Day 13a Reflections and Tips from 2 Weeks In!!

Current status? Sat on a bench in a sunny park in Burgos. It’s exactly 2 weeks sinceI left home on my adventure, and I thought it might be time to do some reflecting. I’m really aware that a lot of future pilgrims are reading my blog; I know this through all the lovely comments on my blog, replies on Facebook posts and private messaging, so I thought some general advice, tips, ramblings etc might be useful. They are in no particular order, and are simply observations from my own perspective and experiences. Others may disagree, and that is fine. All shall be well. I’ll post a general daily update later, as I know not everyone will be interested in this.

Firstly, and most importantly, let go of expectations. Forget any books you have read, films you have seen, people you have spoken to, even blogs you have read! Your experience will be unique and will be shaped by so many factors out of your control. I didn’t expect to take buses or forward some weight from my pack, but I did and I’m glad I did. I needed to, and there’s no shame in that. If you hang on to someone else’s views as to how a pilgrimage should take shape you will suffer.

Train. Train. Train. Walk as much as you can. Walk up hills. Walk with your pack. Walk multiple miles on multiple days with tired legs. Walk on days when you have had no sleep. Walk in all types of weather.

Do not underestimate the first 2/3 days. This is aimed at the people reading who may be like me, overweight, unfit, fearful, unused to physical challenges. Stop at Orisson or Borda on day 1. You will need to book ahead for accommodation. If the accommodation is full then book 2 nights in St Jean, walk to Orisson then get a taxi back down. Take a taxi back up the next day to the same point and start walking again. Consider starting after that point. You can start anywhere. Some people start at Roncessavelles to avoid the climb up. Others start at Pamplona, Leon, Sarria….choose what suits you.

Do not underestimate how busy the Camino is at the moment. The bed challenge is real. I booked ahead the first few days and was glad I had, especially when I got to one albergue where people had to wait until 3 o’clock to find if they had a bed. The unsuccessful ones had a choice of a mattress outside the church or to walk on to the next village in the hope of a bed there. This would have scared me. I like to know where I am sleeping.

Do not underestimate the weather. I was totally unprepared for how much the heat would affect me. I had heat exhaustion which gave me problems with energy, sleeping, eating, staying hydrated etc. It nearly resulted in me going home early. My umbrella came in handy as a sunscreen.

Consider the practicalities of dorm life. Consider the fact you may end up with a top bunk. Consider the snorers; ear plugs are essential but didn’t help me and I ended up leaving my bed to sleep on the floor of other rooms in 2 instances. Consider an eye mask. If your finances allow it consider private rooms, even occasionally, to give yourself the chance of a good sleep. Also be aware of practicalities of changing in a mixed sex dorm. I took a lightweight silk kaftan which meant I could pop in on after the shower, and put my underwear on easily underneath it.

Consider the time of year. I started walking at 5.15am some mornings and needed my good head torch. Be aware of the time the sun rises and sets.

I know some of you are worried about not making friends. This is something I found easy. It helps to be open to conversation and to initiate it. I found it easier in dorms, and small villages, it’s far easier to feel isolated in big cities, but I still bumped into people I knew in Pamplona, Logrono and Burgos. Don’t be afraid of just chatting to anyone, regardless of age, sex, nationality; if they have a rucksack then you have something in common. Get involved on Facebook Camino groups, and find people who are walking the route the same time as you. I have had people come onto me that recognise me from Facebook.

Understand that these friendships and connections may well be transitory. I walked for day 2 and 3 with Luka, and have not seen him since. Similarly I bumped into Debs and Maria on day 10 when I hadn’t seen them since Orisson on day 1. I thought I had left my friends behind by taking the bus ahead, but bumped into David today in Burgos. You never know when it will be the last time you will see someone so make the most of every friendship and conversation, and swap numbers. I love getting texts from Julie & Dom, and chat to Alun most days.

Public transport is really cheap in Spain. I paid 6E for a 2 hour journey. Rucksacks (Mochilas) go in the area under the bus accessed from an open door outside. I used the bus company Alsa for my main journey Burgos to Leon, and found the website easy to use with Google translate. It gave me a QR code which I can show to the driver on entry and guarantees me a named seat. The booking kiosk in the bus station in Burgos closed at 2.30pm so I didn’t get there in time. You have to wear a mask on a bus, and you cannot eat.

The Spanish are really friendly and really appreciate a “hola” or “buenos dias” when passing by. I really wish I had made more effort with the language before I left, for example how to ask for my sandwich “hot” etc. I have found they will often go out of their way to help you, such as the neighbour who helped me with the codes to get into my hotel room, or the elderly man who walked me to the bus station.

The Spanish like to eat late. Dinner is most often at 9pm. If you are staying in an albergue doors often close at 10pm, with lights out, so this may be too late for you. Community albergue pilgrim meals are often hit and miss, I’ve had excellent and awful, but they are a good way to meet fellow pilgrims. If you are hungry and see food, then eat. Don’t wait for later, they may have stopped serving for siesta or there may not be another cafe for 6 miles!

Poles! I could not have done any of this without hiking poles.They have helped me on the uphills, the downhills and the flat. The only places I haven’t used them is in the cities. Work out how they stow onto your rucksack before you leave!

Do not underestimate the amount of time you will need to get sorted in the evenings and the mornings. I have now got it down to 45 minutes from awake to out the door, and that’s without showering. No one showers in the mornings, they shower after their walk. You will spend precious time loading your rucksack, then unloading it because you forgot something. Don’t fight it, just accept it. I made it easier for myself by having different colour dry bags for different things; eg blue for clothes, orange for socks and foot care, yellow for sleeping stuff etc.

Consider taking a large sarong. Mine has been my towel, sheet, blanket, scarf, privacy curtain, bag to hold wet washing, skirt, shower cover up and comfort blanket!!

Don’t underestimate how long you will spend planning your stages. Let go of the Brierley stages if you need to, the bed fight is often worse there, and they were too aggressive mileage wise for me. I spent ages every night looking at apps, working out how far I wanted to walk, then checking the elevation (12 miles on the flat is easier for me than 7 miles uphill), followed by the accommodation at the end. Consider how far the accommodation you choose is from the path. It nearly killed me in Zubiri when I had to walk an extra 7 minutes to my albergue. Also consider if your stage has shade. I had to leave in the dark to avoid the sun when my stages didn’t. Also remember the guidebooks lie. I got caught out on the Zubiri day, expecting to be there 2 miles before I was. It killed me mentally.

Consider hydration. Can you get at your water supply easily? Some people use bladders, I had 2 bottles in my waist pack side pockets. Read up so you know if there are cafes/fountains on your stage. Consider electrolytes. Some people have tablets you add to the water. I had chewable sweets. I also discovered drinking Aquarius at cafes helped.

You will have a rollercoaster of emotions. You will have the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. When you are low talk about how you are feeling. Don’t feel a failure and bottle it up. Chances are others are feeling it too, so you won’t feel so alone. Others were there for me just when I needed it, especially Julie & Dom. They appeared like genies when I needed them, in the awful albergue in Puente La Reine, and in Maneru. So much love for them both!

Don’t forget to stop and take in the view. I felt on such a high when I reached the top of the Pyrenees. I put those images in the memory bank. Conversely, the miles I did in the dark I have no knowledge of the scenery, which seems a real waste, but it was that or dehydrate and wilt in the heat at the side of the path. Look back and see how far you have come too.

Don’t forget, you are having an adventure. Things will go wrong. You will adapt. It is all an experience, and you will look back at this trip and will wonder how you did it, and feel proud of how you coped, the people you met and the lessons you learnt. It is your Camino and it will only ever be yours. Others can share it, but it is yours alone to live.

Any questions or comments, leave a reply in the blog and I’ll get back to you. Hope this helps.