Camino Ignaciano: Genevilla to Kripan (Day 5)

Day 5: Genevilla to Kripan 
Stage 4 of the Camino

Today's walk started out from the town of Genevilla, some 5 kilometers away from Santa Cruz de Campezo where we ended the previous night. From the Basque Country, we crossed into the province of Navarre to which the towns and villages we would pass for the day belonged. Genevilla was our first stop and it met us with silence. It was quiet and deserted! I read later on that it only had 100 citizens. No wonder no one was around! 

The scenery during the first leg of the walk was quite placid, with plains on one side and mountain ranges on the other. We also passed through some woods, where the terrain was rocky but manageable. Dainty yellow flowers grew everywhere and gave a splash of color to an otherwise monotonous landscape of brown and green. 

Yellow flowers dotting the Genevilla landscape with the wide open plains in the horizon

The first checkpoint was 2.5 kilometers away in Cabredo. (Incidentally, Cabredo had more people than Genevilla. It has 109 citizens! LOL!) From there, the walk was to take us up the mountain ridge. Hearing that the terrain would be rocky once more, I opted not to join this leg for fear of spraining my ankle again. I must say that for me, it was quite a struggle to say no. I had wanted to complete the Camino fully, that is, to walk every step of the way. But I do admit that the advice given to us on our first day was sound. "Respect where you are and know your limitations." Several co-pilgrims opted out as well, and the bus took us directly to the next checkpoint at the foot of the mountain ridge in Lapoblacion. 

Lapoblacion was another small sleepy town, also quiet and devoid of inhabitants. We had planned to have lunch at the bar beside the checkpoint while waiting for our companions. Alas, the owner needed to see a doctor and she closed shop for the day. (I guess that meant Lapoblacion had a small population too. No relievers!) Instead, we drove some 300 meters down and had lunch in another bar, eating yet again chorizo and bread. I was beginning to hate chorizo! LOL!

Waiting for our companions to emerge from the foggy mountain in Lapoblacion

After lunch, I decided to do the last 7 kilometer leg, from Lapoblacion to Kripan. The walk took us through the side of the mountain ridge. It was woody and shady, also with a rocky path, but not too steep. From time to time, we would have a panoramic view of the wide open fields below. 

On the way to Kripan, I was walking alone when I heard the tinkling of a bell. I thought that it was a horse or a cow, like the ones we saw in Aizkorri where animals grazed along the mountainside. I didn't mind it at first, but the tinkling sound was persistent. I began to have an eerie feeling of being followed. 

It was like a spy movie. I'd stop and listen, and the tinkling sound stopped. I'd turn around and couldn't see anyone or anything. I'd start walking and there was that sound again! After a while, I decided to change my strategy and quickly turned back while walking. 

It was a dog! A shaggy brown dog! He had a green collar and was wearing some sort of gadget and a tiny bell around its neck. And indeed, he was following me. He walked behind me and stopped whenever I stopped. I didn't know what he was doing there and why he was following me, but I was glad to have a companion on an otherwise boring walk. He provided me company for about 200 meters before leaving and disappearing again in the bushes. 

My surprise companion to Kripan

I was sad to see him leave. He lightened up my day and made the walk seem less tiring. But I guess he had to get back to his original role of guarding his master's territory...and I had my own camino to accomplish. 

And so I trudged along. I was in the midst of plains and faced an endless road in front of me. There was no town or village in sight. For that matter, there was no other person or living being in sight either! For one brief moment, I felt alone in a big, wide world...and I wondered, "What on earth am I doing here?" 

At some point, I think I must have experienced what they call a mirage. I remember trudging up the road, trying to be patient even if my watch clearly told me the 7 km walk was supposed to be over. I looked up and observed that the road ahead was becoming steep. I groaned out loudly, for that meant another strenuous effort awaited me. I reminded myself to persevere and not to think of the difficulties that lie ahead. I just concentrated on placing one foot over the other. To my surprise, as I continued walking, I eventually reached the highway without having to climb any steep roads. After another half hour of walking, I finally reached Kripan and our final checkpoint. 

The long and lonely road ahead! 

For this day -- 12 kilometers of walk ending in 1 lesson in life. When the road seems long and lonely, just focus on making one step at a time, on living one day at a time. You'll eventually get there!