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 dinn ..read more

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 ..read more

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. S ..read more

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 Bus ..read more

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 ..read more

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 ..read more

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 th ..read more

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 ..read more

A WEEK BEFORE I WAS ABOUT to embark on my Thruhike of the whole length of Cebu Island, Philippines, on January 17, 2017, a package arrived at my address. It was a THERM-A-REST RidgeRest Classic Pad Regular, courtesy of a benefactor, Michael Schwarz. It was heaven sent and, immediately, it became part of my gear. It has to be, notwithstanding its size. It is kind of bulky. If laid flat on the ground, it is 72 inches (182.9 cms.) in length, 20 inches (50.8 cms.) wide and 0.63 inch (1.6 cms.) thick. When rolled and packed inside its plastic packaging, its dimension becomes 8 inches (20.3 cms.) b ..read more

OUTDOORS COMMON SENSE TIPS: When you have 50 sets of hiking shoes using the same trail, you need to isolate, at least one print of a certain shoe, so you could have an idea where the owner is going. I just love this moment. Keeps your mind sharp.   First seen in Facebook November 18, 2018 => => => o0o <= <= <=   GENUINE OUTDOORSMANSHIP IS A collection of skills, crafts and common sense that may bring about a semblance of understanding nature better but it demands more than a thousand days and nights outdoors. A big chunk of that is learning for more knowledge which ..read more