The hands of Mocho, a symbol of friendship on the Camino.

[Isca-camigo]

This is the story behind these little plastic hands you may have seen on your camino https://www.elcaminoconcorreos.com/en/blog/the-hands-of-mocho-a-symbol-of-friendship-on-the-camino

 

[Deleted member 73526]

As Dame Edna said to k.d. lang "Well, it's a horrible thing, but it's the thought that counts."

Sorry to be the curmudgeon again.

 

[Mettetäti]

This is the story behind these little plastic hands you may have seen on your camino https://www.elcaminoconcorreos.com/en/blog/the-hands-of-mocho-a-symbol-of-friendship-on-the-camino

Would you kindly share a picture, please? I have no idea what you're talking about. Sounds interesting! I Have never heard of such before, not on two caminos. Am I the only one?

 

[SeaHorse]

Don't remember seeing anything like that but the word "plastic" has a bad vibe nowadays.

 

[Deleted member 73526]

Would you kindly share a picture, please? I have no idea what you're talking about. Sounds interesting! I Have never heard of such before, not on two caminos. Am I the only one?

I have received one. I'm sorry to say that it is probably in a landfill now.

Las manos de Mocho, un símbolo de amistad en el Camino

José Sanchís, 'Mocho', es el artífice de unas pequeñas manos de plástico que se regalan desde 1999 como signo de fraternidad

www.elcaminoconcorreos.com

If these were being made out of the plastic trash that someone picked up along the way, I'd celebrate them. Since they're just adding to it ... Okay I'll shut up now.

 

[Theatregal]

Is it this? I was given this little hand by a handshake from a volunteer at the beautiful Church of St James on the Sanabres just after the Taboada Bridge, before Silleda. Happy to read this story about them! They may be plastic (which personally I try my best to reduce the use of) but it was a gift given with warmth and kindness.

 

[Isca-camigo]

They are more special for Spanish Peregrinos, they have a bigger significance, add into that they are now part of the Spanish children's cancer charity symbol( in pink), the figure given for 2017 was 800000 in circulation, I was told when I received mine that it was closer to 1000000 now.

 

[Isca-camigo]

They may be plastic but it was a gift given with warmth and kindness.

Exactly and thats the point of them, and considering most of us have used plane flights to get to the camino, have footwear with synthetic materials in etc etc then the only value of any of it is when it's used to for more precious and deeper human experiences and connections.

 

[AlanSykes]

I spent a December night in the "factory" where these "lamistad" hands are made, near Onil in Alicante province. José Sanchis Mocho makes it available to pilgrims walking on the Benidorm/Villajoyosa variant of the Lana. It's the end of the quite strenuous Torremanzanas-Onil stage, one of the loveliest days I know, and without his acogida it would be quite difficult to achieve.

José very kindly picked me up in town and drove me out there, and hospitably rustled up a delicious supper, including olives from his trees and some new wine from a neighbour's vines. He then drove off to his house in town, leaving me to spend a comfortable night on a soft bed in the factory (more of a villa really) in the slightly surreal company of a vintage car, some avant garde art and his pet labrador. And in the morning he picked me up and dropped me back in town, ready to carry on to Villena.

Something of a "camino angel", as far as I was concerned.

 

[IngridF]

I was gifted one by a Camino friend on my last Camino (summer 2019) and treasure it.

 

[Stefystar]

This is the story behind these little plastic hands you may have seen on your camino https://www.elcaminoconcorreos.com/en/blog/the-hands-of-mocho-a-symbol-of-friendship-on-the-camino

Hi ,
Not sure what it is as I have never seen one,
Nor heard about before now.
I am curious now, no one has any picture?

 

[trecile]

I've never

Hi ,
Not sure what it is as I have never seen one,
Nor heard about before now.
I am curious now, no one has any picture?

There's a picture in the linked article

 

[John Crawford Howell]

Oh. I see. Now.

 

[LTfit]

I was gifted one by Elidio, a very special Spanish hospitalero during a year-end Camino of a group of hospitaleros in 2013. It has been attached to my backpack since and has taken on a new meaning as Elidio passed away last year of cancer.

 

[Stefystar]

I've never

There's a picture in the linked article

View attachment 68551

Yes I did not see it before!!

Well I will certainly be
on the look out this year...
In my next Camino...
Just deciding which one to follow this
Time

 

[David Tallan]

I noticed that @Sara_Dhooma seemed to be gifted with one near the beginning of her current Camino from Almeria on the Mozarabe.

 

[Bala]

This is the story behind these little plastic hands you may have seen on your camino https://www.elcaminoconcorreos.com/en/blog/the-hands-of-mocho-a-symbol-of-friendship-on-the-camino

Thank you! I recieved one in Sahagun from a special person in 2018. I had no idea why he gave it to me, other than just as a nice gesture, and absolutely no clue of the background. But I hung it around my neck and wore it all the way to Santiago. I still have it.

When I return to the Camino (later this year God willing), I'll bring it and pass it on. Lovely story. Something that was already important to me just took on more meaning.