What would you tell a new pilgrim NOT to do ?

[CA_Pilgrim]

One of the most annoying things I've encountered on the Camino are pilgrims playing music out of Bluetooth speakers attached to their backpack. Not everyone enjoys your taste in music!

 

[Frankybaby66]

- Don’t pack and carry a load of stuff to the airport/ship/bus when almost all of it could be bought in Spain.
- Don’t pay in currencies other than Euro if you can avoid it and especially don’t believe anyone who tells you the lie that they are required to charge you in your home currency. (They and/or their bank makes a lot of money that way.)
- Don’t convert a lot of currency in the airport where the conversion fees are high. Best way to get cash is an ATM, especially if your card provider is one that refunds ATM fees.
- Don’t carry so much cash that a loss or theft would ruin a whole day, but don’t carry so little that an ATM malfunction would ruin a whole day.
- Enjoy the conversations and scenery but don’t get so lost in them that you don’t hear the bicyclist trying to tell you of his/her approach.
- Don’t save a hundred meters by cutting across a corner and trampling a farmer’s crops, not even if a hundred <censored> have already turned the shortcut into a dirt path.
- Don’t leave toilet paper anywhere but a toilet or trash bin!
- Don’t try to reserve a bed for another pilgrim who isn’t already present unless he/she needs you to translate. If they haven’t arrived, they might not.
- Don’t put compeed on blisters. It’s designed to prevent them by reducing rubbing. Put on afterward, it may rip them open when you remove it.

Sorry, but your wrong about Compeed. It is absolutely meant to be used on blisters, just make sure they are 'open'. (At least, that's what Copeed's website says . . ) I've used and seen them used successfully in this way on many Caminos)
It is not designed to be used as a preventative (we've got medical grade tape, lambs wool, etc etc for that)

 

[Delphinoula]

since don’ts never work…
be the one you would like to encounter
be like your own favorite guest
be the one who shares a smile a kind word
be the one who leaves the world a little bit better
be the one you like walking through your garden
be that friend when he is needed
be the caler in the desert
see it is easy don’t be afraid

 

[VeganCamino]

Talking to someone who was planning to walk a Camino the other day and the topic came up , what definitely not to do while cross Spain ? 1- don’t go too far in a day . It’s easy to see on the map where you want to go , but weather , trail conditions , and your health can make it non practical. 2- don’t go past your limits trying to keep up with other pilgrims , they may be cool & fun but don’t ruin your day & next day. Clint Eastwood “a man’s gotta’ know his limitations “. 3 - make sure you eat & drink enough. Eat even power bars during the day if you don’t find a cafe and drink water every hour even if you’re not thirsty . any other ideas out there? Oh yes don’t get drunk, for lots of reasons—

Don't give up!
Do drink lots of water
Don't litter
Don't stress out about small stuff, and it's all small stuff
Do have fun and make friends and stop to smell the roses

 

[semmab]

Not to do?

Do not overplan!
Do not overpack!
Do not book ahead too far!
Do not expect anything "magic"!
Do not leave anything behind other than footprints!
Do not shout or swear out loud!
Do not mess with cattle, horses or dogs!

YES

Also, if you want to listen to music, get some headphones. Many people come to the Camino for reflection and value the silence.

But most importantly, remember: the tourist expects, the pilgrim gratefully accepts.

 

[semmab]

YES

Also, if you want to listen to music, get some headphones. Many people come to the Camino for reflection and value the silence.

But most importantly, remember: the tourist expects, the pilgrim gratefully accepts.

Oh, and also: hospitaleros lose money and pilgrims lose a bed when you reserve a bed that you don’t show up for. If you’re going to make a reservation, you absolutely should cancel it once you realize you won’t make it. It’s just disrespectful not to let the albergue know.

 

[Perambulating Griffin]

- Don’t put compeed on blisters. It’s designed to prevent them by reducing rubbing. Put on afterward, it may rip them open when you remove it.

Except for this; great list.

Compeed *is not* made for blister prevention. Compeed is a re-purposed colloid dressing (same as used for stoma 'wounds' (that is: open holes generally for drainage out of the body). The colloid protects against abrasion, prevents the wound from growing larger, and keeps it dry while providing cushioning. It *is* meant to be used with a blister that still has its roof but has been drained using a sterile method (preferably a sterile, freshly unwrapped syringe to lance and drain in at least 2 locations of the blister). The dressing goes on over top *immediately* after draining and coating in betadine. To remove the dressing without tearing, soak the edges with rubbing alcohol moistened pads as you go. To prevent from tearing while in use: cover with a larger plaster, or with K-tape, etc.

Source: paramedic I met on the Primitivo; confirmed by friend and her sister-in-law... a nurse and a surgeon, respectively.

 

[eils]

Don’t wake a snoring pilgrim to tell him to sleep on his side because his/her snoring bothers you. Get a private room, or go home. Almost knocked the snot out of someone for pulling that on me.

It's the snorer who should get a private room. Snoring isn't a disease. It's self inflicted (the vast majority of cases, alcohol and excess weight).
And it ruins people's days.
Keeping a dorm of 20+ people awake at night is no joke.
It's sooo obvious to anyone (except the defensive snorer) that it's SNORERS who should feel obliged to get a private room.
They're almost always older and can afford it.
Just because most people won't say anything to you, I can guarantee that people who have spent a sleepless night resent and complain about the snorer all day long (hospitaleros tell me they get lots of people on arrival complaining about snorers from the previous night).

 

[Bill905]

- Do not forget to bring a small stone to leave at Cruz de Ferro.
- Do not leave any graffiti, anywhere, of any kind
- Do not expect pleasant weather for your entire Camino
- Do not forget to register on-line in advance for your Compostela certificate

 

[Dani7]

It's the snorer who should get a private room. Snoring isn't a disease. It's self inflicted (the vast majority of cases, alcohol and excess weight).
And it ruins people's days.
Keeping a dorm of 20+ people awake at night is no joke.
It's sooo obvious to anyone (except the defensive snorer) that it's SNORERS who should feel obliged to get a private room.
They're almost always older and can afford it.
Just because most people won't say anything to you, I can guarantee that people who have spent a sleepless night resent and complain about the snorer all day long (hospitaleros tell me they get lots of people on arrival complaining about snorers from the previous night).

Wow. You may just have opened a big can of slimy worms voicing this opinion. I usually shy away from voicing mine because I most often don’t feel the need to voice it. In this case however I could not remain silent. Here’s mine: although the camino can be walked alone for those who prefer it (like myself), when I stay in an albergue it is a communal experience, to be shared by all. There will be snoring, and early risers shuffling their bags…there will be music and noise perhaps from festivities outside, it may be cold or too hot inside, there may even be a lack of hot water for our shower. Walking a camino is a shared experience to a degree because we are not alone…we share the path. So for me, what people do awake or not, is none of my business because I am in a community setting and it is up to me to adapt to the environment I’m in…not the other way around. BTW I used Mack’s wax for my earplugs and it drowned out the noise by 90%. Slept soundly.

 

[Tincatinker]

@eils, I guess you are one of those people who think that they don’t snore. You’ve never heard it but that is because you, bless you, were asleep at the time.

I know I snore. I’m also honest enough to admit it, to myself as well as anyone who hasn’t had to listen yet. I’m also one of those people with sufficient personal wealth and recently the inclination to stay in private rooms and my favourite sorts of small Hostales, Pensiones and Paradores. In my younger and more impecunious years I slept in barracks, communal bothies, mountain huts, Refugios, flea ridden Fonda and even Albergue. One thing I never did was tell anyone else what “they” should do. Unless they were under my direct command.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

What kind of unsolicited insights?
Elaborate please....

Coming off duty from the Pilgrim Office and still wearing my blue tee-shirt I got talking with a group of young pilgrims sitting outside the Canadu. One said they had walked with a guy who was on his second Camino and he knew "all the answers".
My response was that I'd walked six Caminos and didn't even know all the questions.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Take photos, but make sure you enjoy the subject first be it a spectacular sunset/sunrise, landscape, architecture or the company of another person.
Photos never really capture the moment as well as being present in the moment and enjoying them.
Trying to capture special moments via a photo without being fully present when these moments occur, are opportunities lost.
Pictures may be better than a thousand words, but being fully present in the moment is priceless and what your best memories are made of.

Exactly.
First Camino and the first day out of SJPP and I saw clouds and eagles flying below me as I looked into the valleys, how can you capture that in a photo?

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Do not forget to stop periodically to look behind you wherever you walk. Those personal pleasures of seeing how far you have come will stay in your memory forever!

But also be humble - don't get too puffed up by your achievements.

“Never measure the height of a mountain until you reach the top. Then you will see how low it was”
Dag Hammarskjöld

 

[eils]

Wow. You may just have opened a big can of slimy worms voicing this opinion. I usually shy away from voicing mine because I most often don’t feel the need to voice it. In this case however I could not remain silent. Here’s mine: although the camino can be walked alone for those who prefer it (like myself), when I stay in an albergue it is a communal experience, to be shared by all. There will be snoring, and early risers shuffling their bags…there will be music and noise perhaps from festivities outside, it may be cold or too hot inside, there may even be a lack of hot water for our shower. Walking a camino is a shared experience to a degree because we are not alone…we share the path. So for me, what people do awake or not, is none of my business because I am in a community setting and it is up to me to adapt to the environment I’m in…not the other way around. BTW I used Mack’s wax for my earplugs and it drowned out the noise by 90%. Slept soundly.

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I have used "Boules Quiès" (brilliant French wax earplugs) for years. Most snorers don't bother me too much (although I know that they bother others a lot but sadly 99% of people say nothing at the time: just later).
But now and again there's someone who snores soooo loudly that boules quiès AND headphones with asmr or music at high volume do not drown them out.
Such a person does NOT have any self-awareness, human decency or "community spirit" whatsoever. Quite evidently. And nothing will change that fact.
Your points SOUND reasonable but you know as well as I do that if someone blew a trumpet or received a loud SMS every 2 seconds, you wouldn't call it "part of a shared experience". Having a snorer in the room is worse than that. So come on!

 

[Dani7]

Your points SOUND reasonable but you know as well as I do that if someone blew a trumpet or received a loud SMS every 2 seconds, you wouldn't call it "part of a shared experience". Having a snorer in the room is worse than that. So come on!

You are right…I would not call a trumpet blowing or a loud SMS every 2 seconds a “shared experience” (never heard trumpets when I was in an albergue). Loud sounds in a dormitory are part of camino life, including snorers. The only thing in my control are two things: how I choose to react to different noises and where I sleep if I can’t tolerate it. We don’t share the same opinion on this subject and that’s ok with me. Opinions are neither right nor wrong… they are simply a point of view that one can agree or disagree with.

 

[Elena peregrina]

At some places, particularly if you arrived late, and had a top bunk, there was simply no where else to put your pack but on your bunk.

If you take a small S hook you can hang your pack off the side of the bunk bed frame. So no need to put it on your bunk mattress. Even better if you also take a large lightweight dry sac you can put your pack into that, roll up the top, hang it from the S hook and it will be very effective in stopping bedbugs from entering/leaving your pack. Also it’s really good to line your pack on rainy days

 

[DaleT]

I’m guessing because 1. it will be dirty or 2. It’s bad luck…not sure which one but I’m banking on the #1 because of all the walking then stopping put the back pack down on the ground, etc…

You also don’t want to transfer any bed bugs from/to your backpack to your next night’s bed

 

[RJM]

It's the snorer who should get a private room. Snoring isn't a disease. It's self inflicted (the vast majority of cases, alcohol and excess weight).
And it ruins people's days.
Keeping a dorm of 20+ people awake at night is no joke.
It's sooo obvious to anyone (except the defensive snorer) that it's SNORERS who should feel obliged to get a private room.
They're almost always older and can afford it.
Just because most people won't say anything to you, I can guarantee that people who have spent a sleepless night resent and complain about the snorer all day long (hospitaleros tell me they get lots of people on arrival complaining about snorers from the previous night).

Because they're older that means they can afford private accommodations every night?
You are not serious with that comment, are you? You still can delete it.

 

[JenCook]

whatever you do, do not snore

Or take a peg or two to distribute

 

[JenCook]

Because they're older that means they can afford private accommodations every night?
You are not serious with that comment, are you? You still can delete it.

You don't have to be overweight, old or drink alcohol to snore I know I'm none of the above, well maybe old, but I have woken myself up with the odd snort because I have hay fever. My point is that snorers often aren't aware that they snore and if a person is super sensitive to noise then perhaps it might be an option for them to book a private room, Bueno Camino

 

[eils]

Because they're older that means they can afford private accommodations every night?
You are not serious with that comment, are you? You still can delete it.

Have you read the post that I'm replying to that says people who can't sleep due to loud snorers (i.e anyone with ears) should "go home"????
I guess that's ok because of the usual forum "rule" that "if it's someone in our cool club/a veteran member/a donating member then they can be as rude/ungracious/discourteous as they like" applies?
Go on, tell them to delete that comment because it's completely out of order and RUDE by most standards (impartial and objective standards, that is).

(It goes without saying that most people will realize that I didn't mean EVERY older or retired person is well-off).

 

[JustOneGuy]

Just to say, I remember one night in a YHA hostel in New Zealand. There were 4 people in the room. At some point, I heard a girl's voice screaming "STOP SNORING!!! WE CAN'T SLEEP!!!".

To this day I wondered if it was me or someone else of the remaining two, but I spent the rest of the night staring into the darkness above my bed. TERRORED and ASHAMED.

But I know now: I was 31, my salary was about 900,000 Italian lire a month (about 500 euros now), and I didn't drink. So, it wasn't definitively me!

Thanks for claryfing!

 

[C clearly]

Have you read the post that I'm replying to that says people who can't sleep due to loud snorers (i.e anyone with ears) should "go home"???? I guess that's ok because of the usual forum "rule" that "if it's someone in our cool club/a veteran member/a donating member then they can be as rude/ungracious/discourteous as they like" applies?

You have been a member since 2007, so you are a veteran member, too. I have read the post that you were replying to, as well as all your other vehement posts about snoring. That is an issue that definitely will not be resolved on the forum, so perhaps it is best to put it to rest.

Most of us are many years past the expiry date for "cool club" membership. We do have members with personalities that are sometimes abrasive, puzzling, rambling, reactive to pet peeves, or just weird. You and I have our moments, too! We usually get to know and tolerate people as we see various sides of their personalities.

Moderators prefer not to delete posts and we certainly don't like to ban people - even those we might dislike at times. It always requires a delicate balance - Should we delete a slightly rude or eccentric post, should we let it pass and hope that other members will provide reasonable pushback so lessons can be learned, or should we let it pass and hope that it disappears into obscurity? It is very hard to predict!

 

[peregrina2000]

I don’t like to delete posts and I don’t like to close threads, but when we get to the point that a few members are dug into a debate about snorers, I think it’s time to close. This is a topic that will never ever be resolved, so you might as well just pick your opinion, stick to it, and realize that you will never convince the other side that you are right, so why beat it to death.

And since we have more than 100 posts giving suggestions of what to tell a pilgrim not to do, I think the OP has more than enough advice for any poor new pilgrim who happens to be on the receiving end of all this advice.