What do most people do when they’ve had most of the joints in their body replaced? Likely, do limited exercise that doesn’t produce pressure on those joints and take it easy. This was not the case for former Zion Lutheran pastor Gary Van Hunnik. Instead, he walked 500 miles- three times.
And on July 17, he gave a light-hearted presentation to a nearly full house gathered at Zion Lutheran after their annual ice cream social, sharing his story of his three pilgrimages on the Camino de Santiago, a 500-mile journey from St. Jean Pied de Port, France, to Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
In 2013, Pastor Gary Van Hunnik retired. After watching the movie, “The Way” with Martin Sheen in November of that year, he was inspired to do a pilgrimage of his own.
Per Wikipedia, “The Way” follows the journey of an American ophthalmologist who takes a pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago after the death of his son. While Van Hunnik didn’t experience such a loss to inspire him, he said that often, people do the pilgrimage as a way to mark a transition in life.
“It’s not just spiritual,” said Van Hunnik. Some do it for the fitness aspect. “One traveler said he got on ‘just for the sport of it.” Another one had a choice between traveling on an extended RV trip in the U.S. with his in-laws or doing the Camino, and that decision
was an easy one to make, which received a laugh from the audience.
El Camino de Santiago translates to “The Way of St. James,” after James the Apostle, one of the twelve original followers of Jesus who was reported to travel through Spain to bring the Good News to the people there. According to medieval legend, his body was buried in the place where the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela now stands.
The Camino de Santiago has been traveled since the early Middle Ages, and has increased in popularity since the 90’s, when the Spanish government took on an initiative to promote the pilgrimage and Spain’s Catholic roots. Anywhere from 183,000-273,000 people travel the Camino de Santiago each year; in 2017, over 300,000 travelers were reported. At a pace of approximately 6-14 miles per day, the Camino can be traversed in about 26 days. While the terrain does pose a few challenges, especially as it pertains to a lack of shade and water, Van Hunnik says any reasonably fit person can do it. He saw travelers as young as 8, and some in their 80s.
The Camino also has its own credencials, a kind of passport that gains travelers entrance to various hostels and accommodations along the route. Travelers register for it at the beginning of their route, and gather stamps at various points, such as hostels and restaurants. At the end of the journey, the passport serves as proof in order to receive a compostela (a certificate signifying the completion of the journey), which has a required minimum length of 100 km (62 miles) in order to receive.
Van Hunnik said that most accommodations are hostels, called albergues de peregrinos, co-ed dormitories that are rented from approximately 3:00 pm to 8:00 am daily for €5-10 euros ($5.60-$11.21 USD). Only pilgrims with credencials are allowed to stay. And many restaurants cater to pilgrims, with special “pilgrim menus” that offer a 3-course meal for approximately €10 euros. Van Hunnik says he survived mainly off of yogurt and bread for his first pilgrimage, because it was cheap, easy to come by, and easy to carry, but he also admitted it wasn’t nearly enough food, as he lost 23 pounds during that month-long journey.
Most travelers also rely on the compassion of fellow travelers, monasteries, cathedrals, and those along the route, who can provide food, supplies, and sometimes, accommodations.
Van Hunnik says keeping a light load is the secret to success on the journey. He said he packed a 33-pound bag for his first pilgrimage, and came to regret it almost immediately, especially after falling and fracturing some ribs on his 7th day in. “I made sure I had a 22-pound bag the second time,” he said. He also noted that taking care of his feet was incredibly important, as on his third trip, he developed a large blister that nearly cut his trip short.
Van Hunnik marveled at the medical care he received in Spain. He remembered how the doctors and nurses were adamant that he follow their directions, and got through to him how important his 7-day rest was in order to heal the blister. He also noted that while most travelers get a type of insurance or participate in Spain’s social medicine program, he did not. However, his 6-hour ER visit was only €68 and his follow up clinic visits were between €19 and €40.
Beyond foot issues, language barriers were the other most common challenge for Van Hunnik on his journeys. For two of his trips, Van Hunnik traveled with Nico, a fellow pilgrim from the Netherlands who has traveled the Camino five times. Nico was fluent in Dutch, English, French, and Spanish. Since Van Hunnik was only fluent in English, he said, “I let him do most of the talking.”
It was at the suggestion of Nico that Van Hunnik traveled on his third pilgrimage. “But if he asked me to go again, I’d really have to think about it. There are other pilgrimages, and several trails in the U.S., that I want to travel.”
Van Hunnik encourages others to do their own pilgrimages. It’s important to disconnect for a while, and live in the moment. He said that many travelers do the journey to walk, think, and reflect.
“You really have to live in the moment. I didn’t know what was going on back home, and even if I did, what would I be able to do about it?” Each day, travelers get to welcome the challenges and pleasures they encounter. And that, along with the spirit of sharing and comradery that develops between other travelers, lifts the spirit.
