Camino de Santiago de Compostela

[Tio Huero]

So I'm getting ready now. I walked six miles yesterday, mostly on concrete. Hurts like mad today. I have been hitting the treadmill at the gym, absolutely no comparison. I don't want to repeat the mistakes of last September so I'll suck up the pain and get it done. The plan is to hike with a pack weighing about eight pounds. Fewer changes of clothing; this might mean I will eventually smell like one of the medival pilgrims, but...

Anyhow, a couple of questions for you, the learned masses. One of the issues I had last time was "bonking." Maybe this is an American term but basically it means running out of gas, i.e., not eating enough to fuel the body. I crossed the Pyrenees on a ham sandwich from Orisson, got light headed and tired toward the end of the day. Are such snacks as Power Bars, Cliff Bars, etc. available in Spain and if so, what are they called?

Another item I'll want to purchase is a gas filled cigarette lighter. No, I don't smoke but here in the Rocky Mountain west, most folks burn the tissue paper and bury the turds. I can bring the plastic trowel but not the incendiary device. How does one ask for this?

I'll be back with other questions, I'm sure, but thanks for now.

Tio

[SabineP]

Hi Tio,

Regarding the food : ordinary muesli bars are readily available in all shops ( by the pack and in the smaller tiendas you can buy one bar if necessary ).
I preferred dried fruit ( especially dried apricots ) and all kind of nuts...less expensive than those specialised mueslibars.

[Tio Huero]

Sabine,
thanks for the quick response. So, if I ask for a muesli bar, I won't get a blank stare in response?

[SabineP]

Not at all, but it will be the generic usual ones not the powerbars or special ones. Except maybe in the bigger cities.

[Sojourner47]

I think you might get some funny looks if you mention "bonking" over this side of the pond - means something completely different...... and not the sort of thing that's likely to happen when crossing the Pyrennes !!!

[Stephen Nicholls]

Good luck, Tio!
I did a double take when I saw your comment, as "bonking" means something very different to us Brits ....
Stephen
http://www.calig.co.uk/camino_de_santiago.htm

[dougfitz]

Tio,
bonking in the sense you wish it to be understood is a very specialised use of the word, perhaps derived from one of its common meanings, that is 'to hit', and by extension, refers to hitting the wall for cyclists and runners.

The other commonly accepted meaning is 'to have sexual intercourse with', which is the meaning that everyone has been skirting around like nervous school children This is an accepted meaning in the Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions, so it is not a US vs the rest of the English speaking world issue.

And human nature being what it is, most of us feel at liberty to misconstrue words like this irrespective of their context to maximise any potential comic effect!

Regards,

[zzotte]

Hi Tio, it may be a good idea for you to carry one or two gu gel packs or similar product, easily found here (US) for emergency and/or some little packs of sugar on your pocket, add a little salt to your water will help, low blood sugar it’s no fun. Just my two cents.

Zo

[Tio Huero]

Okay guys,
My late mum-in-law (originally from Darwen) set me straight about "bum" and "fanny" years ago. Actually what she did was tell my wife, "Talk to your husband." However, I've never heard "bonking" used in any other way other than that explained by Doug. Now "boinking," that's a whole other story. Maybe that's in the slang dictionary as well.

I'd still love to get some advice on what the Spaniards call a power bar and gas cigarette lighter. I can fake it if I have to but would rather sound at least halfway informed.

Por favor y gracias por todo.
Tio

[CaminoGen]

Here's a very useful trick for getting through when you hit 'the wall'. If you are 60 or 90 minutes away from your final destination, drink a non diet Coke. I don't usually drink soda but this advice was given to me by one of my friends from the Camino organization in Québec. It's refreshing and the caffeine and the sugar perk you up.

As for the trowel question... I am proud to say that I have walked the whole Camino francès without having to go in nature... However, I made sure to stop at every opportunity.

[dougfitz]

Now "boinking," that's a whole other story. Maybe that's in the slang dictionary as well.

O ye of little faith! Try http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=boinking or http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/boinking?s=t.

And on response to your original question, my favourite quick fix is jelly beans - it rates as a high GI food with an index around 80 depending on the manufacturer, which is what you need. Muesli bars and chocolate bars are mid GI, although some of the PowerBar products have a very high GI according to http://www.glycemicindex.com/index.php.

Non diet soft drinks vary, but seem to be at the top of the mid-GI product list, rather than high GI. My only observation is that they are much bulkier and heavier than other options.

Regards,

[vagabondette]

At least in Mexico, a lighter is called an "encendedor" and matches are "cerillas". It could be different words in Spain. You can also say (here in Mexico at least) "necessito fuego" and they'll understand you. You might want to check out google translate. It can be very helpful for those odd words you rarely use. Good luck on the bonking issue. I tend to graze all day during my hikes rather than just do bracketing meals with one in the middle so it's not a problem I've encountered.

[mmm042]

Talked to my friend in Spain's Office of Tourism, and she said energy bars are referred to as "Barritas Energeticas." Let us know if you find them (and if they taste good!). I always bring a big stash of my own bars or sport beans.

Melanie

[lbpierce]

I find that I need to mix Gatorade or a similar electrolyte product with my water in order to avoid "running out of gas" on long distance events. (I don't think that term has any sexual connotations . I plan to bring powdered gatorade for my Camino.

[lhlyda]

I agree with DougF. But remember to eat something before you start that has complex carbs in it. It wont spike ur Blood sugar and the energy will last longer. I am real careful when I drink non-diet sodas. If I drink them too early, I have a burst of energy, then I come down real fast. I'm afraid to use my Native Appalachian (hillbilly) terms here, lol

Everyone is different, but the energy bars mentioned sounds like a good idea to me.

[falcon269]

Nuun is lighter than Gatorade, and dissolves very quickly:

http://www.nuun.com/

[migolito]

"The other commonly accepted meaning is 'to have sexual intercourse with', which is the meaning that everyone has been skirting around like nervous school children"
I often wondered why most Americans start from SJPDP, now I know

Actually, crashing (bonking) is common on runs, hikes, etc. It's a result of your blood sugar running low. Carry a couple High Energy Clif bars and some Emergen-C powder for the first couple of days. They just don't weigh that much. The trick is to use them BEFORE you need them. Don't wait until your feeling low energy.

See you on the 25 of Sept, I'll be starting from SPJDP.

M

[mauveglass]

Nuun is lighter than Gatorade, and dissolves very quickly:

http://www.nuun.com/

and they taste great also, especially orange and tropical.

[zzotte]

Just add a few tsp of sugar and a pinch or two of salt to your water bottle, no need to carry anything else, try to eat a balance breakfast, carry dry fruits and nuts for snacks (dry figs, dates etc) and eat a good lunch but not all at once you should be good to go.

Zo

[BoxOfFrogs]

During the recent Olympics at the triathalon event the commentators (british) both used the term 'bonking'. So it seems that the term is getting more wide spread use in regards to 'hitting the wall"

When I walk long days I now prepare a trail mix of goodies before I go out. Something like, unsalted nuts, dried fruits, seeds, Broken flap jack pieces ( rolled oats baked with syrup or treacle) then I usually lob in a handful of chocolate buttons or similar.

When wild camping I also take a small Baggie of dried milk, then I can mix this with water and mix it into a bowl of the above mix to make a pretty decent cereal type breakfast.

I know it's hardly practical to lug 20lbs of this mix across Spain, however with a bit of rummaging about it shouldn't be too hard to make up something every few days from a super mercado in the larger towns along the way.

A common problem with hi gi energy foods like jelly beans, energy gels etc,is that after a while you can get a bit of a bad stomach, too many calories in small sweet portions without the bulk of real food. Lots of folk complain about stomach acid, even the cyclists on grand tours still try to cram the occasional sandwich down in the feed zones to offset this. Despite the calorie content being pretty low compared to some of the super foods.

As for the question of no two's. When nature calls it calls, no point skirting around the subject. I know where you are coming from with burning the paper, however Spain is having more than its fair share of Forrest and wild land fires this year so it's something that needs to be done with care.I burn it nearly all the time here at home, but all the toilet paper in the world couldn't set fire to the UK after the weather we have been having recently!

Steve.