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Hi fellow 'grinos
Albergues are a god send. They’re affordabe, a great place to meet people after a lonely day on the road and often come to our rescue when we’re running on empty. But! Yes sadly there’s a “but”! A minority of pilgrims use them and abuse them. Speaking from experience, here’s some do’s and don’ts I thought of to help make life in the albergues as harmonious as possible.
Do…
Clear up after yourself. If you’re making food in the kitchen wash and dry up. If you’re putting on your blister plasters, put the packets and used ones in the bin. If your socks have turned toxic and need to go into quarantine, put them in a place where they won’t sting the nostrils of fellow ‘grinos. You get the picture: leave the place the same if not better than you found it.
Don’t…
Cut your toenails in the dorms. I’ve seen people do it. If you see people too, put the cuttings in their sleeping bag and hopefully they’ll think again
Do
Leave boots in a designated area. It helps keep the dorms clean, saves space and one less whiff in a malodourous cocktail of sweaty stink already lingering.
Don’t
Play music or watch videos on your phone at full volume. Be considerate. For some people the camino is a bucket list item. They’re there to disconnect, rest and re-charge body and mind. Bring some earphones, turn down the brightness on the screen (the blue light is terrible for your sleep quality by the way) and play at a volume that won’t disturb others. Best case scenario keep it switched off and use only in emergencies.
Do
Plan the next day. Use your guidebook. Where can you buy some food supplies or eat? Where will you fill your water supply? How far until your next stop? That way you leap out of bed in the morning like a frog off a lily pad and hit the ground running.
Don’t
Leave your alarm on snooze. Chances are you’re sharing a hall/dorm/room with other people and they might want to sleep a little longer without being woken up on the wrong side of the bed by Smack My Bitch Up by The Prodigy. Get up or set the alarm for another time. Before someone throws it out the window!
Do
Pack earplugs and a blindfold to shield ears and eyes from snorers and torch wielders respectively.
Don’t
Shower dodge. By all means grow a beard, a moustache and let your hair take its own pilgrimage to the wild side. But please wash. There’s nothing worse than choking on the beefy body odour and vinegary feet of a fellow ‘grino.
Do
Do leave behind stuff that could come in handy for fellow ‘grinos instead of throwing it away. Your blisters cleared up and don’t want to carry the weight of disinfectant, plasters and gauzes? It may well serve someone else. You done with that book, map or info sheet? Pass it on! One man’s trash is another man’s treasure
Don’t
Dry your wet/sweaty clothes on the bunk bed frames. Saw this on many occasions on my last Portuguese Camino and had someone’s jumper dripping on my bottom bunk. Hang them up outside and make more friends not the dorms more smelly)
¡Buen Camino!
[ivar edited the post to include the post that is linked below]
https://caminosantiagoblogcom.wordpress.com/author/theonlywayiswest/
Albergues are a god send. They’re affordabe, a great place to meet people after a lonely day on the road and often come to our rescue when we’re running on empty. But! Yes sadly there’s a “but”! A minority of pilgrims use them and abuse them. Speaking from experience, here’s some do’s and don’ts I thought of to help make life in the albergues as harmonious as possible.
Do…
Clear up after yourself. If you’re making food in the kitchen wash and dry up. If you’re putting on your blister plasters, put the packets and used ones in the bin. If your socks have turned toxic and need to go into quarantine, put them in a place where they won’t sting the nostrils of fellow ‘grinos. You get the picture: leave the place the same if not better than you found it.
Don’t…
Cut your toenails in the dorms. I’ve seen people do it. If you see people too, put the cuttings in their sleeping bag and hopefully they’ll think again
Do
Leave boots in a designated area. It helps keep the dorms clean, saves space and one less whiff in a malodourous cocktail of sweaty stink already lingering.
Don’t
Play music or watch videos on your phone at full volume. Be considerate. For some people the camino is a bucket list item. They’re there to disconnect, rest and re-charge body and mind. Bring some earphones, turn down the brightness on the screen (the blue light is terrible for your sleep quality by the way) and play at a volume that won’t disturb others. Best case scenario keep it switched off and use only in emergencies.
Do
Plan the next day. Use your guidebook. Where can you buy some food supplies or eat? Where will you fill your water supply? How far until your next stop? That way you leap out of bed in the morning like a frog off a lily pad and hit the ground running.
Don’t
Leave your alarm on snooze. Chances are you’re sharing a hall/dorm/room with other people and they might want to sleep a little longer without being woken up on the wrong side of the bed by Smack My Bitch Up by The Prodigy. Get up or set the alarm for another time. Before someone throws it out the window!
Do
Pack earplugs and a blindfold to shield ears and eyes from snorers and torch wielders respectively.
Don’t
Shower dodge. By all means grow a beard, a moustache and let your hair take its own pilgrimage to the wild side. But please wash. There’s nothing worse than choking on the beefy body odour and vinegary feet of a fellow ‘grino.
Do
Do leave behind stuff that could come in handy for fellow ‘grinos instead of throwing it away. Your blisters cleared up and don’t want to carry the weight of disinfectant, plasters and gauzes? It may well serve someone else. You done with that book, map or info sheet? Pass it on! One man’s trash is another man’s treasure
Don’t
Dry your wet/sweaty clothes on the bunk bed frames. Saw this on many occasions on my last Portuguese Camino and had someone’s jumper dripping on my bottom bunk. Hang them up outside and make more friends not the dorms more smelly
)¡Buen Camino!
[ivar edited the post to include the post that is linked below]
https://caminosantiagoblogcom.wordpress.com/author/theonlywayiswest/
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