I'm finally back in Singapore. I started on 21st Aug and got to Santiago on 24th Sept so I finished in exactly 35 days. It was challenging but I don't regret it and time permitting, I'd do the
Camino Frances again. I feel I only really enjoyed the Camino experience for about a week because I spent the first 2.5 weeks adjusting and fixing various problems and then at the end you hit Sarria and the crowds (boo).
Here are some tips I have for future pilgrims with autism or ADHD:
Accomodation
- Walk during shoulder season when albergues are still open but it's not too crowded.
- As much as possible, stay off stage
- Book your albergue at least 1 day in advance so you have more options to choose from. When making a reservation, ask how many beds are there in a room and carefully scrutinise any photos available online. My comfort limit was 6 beds in 1 room.
- Avoid all municipal albergues and donativos. Skip Roncesvalles if you can.
- If you can afford private accomodation the whole way, do it.
The walk itself
- Start walking early (<7am) so you can have some peace and quiet.
- Bring an eyemask for sleeping.
- Bring noise cancelling earbuds, noise cancelling headphones AND earplugs.
I wore both noise cancelling headphones and earplugs and they were effective against some snorers so they saved me a night's sleep here and there.
The headphones don't feel secure when you're going up or down a mountain so wear the earbuds instead.
Wear something while walking along the road.
Headphones might feel too heavy when worn for extended periods so swap them out with the earbuds.
- Do your own thing. Don't feel obliged to socialise or follow other people's schedules.
I travelled with a group I met along the way and it was a really really bad decision because they only slept for 8 hours per night while I needed 9 hours so I wasted a whole week becoming increasingly sleep deprived/grumpy/depressed before I realised what was going on and finally left.
- Embrace being bored. This is especially for people with ADHD for which feeling bored = being in pain. It hurt and it sucked and I avoided it for a few days by listening to audiobooks then I decided to just ride out the experience of being bored and it was horrible but didn't kill me and now my brain has learnt to entertain itself and it's wonderful.
- Take note of stuff that annoys you and fix it asap. Shell clicking against your plastic zip and making a noise when you walk? Tie it somewhere else or put it inside your bag. Pants too itchy? Get new ones. There's no virtue to suffering needlessly.
- The food. I was okay with eating the food available but if you are particular about food, you'll have to plan in advance. That said, I had indigestion the whole way because my body wasn't used to the incessant potatoes/ bread.
- Develop a routine. This will make you feel more comfortable. Every day I'd get up, walk, get to the albergue early, have lunch, shower, do laundry, plan my route/book the next bed, journal/relax/walk around town/socialise, have dinner then go to bed.
- Remember to rest. I tried to not walk or only walk to the next town on Sundays. This ensured I stayed off stage and away from the crowds.
- Complete the Sarria to Santiago section as fast as possible. It was SO crowded.
Buen Camino!