Today was a strange day. It started out with a lovely misty morning walk to Villafranca Montes de Oca about 5kms along the trail. Because of the complications of booking accommodation, I had to take a place about 8kms off the path. The place was Monasterio de Rodilla, which I thought was an old Monastery, well no. It is actually a room in a building that is part of a camp ground with complications. Please let me explain.
To get there I had to take a bus into Burgos. But first I had to find the bus stop. In fact I had just missed the bus. While waiting for the next bus – four hours later, I met up with the German chap that l first met at a bus stop a few days earlier. He was still miserable and a little confused as to how to get a bus to his hostel which was no where near mine this time.
Fortunately a Camino angel appeared in the form of a Korean tour guide who was checking out routes that he could market to Koreans hoping to do the Camino. He sorted out the German fellow and assured me that there would be a bus to my lodgings from Burgos.
It was a three hour wait in Burgos for a bus that was very crowded. In fact I was worried I wouldn’t get on. Why is it that every bus in the country converges on Burgos at 3:00pm? The bus terminal was a zoo.
Thirty minutes later I was dropped off on the side of the road beside a building that might have been a monastery at one time. It was eerie. No one was around. I was getting a little anxious as well. Fortunately one of my apps led me another kilometre down the road to a camp ground. I really hated booking.com for this. It looked deserted. There were phone numbers to call but my phone wasn’t connecting with them. I started to look for places to sleep outside. I tried not to panic.
Finally someone showed up. Sorted everything out except for my pack which never made it.
Since their restaurant just opens on the weekend, they did order me a pizza and got the bus times for tomorrow. I will leave here and return to Burgos – a.s.a.p where I am booked for two nights. Also since my backpack didn’t make it, I’ll have to sort that out, as well as doing some banking etc.
I do hope tomorrow is a better day. I’ll let you know. 😊