2025 Camino de Peñafrancia (Day 9)
St Paschal Baylon Parish, Goa, CS to Our Lady of Holy Rosary, Bombon, CS
Distance: 28 km
We packed our hiking gear and made sure to leave the church clean, just as we found it. We set off walking in the early morning, and the full moon seemed to be cooperating with our pilgrimage. Our plan was to have our lights on by 2:30 AM and leave the church by 4:00 AM, as we had quite a distance to cover to reach the town of Bombon. Gradually, everyone began to wake up, and despite the slow start, some pilgrims maintained a fast pace.
By 9:00 AM, injuries started to pile up. Some people needed to take a vehicle, while others were determined to finish their journey. The heat intensified, and our group became spread out. While some reached the town of Calabanga, others were still in Tinambac, opting to take it slowly due to the rising temperature.
At 11:15 AM, the Duran family from San Felipe, Naga City, delivered lunch and drinks to us. Although we had repeatedly postponed their drop-off, we finally agreed that the best time would be to deliver them to Our Lady of La Porteria in Calabanga. After that, we proceeded to the municipal hall for the pilgrims’ lunch, which was sponsored by the generous mayor of Calabanga.
At 4:00 PM, the weather took a turn for the worse. The sun was hidden behind clouds, and the heat transformed into rain. Within an hour, some streets were flooded, and the pilgrims began calling for help. Many required medical attention, mostly due to blisters. Some even lost hope of reaching their destination.
When we finally arrived in Bombon, there was confusion about our next destination—whether we should head to the church premises or the municipal buildings for our sleeping quarters that night.
At 6:00 pm, the Our Lady of the Holy Rosary PPC sponsored our pilgrims’ dinner.
At 7:00 PM, we were invited by our local OLPA (Our Lady of Peñafrancia Association) to participate in the holy rosary. After the holy rosary, all the pilgrims gathered one by one for their final recollections and experiences about the Camino.
BUEN CAMINO!
VIVA LA VIRGEN!
VIVA DIVINO ROSTRO!
About the Author
DENNIS T. MARPURI graduated from Ateneo de Naga High School. He was an independent IT consultant in the US and worked in nine different states doing contracts primarily with Federal government agencies and Fortune 500 companies. He also became a professional photographer covering NCAA college sports. Now retired, he and his wife love to travel to Europe. They divide their time between Northern California with their immediate family and Ocampo, Camarines Sur, his hometown, where he promotes mountain biking for the local youth. He is the founder and principal advocate of Camino de Penafrancia.
