Today was a long and treacherous journey down a mountain, up 240 steps, and across the hilly terrain of a forest. We had breakfast at the hotel around 9; it couldn’t compare to that of our previous hotel, but that’s okay. We left around 10 for San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, where we would hike steep and rugged paths toward the chapel on an island off the coast of the town. Our tour guide, Garai, regaled us with stories about the Basque countryside, from how the farmhouses were built to the significance of the biosphere preservation around the area. Once we got to San Juan, he was immensely helpful and funny, even as we struggled to maintain our balance on the sheer and twisting path downwards. The staircase up over the ocean water provided us with a gorgeous view and sore legs. We were lucky to traverse the downhill first before the stairs up, but later this would come back to bite us. Once we made it to the top, to the chapel, we had a stunning view of the mountains and oceans, with a smattering of small towns along the coastline. It was very windy, and after walking so much, it was very nice. However. Then the terrors began. The walk down the stairs back to where the bus was going to pick us up was steep, but nothing unmanageable. We then reached the extremely vertical trail back up. Suddenly, I was back at Cardiac Hill, walking up to Sutherland and fending for my life after class. Except it was ten times worse. The heat was bearing down, and I seriously regretted not wearing shorts. My legs were very much in pain, and I kept telling myself I was almost to the top (even when I wasn’t). Once at the top, I was gross and sweaty, but a refreshing bottle of water and a strawberry popsicle healed me. Dr Borovetz was cheering us on as we all made it up. I felt accomplished, and the views we saw were stunning. I was exhausted, but the day was not even close to being over. 

We circled back to one of the smaller towns we passed on our way to San Juan, Bermeo. On the way, Garai provided us with lots of insight into some other parts of the culture in the Basque region, including how to say some key phrases. Some of the fishing history behind towns like Bermeo, like how the fishermen were rich off of hunting whales, was very interesting. Once we got to Bermeo, we got some pintxos. I ate a chicken skewer with some barbeque-y sauce, and it was very yummy. Nora and Dr. Borovetz then treated us to some ice cream, and we were quickly back on our way to the final part of our day: the Painted Forest of Oma. We were told that it would be a quick 10-15 minute walk to the forest itself from the parking lot; however, we were (again) led astray, and the walk ended up taking at least 40 minutes and covered 1.8 miles of uphill trekking. At least I got my steps in for the day! A whole 22,000 of them across nearly 10 miles total! The walk to the Oma Forest was nice, but after our long hike earlier, it was a bit of a chore. The Oma Forest is essentially a natural piece of art; the forest was painted in a way that if you line your vision up just right, you can see a pattern or shape begin to take form. The technical expertise behind the paintings was really cool. The trees themselves were a bit underwhelming, but still very pretty. We had only fifteen minutes to look around, and we ran around on the trail to try and see all 30+ works on the map. We were mostly successful, and very out of breath by the end of this. I know tomorrow my body will be very angry at me for all the uphill walking we did today, but it was all worth it for the amazing views we got. We talked with Garai a bit on the way back to the bus, and he argued that Americans were a little stupid for drinking ice-cold water and that he’d never understand it, amongst other Spain vs. US topics.

He mentioned on the bus ride back to the hotel how the US was truly a big contributor for the research aspect of healthcare; he said that 90% of medical research was done in America, and that as flawed as our healthcare system might me in our eyes, it was because of how it is set up that other parts of the world may be helped by it. I totally understand how the US is a major influencer towards medical advancement, but the cost of treatment is simply overwhelming and cannot be forgotten. Spain’s healthcare system is so different than ours, and Garai’s thoughts were valuable insight into how people outside the US view us as a powerhouse despite the obvious cracks in the system.

Moreover, on the way back to the hotel, we hit a few detours; there was apparently a movie being filmed in the center of town (of which we could find no information on what movie it was), and then there was some traffic disturbance on our original detour. Despite all the stress our bus driver experienced, we made it back safe and sound. I was absolutely exhausted, but I hauled myself out to grab some candy and dinner. And also! Today is Dr. Borovetz’s birthday, which he completely failed to tell us until his brother called and wished him a happy birthday. I’m really hoping we can do something to celebrate tomorrow…

Speaking of tomorrow, it is our last day of activities in the Basque Country; we’re headed to the university for one last time, and then we’ll all be parting ways on Friday. It’s bittersweet to see the trip end, but I think I’m ready to head home (of course, after I visit my grandmother in France). Cheers to another great, final day in Bilbao tomorrow!