dined al fresco with children tagging along since it was a Sunday. On the waterfront is a sea inlet where one has to cross over to another coast by a small ferry boat servicing the gap.

Señor Markus Immer and I found an open taberna and we sulked ourselves with two mugs each of the coldest beer. We were that thirsty. It was already 21:45 and most of the restaurants were closing. I had a super dinner of bacallao con salad mixta and patatas with a side dish of croquetas. My food costs around €17, a little bit pricey for a poor pilgrim, but the serving was good enough for 3-4 persons. Anyway, I ate it all.

I am a pilgrim from the Philippines.

2023-001 | CAMINO DE SANTIAGO CHRONICLES | SELFIES | DAY ONE

BEST SELFIE OF DAY 01

My best selfie on the first day of my Camino de Santiago. Taken at Albergue Santa Ana, in Pasaia San Juan, Province of Gipuzkoa, of the Basque Autonomous Region, Spain; last June 19, 2022; with a RealMe 5 Pro, powered by Android OS version 11. This smartphone, was my main equipment for photography and video, and for social media and communication. I had another one as backup which is an iPhone 6.

Just sitting there waiting for the albergue to open. I was hungry, tired, thirsty, and sleepy. Most of all, I need a bath. This was my first experience of how an albergue looked and felt like. I arrived at 14:45 but the albergue opens at 16:00. The hospitalero arrived on time and I was booked to stay for the night after scrutinizing my Philippine passport.

In a smattering of rapid Spanish, my eyes blinked at my capacity to absorb, mentally interpret, and understand the instructions. I nodded as if I understood, just to save me from the humiliation of my slow brain process. Then he became interested in my Basque surname and asked me friendly questions which I could only answer in my pidgin Spanish. Good thing he didn’t ask in Euskera.

Anyway, Señor Markus Immer was with me. He is a 70-year old Swiss expat living in the Philippines. He is married to a Filipina doctor. I was his companion on this journey of the spirit, a long pilgrimage, that we started many hours ago in darkness from Hendaia, France. He is my responsibility and I always keep my eye on him. We both had not taken a proper meal since arriving, except a few cups of coffee and some bread and pies.

I am a pilgrim from the Philippines.

2021-049 | THE QUEST FOR EL GRAN CAMINO DE SANTIAGO

I AM CONTENT JUST WALKING and leading pilgrims on the three Camino de Santiago in my own Cebu, Philippines. These are the Camino from Badian in the south, walked in 10 days; the Camino from Sogod in the north, walked in 5 days; and the little Camino within Compostela, which is 2 days. These three were inspirations from the Camino de Santiago in Spain. 

All three terminate at the Archdiocesan Shrine of Santiago de Compostela, in Compostela, Cebu. Visiting this Jacobean parish in a pilgrimage like the Camino de Santiago, is like doing this in Spain, with the same plenary indulgences recognized by the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, through a spiritual bond of affinity.

Two of these three Camino Cebu, I helped establish for the Archdiocese of Cebu, with blessings from Fr. Scipio Deligero, formerly of the Santiago de Compostela parish. In July 2017, I did the 175-kilometer Camino from the South, removed the rough edges and refined it in 2018. Last June 2019, I delivered the Camino from the North, 65+ kilometers in length.

The question is: “Why should I have to do a Camino de Santiago in Spain?” 

The first not-so-best answer: It is a bucket list of most Filipino Catholics devoted to St. James the Apostle, which include me. Second best answer: A Swiss friend wanted to walk the Camino de Santiago and he personally asked me to accompany him. This request does not cover free travel though. I would have to finance myself to go there with him, I guess. Third mysterious answer: St. James beckoned me. 

This is the hardest part! “How should I fund myself?”    

Nevertheless, if St. James the Apostle is my backer, it is not an obstacle. If ever I wanted to do the Camino de Santiago, let that route be the longest and the hardest one. Puslan man! So be it! So I choose the Camino del Norte and the Camino Primitivo combined – which excited my friend – and that ending to Finisterre – which gave him a frown. 2021 is the jubilee year of Santiago de Compostela. 

After choosing March 15, 2021 as the start of our journey, I set about tracing my chosen route on both Google Map and Wikiloc before creating the itinerary. Each day of route finding brings with it excitement and challenges even in my armchair state. These were the usual things I did before embarking on my own successful little explorations here and my creative juices set to work overtime. 

By the way, these little explorations I talked about produced and established the 408-kilometer Cebu Highlands Trail and the two Camino de Santiago which I already mentioned. I never backed down from a challenge and I was totally engrossed on this work when the news of the lockdowns interrupted my euphoric state on March 22, 2020. I was dismayed because it is less than a year to my target.

Despite that, I was quite optimistic and refused to be distracted by this pandemic. I made a list of the things that I would bring, and began acquiring the most essential ones like small solar panels, a portable power charger and an extension cord EU-standard multi-port charger, because the Spanish Camino is a documentation-rich environment. I also bought cheap but equally essential items like web hooks, small carabiners, tent pegs, elastic undershorts and hangers. 

I am still debating with myself if I should bring a tent or a hammock-and-shelter set? The tent would be heavier and bulkier, with tent poles, and it needs a sleeping bag liner and a ground pad, at the least. The hammock would need two trees to support it, which I do not know if they have enough trees on their caravan camps, and it gave less protection from the cold. 

I had a small savings but it could have been better if only Wuhan the Virus did not escape from his laboratory. In 2020, there were many events lined up for me plus a government contract work which could have placed me in a better position to engage this in 2021. All these were scrapped or postponed to when, I do not know. The good thing was this small savings kept me and my household afloat for many months despite loss of income. I have none now. 

There are 34 days on the el gran camino de Santiago. For each day, I identified three separate places to choose from for the night’s rest. It could be an albergue, a cheap hotel, a caravan camp or a pension house (all with contact numbers). And for each day there is a list of restaurants along the way, placing emphasis on the Spanish penchant for late lunch and dinner – at between 14:00 to 22:00.

Part of the itinerary are the estimated expenses for billets, meals, refreshments, ferry transports and other incidental costs for each day; sub-totaled under Camino del Norte, the Camino Primitivo and the Camino Finisterra. International travel and transfers were not part of this costing. My itinerary is a DIY effort. It is a work of art. I could even sell this but let me try it first then I could design one for you. 

Our el gran Camino de Santiago would start from an international boundary found on a bridge of the Bidassoa River, separating France and Spain and the first town would be Irun, found in the Basque Country. We would spend ten days in Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia; six days in Cantabria; nine days in Asturias; and another nine days in Galicia, which include Fin de Tierra. I reserved three days for rest. 

All expenses shall be in euros, which is about 65 pesos to a euro, and it bites into my pocket. I am in a daze of where to source the funds? There were people who were so kind to pledge certain amounts when I started to let all know of my pilgrimage but it is just a drop in a large bucket. I am also embarking on a fund-raising campaign in the form of commemorative t-shirts but it is more of the same.

Anyway, the pandemic have stopped or mired severely all international travel and, within Spain and as everywhere else in Europe, lockdowns are still severe in these last few months of 2021 which helped to my cause. The voice of hope came from Pope Francis, who extended the Jacobean jubilee year to 2022, with which year I and my friend placed all hope instead. It could be middle of spring or in early autumn, whichever. 

Currently, I am shopping for the best shoes and have Silangan Outdoor Equipment outfit us our backpacks, a tent, sleeping bag liners, hiking pants, dry bags, sports shirts and other hiking accessories. Even when it is encouraged to travel light, I would bring extra like giveaways to the kindest hosts and to the friendliest Basques we would meet along the way. I would carry a heavy load but it would be a diminishing load as the journey lengthens. 

Aside from the funding, I would need just a pre-owned but functional point-and-shoot camera, and your prayer requests. Just message me directly in Messenger and Signal. My backpack and my heart are always available to accommodate your personal intentions which I would whisper everytime I find myself in deep meditation in the route’s holiest places, and at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela where the abrazado is. 

I would be preparing for a Camino de Santiago on the colder months where the albergues would not be crowded. The virus, and the variants, would be travelling with the asymptomatic ones and we could never know for sure. I would not want to join the expected large crowds on its most favorable season. My friend is now 70 years old and he needs protection as much as I do. We would be following all health-safety protocols required.

The el gran camino de Santiago is a journey which shrouds another journey. It is about my heritage. My great-grandparents originally came from Bizkaia and I seek to stay in their lekua and breathe in the air that they breathed when they were young. To inhale the spirit and the essence of their hometown. To touch base. I designed this route which would go out of its way from the box. I intend to lose my way, for a few days, where there are no signposts. 

This would be a difficult pilgrimage for me. I have never travelled outside of the Philippines nor engage with a tour agency like most pilgrims do. I still have to apply for a Schengen visa. I would be exposed to culture-shock; the language barriers; unfamiliar terrain and vegetation; different time zones; temperate climate; maybe discrimination; and even infection from that dreaded virus. I would be completely disoriented for a few days. 

But my beacon is St. James the Apostle; my comfort is my faith as a Catholic which I shared with Spain; and my prayers, my strength. Please help me. 

St. James the Apostle, please pray for us.

St. Pedro Calungsod, please pray for us.

St. Lorenzo Ruiz, please pray for us.

Blessed Virgin Mary, please pray for us.

Jesus, have Mercy upon us.

iBuen Camino!  

Photo Nr 1 courtesy of Camino Ways.  

2021-046 | THE 3RD CAMINO DE SANTIAGO OF CEBU: DAY 4 & 5

A RAINBOW GREETED ME as I enjoyed a cup of coffee on the balcony of the San Pedro Calungsod Parish rectory on the fourth day (June 21, 2019) of this Camino de Santiago from the North. The hills were still swathed in mists as an early rising sun bathed it in golden light. It was a magical feeling, almost surreal. 

Behind me was the imposing height of Mount Manghilao, a great landmark of Masaba, Danao City, as seen from anywhere. Across me, far more distant than these hills swathed in mists, was another landmark: an unnamed peak. That mountain would be my signpost later on my journey to Compostela. 

I arrived here yesterday at the San Pedro Calungsod Parish together with fellow pilgrims Renita Reynes, Erl Durano and Grace Lina. Fr. Junly Cortes, the parish priest, had welcomed us and took care of our comforts and needs. We had taken baths in the early morning and were now seated with Fr. Junly at the breakfast table.

This Camino de Santiago from the North was the last of the three Camino de Santiago established in Cebu, at the behest of the former parish priest of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Santiago de Compostela, Fr. Scipio Deligero. We started from the St. James the Apostle Parish in Sogod four days ago and this exploratory Camino Cebu has brought us here in very good hands. 

We have stamped our credenciales with the parish seals of St. James in Sogod; the San Guillermo de Aquitania in Catmon; the St. Joseph the Worker in Binongkalan, Catmon; the Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Cantumog, Carmen; even that of the St. Benedict Monastery in Corte, Carmen. We have also secured one from Fr. Junly’s parish. 

This was a journey that had turned out well despite it being exploratory in nature. I was commissioned by Fr. Scipio to find and identify the routes but I decided to involve the three ladies instead, who really were all veterans of another but much longer Camino de Santiago from the South which they walked in January 2019.

Fr. Junly, who is an adventure racer, knows the hinterlands of Danao City for this was his training ground. He showed me a path and mentioned all the places that we needed to pass in order to reach the next parish: Our Mother of Perpetual Help in Ibo, Danao City. This time, the Camino Cebu would pass long stretches of trails and unpaved roads. 

We left Fr. Junly and his parish at 07:30, following a low ridge which goes amongst farms and homesteads. The appeal of trails on this fourth day for the Camino de Santiago was a different experience. The soft ground that crunch underneath your shoes was most welcome for any feet but it brought with it a certain caution when you experienced the usual skids.

These part of the Camino Cebu was unexpected and was never thought of in my itinerary. I literally created another itinerary based on this and shall be permanent. We were walking over ridgelines, among meadows, within pocket forests and small communities where residents helped us with our journey. 

We crossed a small stream and went over another trail that led to an unpaved road where there was a chapel which then led to a paved one in the village of Mantija, Danao City. We arrived at 08:30. After fifteen minutes of rest, we resumed our journey. Then it passed by sparsely-populated areas, farms and more pocket forests.

The weather cooperated and we really enjoyed this part. We just walked without so much strain. We were just killing time. I even forgot the mandatory rests of fifteen minutes after each hour of walk. This casual-like walk led us to a steel foot bridge. Below us was the Danao River. Across us was the village of Ibo, Danao City which we came upon at 10:15. 

While I was walking searching for their parish, I mistakenly presumed a local wearing a palm hat and an open-carried bolo as a farmer until he identified himself as Fr. Porferio Mahinay Jr., the parish priest of the Our Mother of Perpetual Help. What humility! I even learned later that he was a licensed civil engineer! 

He welcomed us into his rectory. His parish is kind of busy since their village fiesta was approaching. On the dining table were fruits and vegetables brought by his parishioners as offerings and donations. There were no concrete structures yet for the church. Fr. Jun utilized a chapel as their temporary house of worship. 

Fr. Jun was very much happy to receive us but he has no word of our coming since his locality has no cellular phone signal yet, much less, the internet. It was cool inside and we were served cold juice which helped to our cause. After 30 minutes of rest, it was time to leave again for the Camino de Santiago.

Taking the hint from Fr. Jun, we followed an unpaved road bound for the village of Togonon, Danao City. Midway, the road became paved and the air became warm. This familiar landmark of a mountain that had left me marveling in the past was now in my midst. It has bare karst formations which are used by local rock climbers. 

We stayed under the shade of a small store by a road junction to spend our noonbreak. The lady storekeeper was most happy to serve us instant noodles and, later, just coffee for me. After an hour, after asking directions from her, we took the road on the left which goes up to the higher elevations of this unnamed peak. 

At 13:00, we huffed and puffed on an ascending road but, once we were on a level terrain, the road became unpaved and showed its true character. It was very shady, due to presence of a second-growth forest and there were no houses along the route. Another enchanting road that gave you the creeps. 

This was a rather long stretch and I liked it that way. I could see valleys below and the mountains that shaped this new landscape that I have seen for the first time. Beyond, far away, are familiar trysting grounds. Then the enchantment gave way to a small community and more of it as the gravelly road became concrete again and goes downhill. 

We now crossed into the village of Dapdap, Compostela. In a very spacious community shelter, we found rest at 14:30. I have never been in this part of Compostela. After 15 minutes, we proceed passing by a junction which led to the village center of Dapdap on the right and to another village, Mulao, Compostela, on the left. I took the left.

The road goes downhill, crossed a stream, goes a little up and goes down again and we were in another junction: the right goes to village center of Mulao while on the left to the village of Basak, Compostela. I know this part very well and what to expect. Just like yesterday, we climbed a hill in the morning and another in the afternoon. This time it was at lesser proportions and I know where I was going. 

We finally arrived at our resting place for the night at 16:00. It was not a parish that we were so privileged to rest for three nights but a humble home that a family had dedicated to welcoming pilgrims of the Camino de Santiago. This was the third time that Frank and Minnie Catampatan hosted me and my pilgrims and I could not find the happiest second home but here.

Woke up to the crowing of the cocks for this fifth and final day (June 22) of this Camino de Santiago from the North, we were treated to a good breakfast again. We were that pampered, thanks to Santiago de Compostela, who provided, from out of nothing, comfort, kindness, empathy, protection, nutrition, charity and piety. At 08:00, we left our kind hosts and proceed to finish this exploration and pilgrimage today. 

It was getting warm by the time we left Basak although the path was very shady. We were approaching the great highlight of all the three Camino de Santiago: the “Cross of Triumph”. This cross was erected in 2016 on top of a hill and is a hundred feet high, the biggest in the island of Cebu. Upon this cross, pilgrims leave their pebbles carried since Day One of their spiritual journeys. 

We arrived on the great cross in Bagalnga, Compostela at 09:15. I left another pebble. Renita, Erl and Grace did, likewise. Aside from pebbles, which actually represents our old self, we said our personal prayers here as well as prayer petitions from relatives, friends, classmates and neighbors, hoping for small miracles in their lives. These prayer petitions came in verbal requests or written on papers.

The morning was just so perfect. There was no pressure and we just enjoyed the view and prayed the five decades of the holy rosary facing the lowlands and the Camotes Sea. By 10:00, we went down the hill and followed a narrow concrete road down to a much busy road in Guila-guila and sate our thirst with cold soda drinks inside a small store at 10:45. 

After 15 minutes of my standard rest time, we walked again this busy thoroughfare, muddied and hosting puddles of turbid liquid after a hard rain last night. We turned right on a much better road but lacking in shades. It was now very warm and the road rose up but I know where it would take me. This was the last obstacle. 

We arrived at last at the Archdiocesan Shrine of Santiago de Compostela at 11:40. Bells herald our coming and the welcoming committee was most happy of our arrival for we had accomplished our mission: that of establishing and completing the third route of the Camino de Santiago for Cebu. Fr. Scipio Deligero had delivered his promise before ending his stint in this parish come August where another priest would assume his post.

Renita, Erl and Grace had the distinction of the only other pilgrims who walked this Camino de Santiago from the North, as well as that rare feat of walking both this northern passage and that of its much longer route from the south. All three have grasped the full meaning of being a pilgrim and so have found a different avenue of spirituality. However, Renita, most of all, had achieved a most rare deed: that of walking the three different routes of the Camino Cebu.   

On my part, the opportunity to work with the Roman Universal Catholic Church, notably with the Archdiocese of Cebu, and to my close devotion to St. James the Apostle, had transformed me into someone that I have not had dreamed of before. It was a calling and I answered it. I am in a unique situation after I helped establish the two longest routes of the Camino de Santiago here. 

This special relation granted me certain spiritual privileges, or indulgences, if you may, which I could never achieve with my sinful ways, past and present. This was more than monetary compensation, titles and prestige. My church is kind enough to give me certain earthly privileges as well to work as an independent guide. While it may have a certain air of prestige but, do not be misled, it is a very demanding work. 

Cebu now has three Camino de Santiago routes. The first one was the one from the south, starting from Badian, 175+ kilometers long and walked in ten days. It was established in 2017 and is now the premier route. The second is the one walked around Compostela and Liloan, which is 28+ kilometers and walked in two days. This was first walked in 2018 and is the most popular. Then we had the one from the north, walked in five days at 65+ kilometers.

iBuen Camino!