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That happened on the first stage of the Inglés. Several experienced pilgrims removed the articles with the help of the hospitalero..
I stayed in an inexpensive hotel in Burgos for a few days when I was beginning my service as a hospitalera and the date when I was to start was changed. I noticed the signs requesting silence when I checked in, but I did not know how noisy it would get. Wooden floors, wooden doors and no set bed time, as in an albergue. The evening meal was very late and so people returned from their meal very late, and saw no particular reason to be quiet. Couples argued, or enthusiastically enjoyed their holiday time together. In general, the few nights which I spent in hotels did not offer me any more sleep than if I were in albergues, just higher prices.
Great advice David.Hi all … I received Ivar’s pilgrimage update, the world is beginning to open up again .. as well as veterans going through their kit there are plenty of brand new pre-pilgrims planning, some confident, some rather nervous, so I thought I would start a ‘do this’ and ‘don’t do that’ thread. Starting with refugios/albergues.
For first time pilgrims – it is like going to big school; you are nervous a few days before, a bit frightened on the day, then you turn up wondering about how to do Everything, you don't know anyone and you feel lost - but after just a few days you know how it all works and slip into the rhythm, you belong – refugios are like that.
Refugios – at first they are really strange, uncomfortable, daunting, but then, just a few days later? They are home, each one is a refuge, a pleasant home, and all is well.
So some things not to do in a refugio
1. Don’t be impatient or rude or demanding to the hospitalero.
2. Don’t wear your outdoor footwear indoors.
3. Don’t get wildly drunk and ruin everyone else’s night.
4. Don’t get up in the dark early morning and start re-packing your rucksack by your bunk (do it the night before or carry it all quietly out of the dormitory and sort it elsewhere).
5. Don’t give pennies in a donativo (donations, not fixed price) refugio – be generous, really, be generous.
Some things to do
1. Be grateful. Spain owes you nothing. The Camino owes you nothing. Be grateful, for everything.
2. Be kind. If you see someone with an equipment problem, or looking sad, or hurt, or lonely – be kind, offer help (but don’t be upset if it is refused, they will remember the offer).
3. Be willing to move bunks. You have a bottom bunk and someone old or exhausted or injured comes in later? Offer them your bunk so they don’t have to climb to a top bunk.
4. Be discreet, don’t stare at half-dressed pilgrims, shield your eyes.
5. Do switch your phone off, so you don’t wake the whole dorm when a message comes in.
Oh – there is So much more!
Buen Camino!
Valid points all. As I said, it was a very unfortunate occurrence all round. I do hope the young man has reflected on his actions, has chosen a better path and has been able to keep this awful incident out of memory. I too witnessed a pilgrim being shunned because of his/her behaviour. Unfortunately this pilgrim’s companion suffered also, by association. It was painful for me to watch, and is painful now for me to remember. Unfortunately, at the time, because of my own lack of emotional resources, I was incapable of offering any help/friendship to either of them.Icacos, the young man in question was being extremely rude and loud and cussing older people, he was in fact showing off in front of his mates. His mates were right to walk out without him. Giving him the chance to reflect on his actions by himself. For forgiveness to work there has to be a certain amount of repentance from the offender. Be kind yes, but don't allow others to take advantage of your good nature. Turn the other cheek but walk away when it's the right time to do so.
Excellent advice. Thank you.Hi all … I received Ivar’s pilgrimage update, the world is beginning to open up again .. as well as veterans going through their kit there are plenty of brand new pre-pilgrims planning, some confident, some rather nervous, so I thought I would start a ‘do this’ and ‘don’t do that’ thread. Starting with refugios/albergues.
For first time pilgrims – it is like going to big school; you are nervous a few days before, a bit frightened on the day, then you turn up wondering about how to do Everything, you don't know anyone and you feel lost - but after just a few days you know how it all works and slip into the rhythm, you belong – refugios are like that.
Refugios – at first they are really strange, uncomfortable, daunting, but then, just a few days later? They are home, each one is a refuge, a pleasant home, and all is well.
So some things not to do in a refugio
1. Don’t be impatient or rude or demanding to the hospitalero.
2. Don’t wear your outdoor footwear indoors.
3. Don’t get wildly drunk and ruin everyone else’s night.
4. Don’t get up in the dark early morning and start re-packing your rucksack by your bunk (do it the night before or carry it all quietly out of the dormitory and sort it elsewhere).
5. Don’t give pennies in a donativo (donations, not fixed price) refugio – be generous, really, be generous.
Some things to do
1. Be grateful. Spain owes you nothing. The Camino owes you nothing. Be grateful, for everything.
2. Be kind. If you see someone with an equipment problem, or looking sad, or hurt, or lonely – be kind, offer help (but don’t be upset if it is refused, they will remember the offer).
3. Be willing to move bunks. You have a bottom bunk and someone old or exhausted or injured comes in later? Offer them your bunk so they don’t have to climb to a top bunk.
4. Be discreet, don’t stare at half-dressed pilgrims, shield your eyes.
5. Do switch your phone off, so you don’t wake the whole dorm when a message comes in.
Oh – there is So much more!
Buen Camino!
An incident here or a gripe there gets diluted by all the great experiences while on Camino. When the wailing and gnashing of teeth are titrated into one "place," e.g., a thread like this, it makes it appear staying in an albergue is hell on earth. It's not.I don't mean this to sound like some kind of 'smart ass' remark or question.
But reading threads like this make me wonder what the attraction of shared accommodation really is.
OK, it's cheaper, I get that.
And you can get a great sense of 'community' I get that.
I'm just concerned that I wouldn't last 3 nights before totally 'losing it'
Or is that the point?
That it's a great lesson in tolerance and forgiveness?
Serious question......
It sounds a bit like walking with a pebble in your shoe, just to make sure you remember that suffering makes the experience richer.
(Note. I tend toward private accommodation or private rooms in Albergues)
Afterthought. Maybe it's about expectations? For me a Camino is quite a solitary / reflective journey. So perhaps the thought of being in crowded accommodation settings leads to that trepidation?
I’m thinking about what you have said, @Robo. In the meantime, please know:I don't mean this to sound like some kind of 'smart ass' remark or question.
But reading threads like this make me wonder what the attraction of shared accommodation really is.
OK, it's cheaper, I get that.
And you can get a great sense of 'community' I get that.
I'm just concerned that I wouldn't last 3 nights before totally 'losing it'
Or is that the point?
That it's a great lesson in tolerance and forgiveness?
Serious question......
It sounds a bit like walking with a pebble in your shoe, just to make sure you remember that suffering makes the experience richer.
(Note. I tend toward private accommodation or private rooms in Albergues)
Afterthought. Maybe it's about expectations? For me a Camino is quite a solitary / reflective journey. So perhaps the thought of being in crowded accommodation settings leads to that trepidation?
@Robo and @Icacos - If you walk the Camino Francés don't miss Albergue La Finca in Población de Campos, just 4 km past Fromista. Each "bunk" is like a tiny room. There are no ladders - the upper level is accessed via mini staircases.
Albergue La Finca | Albergue de Peregrinos en Población de Campos | Gronze.com
Información del albergue de peregrinos Albergue La Finca, en Población de Campos: Precio, plazas, características, etc...www.gronze.com
For forgiveness to work there has to be a certain amount of repentance from the offender
I don't mean this to sound like some kind of 'smart ass' remark or question.
But reading threads like this make me wonder what the attraction of shared accommodation really is.
OK, it's cheaper, I get that.
And you can get a great sense of 'community' I get that.
I'm just concerned that I wouldn't last 3 nights before totally 'losing it'
Or is that the point?
That it's a great lesson in tolerance and forgiveness?
Serious question......
It sounds a bit like walking with a pebble in your shoe, just to make sure you remember that suffering makes the experience richer.
(Note. I tend toward private accommodation or private rooms in Albergues)
Afterthought. Maybe it's about expectations? For me a Camino is quite a solitary / reflective journey. So perhaps the thought of being in crowded accommodation settings leads to that trepidation?
The inner ‘work’ of forgiveness springs from many things, especially compassion, born of the recognition of one’s own fallibility.
It does not involve the (little) ego, so the question of being a ‘doormat’ does not come into it.
It is irrelevant whether or not the ‘other’ ‘becomes aware of it’.
We are all ‘the other’.
I know that the camino is a reflective journey, but the reason you make it is that millions (even in this century alone it adds up to millions) have made exactly that same journey before. I remember coming off the Primitivo and being confronted by literally crowds walking along the roadside. It made me deeply uncomfortable, but then I realised we were part of a great flow of humanity, a river of people unceasingly flowing to the same one destination. Here is a poem:I don't mean this to sound like some kind of 'smart ass' remark or question.
But reading threads like this make me wonder what the attraction of shared accommodation really is.
OK, it's cheaper, I get that.
And you can get a great sense of 'community' I get that.
I'm just concerned that I wouldn't last 3 nights before totally 'losing it'
Or is that the point?
That it's a great lesson in tolerance and forgiveness?
Serious question......
It sounds a bit like walking with a pebble in your shoe, just to make sure you remember that suffering makes the experience richer.
(Note. I tend toward private accommodation or private rooms in Albergues)
Afterthought. Maybe it's about expectations? For me a Camino is quite a solitary / reflective journey. So perhaps the thought of being in crowded accommodation settings leads to that trepidation?
Equanimity develops in the face of whatever life throws at us. This flowers best when there's enough challenge, but not too much. Like in albergues. They're like mini-monasteries: we all get thrown together for a night, with no choice of who our roomies are, and have to manage our reactivity somehow.That it's a great lesson in tolerance and forgiveness?
True forgiveness is not transactional but rather without condition. It's totally independent of what that other person does or does not do. It absolutely does not create passivity: compasionate action comes from forgiveness, and that action can be quite powerful - precisely because we aren't wasting energy in demands or expectations. We're no longer recycling and dragging around our pain, resentment, hurt, or expectations of others. We are free, and stronger for it.Chinacat you can forgive others as much as you want, but for it to work, the "other" must also be prepared to go some way towards repentance. Otherwise you become a doormat.
Thank you. As one of the chief offenders with regard to rules, I agree that needed to be said.Hmmm, following this thread I think I perceive a change in tone. Initially I felt there was a lot of THESE ARE THE RULES.
Now there seems to be more of a “ compassion, equanimity, acceptance “ mood.
I prefer the new mood. I return to the Caminos because of it.
I don't mean this to sound like some kind of 'smart ass' remark or question.
But reading threads like this make me wonder what the attraction of shared accommodation really is.
OK, it's cheaper, I get that.
And you can get a great sense of 'community' I get that.
I'm just concerned that I wouldn't last 3 nights before totally 'losing it'
Or is that the point?
That it's a great lesson in tolerance and forgiveness?
Serious question......
It sounds a bit like walking with a pebble in your shoe, just to make sure you remember that suffering makes the experience richer.
(Note. I tend toward private accommodation or private rooms in Albergues)
Afterthought. Maybe it's about expectations? For me a Camino is quite a solitary / reflective journey. So perhaps the thought of being in crowded accommodation settings leads to that trepidation?
Robo, I think you have attached way too much importance to your still-anticipated first albergue experience. That is unfortunate - your expectations are way too high, or way too low, or way too whatever. With that approach, you are almost guaranteed to be disappointed.I'm just concerned that I wouldn't last 3 nights before totally 'losing it'
I'm finding that these words were written about Abraham Lincoln.His heart was as big as the world, but there was no room in it to hold the memory of a wrong. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Sounds good. I’ve always been an admirer of Abraham Lincoln. Out of curiosity, where are you finding this information?I'm finding that these words were written about Abraham Lincoln.
Sounds good. I’ve always been an admirer of Abraham Lincoln. Out of curiosity, where are you finding this information?
I think the snoring issue is rather overrated. Pilgrims are (or should be) aware that communal living has its pros and cons and a decent set of earplugs will go a long way to alleviating the noise from snoring that is an inevitable part of the communal sleeping arrangements.I do. But everyone tells me I 'must' try communal sleeping!
Be warned, I'm on my way to an Albergue near you
On four long caminos, I have only twice been kept awake for most of a night by the actions of other pilgrims. The first time was on my very first night on camino, at Orisson. Every bed in a small dorm was occupied (me in a bottom bunk) and the windows all shut tight when I came to bed. The stuffiness kept me awake most of the night, until I discovered that the small washroom near my bed had a window, which I left open, as well as the door from the washroom, which was near my bunk, and I then fell asleep. The second occasion was in an albergue where I had the bottom bunk and the top bunk was occupied by a sturdy young man who tossed and turned energetically for most of the night. Both nights, I used ear plugs and was undisturbed by the snores of the sleepers. Maybe I have just been lucky or else very tired after walking.a decent set of earplugs will go a long way to alleviating the noise from snoring that is an inevitable part of the communal sleeping arrangements.
And PLEASE Please please DON'T have sex in the Alburgue! This actually happened and the noise was ridiculous! The offending couple seemed upset that others had a problem with it.Hi all … I received Ivar’s pilgrimage update, the world is beginning to open up again .. as well as veterans going through their kit there are plenty of brand new pre-pilgrims planning, some confident, some rather nervous, so I thought I would start a ‘do this’ and ‘don’t do that’ thread. Starting with refugios/albergues.
For first time pilgrims – it is like going to big school; you are nervous a few days before, a bit frightened on the day, then you turn up wondering about how to do Everything, you don't know anyone and you feel lost - but after just a few days you know how it all works and slip into the rhythm, you belong – refugios are like that.
Refugios – at first they are really strange, uncomfortable, daunting, but then, just a few days later? They are home, each one is a refuge, a pleasant home, and all is well.
So some things not to do in a refugio
1. Don’t be impatient or rude or demanding to the hospitalero.
2. Don’t wear your outdoor footwear indoors.
3. Don’t get wildly drunk and ruin everyone else’s night.
4. Don’t get up in the dark early morning and start re-packing your rucksack by your bunk (do it the night before or carry it all quietly out of the dormitory and sort it elsewhere).
5. Don’t give pennies in a donativo (donations, not fixed price) refugio – be generous, really, be generous.
Some things to do
1. Be grateful. Spain owes you nothing. The Camino owes you nothing. Be grateful, for everything.
2. Be kind. If you see someone with an equipment problem, or looking sad, or hurt, or lonely – be kind, offer help (but don’t be upset if it is refused, they will remember the offer).
3. Be willing to move bunks. You have a bottom bunk and someone old or exhausted or injured comes in later? Offer them your bunk so they don’t have to climb to a top bunk.
4. Be discreet, don’t stare at half-dressed pilgrims, shield your eyes.
5. Do switch your phone off, so you don’t wake the whole dorm when a message comes in.
Oh – there is So much more!
Buen Camino!
I’ve found that usually you’re assigned a bed by the hospitaleroInteresting , i did not know that was possible i thought that the people who check you in would assign you a specific bed
That was definitely the exception rather than the rule for me, but I stayed more often in private albergues, which is possibly the reason.I’ve found that usually you’re assigned a bed by the hospitalero
Good point. In the past I have been guilty of unwinding just a little bit off the roll for a potential emergency and putting it in my pocket, but eventually switched to pantyliners for a similar solution. I do agree with what you say...live and learn.I don’t think this was mentioned but PLEASE don’t take a roll of toilet paper from the albergue you stay at. I’ve seen women do this because ‘I may need it and they have plenty there’. Stop at a tienda and buy some
That those who are going to be inconsiderate won't read it.
If you are assigned a bed and would care to give it up to someone else, offer and get an approval from the hospitalero/a.I’ve found that usually you’re assigned a bed by the hospitalero
I have no military experience, had no experience in communal living except being from a large family nor did I attend pilgrim training and I never had any problems when I hitch hiked around Europe in the 70's or walked the Camino in 2012. As I said in an earlier post, behave decently and just make rules for yourself and you will be fine.Quite so, but I soon became aware that many of those on the Camino have no experience of communal living, never having had to do military service, or being members of groups of scouts etc. As well, many have not attended the pilgrim training sessions so helpfully provided by many national pilgrims' groups. I think many of them honestly have never thought about it, and really don't have a clue, and would like to know. A brief guide would help them. But obviously, not everybody!
I love this and I have experienced all the good parts and the bad parts on my 3 Camino journeys. Thanks for sharing.Hi all … I received Ivar’s pilgrimage update, the world is beginning to open up again .. as well as veterans going through their kit there are plenty of brand new pre-pilgrims planning, some confident, some rather nervous, so I thought I would start a ‘do this’ and ‘don’t do that’ thread. Starting with refugios/albergues.
For first time pilgrims – it is like going to big school; you are nervous a few days before, a bit frightened on the day, then you turn up wondering about how to do Everything, you don't know anyone and you feel lost - but after just a few days you know how it all works and slip into the rhythm, you belong – refugios are like that.
Refugios – at first they are really strange, uncomfortable, daunting, but then, just a few days later? They are home, each one is a refuge, a pleasant home, and all is well.
So some things not to do in a refugio
1. Don’t be impatient or rude or demanding to the hospitalero.
2. Don’t wear your outdoor footwear indoors.
3. Don’t get wildly drunk and ruin everyone else’s night.
4. Don’t get up in the dark early morning and start re-packing your rucksack by your bunk (do it the night before or carry it all quietly out of the dormitory and sort it elsewhere).
5. Don’t give pennies in a donativo (donations, not fixed price) refugio – be generous, really, be generous.
Some things to do
1. Be grateful. Spain owes you nothing. The Camino owes you nothing. Be grateful, for everything.
2. Be kind. If you see someone with an equipment problem, or looking sad, or hurt, or lonely – be kind, offer help (but don’t be upset if it is refused, they will remember the offer).
3. Be willing to move bunks. You have a bottom bunk and someone old or exhausted or injured comes in later? Offer them your bunk so they don’t have to climb to a top bunk.
4. Be discreet, don’t stare at half-dressed pilgrims, shield your eyes.
5. Do switch your phone off, so you don’t wake the whole dorm when a message comes in.
Oh – there is So much more!
Buen Camino!
Oh good! I must still be young.Remember that older may go 4 to 5 time to the bathroom per night and they will keep you awake all night. They also fear the lader to...
I found room ventilation quite a problem.Good list David. My friends who walked last year when restrictions eased up during the summer mostly stayed in hotels, pensions etc, but on the occasions they stayed in dorms they said be aware that some Albergues are lax on distancing etc, so my suggestion( if it is important to you from a safety point of view) check out the arrangements such as their distancing between sleepers , are the rooms well ventilated and likely to stay that way, what can you do to help such as talking outside etc. It's a bit of a bum note I have sounded here but this is where we are at the moment.
Buen Camino
Hopefully, with the increased focus on ventilation those attitudes will change.I found room ventilation quite a problem.
Certain nationalities just do not like sleeping with windows open and been in situations (before covid) where it was stinking hot, at least 20 to the room and people kept on closing the window
Due to the bladder I hate the ladder.Oh good! I must still be young.My feet, however, hate the ladders!
Usually, if the hospitalero is there when you arrive. For hospis, it means they can keep a running tally of how many people are in the albergue, avoid bunk reserving and also assign lower bunks to people who need one (rather than people who prefer one). When we worked as hospis, we numbered the bunks to make this easier (odd numbers were lower bunks). However, a lot of albergues are staffed by local volunteers who cannot be there all the time or council employees who have to go home at some time in the day. This is much more common on caminos other than the Francés but I guess not unknown even there.I’ve found that usually you’re assigned a bed by the hospitalero
Due to the bladder I hate the ladder.
Actually, truthfully, the rungs cause my bare feet quite a lot of discomfort. I've never worked out an easy way to get up and down without footwear.
I am exactly the same way. At home, I have to have an open window and fresh air or I can't sleep. It can be -20C and I leave my window open a smidge.On four long caminos, I have only twice been kept awake for most of a night by the actions of other pilgrims. The first time was on my very first night on camino, at Orisson. Every bed in a small dorm was occupied (me in a bottom bunk) and the windows all shut tight when I came to bed. The stuffiness kept me awake most of the night, until I discovered that the small washroom near my bed had a window, which I left open, as well as the door from the washroom, which was near my bunk, and I then fell asleep. The second occasion was in an albergue where I had the bottom bunk and the top bunk was occupied by a sturdy young man who tossed and turned energetically for most of the night. Both nights, I used ear plugs and was undisturbed by the snores of the sleepers. Maybe I have just been lucky or else very tired after walking.
Interesting you mention that, Laurie. I will never forget the young new college grad fom the US who had the top bunk across the aisle from me on the Norte. She was at least 6' tall with very long legs and must have been a high jumper. I literally witnessed her jump up onto her bunk backwards without using the ladder a number of times. It was amazing to see!I am surprised at how many people I see going down the ladder from a top bunk facing out. Much easier to have your body facing the bed, in fact you can usually just slide down to the floor without using the ladder at all. Going up, though, you’ll probably need to use the ladder unless you hold some sort of a record for high jumping.
Indeed, but if we all had the same rule book for behaving decently, this would have been a very short thread.I have no military experience, had no experience in communal living except being from a large family nor did I attend pilgrim training and I never had any problems when I hitch hiked around Europe in the 70's or walked the Camino in 2012. As I said in an earlier post, behave decently and just make rules for yourself and you will be fine.
Could not agree more. Your alarm is NOT everyone else's alarm, no one asked for that!Don't use an audible alarm. If you feel that you need to wake up at 5:00 use a vibrating alarm on your phone or your SmartWatch.
Things may have changed since my albergue days (for the past 7 caminos I used private accommodation) but I encountered this phenonomon among women pilgrims, generally German and Dutch, and of all ages. I assumed that this was for their comfort and not my benefit so I ignored it and read or chatted. As a Saxon pilgrim I met noted, textiles and modestry are not necessarily linked.Definitely PLEASE pack your bag or at least 90% of it the night before.
On the Donativo point, so many people have infuriated me by saying that it was 'Free', pay at least what the going Municipal Albergue rate is, if it includes a meal add on the average price of a pilgrim menu.
Also one of the stranger experiences I had on one of my caminos, was that every day after showers most of the men would lay around their bunks in their underwear. They genuinely weren't being 'creepy', they just felt way too comfortable. As a female, and with these guys being as old as my dad, it disturbed me greatly to think if my dad went on a trip and was doing that around women strangers and younger women.
Haha! Oh wow, women too! Maybe it’s you and I that have an unrealistic preference for strangers to be clothedThings may have changed since my albergue days (for the past 7 caminos I used private accommodation) but I encountered this phenonomon among women pilgrims, generally German and Dutch, and of all ages. I assumed that this was for their comfort and not my benefit so I ignored it and read or chatted. As a Saxon pilgrim I met noted, textiles and modestry are not necessarily linked.
I am currently lounging around wrapped in a towel after my morning bath. I would not be comfortable in underwear in the presence of persons of both genders. But I can understand how persons whose bodies are hot and moist after bathing, or showering, might not want to put clothing on over wet bodies or damp underwear, while at the same time getting out of the bathing area so that others might shower. In warm weather, dressing when damp might leave clothing wet for much of the day: not very comfortable.Haha! Oh wow, women too! Maybe it’s you and I that have an unrealistic preference for strangers to be clothed
I guess that I have gotten used to that. However that guy in the orange thong.... that was another matter!Also one of the stranger experiences I had on one of my caminos, was that every day after showers most of the men would lay around their bunks in their underwear.
As I noted, many Europeans do not link modesty with textiles. One of my rosary-rattling friends quotes St John Paul II to the effect that there is nothing impure in the human body, only that which we bring to it. My preferences in such matters, should they exist, are in the aesthetic, even if it be the aesthetic of a person who is lively in their body, and defiant of age and infirmity.Haha! Oh wow, women too! Maybe it’s you and I that have an unrealistic preference for strangers to be clothed
Maybe it depends on the man.Just how much does a mankini weigh?,
I have never done so in an albergue BUT...Definitely PLEASE pack your bag or at least 90% of it the night before.
On the Donativo point, so many people have infuriated me by saying that it was 'Free', pay at least what the going Municipal Albergue rate is, if it includes a meal add on the average price of a pilgrim menu.
Also one of the stranger experiences I had on one of my caminos, was that every day after showers most of the men would lay around their bunks in their underwear. They genuinely weren't being 'creepy', they just felt way too comfortable. As a female, and with these guys being as old as my dad, it disturbed me greatly to think if my dad went on a trip and was doing that around women strangers and younger women.
Perhaps. But a beach or pool are big spacious places. The dorm of some albergues? Not so much.not completely inappropriate for mixed company.
VN,The worst is a guy on the top bunk, displaying pretty much everything when he comes down the ladder.
Word to the wise: don't put the head of your sleeping bag next to the ladder if you can avoid it.
I just read your memories post again. Oh my! I think I would be blushing in the dark if my face could be seen, and for sure I would have put my pillow over my head if I had no earplugs! Yikes...glad it was your experience and not mine!VN,
Brings back Viana 2013 memories !!
If you are on the bottom bunk hanging your towel by your head is a good strategy for guarding your eyes.The worst is a guy on the top bunk, displaying pretty much everything when he comes down the ladder.
Word to the wise: don't put the head of your sleeping bag next to the ladder if you can avoid it.
Great idea! I never thought of that.If you are on the bottom bunk hanging your towel by your head is a good strategy for guarding your eyes.
My towel is about the size of two dishcloths, and would not do much for "custody of the eyes."Great idea! I never thought of that.
But then I'm guessing your towel is much bigger than mine - which is about the size of an average dishcloth.
But those who carry a sarong (I don't) are really in luck.
My towel was a dish towel; when I needed to hide my dry poncho did it.My towel is about the size of two dishcloths, and would not do much for "custody of the eyes."
Oh! Now there's an idea. Thank you, @mspath !My towel was a dish towel; when I needed to hide my dry poncho did it.
Thanks for sharing your memories Jill. Brings back so many funny and delightful cherished memories of my own.I relish my time alone, walking the Camino. I do meet people along the way who become friends and I enjoy stopping for a glass of wine together. But mostly, walking is ideally a solitary experience for me.
Thank you David for my new house rules... Opening my doors to pilgrims at Casa de La Finestra, El Raco Del Duc, La Safor, ValenciaHi all … I received Ivar’s pilgrimage update, the world is beginning to open up again .. as well as veterans going through their kit there are plenty of brand new pre-pilgrims planning, some confident, some rather nervous, so I thought I would start a ‘do this’ and ‘don’t do that’ thread. Starting with refugios/albergues.
For first time pilgrims – it is like going to big school; you are nervous a few days before, a bit frightened on the day, then you turn up wondering about how to do Everything, you don't know anyone and you feel lost - but after just a few days you know how it all works and slip into the rhythm, you belong – refugios are like that.
Refugios – at first they are really strange, uncomfortable, daunting, but then, just a few days later? They are home, each one is a refuge, a pleasant home, and all is well.
So some things not to do in a refugio
1. Don’t be impatient or rude or demanding to the hospitalero.
2. Don’t wear your outdoor footwear indoors.
3. Don’t get wildly drunk and ruin everyone else’s night.
4. Don’t get up in the dark early morning and start re-packing your rucksack by your bunk (do it the night before or carry it all quietly out of the dormitory and sort it elsewhere).
5. Don’t give pennies in a donativo (donations, not fixed price) refugio – be generous, really, be generous.
Some things to do
1. Be grateful. Spain owes you nothing. The Camino owes you nothing. Be grateful, for everything.
2. Be kind. If you see someone with an equipment problem, or looking sad, or hurt, or lonely – be kind, offer help (but don’t be upset if it is refused, they will remember the offer).
3. Be willing to move bunks. You have a bottom bunk and someone old or exhausted or injured comes in later? Offer them your bunk so they don’t have to climb to a top bunk.
4. Be discreet, don’t stare at half-dressed pilgrims, shield your eyes.
5. Do switch your phone off, so you don’t wake the whole dorm when a message comes in.
Oh – there is So much more!
Buen Camino!
Not sure @Robo has actually stayed at an albergue, other than in a private room- which is fine. It’s like the difference between only children and bigger, messy, fun families….just two different things altogetherAn incident here or a gripe there gets diluted by all the great experiences while on Camino. When the wailing and gnashing of teeth are titrated into one "place," e.g., a thread like this, it makes it appear staying in an albergue is hell on earth. It's not.
Can't you set the alarm to vibrate only? I would not be happy to be awakened by your alarm at 2:00 am!I always set my alarm at 02:00 AM. I am sorry even if I stopped it at its first few notes.
I said I am sorry. But you would never see me the next time. It is just a night's inconvenience. Thank youCan't you set the alarm to vibrate only? I would not be happy to be awakened by your alarm at 2:00 am!
Wow! A nights inconvenience for everyone but you…and the justification is that you disappear? Perhaps camping would be a better alternative for you. As @trecile has stated, you are surely enraging numerous pilgrims. An of course, the vibrate feature on your phone is an obvious solutionI said I am sorry. But you would never see me the next time. It is just a night's inconvenience. Thank you
A totally inappropiate wink or " example of humour " IMO.I said I am sorry. But you would never see me the next time. It is just a night's inconvenience. Thank you
My first thought was that you use the washrooms when everyone was asleep. How long until they are all asleep again is another matter.I always set my alarm at 02:00 AM. I am sorry even if I stopped it at its first few notes. The reason why I am early is because I use the washrooms when everyone is asleep.
Can you PM me next time you are going? Start date/place/camino/your daily speed/distance? I am looking so forward to not meeting you.I said I am sorry. But you would never see me the next time. It is just a night's inconvenience. Thank you
Really. If you just woke anyone else up with your alarm, they are now listening to you go about your ablutions.The reason why I am early is because I use the washrooms when everyone is asleep.
I hope this was just a (bad) joke. If not, you will one or more nights inevitably be confronted by a (very) bad pilgrim. Stay in private rooms with your habit, is my recommendation. Pilgrims need to sleep.I said I am sorry. But you would never see me the next time. It is just a night's inconvenience. Thank you
Yes my apologies to all. The washrooms were located far from the dorm. Most of the time I was in a private room. If I was in a dorm, the myriad of snores would drown out the first note of my alarm, which I am quick to shut off. I have already conditioned my mind about this long ago when I am in a single room with people.
Thank youThe first note of your alarm does not only wake you, but many others, too, even those who use ear plugs. We've all been conditioned over a lifetime to wake up when an alarm rings, so many people wake up from this, while they sleep through other noises.
I use ear plugs and sleep very well through loud snoring concerts, toilet flushing noises ect. But even a vibrating alarm somewhere else in the room will wake me up.
It is possible to train yourself to wake up without an alarm at whatever time you want to get up (I get up at 4:30 am for work, and 99% of the time wake up just before the alarm).
At least please tone it down to a vibrating only mode.
The personal preference for taking a shower at 2am is no reason to wake up a room full of others who want to sleep.
Harry Potter's invisibility cloak? If you stay on the Camino there is a big chance they will see you again. Even slow walkers sometimes skip a stage and are level with or ahead of the fast ones again. Fast ones sometimes take a day off for whatever reason. Pray they don't have an elephant kind of memory.But you would never see me the next time.
Thank youHarry Potter's invisibility cloak? If you stay on the Camino there is a big chance they will see you again. Even slow walkers sometimes skip a stage and are level with or ahead of the fast ones again. Fast ones sometimes take a day off for whatever reason. Pray they don't have an elephant kind of memory.
Thank you
Wow. I'm sure lots of people thank you for that.always set my alarm at 02:00 AM. I am sorry even if I stopped it at its first few notes.
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Thank youWow. I'm sure lots of people thank you for that.
It might be worth learning a little more about the camino and albergue etiquette before you do more of this:
You miss the most essential part of the Caminos: beeing polite, social and respectful to your fellow pilgrims!I said I am sorry. But you would never see me the next time. It is just a night's inconvenience. Thank you
Thank youYou miss the most essential part of the Caminos: beeing polite, social and respectful to your fellow pilgrims!
Sad to say this.
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