bendywendy
New Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Camino Francis ( April 2013)
Camino del Norte (Sept 2014)
My husband and I travelled from Australia to Spain middle of September this year (2014). It was to be six weeks of glorious walking from Irun to Santiago on the Norte route. I knew about bedbugs but we hadn't come across them last March-April when we walked the Camino Francis, so wasn't expecting to become one of the 'chosen' when we came back to walk the coast.
First two weeks were great, dealing with the steep ups and downs and despite a few knee issues, getting into our stride. Then, one morning, after a stay in a pension in Guernica, a couple of small raised lumps on my neck. 'Whats that?' I thought, not suspecting. Shortly after my husband pointed to further line of small lumps developing on my face. By mid-afternoon, they were blistering, red, itchy and inflamed. 'Ahhh,' I realised that I had been bitten by dreaded bedbugs. What followed were two night nights of excruciating itch, practicing unnatural restraint in not going at my skin with nails and ripping the blisters open. My reaction to the bites is clearly of the more severe variety. However, in the morning I realise that despite the itch and lack of sleep I can still walk. Perhaps it's good, I philosophise, a lesson facing fears in order to overcome them.
Next day, we walked into Bilbou checking into the big Youth Hostel on the hill where we could access hot washer and dryers, and I could regain my composure. I was wondering how people would react when they saw my clearly swollen and wounded face. However, on explaining my experience to fellow pilgrims, I noted the fear flash across their faces, then sympathy and concern; we were, after all, kind of in this together.
Several more days and no problems then... some more bites. My goodness, this is not fair! Is it that my gear not sufficiently de-infested, or was it bunk I just slept in? I can never know. We enter another small coastal town and begin another round of washing. But this time the Albergue manager doesn't speak English and my Spanish is pathetic, so I mime that I need to do a big load of washing and drying, I also mime it needs to be 'hot'. He return mimes 'no worries, can do'. He takes our big bag of washing, washes it and hangs it all on the line as the sun is sinking over the horizon. It’s clearly not the hot drier treatment I desperately wanted. There is nothing more that can be done on this night. We wash, rest and walk on the next day.
A good run for a couple more days. Then a couple of new bites appear on my fingers (they are strange, lumpy and hard and making my palms itch and swelling the joints). Followed by a couple bites more next day. A Farmacia recommends a poison sold for treating nits containing Malathion plus Permethrin – ‘Para PLUS’. We add the poison to process: everything in a garbage bag and give them a blast. Leave for couple of hours for poison to infiltrate. Hope this is the killer app, the ultimate solution. By now I'm starting to fear the nights. Wondering if the bunk I'm about to lie myself down on will provide rest, or make me an insect's dinner.
It happened once more. By the time we got to Comillas I had had a more bad attack: blisters, welts and itch like nothing else. This time add dry cleaning of backpacks and sleeping bags to the arsenal. It takes two days to complete process. It’s the third de-infestation in ten days. I'm confident we are clear again, but am concerned that it won’t be long before we encounter them again and the hard work will be undone. Note: my husband had a couple of bites only, like mosquito bites, didn't worry him at all. We learn that the Albergue in Comillas is closed for de-infestation and we hear that the one in the next town is too. It's clearly a big issue.
We discuss the problem with group of fellow pilgrims over a beer in the plaza, most of them say they have not encountered bedbugs, then someone rolls up their sleeves to reveal a couple of what they think might be 'mosquito' bites. I inspect and suspect they have also encountered bedbugs, especially when in cluster - breakfast, lunch and dinner. Overall, it seems that only some people (like me) will be affected badly. Most will go untouched or, if bitten, it’s a minor irritation. Its clear that many complete their Camino without a bedbug issue.
As for me, the situation had become untenable. I could not face another infestation and felt sure that one could not be avoided. My husband and decided that it would be best to go home. I was disappointed to leave half way through our planned camino (better than none at all!), but relieved to be leave the bedbug situation behind me. At the same time, I have many good memories of the people, places and times experienced. And am reminded that things don't always turn out the way we plan.
First two weeks were great, dealing with the steep ups and downs and despite a few knee issues, getting into our stride. Then, one morning, after a stay in a pension in Guernica, a couple of small raised lumps on my neck. 'Whats that?' I thought, not suspecting. Shortly after my husband pointed to further line of small lumps developing on my face. By mid-afternoon, they were blistering, red, itchy and inflamed. 'Ahhh,' I realised that I had been bitten by dreaded bedbugs. What followed were two night nights of excruciating itch, practicing unnatural restraint in not going at my skin with nails and ripping the blisters open. My reaction to the bites is clearly of the more severe variety. However, in the morning I realise that despite the itch and lack of sleep I can still walk. Perhaps it's good, I philosophise, a lesson facing fears in order to overcome them.
Next day, we walked into Bilbou checking into the big Youth Hostel on the hill where we could access hot washer and dryers, and I could regain my composure. I was wondering how people would react when they saw my clearly swollen and wounded face. However, on explaining my experience to fellow pilgrims, I noted the fear flash across their faces, then sympathy and concern; we were, after all, kind of in this together.
Several more days and no problems then... some more bites. My goodness, this is not fair! Is it that my gear not sufficiently de-infested, or was it bunk I just slept in? I can never know. We enter another small coastal town and begin another round of washing. But this time the Albergue manager doesn't speak English and my Spanish is pathetic, so I mime that I need to do a big load of washing and drying, I also mime it needs to be 'hot'. He return mimes 'no worries, can do'. He takes our big bag of washing, washes it and hangs it all on the line as the sun is sinking over the horizon. It’s clearly not the hot drier treatment I desperately wanted. There is nothing more that can be done on this night. We wash, rest and walk on the next day.
A good run for a couple more days. Then a couple of new bites appear on my fingers (they are strange, lumpy and hard and making my palms itch and swelling the joints). Followed by a couple bites more next day. A Farmacia recommends a poison sold for treating nits containing Malathion plus Permethrin – ‘Para PLUS’. We add the poison to process: everything in a garbage bag and give them a blast. Leave for couple of hours for poison to infiltrate. Hope this is the killer app, the ultimate solution. By now I'm starting to fear the nights. Wondering if the bunk I'm about to lie myself down on will provide rest, or make me an insect's dinner.
It happened once more. By the time we got to Comillas I had had a more bad attack: blisters, welts and itch like nothing else. This time add dry cleaning of backpacks and sleeping bags to the arsenal. It takes two days to complete process. It’s the third de-infestation in ten days. I'm confident we are clear again, but am concerned that it won’t be long before we encounter them again and the hard work will be undone. Note: my husband had a couple of bites only, like mosquito bites, didn't worry him at all. We learn that the Albergue in Comillas is closed for de-infestation and we hear that the one in the next town is too. It's clearly a big issue.
We discuss the problem with group of fellow pilgrims over a beer in the plaza, most of them say they have not encountered bedbugs, then someone rolls up their sleeves to reveal a couple of what they think might be 'mosquito' bites. I inspect and suspect they have also encountered bedbugs, especially when in cluster - breakfast, lunch and dinner. Overall, it seems that only some people (like me) will be affected badly. Most will go untouched or, if bitten, it’s a minor irritation. Its clear that many complete their Camino without a bedbug issue.
As for me, the situation had become untenable. I could not face another infestation and felt sure that one could not be avoided. My husband and decided that it would be best to go home. I was disappointed to leave half way through our planned camino (better than none at all!), but relieved to be leave the bedbug situation behind me. At the same time, I have many good memories of the people, places and times experienced. And am reminded that things don't always turn out the way we plan.
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