Wi-Fi or no WiFi?

[rgraybill44]

You walk into a bar along the Camino. You check your smartphone and can see a very strong WiFi signal in the room. You ask "do you have WiFi?" They say "No." What is going on? 1) they have WiFi, but want to force you to pay to use the desktop station, 2) they have WiFi, but don't know it, 3) the people living upstairs have WiFi and an incredibly strong signal.

 

[peregrino_tom]

Hmmm.
Well if they say there's no WiFi for you then I guess there's no WiFi. There's no universal right to WiFi (just yet, anyway). And if there's no sign up advertising 'WiFI here' to raise your expectations and lure you into their bar, then I'd say they've every right to decide who gets access and who doesn't. Frustrating maybe, but that's the way it goes.

 

[fraluchi]

You ask "do you have WiFi?"

Try this: "¿hay weefee aquí?" It's the sound that makes the difference. :roll:

 

[SabsP]

As far as I know WIFI isn't included in the the Universal Declaration of Human Rights so I do think as a pilgrim we can do without. Sorry to be so harsh in my post but I really think it is a luxury problem.
Yes the WIFI could be the one from the bar/resto , or yes from a neighbour. If they want to give you the code : ok, if not : also ok.
I personally loved the desktop paying computers, they have their charm... :wink:
I was also very much impressed with the high quality of public libraries and their free computers ( especially in the smaller villages/ towns ). The lady volunteer at the small public library in Obanos especially is a real treasure!

 

[Sojourner47]

What's WiFi??

 

[SabsP]

What's WiFi??

Sojourner,

It's not lightweight so it won't interest you... :wink: :lol: :wink:

 

[vagabondette]

many places have it to run their business but it's not available to customers. no biggie.

 

[evanlow]

For me check the name of the Wifi before going into the bar.

1. If you can identify the name to the bar e.g. 'BarCevantes', order a drink and connect to it. When you drink comes just ask them what is the password for the wifi pointing to your device. You should be able to get it from them.

2. If the bar has coin-operated machines most likely you will not find a wifi signal or if there is one it may be e.g. 'wlan45' which will not be tied to the bar so they can always deny it is theirs.

3. Or pay 30 Euros for a Yoigo prepaid sim card before you start your camino that comes with 800 megs of internet traffic. After that, it is 5 Euros for another 300 megs. Then you don't have to worry about wifi so much. Believe it is a good feeling not to have to hunt down the bars or libraries to get internet access all the time.

 

[David]

Apologies to Mr Shakespeare :shock:


To Wi-Fi, or not to Wi-Fi, that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The pangs and loneliness of isolated pilgrimage,
Or to take ipads against a sea of silences
And by connecting - end them.
To walk without — to Camino without,
No more; and by such a Camino to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That the internet is heir to: 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To walk, and then to sleep;
To sleep, perchance to dream of Facebook —ay, there's the rub:
For in that sleep in refugios what dreams may come,
When we have shuffled off this Camino for the night,
Must give us pause—there's the emails
That makes calamity of such a life.
For who would bear the junk mail and the Nigerian fortunes offered freely,
Th'Facebook stalkers wrong, the proud Twitter man's contumely,
The pangs of dispriz'd internet dating love, the gprs delay,
The insolence of service centres, and the spurns
That patient merit of th'unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make on his Camino
With a bare bordon?
Who would rucksacks bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after returning home,
The undiscovere'd emails, to whose inbox
No traveller happily returns, puzzles the will,
And makes us rather bear that ipad we have
Than fly to internet cafes that we know not of?
Thus fear of isolation doth make cowards of us all,
And thus the native hue of resolution to walk alone
Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought of connection speeds,
And personal blogs of great pitch and moment
With this regard their Caminos turn awry
And as long as an internet connection is found
they lose the name of action.

:wink:

 

[peregrino_tom]

David, this is wonderful.
I wish I had the wherewithal to reply in kind!
It should be tacked to albergue noticeboards across the realm.

 

[David]

AAwww - thank you

 

[franmaryp]

BRAVO DAVID !! As I strolled thru Northern Spain ( took 45 days to cover 700Km) my days were filled with soaking up as much of the culture, people, architecture, food, nature's treats (gentle breezes, gail-force winds, mist, rain, sleet, hail, snow,hills, valleys,rocks, mud,flowers and critters) and not for a second did I want to be "connected".

 

[Pieces]

Thanks David

I too wondered what the need for wifi would be, but then I started feeling really old and hurried off to the next topic...

 

[vagabondette]

For anyone wondering why people need to be connected, it's just a fact that some people are unable to disconnect (not to be confused with being unwilling). They may have personal issues that they need to know about quickly (i.e. an ill family member, etc.). They may have professional commitments to meet (i.e. self employed persons who don't get a thing called paid vacation/pension and therefore must still do work while on the camino). There are those who will stay connected who don't *need* to but even that's ok.

For example, I'm self employed. The up side of this is, when I decided to spend 5.5 months traveling around Europe and the ME this fall/winter, I didn't have to ask anyone's permission to do it, I just booked my ticket. The down side is, I'll have to frequently access the internet so I can do some work - other wise the money stops flowing.

Yes, occasionally I miss the days when I'd just take 2 weeks of paid vacation and know that everything would be ok when I returned and I wouldn't have an income gap (I also miss my quarterly bonuses ). But, the ability to go anywhere in the world at any time I want and not have to get the OK from anyone more than makes up for it.

So, when you see me (or anyone else) tapping away on our smartphones/tablets/computers on the side of the camino, try not to judge us for not being able to disconnect as we'll try not to pity you for having to rush home to a job/retirement budget rather than being able to travel for as long and as far as you like.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I have lost the need to be a Camino purist. I can stay connected and still enjoy the pilgrimage. I did not start that way! Either I evolved, or became jaded. I do not know which.

 

[Abbeydore]

"jaded" = an old gem :lol:

well if it was not for wi-fi, I wouldn't know i was sitting next to falcon & drinking his free wine

Saw his thingy, cause he'd logged on & I saw falcon269, blimmey shock!

ps It's I think I may have bought a bottle but cannot be sure of events :mrgreen:

 

[mrbillyto]

Well said Vagabondette. I'm not sure why it would matter to one pilgrim if another pilgrim wanted or needed to stay connected. Isn't each pilgrim there to make their pilgrimage their way? If that means taking 45 days or 31, visiting each church or not, walking alone or in a small group or staying connected for want or need or not at all then so be it. Who is ANY pilgrim to judge? In my humble opinion, we all have to make our pilgrimage our way...whatever that looks like.

 

[David]

Absolutely - everyone to their own Camino ... though .. is it possible that there is an inverse relationship between the silicon chip and the humour chip? :lol:

 

[evanlow]

I stayed connected but mainly the traffic is one way. Blogging daily with pictures and words that also gets automatically updated to my Facebook. This way, strangers can follow my Camino on my blog and friends and family can follow me via Facebook.

With a local SIM and internet connection, instead of exchanging emails, we exchange Facebook contacts, which the other party can easily accept once they are connected to the internet. Then you can put all the Facebook contact onto a private Facebook group and any communication from there whether is be words or sharing of pictures will only be shared among this group. Much easier than trying to email each other back and forth.

Obviously we can do all that after the Camino (just more effort to hunt down each other's Facebook account). I've beginning to see this trend happening on the Camino, thanks to social media.

 

[Tia Valeria]

Wi-Fi or no Wi-Fi? In many places you can see the signal but it is for someone's private signal and therefore locked. Many bars, hotels however do have 'free Wi-Fi' for their customers but you need to ask for the code when you order your meal/coffee etc. Very few places are 'open hotspots' these days since someone has to pay for the useage. You might find them around places that once offered free public internet, which is still available in some places if all else fails.
Buen Camino

 

[Susan hopes]

Count me in as another one of those folks who have to stay connected. My friends and family will worry horribly if I don't and I run a small side business I have to maintain.

 

[Silvester]

A few days ago my sister flitted off to Europe for a short 3 weeks. We dithered about phones and emails etc and in the end we at home said "Just send us a postcard a couple of times to show you're alive and happy!". I wonder if it is still possible for digital immigrants to buy postcards?

 

[NicoZ]

I wonder if it is still possible for digital immigrants to buy postcards?

Sure. They tend to be dusty and show images from 1979 but you'll still see them for sale.

Not sure if the post office still takes them

 

[David Mapletoft]

Apologies to Mr Shakespeare :shock:


To Wi-Fi, or not to Wi-Fi, that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The pangs and loneliness of isolated pilgrimage,
Or to take ipads against a sea of silences
And by connecting - end them.
To walk without — to Camino without,
No more; and by such a Camino to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That the internet is heir to: 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To walk, and then to sleep;
To sleep, perchance to dream of Facebook —ay, there's the rub:
For in that sleep in refugios what dreams may come,
When we have shuffled off this Camino for the night,
Must give us pause—there's the emails
That makes calamity of such a life.
For who would bear the junk mail and the Nigerian fortunes offered freely,
Th'Facebook stalkers wrong, the proud Twitter man's contumely,
The pangs of dispriz'd internet dating love, the gprs delay,
The insolence of service centres, and the spurns
That patient merit of th'unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make on his Camino
With a bare bordon?
Who would rucksacks bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after returning home,
The undiscovere'd emails, to whose inbox
No traveller happily returns, puzzles the will,
And makes us rather bear that ipad we have
Than fly to internet cafes that we know not of?
Thus fear of isolation doth make cowards of us all,
And thus the native hue of resolution to walk alone
Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought of connection speeds,
And personal blogs of great pitch and moment
With this regard their Caminos turn awry
And as long as an internet connection is found
they lose the name of action.

:wink:

Cool poetry. Unfortunately my only income is working online. For me it is essential to my survival to have internet access.
I shall suffer the slings and arrows of poverty for no wifi connection

From what I read in these forums, theres not really a problem with getting connected. I shall read on. If anybody can tell me any problems with getting connected (I need to work about 2 hours per day) pleas inform

 

[David Mapletoft]

I stayed connected but mainly the traffic is one way. Blogging daily with pictures and words that also gets automatically updated to my Facebook. This way, strangers can follow my Camino on my blog and friends and family can follow me via Facebook.

With a local SIM and internet connection, instead of exchanging emails, we exchange Facebook contacts, which the other party can easily accept once they are connected to the internet. Then you can put all the Facebook contact onto a private Facebook group and any communication from there whether is be words or sharing of pictures will only be shared among this group. Much easier than trying to email each other back and forth.

Obviously we can do all that after the Camino (just more effort to hunt down each other's Facebook account). I've beginning to see this trend happening on the Camino, thanks to social media.

Thank you for your post. Its good to see like people when it comes to connecting. I work online and for me it is essential to be able to get internet access for about 2 hours per day.

What are the best options for this in your experience please: buy a local hone number / account or just use the wifis in the towns and hostels? Thanks

 

[bystander]

I am not up to speed on this subject but have you, David Mapletoft, investigated WiFi calling?
This link from a year ago is a beginning of a search/research on this by me:
http://www.rebtel.com/en/Internatio...ile-Apps/Top-5-apps-for-WiFi-Calling-in-2013/

 

[Dutch]

I think 99% of the pilgrims "need" to stay connected and the ones that dont bring iphones, ipads ect are the ones who (usualy) get nervous after not seeing a desktop in an albergue for several days because they want to check and sent emails.

I have met several pilgrims who have said, i did not bring my phone because i want te be totally disconnected, but almost all of them wanted to check their mails now and then. In other words, if you do this, you still are not disconnected, so might as well bring phones, ipads ect...

I wonder, if the ancient pilgrims had these cool phones that can make life so much easier, would they bring them? My guess is, Yes.

 

[michryan]

I personally like being away from all technology but having a family at home they really worry when I'm off somewhere and don't connect with them. I always buy a phone card but that can prove hard to get to a phone so my hubby got me I mini iPad so I can send messages. Yet to try it out but we will give it a go on my next trip. Never paid any attention to whether there is wifi or not.

 

[Dutch]

Lots of wifi on the Frances, it even amazed me how much. Even free wifi available in the whole city centre of Burgos. How awesome is that!

On the Portugees you will find less wifi points in bars ect. They are around, but not as much as on the Frances.

 

[michryan]

Lots of wifi on the Frances, it even amazed me how much. Even free wifi available in the whole city centre of Burgos. How awesome is that!

On the Portugees you will find less wifi points in bars ect. They are around, but not as much as on the Frances.

Thanks Dutch. I'm off to do the Portuguese way and said to hubby I'm not sure if there is much in the way of wifi. Hopefully I will find enough to keep the boy happy. )

 

[Bajaracer]

Thank you for your post. Its good to see like people when it comes to connecting. I work online and for me it is essential to be able to get internet access for about 2 hours per day.

What are the best options for this in your experience please: buy a local hone number / account or just use the wifis in the towns and hostels? Thanks

David, I have an unlocked iPhone 5, I buy local SIM cards with data wherever I travel, much cheaper than roaming on your home carrier.
Most people are interested in using data more than voice or texting, so if you need to do work, make sure your smartphone is unlocked and buy a Spanish SIM with data and be able to connect at your convenience, you can work "trailside" if you want, combined with using wifi, you could get by with 1GB of data.
Look at the deals from Tuenti Movil (Movistar) https://www.tuenti.com/movil, for €7 you can be connected.

 

[reih1515]

Look back...10 years ago. Hoe did we walk 2 months on the Frances. No IPhones or something else. Now we walk with our old Siemens portable stand-by. Avoiding any so called "news" . Quiet, the world goes on also without me. ;-)

 

[Thomas1962]

You walk into a bar along the Camino. You check your smartphone and can see a very strong WiFi signal in the room. You ask "do you have WiFi?" They say "No." What is going on? 1) they have WiFi, but want to force you to pay to use the desktop station, 2) they have WiFi, but don't know it, 3) the people living upstairs have WiFi and an incredibly strong signal.

Coming back to the original question:
4) The owners want to be a place were customers interact with each instead having only attention at something behind their own little screen. I worked in an albergue like this. I liked it! Can you imagine?

 

[Kanga]

I do think that not being subject to the 24 news cycle is one of the gifts of the Camino. So much of what we see and hear is incredibly sad. It can fill me with hopelessness about the human condition and our future. I do like and need to be in contact with my family, and my smartphone has many other good uses (books, maps). My small self imposed rule is no internet use. It does not protect me completely but it is a bit of a filter. I put a message on my email and phone that I am "camping somewhere in mountainous Europe where there is no mobile coverage".

 

[michryan]

I do think that not being subject to the 24 news cycle is one of the gifts of the Camino. So much of what we see and hear is incredibly sad. It can fill me with hopelessness about the human condition and our future. I do like and need to be in contact with my family, and my smartphone has many other good uses (books, maps). My small self imposed rule is no internet use. It does not protect me completely but it is a bit of a filter. I put a message on my email and phone that I am "camping somewhere in mountainous Europe where there is no mobile coverage".

I agree Kanga. I love having a disconnection to the events of the world for a while. It is disturbing most of the time and I want to clear my thoughts while I walk. I find it very amusing when I'm out walking in a beautiful isolated area of the world and you have hikers walking around with their phones holding them in the air trying to get reception. They should be trying to enjoy the place they just walked to instead.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I find it very amusing when I'm out walking in a beautiful isolated area of the world and you have hikers walking around with their phones holding them in the air trying to get reception.

I stop and let them pass.

 

[alexwalker]

I am a computer engineer with 40 years background in the profession. I have been speeding up computer systems all over Europe all my life. I was very good at it. Now, I consider it a wasted life..
'
Now I just walk, taking back my life. I never connect. The Internet and online connection is not in line with my Camino experience and needs.

As George Orwell, the author of "1984" said: "The day when humans talk more to machines than humans, is the beginning of the end of humans".

 

[Leaningforward]

I would recommend a local SIM card if one speaks the language where used; otherwise, use the global/international data plan available through one's cell phone provider (higher cost will reduce use).

I rarely used Wi-Fi on the CF, instead using data to check Google Maps, use iTranslate, and book occasional rooms with booking.com. While on camino I closed my business, setting auto-reply and voicemail recording to "... on sabbatical ... contact me in April".

Since my camino, I regularly turn my phone off -- for hours or days -- to be free from otherwise constant e-stimuli.

 

[obinjatoo]

For anyone wondering why people need to be connected, it's just a fact that some people are unable to disconnect (not to be confused with being unwilling). They may have personal issues that they need to know about quickly (i.e. an ill family member, etc.). They may have professional commitments to meet (i.e. self employed persons who don't get a thing called paid vacation/pension and therefore must still do work while on the camino). There are those who will stay connected who don't *need* to but even that's ok.

For example, I'm self employed. The up side of this is, when I decided to spend 5.5 months traveling around Europe and the ME this fall/winter, I didn't have to ask anyone's permission to do it, I just booked my ticket. The down side is, I'll have to frequently access the internet so I can do some work - other wise the money stops flowing.

Yes, occasionally I miss the days when I'd just take 2 weeks of paid vacation and know that everything would be ok when I returned and I wouldn't have an income gap (I also miss my quarterly bonuses ). But, the ability to go anywhere in the world at any time I want and not have to get the OK from anyone more than makes up for it.

So, when you see me (or anyone else) tapping away on our smartphones/tablets/computers on the side of the camino, try not to judge us for not being able to disconnect as we'll try not to pity you for having to rush home to a job/retirement budget rather than being able to travel for as long and as far as you like.

2 weeks paid? You ain't missing a thing!

 

[JabbaPapa]

I never connect.

(quoted from the Internet ... )

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Just a point of courtesy: When entering an albergue or house of welcome, please say hello and introduce yourself before demanding the Wifi password.
You are a pilgrims. You are not entitled to anything, much less internet access.

 

[Dutch]

Sounds pretty normal to me.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

When entering an albergue or house of welcome, please say hello and introduce yourself before demanding the Wifi password.

I endorse that 100%. The small courtesies seem a bit diminished by technology. Perhaps it is because technology gives instant gratification and we become addicted to it.

That said, the incremental cost of WiFi is virtually nothing, so it is time for businesses to stop acting like WiFi users are asking for someone's virginity. There was a time when it added to a businesses costs, but not anymore. If a place has WiFi, it should unlock it. Many places have complex passwords that were established when the consultant installed the router. They can take forever to enter accurately. I don't think I have ever seen someone skulking around trying to steal some WiFi bandwidth! If a bar is paranoid, then at least change the password to something easy, like "camino." Perhaps a leftover from the Franco era, Spain has a "this is mine" attitude that approaches dangerous levels. While Spaniards are very generous and helpful, they are afraid of being taken advantage of. They keep the sugar and napkins behind the service counter at Burger King, for goodness sake. God forbid that a non-customer would check email...

 

[billmclaughlin]

I think most of those super long and complex passwords are only in place because the management doesn't understand how easy it is to reset the password. They're no so much worried about unauthorized usage as technologically behind the times.

Bill

 

[Dutch]

I think that true @billmclaughlin . If the password is so ridiculous, it must be generated by the modem or router and then probably the owners dont know how to change it.

About people who want to stay clear of any form of news and say thats the reason why they dont bring an iphone or why they bring an ancient cellphone, i can only say: WILLPOWER!! Its not the iphone thats in charge, you are. All you have to do is NOT push that one app or not enter that one web address. It really is that simple. I managed to do this on my caminos, no newssites, so can you. Its not that difficult.

 

[Thomas1962]

That said, the incremental cost of WiFi is virtually nothing, so it is time for businesses to stop acting like WiFi users are asking for someone's virginity.

If a bar owner should offer everything which is nearly free... I'm very happy with bars with no tv nor gambling machine. Looks more like wifi users act like their virginity is taken away without wifi.

 

[Dutch]

More and more cafes, albergues, restaurants use free wifi to attract customers, some use their non-wifi policy to attract a different kind of customer.

As long as there is a choice, everybody is happy.

I live in 2014, so i would choose an establishment that also operates in 2014.
At least in a wifi place, i get too choose if i use it or not. In a non-wifi place somebody else has made that choice for me. I dont like that, therefor i probably wont go there.

 

[Lotta]

So far there is only Foncebadon - the hole village - who dosen't have Wifi... Almost everyelse we passed thru there are some places who has... Some albergues might not, but almost at least one bar.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

At least in a wifi place, i get too choose if i use it or not. In a non-wifi place somebody else has made that choice for me. I dont like that, therefor i probably wont go there.

In surveys of millennials as they are vaguely defined, factors like that have become very important. The success or failure of a business is going to depend on capturing the spending by this age category. The Spanish business model is much less customer oriented than the U.S., so it is mostly "I set up this business. Patronize me or not; I don't care. I run it my way because it is my life, not yours." Pilgrims are pretty tolerant of it, but establishments without technology support may find that a customer segment avoids them. I know that when I am using booking.com, the offering of WiFi affects my choice. That is a high end choice, but I probably would stay at an albergue with WiFi in preference to one without. As you say, if it is there, you can choose whether to use it. Whether businesses in Spain will incorporate that concept into their offering is not clear. With 20-25% unemployment and no real plan for economic development beyond building high speed rail and hoping customers will show up, it may be time to re-evaluate customer-oriented marketing.

 

[Thomas1962]

It amazes me how a lack of wifi becomes identified with pranoide, Franco era, fear, restriction of personal choice, not living in 2014, bad business models and reason of unemployment. Come on! Feet on the ground and walk! I do use wifi a lot and often like bars with wifi more then others. But if it is not there, it is not there. There are good reasons not to supply wifi, as much as there are good reason not to have a TV in a bar or restaurant (and that's even from the fifties!) When other people start to be blamed, wifi starts to look like an addition to me.
I love Spain and I love the spanish camino. Especially because they do it their way, not the all European or American way.

 

[Dutch]

Does it also amaze you how almost judgemental some people are (that do not want to bring smartphones/ipads ect) towards people that do?

Is that also fear? Fear of change? Are they trying to preserve the "goold ol' days at all cost? Or are they trying to restrict other peoples personal choice? Or not wanting to live in the present?

It almost seems to me that the wifi naysayers are more frantic than the yeasayers.

 

[John Sikora]

I didn't see one thing mentioned. If the wifi icon of selection has a "lock" in it then it is a private wifi that you really should get permission to use (usually this means that there is a password requirement). If there is no "lock" that either means that the wifi is free and clear and will just allow you to use it (and it's ok to do so). It may still require a login but at least you kind of know that it is open and available. One exception to the rule would be private individuals who have set up a router and either have a public access allowed (usually requires a password once you try to login) or those individuals that have a router and just don't have the sense to protect their network. You can (but shouldn't) use this technically but it's a violation of their privacy. There you have wifi security 101

 

[Bikeguy]

I found wifi very common in albergues, hotels, cafes, etc. Password provided once I booked in or ordered a meal. It is free in Pamplona's main square. I carried a cheap 7" Samsung tablet that was invaluble to me for blogging, email, backing up photos, books, but not so valuable if lost or stolen.

 

[alexwalker]

(quoted from the Internet ... )

Said after I returned from the Camino...

Your phone is actually a computer, and as such, today it is infinitely more powerful than the computing power aboard Apollo 11, that launched the first humans to the Moon. Technological capabilities have soared and continue to do so. It is of course tempting to take advantage of that, being able to connect to all of the world, all the time. But the keyword is balance. When people indulge in this technology, they can get more obsessed with their communication with others far away, than the communication with themselves and their fellow pilgrims in the now.

Personally I see the benefit of it, ie. access to a compass, a flashlight, rescue services etc., but I try not to let it override my Camino experience. I try to live in the now and in the environment of my fellow pilgrims.

Technology is good, when used in the right way. On the Camino these days, you will see many introvert persons, however, only communicating through their phones/tablets. It is not a good thing in my opinion: They miss out on the real opportunities of the Camino, imho. They do not exist in the now.

The reliance of technology goes even further: Computers and phones have been allowed/introduced into classroms. Small children no longer able to calculate by using their brains, not reading and making own judgements, but instead relying on info from the Net and calculators. I have been educating children/kids in math: It is unbelievable how much they rely on technology, and how little they are able to use their brains. I have to "detox" them from the information age in order to make their brains function again. Many countries, including my own, begin to realize it was a mistake to let children rely on tech instead of developing their brains.

I have always tried to do math in my head, in order to keep my brain alive. Complex calculations, I need a calculator. Fine. But I try to strech my brain's limits all the time.

Point? Do as you like, but think about where you are and what you are really doing: Do you need that connection?

Said by an old and forgetful computer engineer...

 

[Mr. Walker]

I think to stay offline while walking the Camino is alot like the alcoholic who doesn't drink for 4 weeks and then, very proud of the achievement, goes straight back to his or hers old living and excessive habits.
Perhaps we should all worry a bit more about the time we spend online in our day to day life...?

Ergo: Stay online on the Camino. Spend less time online when you get back home.

 

[Mr. Walker]

I remember a small village where they had no wi-fi at all. A young Frenchman sitting outside the restaurant told me that he lived there, totally disconnected. While telling me this he smoked the biggest joint I have ever seen.
Yup, disconnected for sure, I thought to myself.

 

[Dutch]

Maybe that joint connected him to something totally different

 

[Felipe]

In my daily life, I am ever (well, almost) connected . When I go to Camino, I try to arrange things so I will not be needed except for really important issues, and set an authomatic answer to my e-mail ("I am and will be in a nomadic period until..., so your mails may not be answered for some days"). I don't carry wi-fi able gadgets. My first days, I have some manifestations of "e-abstinence syndrom", and I am looking nervously every night for a connection, but after that, I (re)discover that the world can go on without my permanent watch. And to be worried only about very, very basic things (staying healthy, having reasonable meals, a good albergue) is to me one of the main delights of Camino life. I resort to albergue desktops, or local cybercafes, mainly to send reports to my family or check next day weather. But when I am approaching the last days of walk, I start, almost inadvertently, to check news, now and then. I guess it is some kind of of cycle.
Staying (dis)connected, to me, is not a matter or principle, I just go with the flow of my thoughts and feelings.

 

[Icacos]

Maybe that joint connected him to something totally different

Yes, it's all relative.

 

[Mr. Walker]

Yes, it's all relative.

Reality is relative, what's important is relating to each other. Impossible when one of two is high as a kite.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Alrighty then... So merchants who don´t offer wired pilgrims a fix for their particular addiction are "frantic" or backward or even stoned! They are doomed to fail in the 21st century business model... or some latent fear or anxiety drives these rustics to deprive modern people of their right to Instant Info! Egads! Let´s get with the program, Spain!

Rural Spain is rural in thought, word, and deed. There are great gaps in the wifi coverage, there are shopkeepers who will survive just fine without pilgrim business and really do not care if you like it or not. If you want 24-hour instant high-speed internet access, do not expect it here, at least not yet.

It is not stubborn clinging to the past. It is often an economic decision -- my very slow rural internet connection costs 50 Euro a month, plus all the electricity, equipment, and maintenance that goes with a wifi network. This is a Junta initiative, it is the only internet available. There are no competitors vying to lower the price or up the speed. The more people signing on to my "free" signal, the slower the service is for everyone in town.

But the greater issue is one of attitude and expectation.
This is an issue where urban culture clashes with the rural nature of much of the camino. It illustrates how different the camino economy is from the consumer orientation of the pilgrims now on the journey. Consumers accustomed to having their needs met or taking those needs elsewhere are confronted with a world that not only thwarts their desire, but questions the legitimacy of their "needs..." That does not always go down very well!

You can bring all your electronica along, and use it as much or little as you like. But if you want to do the camino pilgrimage, you need to see, hear, smell, and really BE on the camino.
You spent all that time and money to get here. So pull out the earbuds, shed the expectations and demands, and be here. We have a lot to offer you, if you will let it happen.
That´s all.

 

[Dutch]

Being "frantic" wasnt meant towards merchant, shopkeepers, hospitaleros, Spain or rural life or anything like that... If they offer wifi, fine, if not, also fine. Its their business, not mine. Run it the way you want to run it.
It was towards pilgrims who act so "frantic" towards other pilgrims that do want to bring their smartphones, ipads, ereaders ect, because they do not want to see anybody sitting in a cafe with a phone in their hand.
I just dont get that judgement. Im not going to bother anybody for NOT bringing it. Your choice, your life, but it would be nice if you extend me and all the others that do bring smartphones (for many different reasons) the same courtesy.

 

[Dutch]

Lots of people keep journals. Many of those people i've seen sitting at cafe tables, nose in their book, pen in hand, not seeing or hearing anybody, just writing. I have also seen 'm cancel dinners, drinks ect because they just had to do their journal.

Isnt that then the exact same (anti-social non camino behaviour) thing as what apparently is annoying the people who are so afraid of entering a bar and seeing a pilgrim with a phone in hand?

It doesn't really have anything to do with the phones, tablets ect, does it? It has al to do with the person behind it (and behind the journal as well).
I can can play with my phone all i want when sitting in the sun on a terras enjoying a tapas and a drink, but if company comes knocking, i just put it away. Its that simple and i think the grand majority will also.

 

[Icacos]

Y'know, all this talk of what to do with modern technology, and when, reminds me of that young Frenchman that Mr. Walker mentioned earlier, the one who was sitting outside the restaurant smoking the biggest joint he has ever seen. I'm sure if that young Frenchman heard all these goings on he would be inclined to say, "Don't harsh my mellow."

 

[Bajaracer]

http://www.cultofmac.com/273029/can-now-make-voice-calls-free-facebook-messenger-country/

 

[Rebekah Scott]

I have no problem with people who wish to spend time with their screens and devices (or notebooks & journals), except when they start demanding special accommodation, or they are otherwise rude or clueless to those around them. Which seems to happen a bit too often.

(Bikers standing still in the middle of an intersection, creating a traffic hazard while they peer at the maps on their screens, for instance. Or the hiker whose headphones block out not only greetings and birdsong, but the combine harvester machine looming up the road behind him... Or the pilgrim at the door, whose first words to me are "You have wifi, right?" Or the ugly arguments over power points in the Albergue, where everyone MUST charge his electronica immediately... a pilgrim last week unplugged our freezer so he could charge his IPhone. He did not plug it back in when he finished. This sort of thing is what I mean. These things did not happen before people started carrying Electronica with them.)

 

[Kanga]

Apologies to Mr Shakespeare :shock:


To Wi-Fi, or not to Wi-Fi, that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The pangs and loneliness of isolated pilgrimage,
Or to take ipads against a sea of silences
And by connecting - end them.
To walk without — to Camino without,
No more; and by such a Camino to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That the internet is heir to: 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To walk, and then to sleep;
To sleep, perchance to dream of Facebook —ay, there's the rub:
For in that sleep in refugios what dreams may come,
When we have shuffled off this Camino for the night,
Must give us pause—there's the emails
That makes calamity of such a life.
For who would bear the junk mail and the Nigerian fortunes offered freely,
Th'Facebook stalkers wrong, the proud Twitter man's contumely,
The pangs of dispriz'd internet dating love, the gprs delay,
The insolence of service centres, and the spurns
That patient merit of th'unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make on his Camino
With a bare bordon?
Who would rucksacks bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after returning home,
The undiscovere'd emails, to whose inbox
No traveller happily returns, puzzles the will,
And makes us rather bear that ipad we have
Than fly to internet cafes that we know not of?
Thus fear of isolation doth make cowards of us all,
And thus the native hue of resolution to walk alone
Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought of connection speeds,
And personal blogs of great pitch and moment
With this regard their Caminos turn awry
And as long as an internet connection is found
they lose the name of action.

:wink:

How did I miss this? Brilliant.

 

[Kanga]

.. a pilgrim last week unplugged our freezer so he could charge his IPhone. He did not plug it back in when he finished. This sort of thing is what I mean. These things did not happen before people started carrying Electronica with them.)

Oh Rebekah, how awful! Did much get ruined? I would be driving up the Camino to find and garrotte him. Well, something.

 

[Dutch]

Rebekah, sorry to hear that. Unbelievable that people would do that, but i really think that that has less to do with the electronics and more to do with the person unplugging your fridge, fighting over outlets, stopping in the middle of an intersection to..... Ect ect....

My guess is, if there wasnt electronics, these types of people would find other ways to create "havoc" and unpleasant behaviour or just be plain rude.

I really cant imagine we are talking about the majority of "electronic pilgrims".

 

[LesBrass]

I've hovered over the keyboard a few times on these technology threads, but thought it was best to say nothing ... but ignoring my own good advice, I've decided to throw my hat into the ring anyway.

As a 'newbie' to the camino and having never undertaken anything like this before, I have absorbed loads of great information here. I love that everyone is so kind and helpful. I also find it rather peculiar that the threads that cause most division seems to be the ones that talk about technology.

One of the overwhelming bits of good advice folks offer is ... it's your camino, your walk, do it your way... so I do wonder, why this doesn't apply to folks asking simple questions about technology?

We all take advantage of modern technology, with or without phones. Our shoes, our packs, our poles, our clothes, the medicines and medical assistance we may or may not need, the warmer lighter sleeping bags, even the transport links that take us to and from our start and end points. I suspect very few of us live our lives in the same way we did 10 years ago, we embrace technology in ALL aspects of our life... isn't it odd that a simple phone can causes so much angst.

I really value the advice you all offer... without all your great words of wisdom I dont think I would have found the courage to get this far... and now I can pack you all in my pocket and carry all that great advice with me...

So I'm with Charles....

... he would be inclined to say, "Don't harsh my mellow."

p.s. I guess different folks walk for different reasons ... I'm not looking to disconnect from the world or my nearest and dearest... I'm walking because I can, for the challenge, for being alive. Maybe for this reason the disconnect isn't so important for me? Which takes us back to... walk your own walk?

 

[Dutch]

... and now I can pack you all in my pocket and carry all that great advice with me...

 

[MaxfromMO]

I always assumed when I was told no, that the WiFi in the building was strictly for their own business use. I don't know how it is in Spain, but in the U.S. some internet use is priced according to data usage and a particular business may not be able to afford to provide unlimited internet usage to patrons.

 

[bystander]

In all discussions on this site I listen very carefully to the words of Rebekah and heed them for they are, in my opinion, pearls of wisdom about the Camino, its history, its customs and how one should behave.

But on this WiFi thread, this is my take:

Everything anyone does on the Camino is a matter of personal choice and conscience.
However with regard to travelling on the Camino manners will, regardless, always matter.
For as St Ambrose of Milan said: "When in Rome, live as the Romans do; when elsewhere, live as they live elsewhere."
It may be your Camino but you are walking and talking amongst others who may not share your views or values.
So do not attempt to impose your values or opinions on others for "autres pays, autres moeurs".

As to this divisive discussion about WiFi
For me when I leave home for my Camino, or on any journey abroad, I always cut the umbilical cord home.
Only in extremis would I contact home.
Others may not be able to make that separation.
Again each to their own.

As to walking into any retail establishment and expecting or demanding instant WiFi connection without the courtesy of politely asking first would mean you are a crass and an ill-mannered oaf.

Lastly on returning from your foreign journey, to save you boring the pants off your friends and family, I give you these words from John Donne's poem "The Will"

"Before I sigh my last gaspe, let me breath,
Great love, some Legacies; Here I bequeath.....

...My silence to'any, who abroad hath beene...."

 

[Kanga]

Lastly on returning from your foreign journey, to save you boring the pants off your friends and family, I give you these words from John Donne's poem "The Will"

"Before I sigh my last gaspe, let me breath,
Great love, some Legacies; Here I bequeath.....

...My silence to'any, who abroad hath beene...."

What, are you suggesting they won't be fascinated and astonished by my endless tales of the Camino? Surely you are not suggesting they will be unenthused, maybe even bored? Gasp, horror!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

As to walking into any retail establishment and expecting or demanding instant WiFi connection without the courtesy of politely asking first

That cannot happen in Spain. You will need to ask for the contrasena for all locked WiFi. The unlocked WiFi is there for the taking, or it would be locked.

 

[Thomas1962]

Does it also amaze you how almost judgemental some people are (that do not want to bring smartphones/ipads ect) towards people that do?
Is that also fear? Fear of change? Are they trying to preserve the "goold ol' days at all cost? Or are they trying to restrict other peoples personal choice? Or not wanting to live in the present?
It almost seems to me that the wifi naysayers are more frantic than the yeasayers.

I see what you write, but wonder who is judgmental of people who use electronics? No one, isn't it? The initial question was what can be the reason if there is no wifi in a bar. The answer is that not every bar or albergue owner wants it for reasons. I did see some judgements on that. Which is ok, who is without...

 

[bystander]

What, are you suggesting they won't be fascinated and astonished by my endless tales of the Camino? Surely you are not suggesting they will be unenthused, maybe even bored? Gasp, horror!

Kanga
I know, I know, it it is truly depressing for every time I launch into one of my fascinating and amusing anecdotes it appears I have cured my captive audience's insomnia.

 

[NicoZ]

I see what you write, but wonder who is judgmental of people who use electronics? No one, isn't it? The initial question was what can be the reason if there is no wifi in a bar. The answer is that not every bar or albergue owner wants it for reasons. I did see some judgements on that. Which is ok, who is without...

It's not just this thread. You need to look at the whole collection of threads on connections. There is often a strong sense of disapproval or worse at people that need or want to be connected. Often from people with no need to be connected or worse people that have never experienced a device created post ball point pen.

It's not like wifi is a pair of shoes. Shoes created a physical barrier between the path and you. Obviously shoes should be frowned on.

 

[grayland]

This thread does not seem to be providing any reasonable value.

We will close it now.