Instead of the bus driving me back to Arapuerca I asked if it could drop me off at the camino. There is a camino alternative that goes around the mountain that day and the bus goes right by there. In America this would be like a "no" or a let me check with the manager. Here the college intern tour guide said ok and told the bus driver. I think the tourist side of this operation is run by college students as I have yet to see anyone over 20 but the bus driver. I walked from the entrance to the dig site property past the closed second visitor center and across the highway to the camino. It was about 3:00 and I was 15km from Burgos.
I walked past the town of Ibeas de Juarros were there was a big block party going on in front of the church. The further I walked the darker the sky got, with rain clouds. I was afraid of getting caught in the storm again. After about 5km in the afternoon heat I ducked into a local hotel to seal shelter. It was a swanky place, too swanky for my grungy pilgrim self. I sat at the bar and ordered an orange soda anyway. The staff was nothing but nice. I even got my first little tapa with my drink. A dollop of some green stuff on top of a crustini. I nursed that orange soda for an hour while playing solitaire on my phone. I was waiting for the rain but it never came and when I left the hotel the sky was blue again.
I made it to Castañares after 7:00. With another 6.6 km to go I afraid I was going arrive in Burgos after the albergues closed. And there isn't anywhere but expensive hotels on the route I walked today. Well I took one bus today so I might as well take the bus to Burgos too (€1).
I got off the bus when I thought I saw a camino sign. I was a bit off so I asked for a map at a fancy hotel. The kind lady there pointed me in the right direction.
Across the street from the municipal albergue there was a dinner kabab place. I got a chicken donner wrap, Which I ate later. It was delicious and was the best thing about my entire time in Burgos.
Then it started to rain. The municipal albergue ended up being full. I don't know how because there are 150+ beds and only in one albergue in Logorño has been full all trip. I think people are scamming and saying they are pilgrims just to get a cheep bed in Burgos.
Out side a guy was laying in wait for people turned away. He said he knew another albergue with space and to follow him. He had long grey hair and gray pants and a white shirt that were not really clean. I followed him back through the only part of Burgos I had already been through and then a bit further. He took me to a hostel to check in but said the albergue was a few doors down for €25 a night. I said I had to see it first. This was feeling very sketchy already and I should have just said no. But it was late and I was tired.
A few doors down to an unmarked building we went, up to the 4th floor and down the creepy hallway. The door opened to a series of about eight individual rooms. The rooms were like standard hotel rooms but about 30-40 old. There was a bathroom, two beds and a TV. And I may have to share with another pilgrim.
I said ok and paid back at the hostel. I took my keys and back at the room I realized the door didn't have an internal lock. I braced my stick across the door and took a shower. I watched a little tv, and as time wheat on I felt more and more like this was the beginning of one of those scary movies. At 10:30 I realized there was no way I was going to get a good nights sleep with my imagination running wild. So I moved my bed and pushed it tight up against the door. No one was getting in now. Gradually I drifted off to a fitful nights sleep.
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