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Camino: El Cagigal

Desmond Hume was driven to regain his honor and become a great man.  It lead him around the world on a boat race, eventually bringing him to the island where he encountered the hatch, the button, and the survivors of Oceanic flight 815.

So, what exactly does this have to do with the pilgrim’s hostel in Güemes?

Father Ernesto Bustio is worthy of drinking Widmore’s whiskey but, because he is a great man, would never drink with a man like Charles Widmore.  Unfortunately, I never met Dr. Ernesto but perhaps that adds to his mystic.  He is the local parish priest and directs the Güemes albergue, El Cagigal, that has become something of a legend amongst pilgrims that take the Camino del Norte.  I have not walked the Camino Frances but from what I understand the albergue experiences there are quite different than on the Norte.  Fewer pilgrims walk the Norte so the infrastructure and albergue culture is not quite comparable to the Frances.  However, El Cagigal captures the Frances experience with influences of the Norte.

El Cagigal is a must on your Camino del Norte itinerary.  I have heard nothing but positive comments from people who have stayed at the Guëmes.  Despite being the only pilgrim that stayed at the albergue on April 20, 2009, I had a magical experience at El Cagigal.  Padre Ernesto was in Guatemala but it did not make a difference; the hospitality I received was warm and unconditional.  I was not alone at dinner, either.  A group of Romanian construction workers were working at the albergue in preparation for the busier summer months of the Camino.  They joined me along with a few locals from Güemes.  The dinner was not like the one in the video below but it is one of the memories I most remember from my pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.

A quick Internet search of El Cagigal returns nothing but superlatives about pilgrims’ experiences in Güemes.  For example, this is what one pilgrim had to say:

“soy peregrina y llegar a este albergue fue para mi y unos de mis mejores momentos, que te reciban con esa sonrisa y con tanto cariño y amabilidad te hace olvidar la dura etapa realizada, gracias al Padre Ernesto a los voluntarios que allí están a la gente del pueblo, se respira amor y humanidad, carencia de las grandes ciudades.  No olvidaré nunca a sus gentes. Después de tantas etapas no dejeis de llegar hasta allí.
BUEN CAMINO”

“I am a pilgrim and arriving at this albergue was for me one of my best memories,  you received me with a smile and with so much love and kindness it makes you forget the difficult stage, thanks to Father Ernesto, the volunteers that are there, the people of the village, they breathe love and humanity, lacking in the big cities.  I will never forget your people.  After so many stages you are not tired arriving here.  Buen Camino!

The evening ends with the sharing of songs and stories about the Camino. Father Ernesto gives lectures on the history and culture of the Güemes area and the Camino del Norte. Information about the next day’s etapa and other pertinent information is relayed to pilgrims. I was given a solo tour of a room that holds multitudes of materials such as maps and guides about the Camino. I was also shown the room where Father Ernesto stores the negative film rolls from his travels, with the walls and ceilings covered with negatives from Peru to India to Africa. Everyday I miss the Camino and one day I will return to make another pilgrimage. I will take the North Way again and hopefully I will have the opportunity to meet Father Ernesto and the volunteers I met on my first Camino.

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