Dispatches - 24 August 2025 - The End of the Camino de Santiago

Jack Rogers
Aug 24
7 min read

In This Dispatch:

Weekly Dispatch

Mark one leg of the Wayfarer Expedition down! I'm here in Santiago de Compostela. I walked into town at about 11h30 yesterday morning, ending at the famed Cathedral de Santiago de Compostela, thus capping off a month-long journey across Spain. It was not the month I expected to have, between a blown knee, murdered ankle, and bus rides, but I managed to walk most of the way from Leon to finish strong. I ran into a friend from day one, a Los Angeles woman named Sylvia, a few days ago, and we walked one of the stages together. It was a blast, and we finished the Camino by running into each other in front of the cathedral.

A lot of people are asking me about my thoughts on the Camino now that I have finished. I have many, but with the YouTube videos still coming out (every two weeks), I want to time a piece here on the website with the video I will do about those feelings. But as a preview, I will provide a few short ones:

1) You get a certificate at the end of the journey showing how far you came, but they only count the stages you walked. For those who can't walk, that's a bit of a shame. At the end of the day, it's just a piece of paper. Your Camino is your Camino, whether you did it by bus, car, train, or foot. As long as you got what you came for out of it.

2) I spent a lot of time alone, forcing me to come to terms with some things. Not religious things, but something else I've been dealing with for a long time now.

3) I feel REALLY good, and I feel the post-Camino blues coming on (a common thing for those who finish). More than anything else, I think it's because Westerners aren't used to that much exercise. I've put 315km behind me in the two weeks since Leon, and I can feel it physically and mentally. While I'm wiped, I feel like I used to back when I ran 20+ miles a week.

The last 115km (from Sarria) were very different from the first 200km. There were a ton of people walking to get their Camino certificate, including several huge groups of teenagers and chaperones. I talked about this with Bibi (from Brazil) and Sylvia at length, and we all agree: we are glad we started in St-Jean-Pied-de-Port. It's not that we did the "real" Camino as many would argue, but the distance we put behind us and the experiences we've had over the last month gave us something that we just couldn't see in those who only walked the last five or six days. We could tell just by looking at people who had been on a long journey and who was on their week-long vacation. Now, I'm not taking away from their accomplishment, as many people can't or simply won't walk 115km over six days (either because of physical limitations, money, or time off from work). I'm just saying that we could see the difference in those who had been on the road much longer.

But isn't that true of a lot of things? In skydiving, SCUBA diving, even long-term travel, the longer you go, the less outwardly "shiny" you are. You've learned lessons, weathered the peaks and valleys, and had time enough for the polish of a new experience to wear into the patina of a part of your life.

In not-so-good news, I lost a friend a few days ago. He didn't die; he just stopped being friends with me. Why? Politics. I refused to outright condemn certain things the American President said as a lie when I had no proof of it, questioned the validity of Hamas' and the UN's statements on the on-going conflict in Gaza, and, my gravest offence, didn't want to talk politics over text while I was hiking 28km through the Spanish countryside at 08h30 in the morning. I used to be wound up like a spring over politics back when it was my job at my security firm, but I left all that behind two years ago, and I don't want to get drug back into the egoism that comes with arguing about things with someone who has their blinders on. Unfortunately, my observation (and the observation of others I have talked to on the road) has been that this is most common with the so-called "tolerant left," especially in the young-20s European demographic (and really especially in the young-20s German women demographic).

This wasn't the first time I lost a friend in this manner, and it won't be the last. More people just need to go outside, touch grass, and breathe in the fresh air. American democracy isn't crumbling, President Trump won't serve a third term, the military won't initiate a coup against your governors, and you won't be thrown in jail for yelling "We love bacon!" in a racially insensitive manner at a political protest (like happened in the UK this week). It'll all be fine. We survived 9/11, we survived Pearl Harbor, we survived McCarthyism, and we survived the Civil War. We will survive the Trump presidency just like we survived Biden, Obama, Bush, and Clinton, and we will survive whatever comes next. The best thing we can all do is turn off cable news, stop listening to opinion podcasts, and toggle that "political content" switch on Threads to the "off" position.

So, what's next?

I am spending a few days here in Santiago de Compostela to recover and explore the town. I fly to Madrid late one night. I had a train booked, but with the fires, I was unsure as to whether the train would go through, so I got a refund and booked a flight. Ultimately, they started letting trains through two days ago, so my loss there, but in just a few days I'll be back in the nation's capital ready to run with the bulls in San Sebastian de los Reyes.

Regarding Spain in general, the country has been suffering under the weight of the worst fires in more than 30 years. The first one started with a lightning strike, but there have been several arrests of individuals who have been caught lighting subsequent fires. Tens of thousands of hectares of land have been destroyed, firefighters have been killed, and entire villages have been forced to evacuate. Sylvia (from Los Angeles) even had to evacuate while she was on the Camino by order of the Spanish government. It has been heartbreaking to see both on the news and in person. So, if you're the religious type, prayers for Spain would be appreciated, especially as the political finger-pointing begins in Madrid while Galicia, Extremadura, and Castilla y Leon continue to fight the fires and recover whatever bits of life remain for those affected.

Join the Adventure! I need travel partners!

I have two guided treks coming up later this year, each less than two weeks. I am seeking one, ONE, additional person to join me on each of these unique excursions. I promise you; they will be experiences like no other! (Ok, I put the emphasis on one additional person, but to be honest, I’m open to more if we can make it work!)

Zagros Mountain Trail – 15-29 November 2025 - $2500

This trail is a historic trade route through the Kurdish mountainside. The original route travelled from Iran, through Iraq, and into Turkey, but has long since fallen away since modern technology and roads have taken over moving goods, services, and people across countries. In Iraq, however, a private organisation is restoring the trade route to be a hiking trail. This trek will cross the majority of the trail, starting and ending in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. The price is all-inclusive (including airport transfer and English-speaking guide), except for flights, visas, and tips. Contact me if you are interested, and I can send you more details.

If you want to go, but are (understandably) concerned about going to Iraq as a tourist, shoot me a message and we can talk. I went to Iraqi Kurdistan as a tourist in December 2023, and it was beyond safe. While Iraq as a whole has a dangerous reputation, the semi-autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan is wholly different from Federal Iraq. It has its own security forces, visa regime, and political situation. Is the risk there? Sure, but I’d much rather walk around Erbil than Chicago.

Sahara/Atlas Trek – 12-24 December 2025 - €2340 + €69 Booking Fee

This trek is a bespoke adventure put together especially for me. We will start and end in Marrakech, a beautiful city that is stereotypical of the Middle East and North Africa. From there, we will take transportation out to the desert and the mountains for wonderful hikes and beautiful views. We will occasionally take transportation to new areas, as the Atlas Mountains are the barrier between the desert and the rest of the country. The point of this trek is to explore Morocco’s pre-modern history and culture, including nights in Berber camps, former military outposts, and a few climbs up mountains. The price is mostly-inclusive (welcome to Morocco), with a few meals at the beginning and end on our own and tips excluded.

I COULD REALLY USE A PARTNER ON THIS ONE. To do this trek as a solo traveller is going to be expensive. While I am going either way, even just one person going will SIGNIFICANTLY reduce the strain on the relationship between me and my bank account! If it entices you more, I will be flying to Madrid, Spain, on 24 December to enjoy Christmas and New Year’s in one of my favourite cities, so I can play tour guide if you want! Contact me if you are interested, and I can send you more details.