Greetings from the Way!

[sweetlee213]

I am now in Roncevalles and I already have learned quite a few lessons on this journey. I have asthma and I did a lot of panicky last minute addons to my rucksack. That turned into a hellish first day of walking. I had to stop constantly to reach for my inhaler. I made it to Orisson, but I decided to take a taxi to Roncevalles.

Doing so made me nervous because there seems to be a dislike for using taxis and pilgrims who choose to hop in one seem to get looked down upon. You will get tons of advice from well meaning people before, during, and maybe even after your camino. The bottom line though is it is YOUR camino and you travel it as you see fit. The only disappointment you need to worry about is your own.

I knew I could not physically finish the Pyrenees, so I only had half a hell day. Half a hell day plus 500 miles is nothing to sneeze at. Also if your bagpack is too heavy, send items ahead of you. It´s only 8 euro and worth not having a sore back. I also strongly urge anyone who hasn´t left yet, to practice walking with the full weight of your rucksack with EVERYTHING in it, including sleeping bags. You´ll be glad you did. Also I know it´s July, but it is VERY cold today. Long pants(convertaible) At least one long sleeve shirt and a jacket of sweater.

Buen Camino,

Laura-Lee

 

[JohnnieWalker]

I had to stop constantly to reach for my inhaler. I made it to Orisson, but I decided to take a taxi to Roncevalles. Doing so made me nervous because there seems to be a dislike for using taxis and pilgrims who choose to hop in one seem to get looked down upon. Laura-Lee

I really dislike the habit some pilgrims have of sticking their noses into other people's caminos. Well done on getting started. If you can lighten your pack then you should do so if you can. But above all your health comes first - listen to your body, stop walking if you need to, rest, take a bus, take a taxi...whatever. In these first days take your time - stamina will grow. There is no point in becoming sick and having to give up or in turning what should be a joyfilled journey into a nightmare.

Buen camino!

John

 

[robertt]

Laura-Lee, enjoy the taxi rides! You're paying for them. And when you walk, enjoy that. Who wants an asthmatic to have a bad attack just to maintain some kind of imaginary authenticity? Anyone determined to be authentic can walk down the worst street in the world and get attacked by dogs and bandits. That would be authentic.

Stay dry, stay warm...but don't try to go as slow as me. That brings out my competitive streak.

Buen camino

Rob

 

[SabsP]

Laura-Lee,

Enjoy your walk, bustrip, with or without backpack. Take it easy and above all again : enjoy!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Last year I walked regularly with a one-legged Mexican-American, Luis. He carried only a hydration pack for fairly obvious reasons. Part of his changing entourage were two young, fit women. One day after Astorga they decided to send their packs ahead with Luis'. They never carried a pack again!

A good Camino lesson that works well in life is to ignore what others think. Don't be antisocial about it; just don't take their opinions to heart. Extract the useful information, though. Not everything that others think about you is wrong -- just the judgmental stuff.

 

[tpmchugh]

Same thing happened to my son back in March but he made it all the way after his awful first day. So you paid a taxi driver for help. They say no one completes the Camino without help so do as my son did. Lighten the backpack by posting non essentials ahead to Santiago. I dont have the address but if my son found it anyone can
Buen Camino

 

[MCVet]

Yah the mornings are freezing cold. Had to buy a new pair of pants with the zipper legs because my cargo shorts weren't cutting it. Also bought a 1 euro pair of garden gloves at a bazar because my hands were absolutely numb on some mornings. And as you said, this is in June and July. I hope I never do a winter Camino!

 

[rubyslippers]

Yah the mornings are freezing cold. Had to buy a new pair of pants with the zipper legs because my cargo shorts weren't cutting it. Also bought a 1 euro pair of garden gloves at a bazar because my hands were absolutely numb on some mornings. And as you said, this is in June and July. I hope I never do a winter Camino!

for any of you who haven't started the Camino yet, try either a ski glove liner or a biking glove. your hiking poles can make blister/welts on your thumb. don't want anything heavy. If you are older or have an issue with hands that swell when you exercise you might want to consider a light weight,compression glove like you use after hand or wrist surgery. I use the latter and love them. Even when I just walk for a short distance they make all the difference.

 

[rubyslippers]

I am now in Roncevalles and I already have learned quite a few lessons on this journey. I have asthma and I did a lot of panicky last minute addons to my rucksack. That turned into a hellish first day of walking. I had to stop constantly to reach for my inhaler. I made it to Orisson, but I decided to take a taxi to Roncevalles.

Doing so made me nervous because there seems to be a dislike for using taxis and pilgrims who choose to hop in one seem to get looked down upon. You will get tons of advice from well meaning people before, during, and maybe even after your camino. The bottom line though is it is YOUR camino and you travel it as you see fit. The only disappointment you need to worry about is your own.

I knew I could not physically finish the Pyrenees, so I only had half a hell day. Half a hell day plus 500 miles is nothing to sneeze at. Also if your bagpack is too heavy, send items ahead of you. It´s only 8 euro and worth not having a sore back. I also strongly urge anyone who hasn´t left yet, to practice walking with the full weight of your rucksack with EVERYTHING in it, including sleeping bags. You´ll be glad you did. Also I know it´s July, but it is VERY cold today. Long pants(convertaible) At least one long sleeve shirt and a jacket of sweater.

Buen Camino,

Laura-Lee

Love seeing your progress and reading the responses! The Camino is a personal journey even when you travel in a group. It's about what ever you want it to be about. :lol: I just mean, do it your way and enjoy. I took taxis twice and a bus once and a train once. No big deal. Love Spain and loved my Camino. You enjoy and Buen Camino!

 

[Anakasha]

Laura-Lee,

I'm doing my Camino in late Sept./Oct and I have every intention of sending my pack by taxi for the first couple of days. I have had 5 knee surgeries and I'm not ruining or not finishing my Camino by worrying what other people think about my travel plans. As I have read over and over again on this forum "It's your Camino do it your way.". The most important thing is that you have a good time and get out of it what you planned to get out of it.

One of my friends who also has asthma said the first day was super hard for him because of the altitude, and he ended up staying in Orrisson because he couldn't go any further. Once he got down the mountain he said it was smooth sailing.

Good luck with your Camino have a good time.

 

[JAMC]

Thank you for this information Laura-Lee. I'm setting off in 5 days time and intended to make it my Camino, I will do it my way! Bus if I need to (especially around Pamplona as I'm due to be there at the same time as running with the bulls festival!!!) But it does amaze me how many people can be so negative with their comments. Twice this week I have had two seperate people say horrid things to me.... when I told one chap I had managed to get my bag weight down to 3.6kg he said that was way way too heavy and I needed to reconsider this, but shouldn't use a back courier either as this was considered 'cheating'... :roll: is it an exam??? The other lady when finding out what I'm about to do recoiled in horror and told me that it was very very dangerous for a married woman to walk alone in northern Spain and that I needed to be extra careful and that she would worry about me :evil: :evil: Had she walked it? knew anyone who had had a bad experiences? No, she'd just heard stories..... I'm going on Wednesday, do I really need to hear these things? No.... My mother used to say, if I couldn't say anything nice I shouldn't say anything at all.... obviously their mothers didn't have the same advice for them :?

Thank you also for the advice on the cold weather - it is wet and cold in the UK and I'm desperate for warmer climates and have only packed light summer clothes with one zip up jacket, short sleeve top, 1 zip off pants, no rain jacket and only a sleeping liner - with the intention of buying what I need IF I need it...I do have a light sarong which can double as a scarf.... maybe I need to throw in a long sleeve top and a light pair of gloves???

Buen Camino

 

[Tia Valeria]

Hola JAMC,
Good to see you have zip-offs and have worked at making your pack manageable for you. I presume that the clothes mentioned are in your pack and you are wearing another set. I found that long sleeved shirts served me better than short, warmth or sun protection, and I could roll the sleeves up if it suited. I also had 2 fleeces so I could layer them if needed, but that was May.
I had a pair of silk gloves and was very glad of them. They weigh very little and most camping shops have them.
Two suggestions:-
If you don't want to take a poncho or jacket you could carry a large plastic bin liner for real emergency use.
Also make sure that your pack has its own cover so that its contents stay dry and the pack itself doesn't get wet. A wet pack weighs more than the cover will do.
Buen Camino

 

[JAMC]

Hi Tia,

My pack has a built in waterproof cover in a secret hideaway in the bottom of it - very handy! I am also contemplating picking up an emergency poncho in the local supermarket here, very lightweight polybag effort... as a just in case... I am wearing one set of clothes, have one fleece too but that's it - may throw in a long sleeved shirt and some silk gloves now :| I have a lightweight vest and shorts set as PJ's which I could wear as a base layer if its really really cold...!

Anything else I feel I need I will buy along the way...

 

[rubyslippers]

Thank you for this information Laura-Lee. I'm setting off in 5 days time and intended to make it my Camino, I will do it my way! Bus if I need to (especially around Pamplona as I'm due to be there at the same time as running with the bulls festival!!!) But it does amaze me how many people can be so negative with their comments. Twice this week I have had two seperate people say horrid things to me.... when I told one chap I had managed to get my bag weight down to 3.6kg he said that was way way too heavy and I needed to reconsider this, but shouldn't use a back courier either as this was considered 'cheating'... :roll: is it an exam??? The other lady when finding out what I'm about to do recoiled in horror and told me that it was very very dangerous for a married woman to walk alone in northern Spain and that I needed to be extra careful and that she would worry about me :evil: :evil: Had she walked it? knew anyone who had had a bad experiences? No, she'd just heard stories..... I'm going on Wednesday, do I really need to hear these things? No.... My mother used to say, if I couldn't say anything nice I shouldn't say anything at all.... obviously their mothers didn't have the same advice for them :?

Thank you also for the advice on the cold weather - it is wet and cold in the UK and I'm desperate for warmer climates and have only packed light summer clothes with one zip up jacket, short sleeve top, 1 zip off pants, no rain jacket and only a sleeping liner - with the intention of buying what I need IF I need it...I do have a light sarong which can double as a scarf.... maybe I need to throw in a long sleeve top and a light pair of gloves???

Buen Camino

I've been noticing that those walking the Camino at this time are mentioning such cold. It wasn't that way for me when I hiked in May of '08 and even then I had moments of wishing I had not sent home my fleece jacket. I'm guessing you should have one layer to keep you warm if it's cold including a glove. (I would say light weight though). I hiked the Frances route, but was surprised that there were very few places to buy what you need. I got all the way to Burgos before I found a decent hiking store. I also never felt threatened on my entire hike. I also have traveled extensively with my job and I learned early on to blend in and be inconspicuous in your actions and words. I didn't take any bling with me and kept my valuables on my person. Good luck my friend and buen Camino!

 

[Vehelani]

Laura Lee,

Thanks for the warnings about the critics and judges. I am glad you are doing your camino your way. Keep going! You're my insiration!
Buen camino!
Vehelani

 

[catherinemccoy]

Thanks so much for your post Laura Lee! I walked in Sept of last year and have a chronic lung disease. I was slower than everyone going up the hills and also got told i was cheating when i sent my bag ahead at O'Cebreiro. I think everyday about walking the Camino again and then wonder if I would really be able to. It makes me happy to read this more open-minded viewpoint.

 

[sweetlee213]

Home again, home again, jiggity jig. So I've returned home from the Camino. I made it half way and messed up my achilles tendon. 73 euro doctor visit and two rest days later I realized I was running way low on money, so I made the decision to go home. There were other issues that contributed to my decision to go home, but I don't regret the choice I made or my decision to go. I met tons of wonderful people along the way, I have an invitation to visit one of them next summer for a feet free poolside vacation!
I cried twice, once when I realized some personal issues had only been hiding under the surface and not gone as I'd thought before, the next time, I think I was just overwhelmed physically and emotionally. There are many days when your physical body gives out and you make it to the next town by the grace of God and sheer mental will.
I don't think the Camino is about finishing or reaching Santiago as it was in days of old. I believe you walk until you've gained as much from the Camino as you are mentally ready to take. I've seen a few people go home early because they mentally weren't ready for the Camino and that sometimes led to physical injury.
I learned a lot on the Camino and should I choose to return to finish the walk, I will go into it with a lot more workable knowledge. You can plan plan and plan your Camino some more, but once you get there, you are thrown curve-balls, you experience things you never planned for, and just as in life you need to roll with the punches and you need to learn how to adapt.
Buen Camino!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I will go into it with a lot more workable knowledge. You can plan plan and plan your Camino some more, but once you get there, you are thrown curve-balls, you experience things you never planned for, and just as in life you need to roll with the punches and you need to learn how to adapt.

All the reading in the world is not the same as doing it! Congratulations on your achievement. Buen camino.

 

[anniethenurse]

Well done Laura- Lee and congratulations!

 

[rubyslippers]

Sweetlee213 - Thanks so much for letting us know how you are doing. I'm so glad you got back to us. I'm getting ready to do my second and you are correct. You have a whole new perspective on future Caminos. We all have things to gain and things we need to lay down on the Camino. <3

 

[JillHives]

I cried twice, once when I realized some personal issues had only been hiding under the surface and not gone as I'd thought before, the next time, I think I was just overwhelmed physically and emotionally. There are many days when your physical body gives out and you make it to the next town by sheer mental will.

I am glad you enjoyed your experiences. The quote above oddly makes me more excited to start mine next month. I want to be pushed to my limits and test my own strengths mentally and physically.