Day 6: Cizur Menor to Muruzábal
Stayed up way too late enjoying conversation and beer with the Irish last night. When we were shushed, we slunk to our bunk beds, and hoped we weren’t recognized in the morning. I remember being shushed in Los Arcos in 2013. That involved sangria, a church, and a funeral. Sounds like the beginning of a joke.
If there is a thread to this pilgrimage, it’s heat. The 38-42°C temps are a real game changer. In average temperatures along flat terrain, it’s possible to cover 5k in an hour. Now we are lucky to do 3.5k or 4k an hour. Spaniards look at us like we are a bunch of crazy fuckers moving about in weather they avoid. I’ve repeatedly sworn off walking past noon, only to check into an albergue at 5 pm. “Why?” you ask. Because we have covered so little distance, to stop earlier would result in a six-month long Camino!
Today we had lovely visual highlights. The same field of sunflowers I passed in 2013 was now blooming, rather than dying at the end of a season. I nearly fell down the embankment for the photo op, but you’ll see how the stumble was worth the picture…as soon as I can figure out uploads.
I stopped into a church in Zariquiegui to have my credential stamped. (Our Irish friend opted for the stamp from the local bar. Is that a stereotype or going against type? You decide.) We did an arduous climb up, up, and up towards Alto de Perdon. It was quieter around the metal medieval pilgrim sculptures, and much easier to get photos. The heat was so intense, not even the statues looked like they wanted to be there. (Andrew was looking über pissed, so I explained how I needed him to show me a happy face as encouragement. At that very moment, a pilgrim passed us with a ridiculous neon green happy face attached to her backpack where the shell should have been. Andrew demanded I manifest a taxi immediately.)
At Alto de Perdon, I was reminded of an experience in India, in 2000. I remember being too hot to really appreciate the Taj Mahal. And now, at a significant stopping point on the Camino, again I was too hot to give a shit. (I did care about the vendor selling refreshments at the top of the climb. No souvenir pictures of me posing with her, though.) We are strange beasts who travel so far, put ourselves through so much, and when we arrive our reaction is, “Just get me a bottle of water or I’m going to die.” 
Anyway, we did a crazy, 5k, rolling rock descent from Alto de Perdon into Uterga. I took another shade tree break and nap cut short by a soccer ball to the face. Kids are out of school, and they play soccer in the park. I believe the soccer ball was a kick-the-peregrina-when-she’s-down prank, because I enjoyed two balls to the face that afternoon. (I know what you’re thinking, but there’s no other way to say it.) I swore in Spanish, and the kid said “lo siento.” But I’m pretty sure I was the target. :/
We walked on to Muruzábal to a new albergue WITH pool. I didn’t have a swim suit…had to make a choice between it or deodorant and iPad. So I swam in man-shorts and t-shirt, looked dreadful, made Canadians look fashion challenged, and felt great!
Before the communal pilgrims’ meal, Andrew and I thought we’d walk to Eunate to visit a Templar church and go to mass, but we wound up in Óbanos at a closed church, and several sweltering kilometres from supper. How happy was I? Fearing a repeat of the wedding band incident on the path to Roncesvalles, I chalked up my temper to the heat and empty stomach, ate the best supper on the Camino, yet, and stayed married. 😀 

 

Ultreia!
~Penny