Staying Connected or Not?

[bozisuk]

I'll be walking my first Camino next spring and am wondering what people's thoughts are on being connected to home throughout the Camino. I'm leaning towards trying to limit my connections, but have definitely not made any decisions yet. One friend who recently walked recommended taking an iPod Touch for photos and for uploading pictures to Fbook etc. Any thoughts on your own experiences?

Thanks!

 

[jirit]

It is really a personal choice.

I myself have carried an iPad and use this to stay connected but at times I would rather not be so connected.
Some need to be connected due to family, business or social reasons. But if you don't need to be, it is great opportunity to break free of your everyday life for at least a short while.

 

[whariwharangi]

I'll be walking my first Camino next spring and am wondering what people's thoughts are on being connected to home throughout the Camino. I'm leaning towards trying to limit my connections, but have definitely not made any decisions yet. One friend who recently walked recommended taking an iPod Touch for photos and for uploading pictures to Fbook etc. Any thoughts on your own experiences?

Thanks!

I would suggest that you go into an experience of walking on the land without distractions. How can you properly contemplate the issues tugging at your soul for attention on a rainy day on the meseta if you have a cell phone connecting you to another plane?

As for photos and blogs: do it only if it gives you pleasure. Don't do it solely to please others. There are many fine pictures posted under the media tab on this site. There are millions of camino pictures online if you go looking; yours likely won't add anything from a technical point of view.

Besides which you'll want your pack as light as possible.

 

[MKalcolm M]

I walked the Norte last year completely unplugged, no technology at all, not even a watch. It was great. About once a week I would use a computer at an alberge to email home and post on Facebook and this allowed for enough contact to know all was well with my family and to let people know I was doing OK. For the first time in years it allowed me to be in the moment with my thoughts and impressions and this really added to my experience on the camino. I doubt I will ever take a mobile on the camino again.

 

[wayfarer]

I, on the other hand have to stay connected with home because of a medical condition. My wife would worry herself sick if she didn't hear from me daily. Even when there is not any WIFI I text to let her know where I am and how the day went, but mainly I love to share the daily experience with her so she can follow progress from home. The beautiful experience of the Camino should be shared IMO.

 

[mspath]

During my first caminos my husband and I communicated when necessary by land-line telephone; since 2008 I have carried a smartphone which also serves as a camera and computer on which I write my blog. Since we both are in our 70's whilst apart we text each other good morning, briefly cite our daily plans, and text again at day's end. Simple, swift and efficacious this helps keep us in the other's loop.

On several caminos in fog, heavy rain or snow I have come upon solitary pilgrims in DEEP trouble; they needed help FAST. By chance, my phone provided contact with emergency assistance at 112. Thus I repeat "...NEVER walk without a smartphone. Carrying one may help save someone else's life."

 

[Andrew James Doyle]

I'll be walking my first Camino next spring and am wondering what people's thoughts are on being connected to home throughout the Camino. I'm leaning towards trying to limit my connections, but have definitely not made any decisions yet. One friend who recently walked recommended taking an iPod Touch for photos and for uploading pictures to Fbook etc. Any thoughts on your own experiences?

Thanks!

I'm well know for being joined at the hip to my 'two' Blackberry's! But vowed NOT to take anything on Camino! My wife took her phone as we had kids and family at home so couldn't be cut off 100% but found that being totally "Off Grid" was wonderfull! Take a camera to record those views, faces of new friends and experiences but tey being alone form Cyber-world!!!

 

[StuartM]

I think it is a basic common sense safety decision to carry a phone whilst undertaking any walk like this. Whether you call it a pilgrimage or not is irrelevant, it's still just a long walk in often isolated country and basic outdoor advice still applies.

If you carry a phone in practical terms it costs nothing to have extra functionality (email, wifi, blogging, etc). What you do with it is up to you. I've never owned a phone that didnt have an off button.

Personally, I carry a smart phone in flight mode (saves battery and keeps me disconnected but can still take pics or check maps when needed) wherever I am walking.

 

[Stellere]

I brought my smartphone. I like knowing that I can contact the authorities in case of an emergency. My phone was also my camera. I bought an overseas texting package before leaving Canada, so that I could text my husband morning and evening, and my mom every night. This took about 30 seconds per day, and made my trip more enjoyable, since I knew that the people who loved us would worry if we didn't contact them for 6 weeks. I didn't stay in contact with anyone else. Before leaving, I told people to contact my mom or my husband if they wanted any updates.

We met several people on the way writing blogs. If that's how you want to spend your time, go ahead! But the daily blog-writers were always on the hunt for wifi, and had to spend an hour or more every night updating. I wouldn't personally want to be tied to a blog.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

If you carry a phone/device at home, carry it on the Camino for the same reasons. It does have an OFF switch...

 

[Olivares]

Often times it is just irresponsible and inconsiderate not to allow means for the people you left behind (at home) to contact you in case of emergencies, etc...If you don't want to hear from anybody or even know the time of day, turn it OFF. It really is that simple. To also control how and when the ones left behind can get hold of you.....hmmm? Now that is is a tad controlling...

 

[Daxzentzu]

Based on the principle that "you do what you think is best"- it's your camino.

I have weighed up the options too and my decision is to go authentic - without anything - no camera, no phone, no iPod.

I am not ascetic

I just want none of those things in-between me and my camino and the deciding factor for me was the liberation I felt when I stepped away from the need to record everything in my line of sight and letting go of the urge to broadcast my experiences to onlookers.

Dax


Dax
In Pune, (a work in progress)

 

[Tincatinker]

On my first camino I carried my Blackberry, only to discover that the blessed Virgin had placed an international call-bar on it. As the necessary update could only be loaded to the 'berry when connected to a UK network I remained disconnected, apart from occasional wifi, for the whole 7 weeks. I was SO grateful...

 

[koilife]

Firmly in the camp of taking a phone (or smartphone), but using it only in ways that you feel will enhance your pilgrimage. As a safety device for self or to aid others, as @mspath rightly notes above, it's indispensable, even if left off the entire trip because nothing went bad.

If you use a Kindle or Audible instead of physical books (Bible, guidebook, phrasebook, personal reading, etc.), you'll save some weight and have the things you feel will enhance your pilgrimage. There are apps instead of carrying the breviary, if you have the desire or obligation to pray the Office. There are electronic guidebooks, including from our own @wisepilgrim on this forum that integrate with GPS on the smartphone. A good translation app and dictionary was killer for me when trying to communicate at albergues and hostals. MP3 library, camera, blog updates, transferring money, paying bills, etc. It's a long list of possible benefits, but the bottom line is always that we control the on/off switch, and we make the decisions on what to use, when to use it, and how much. Or not.

 

[NualaOC]

From what I saw last year, most people seem to bring a smart phone and many also bring a small tablet (I'm guilty on both counts!). I don't think it's really about what you choose to bring - it's more about the the way in which you will use it. It's handy to be able to keep in touch with family and to know that they can contact you in an emergency. I also find a smartphone/tablet to be a good alternative to papers and books. However, I regularly turned everything off or chose not to connect to wifi, as I figured that every minute spent looking at a gadget was a minute on the Camino that I should have savoured. This was easier than I expected - I'm a bit of a technology junkie at home, but thankfully not so on the Camino.

 

[bozisuk]

Firmly in the camp of taking a phone (or smartphone), but using it only in ways that you feel will enhance your pilgrimage. As a safety device for self or to aid others, as @mspath rightly notes above, it's indispensable, even if left off the entire trip because nothing went bad.

If you use a Kindle or Audible instead of physical books (Bible, guidebook, phrasebook, personal reading, etc.), you'll save some weight and have the things you feel will enhance your pilgrimage. There are apps instead of carrying the breviary, if you have the desire or obligation to pray the Office. There are electronic guidebooks, including from our own @wisepilgrim on this forum that integrate with GPS on the smartphone. A good translation app and dictionary was killer for me when trying to communicate at albergues and hostals. MP3 library, camera, blog updates, transferring money, paying bills, etc. It's a long list of possible benefits, but the bottom line is always that we control the on/off switch, and we make the decisions on what to use, when to use it, and how much. Or not.

Thanks for all the input! I especially like the point about keeping my Bible and Breviary on some type of device. That would save a lot of space.

 

[Olivares]

Based on the principle that "you do what you think is best"- it's your camino.

I have weighed up the options too and my decision is to go authentic - without anything - no camera, no phone, no iPod.

Go authentic? Really? So, you are walking from home?

 

[peregrina2000]

I'm a very low tech person but I always have a cheap Spanish mobile phone with me. And then last year with a medical emergency in my immediate family, I decided to get a smart phone so I could use wifi to connect regularly via Skype. I found that my elderly parents really enjoyed getting to see a little snippet of where I was almost every day, and I felt comfortable being able to see how they were doing. I also have several very young grandchildren and having an occasional live glimpse of them was a real boost.

Having said that, I have no doubt that this technology does produce a lot of the changes others have described. The more time you take away from your camino to focus on home, the less you are in your camino. But for some of us the camino would be impossible (and unappealing) if the only option were to totally disconnect from family for 6 weeks. But last June after the Camino Levante (where I had met two walking companions but never saw any other pilgrims till the Sanabrés), when I walked into the bar area of San Martín Pinario, it was quite a shock -- every single person in that bar, more than 15, was engaged with their phones, not with another human being. It really was a change from the "vibe" I remembered from that area from several years earlier.

As with most things, I suppose, the problem is finding the right balance. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[obinjatoo]

The more things brought, the more things can get lost....
Less is more...

 

[saltwaterpearl]

I can understand needing to stay connected to loved ones at home. And I also get the safety & logistical utility of a basic phone. What I honestly don't understand is the "need" to blog/Facebook everything, or to log into a forum "Live" from the Camino.

When I did my last Camino in 2000, I had a paper guidebook and a basic camera. I used a phone card from a tabac and the occasional internet cafe, maybe weekly, to check in with home. It was liberating.

On our Camino next year, we may take our 7" kindle fire tablet. Skype is a great way to connect to family and we can do a Skype worldwide landline plan to handle occasional logistical matters. And since we'll be in Spain & France for more than 2 months, the weight savings for e-books, guides, backup documents & maps will be nice.

But it will mostly stay "off". I can't imagine disrupting the peace & flow of our pilgrimage with daily frantic searches for wi-fi in order to post pictures of my meals or chat with strangers or blog my every step. Sorry, that just feels awfully narcissistic to me. I sure don't want to walk into every bar or refugio along the way and find only every head buried in tiny screens. I can see already some big differences from how I remember the Camino from 15 years ago!

 

[Heidi67]

I'll be walking my first Camino next spring and am wondering what people's thoughts are on being connected to home throughout the Camino. I'm leaning towards trying to limit my connections, but have definitely not made any decisions yet. One friend who recently walked recommended taking an iPod Touch for photos and for uploading pictures to Fbook etc. Any thoughts on your own experiences?

Thanks!

I'm also walking my first Camino this year, in august, I'm limiting my connections to textmessages to my daughters every night so they'll know I'm still alive... Otherwise my phone will be switched of!

 

[CelWilliams]

I'll be walking my first Camino next spring and am wondering what people's thoughts are on being connected to home throughout the Camino. I'm leaning towards trying to limit my connections, but have definitely not made any decisions yet. One friend who recently walked recommended taking an iPod Touch for photos and for uploading pictures to Fbook etc. Any thoughts on your own experiences?

Thanks!

I brought my IPhone with an Orange SIM card and had a set time for my husband or my elderly parents to call me each night to reassure parties on each end of that phone that everything was fine. We limited the daily call to five minutes. I can't imagine going off the grid for the 35 days I took to walk alone from SJPP in Sept-Oct 2013. Any good feelings I had about my Camino would have been destroyed had I returned home to learn a loved one had died. Not that I could have changed the outcome but I would have felt totally selfish that I had chosen to ignore my real life for the weight of the phone or just wanting to concentrate on the Camino. As a 53-year old woman having that phone was a comfort. If an emergency arose I could be contacted or contact local authorities for help. But, it is YOUR camino. Everyone's circumstances are different. Do what is best for you. I will be walking the Portuguese next year in the spring and my phone and Orange SIM card will be making the trip again.

 

[tploomis]

I had an Android smart phone, which I used to blog and check emails occasionally when wifi was convenient. The phone also had an international sim card for phone calls, but that really was not necessary. In retrospect I wish I had been less connected. There were no "family emergencies" of course, and if there had been, every family member I have is quite capable of handling it without my input. Some people liked to hear from me, but was it actually necessary? I don't think so. Filling people in after the trip would definitely have sufficed. Others, of course, have different needs and different expectations and can plan accordingly.

 

[Dutch]

Used iphone with whatsapp for "talking" with homefront. Wont leave home without it
I use it With or without wifi. Roaming charges for the mb usage of Whatsapp texting in Europe (if you yourself have a european sim) isn't that expensive.
Still, wifi is widely available on the Frances. I found this to be different on the Portugees camino, sadly.

 

[lettinggo]

Hola

This issue has been up a few times and it touches a sensitive choice.
A choice which can only be related to each person individually.
There are numerous reasons why one could be obliged to be instantly reachable or stay in touch with family, work or other matters.
Personally, I left all electronics behind and counted on the facilities on route.
But then again, I didn't know if I was going to be away for a short or a long time.
As it turned out I was away for a very long time and being off-line became a vital part of my experience.
As my handle suggest, I needed to let go of things, and being a pilgrim among other pilgrims, first name only, created a calmness and quietness that makes me want to return to the Caminos in the future.
Unplugging and letting the day be all there was, is what I became attached to.
When I needed to contact my family, I did it at the countless email possibilities at albergues or the like, so it was never a problem for me.
And if I had needed to make a call, most certainly I could have been able to borrow a fellow pilgrims cell phone, or just used a land line in the cities.
Again. This is a personal choice.

Buen Camino
Lettinggo

 

[Dutch]

Its all personal. I must say that, in my experience, most people i met brought ipads, iphone, tablets, e-readers. Only a few wanted to let go of everything, but every few days they got nervous and wanted to check or send emails to amd from family ) and then the hunt for a pc begins.

 

[koilife]

Go authentic? Really? So, you are walking from home?

And carrying one roughspun wool tunic, one wool loincloth, possibly one wool cloak, one gourd for water, one pair leather sandals, one wooden staff, one leather satchel/scrip filled with fervor for the pilgrim's intentions. And nothing else except maybe some moldy bread and cheese.

 

[Kanga]

when I walked into the bar area of San Martín Pinario, it was quite a shock -- every single person in that bar, more than 15, was engaged with their phones, not with another human being. It really was a change from the "vibe" I remembered from that area from several years earlier.

Let us hope it was because the bar had the best/cheapest/only wifi in town so those who specifically wanted to use their smartphones went there.

 

[wayfarer]

Let us hope it was because the bar had the best/cheapest/only wifi in town so those who specifically wanted to use their smartphones went there.

Speaking from experience Kanga, its just about ok, but then again its probably heavily overloaded. Most people I saw there were on skype telling their familys/friends they had arrived safely, and that the WIFI was not great, not realising that they were using up all the bandwith.

 

[StuartM]

I used to quite enjoy finding a bar with wifi for a glass of wine or a beer for an hour at the end of the day to unwind, post some pics, read messages from friends or just do chores like making reservations. It was nice to have some time alone. I used to see a lot of people who would do equally solitary things like sleep, read, etc. You end up spending maybe 70% of your non-walking time with people constantly around you, whether you want company or not.

Personally I dont really see a problem with people who want some time to themselves. Like reading, spending time on a device is very often secondary. The main thing is just relaxing on your own for a while. It is easy for people to view this as others obsessed by technology but they're missing the point. It's no more antisocial than sitting there with a novel or your journal. It's not a person obsessed with technology, it's someone kicking back who just happens to have a phone or tablet with them.

 

[Olivares]

I can't imagine disrupting the peace & flow of our pilgrimage with daily frantic searches for wi-fi in order to post pictures of my meals or chat with strangers or blog my every step.

saltwaterpearl-- I think that you are getting a bit worked out about nothing! The first time I did the Camino was in May 1997 (Leon to Santiago; rain, rain, rain!). Since then, I have walked the Camino every year since 2011 and I never (EVER!) saw anybody (not one!) person frantically looking for wi-fi so that they could post pics, etc...I didn't even seen people talking on cell phones. The issue is bringing means to stay connected or not; nowhere near an issue of disruption while on the trail.

BTW, a medieval pilgrim would have been horrified watching you walking your Camino in the year 2000. Did you sleep in a bed under a roof every night? Did you have at least one meal/day? Well, what a cushy Camino you walked!......according to a medieval pilgrim.

 

[saltwaterpearl]

saltwaterpearl-- I think that you are getting a bit worked out about nothing! The first time I did the Camino was in May 1997 (Leon to Santiago; rain, rain, rain!). Since then, I have walked the Camino every year since 2011 and I never (EVER!) saw anybody (not one!) person frantically looking for wi-fi so that they could post pics, etc...I didn't even seen people talking on cell phones. The issue is bringing means to stay connected or not; nowhere near an issue of disruption while on the trail.

BTW, a medieval pilgrim would have been horrified watching you walking your Camino in the year 2000. Did you sleep in a bed under a roof every night? Did you have at least one meal/day? Well, what a cushy Camino you walked!......according to a medieval pilgrim.

I think you may be projecting a bit, dear, as I'm not the least bit worked up about anything. I just think the whole personal-blogging/Facebook/instagram-my-meal culture is a silly distraction in general life. Why someone would carry that mentality onto an experience like the Camino baffles me a bit. It seems to me to be a rare and wasted opportunity to step outside of daily life and open oneself to something new, unexpected, and perhaps uncomfortable.

I've read a number of live-from-the-Camino blogs this last year, and found a number of them to be fixated on finding good wi-fi so they can post the minutiae of their day to the general public. Some - certainly not all - are quite whiny, complainy, entitled and ungrateful. Whatever. I'm not worked up about it. I feel sorry for them and move on.

I am confused by your strawman comment about Medieval pilgrims?? I never claimed any sort of Camino "purity", nor did I take an anti-technology stance. In fact, I acknowledged the value of staying in touch with loved ones, mentioned the barebones technology I used in 2000, and mused on how I was considering upgrading my 2015 Camino technology to suit my personal, somewhat minimal, needs.

I don't understand what that has to do with sleeping in a bed or eating a meal?

 

[tominrm]

I agree it is a personal choice. When I travel, my family has a copy of my itinerary so in case something happens to me or if they need to contact me, they know where I will be on certain day. In this case, my family may have an idea based on my "projected" walking plan, but that could be way off, just in case they need to contact me.
So this is what I have done, and it worked out very well for me.
I have an iphone and my family has the same. We all downloaded free "Kakao Talk" ( requires both side have the app).
When I arrived in Spain, I got 15 Euro prepaid SIM that is good for 30 days for some data and voice.
Use the iphone for communicating text or voice, but use free wifi as much as possible in order to avoid using pre-paid money. Most albergues have free wifi. Kakao Talk allows voice,text and pics. There is a feature of "sending location" which will send the address of the current location. So everyday when I arrive at my destination for the day, I send "my last known location" to my family. If there is no wifi, you can use prepaid cell phone to send msgs.
I used my iphone and Kakao to send pics, current location, and text. Voice communication is also available.

 

[Magwood]

To answer the original poster, I would advise taking a phone at the very least. Personally, I would not dream of putting myself out of touch with my immediate family. I don't actually use my phone much for keeping in touch with friends so I don't get many, if any calls other than from my daughters and my partner. Because I kept in daily contact with my partner during my recent camino, he felt much more part of the experience and didn't miss me as much as he would otherwise have done. I think it is rather selfish to cut yourself off from those who love and worry about you. Most of us who have partners who stay at home whilst we walk are extremely lucky for the support they give us. I know my partner misses me terribly when I am away, but he has never, even for a moment, done anything but encourage me to follow my heart.

Moving on to other comments on this thread, I don't understand why people who don't have the desire to keep in touch, should wish to belittle or 'feel sorry' for those that do, by whatever means they choose. I started a blog to record my camino Frances last year. I expected my family and maybe a couple of friends to look at it occasionally, but the main reason for writing it was to have a record of my adventure. I have an appalling memory and knew that I would forget all sorts of details if I did not record them on a daily basis. As it happens, I was very surprised and absolutely delighted when I found that not only friends and family were following my progress but also many other people from all over the world were reading and commenting on the blog, giving me encouragement. In turn I have also been told that the blog has inspired people to consider the camino for themselves.

This year I have walked the camino Portuguese, from Lisbon. The stretch from Lisbon to Porto is not very well documented by bloggers, and the majority of those I did find were rather negative and didn't include much useful information. So I have tried hard this year to give details of where I have stayed, what the ambience of the hostels was like, how stages can be split up to be more manageable, and document by words and photos what sort of countryside I have passed through, what the road surfaces are like, how scary it is to walk on and cross some of the roads. It is not at all like a travel guide, just a personal experience of my walk, the amazing and lovely people that I met, and, yes, even a few shots of very good meals I ate along the way.

During my 27 days walking the Portuguese route I received an incredible 26,000 views on the blog, with the most wonderful comments from people from all over the world and close to home, I feel I have a whole new bunch of friends, although I will never meet most of them.

Blogging is a discipline, it is an effort to write an interesting account of your day and upload photos to accompany your story, after walking 30+ km's in the pouring rain, or the blistering sun. I still maintain that I have written it for myself, but if anyone else finds it useful then that pleases me more than I can say. I think I have written a useful personal view of a camino where personal views are few and far between. I admit that I have spent many hours sitting in bars, drinking wine and enjoying tapas whilst I write and upload my blog. But, hey, I am a woman, I can multi-task, I can communicate with others whilst getting on with the job, and even had assistance from one charming Portuguese 6 year old girl who pressed the button for every photo upload one evening.

I don't need anyone to feel sorry for me for choosing to write an informative blog and for allowing my family to contact me if they want to hear my voice. I love them - I don't want to shut them out. I am already experiencing a huge change to my normal daily life by embarking upon a such an amazing adventure and don't feel the need to cut myself off. Technology is here for us all to use if we wish, or not if we don't. Why is it necessary for people to put others down because they make different choices that do not impact negatively on others.

To each their own - and long may it last!

 

[saltwaterpearl]

To answer the original poster, I would advise taking a phone at the very least. Personally, I would not dream of putting myself out of touch with my immediate family. I don't actually use my phone much for keeping in touch with friends so I don't get many, if any calls other than from my daughters and my partner. Because I kept in daily contact with my partner during my recent camino, he felt much more part of the experience and didn't miss me as much as he would otherwise have done. I think it is rather selfish to cut yourself off from those who love and worry about you. Most of us who have partners who stay at home whilst we walk are extremely lucky for the support they give us. I know my partner misses me terribly when I am away, but he has never, even for a moment, done anything but encourage me to follow my heart.

Moving on to other comments on this thread, I don't understand why people who don't have the desire to keep in touch, should wish to belittle or 'feel sorry' for those that do, by whatever means they choose. I started a blog to record my camino Frances last year. I expected my family and maybe a couple of friends to look at it occasionally, but the main reason for writing it was to have a record of my adventure. I have an appalling memory and knew that I would forget all sorts of details if I did not record them on a daily basis. As it happens, I was very surprised and absolutely delighted when I found that not only friends and family were following my progress but also many other people from all over the world were reading and commenting on the blog, giving me encouragement. In turn I have also been told that the blog has inspired people to consider the camino for themselves.

This year I have walked the camino Portuguese, from Lisbon. The stretch from Lisbon to Porto is not very well documented by bloggers, and the majority of those I did find were rather negative and didn't include much useful information. So I have tried hard this year to give details of where I have stayed, what the ambience of the hostels was like, how stages can be split up to be more manageable, and document by words and photos what sort of countryside I have passed through, what the road surfaces are like, how scary it is to walk on and cross some of the roads. It is not at all like a travel guide, just a personal experience of my walk, the amazing and lovely people that I met, and, yes, even a few shots of very good meals I ate along the way.

During my 27 days walking the Portuguese route I received an incredible 26,000 views on the blog, with the most wonderful comments from people from all over the world and close to home, I feel I have a whole new bunch of friends, although I will never meet most of them.

Blogging is a discipline, it is an effort to write an interesting account of your day and upload photos to accompany your story, after walking 30+ km's in the pouring rain, or the blistering sun. I still maintain that I have written it for myself, but if anyone else finds it useful then that pleases me more than I can say. I think I have written a useful personal view of a camino where personal views are few and far between. I admit that I have spent many hours sitting in bars, drinking wine and enjoying tapas whilst I write and upload my blog. But, hey, I am a woman, I can multi-task, I can communicate with others whilst getting on with the job, and even had assistance from one charming Portuguese 6 year old girl who pressed the button for every photo upload one evening.

I don't need anyone to feel sorry for me for choosing to write an informative blog and for allowing my family to contact me if they want to hear my voice. I love them - I don't want to shut them out. I am already experiencing a huge change to my normal daily life by embarking upon a such an amazing adventure and don't feel the need to cut myself off. Technology is here for us all to use if we wish, or not if we don't. Why is it necessary for people to put others down because they make different choices that do not impact negatively on others.

To each their own - and long may it last!

Magwood,

My earlier post was in response to another commenter's strange and unfair snark on my original post. But I think I was unclear about something, so please allow me to apologize and clarify.

I have no problem with other pilgrims blogging, but I don't understand it.

It is a distraction that would cause me anxiety. It would take me out of the moment, and the experiences surrounding me. I feel this way in "real" life about personal blogging, and more so about an experience like the Camino.

I am also a more private person. I will check-in with family in private ways like skype, whatsapp, email or phone. The photos and stories will be shared after homecoming.

I too have a terrible memory, but it is an important exercise in my life to accept that. I let experiences wash over me, and I enjoy and honor what "sticks", let go of attachment to what doesn't, and fill up the gaps with the pictures my husband and I take and the stories we tell each other.

I don't feel sorry for people who enjoy blogging, even though I just don't get it.

Who I meant that I feel sorry for are those who obsess about finding daily wifi and blogging, who seem more concerned with saying to the world (strangers), "hey look at me and the cool thing I'm doing" than actually living and experiencing it. Oftentimes, their blogs are so whiny and negative, I do pity them. What a waste!

I would just encourage anyone, before heading out on pilgrimage, to examine their expectations of pilgrimage and their motivations (and perhaps fears?) attached to the technology and technology habits they carry with them.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I would just encourage anyone, before heading out on pilgrimage, to examine their expectations of pilgrimage and their motivations (and perhaps fears?) attached to the technology and technology habits they carry with them.

I have done that. After thirteen compostelas, I still take my iPhone and look for computers.

 

[saltwaterpearl]

I would just encourage anyone, before heading out on pilgrimage, to examine their expectations of pilgrimage and their motivations (and perhaps fears?) attached to the technology and technology habits they carry with them.

I have done that. After thirteen compostelas, I still take my iPhone and look for computers.

OK. Good for you.

And on my fourth pilgrimage next year, my husband and I will take our tablet because of its convenience, as well as weight and financial savings aspects. But we'll use it only in minimal specific ways, primarily for private family communication, banking, guidebook e-reader and document storage.

 

[walden380]

Okay, I suspect this might be controversial: I carried an unlocked iPhone and bought a local Spanish SIM card with a data plan (I also used Orange Cellular). It was absolutely invaluable to me and I didn't really use it to stay "connected" in any way.

- Downloaded detailed maps (some actually showing the Camino).
- Used the GPS to verify where I was on occasion.
- Flashlight.
- Pretty decent camera.
- There are several Camino-specific apps that listed aubergues, hostels, guest houses that were sometimes not in the book.
- When I heard about crowded lodging ahead I could call and make a reservation (calls were local).
- Language translator apps helped me with my Spanish.
- Was able to look up information about various points of interest that I discovered.
- Looked up historical facts giving me a better appreciation of many sights along the way.
- If I ever cared, I could check the weather.
- Record name, number, address for new friends I met along the way.
- Handy calculator for currency conversion, figuring tips, adding up kilometers for trail sections or side excursions.
- If you are traveling with someone and get unintentionally separated you can reconnect if they have a similar set-up (or even just a cell phone from home).
- Quick access to emergency services (dial 112 in Spain or elsewhere in Europe).

I didn't really use it much for the following but it offers the option depending on your frame of mind:

- Place a "Skype" phone call back home.
- Provide loved ones with a rolling update through either a blog or Facebook.
- iMessage (or "WhatsApp") texting over WiFi or Cellular Data (NOT SMS).
- Email.
- Record a daily journal of thoughts and experiences (either typed out as text or even voice notes).
- Record short videos.
- Conversion calculations for those moments when you absolutely HAVE TO KNOW what something is in miles, pounds, or gallons!
- Listen to music.

I put mine in a "LifeProof" case so I didn't have to worry about rain, dirt, or drops.

Buen Camino...

 

[walden380]

One other thought: I ABSOLUTELY "get" the thinking of those who want to take a break from all technology. However, I'm guessing those folks probably have sunglasses, synthetic material in their clothes, manufactured shoes, etc.

We all have different places where we draw "the line." The important thing is to accept each other as we are, share thoughts, help where we can, and not disparage those who think differently.

On the Appalaichian Trail we have a saying: "Hike your own hike." The Camino will give you what you need. The most important thing is to not be so distracted that you can't receive it...

 

[Daxzentzu]

It us my wish that my camino will be "unspoilt by progress" so I will exercise insights from all the contributions herein and have the discernment to choose what I personally will leave behind.
I think that this process is one of the most critical parts of my preparation.
My current state of mind is that "less is more" but I am not an ascetic, however.......
Of course it would ludicrous to suggest that I might follow the way of Saint James naked, shoeless and without funds.
But if I did then that's alright because after all it's my pilgrimage.




Dax
In Pune, (a work in progress)

 

[Lady M]

My husband and I will be walking the Camino this fall. I expect we will mostly walk together but there may be times we want to walk separately for whatever reason. We are wondering what strategies other pilgrims have used for staying in touch. Text if you’re going to stop to visit something and will be late meeting up? Planning on waiting 15 minutes and then moving on if the other person doesn’t show Up? Just plan on meeting at the designated stop for the night? At what point do you worry? How good is the cell service on the Camino?

 

[lissie45]

My husband and I will be walking the Camino this fall. I expect we will mostly walk together but there may be times we want to walk separately for whatever reason. We are wondering what strategies other pilgrims have used for staying in touch. Text if you’re going to stop to visit something and will be late meeting up? Planning on waiting 15 minutes and then moving on if the other person doesn’t show Up? Just plan on meeting at the designated stop for the night? At what point do you worry? How good is the cell service on the Camino?

Haven’t walked yet, hopefully next year. My partner has heart issues so may not be able to walk as far as I can. I said to him the other day he should start learning some Spanish. Mine is ok, but he’s always relied on me, when we’ve been in Spain previously. I should thing coverage is ok, but things happen, phones go flat. My plan would be if we get separated is to meet at the first bar at the town we’re aiming for, backup will be the first bar to the right of the cathedral/main church in the main square. I’ve used this approach before in the old days when we travelled without phones lol