Considering . . . .

[Peter CapeTown]

Considering doing a Camino in 2018. If I do it, I properly would do the CF, starting early/mid-April’18 till mid/late-May.

I heard about the Camino de Santiago via my mother who is planning to walk it – but continuously postponing it. So I wanted to help & motivate my mom. Started to read up on it, ordered her 4 Camino books, and started telling her: “Hey, you really must do this!” And now I am thinking to myself: “This is something I would like to do too!?!” Now I am reeeeally keen…

Researching it, early planning stage, nearly finished reading one of the CF guide books, dropping hints to my better-half…

My main motivation would be: do simple and self-reliant traveling, some solitude (yes, I know, CF… – it’s all relative). Also wanting to let my body sweat a bit, and my soul and mind can do some sweating too.

Biggest hurdles:
1) Family and leaving them for 5 weeks. While I know that it might be very healthy to spend some time apart – It still will be hard. My wife is very understanding of me going off doing some adventures or projects. But 5 weeks would be the longest apart yet.
2) I own and manage a small business and work from a home-office. Not easy to let them operate alone for such a long time. Have good staff, so should be fine. Hey, what could go wrong . . . ;-)

Equipment, footwear, strategy, etc. – this forum has been very helpful (despite some understandable venting), plus have my own equipment and experience from similar activities, which should be useful.

What I don’t want: I am not looking “to find myself”, nor to have a profound life-changing religious experience, or to have the “best adventure ever”. This would just be a gift I give myself.

If (IF!) I do this, I would like to do it with the mind-set of a simple traveller/pilgrim (its relative). Depart on foot from my house carrying a half-full rucksack, and somehow make my way to my local airport (Cape Town) and catch a booked flight to BIQ. No pre-booked accommodation along the Camino; just see how one progresses. Allow myself to be open to this experience.

Purchasing the air ticket would be the deciding step.

 

[HedaP]

And the adventure begins...
Buen camino, peregrino.

 

[MinaKamina]

Whatever happened to motivating your mom?

 

[Kanga]

@Peter CapeTown you will enjoy the CF! I walked part of it in May and September this year, the two busiest months, but there were still times when I was completely alone. If you leave the albergue at the same time as all the other pilgrims, then you will probably be walking with them. If you wait for a couple of hours, you will often be alone.

It is certainly much busier than when I first walked it in 2001, but it remains essentially the same.

 

[Peter CapeTown]

Whatever happened to motivating your mom?

It is my main priority! She/they are in the midst of selling their property and i am hoping she goes on the Camino once its sold (= a good window of opportunity).
There is also a bit of reverse psychology from my side as i started saying to her: "If you don't go - I will"

 

[HedaP]

@MinaKamina was joking (we like a bit of levity on this forum) but I can totally understand how the camino can call even those who have no idea they want to do it. When I wanted to walk the CF I was unfit, up to the eyeballs in a stressful job and anxious about my ability to cope. Tried to bribe one of my many nieces or nephews to join me for the first couple of weeks. But uni and school and work and all those things stopped that happening. Luckily for me, my sister and her husband were tentatively planning a trip to Europe around that time and offered to start me off for the first week or 10 days. I already had a library of books on the camino so I started lending them one or two at a time to my brother in law. By about book four (I think it might have been Grandmas on the Camino) he was hooked. Pulled me aside at a family do and asked if I would mind if they walked all the way with me. All three of us walked that camino from SJPdP to Santiago and had a ball. My sister and her husband loved every step, not sure I can make that same claim about that first camino but it called me back and I did it a second time and am thinking of a third.

 

[AriJoaquin]

Hi!
I did like you. Just do it. I was told that I should rush so I get accommodations as sometimes alberguers may be full by the time you get there. Instead of rushing I decided to have a yoga mat with me and a sleeping bag. In forty days I slept out only four times. The entrance of a church, of a house, near a fountain of wine with two more people that we end up there, and a cave. Best nights ever!

 

[Banjo&Matilda]

Pretty sure you'll be booking your flights by Christmas and your walking shoes will be broken in by the New Year. You know you'll do it- admit it!!!! Doesn't it just draw you in??!!!!

 

[JeffV]

Considering doing a Camino in 2018. If I do it, I properly would do the CF, starting early/mid-April’18 till mid/late-May.

I heard about the Camino de Santiago via my mother who is planning to walk it – but continuously postponing it. So I wanted to help & motivate my mom. Started to read up on it, ordered her 4 Camino books, and started telling her: “Hey, you really must do this!” And now I am thinking to myself: “This is something I would like to do too!?!” Now I am reeeeally keen…

Researching it, early planning stage, nearly finished reading one of the CF guide books, dropping hints to my better-half…

My main motivation would be: do simple and self-reliant traveling, some solitude (yes, I know, CF… – it’s all relative). Also wanting to let my body sweat a bit, and my soul and mind can do some sweating too.

Biggest hurdles:
1) Family and leaving them for 5 weeks. While I know that it might be very healthy to spend some time apart – It still will be hard. My wife is very understanding of me going off doing some adventures or projects. But 5 weeks would be the longest apart yet.
2) I own and manage a small business and work from a home-office. Not easy to let them operate alone for such a long time. Have good staff, so should be fine. Hey, what could go wrong . . . ;-)

Equipment, footwear, strategy, etc. – this forum has been very helpful (despite some understandable venting), plus have my own equipment and experience from similar activities, which should be useful.

What I don’t want: I am not looking “to find myself”, nor to have a profound life-changing religious experience, or to have the “best adventure ever”. This would just be a gift I give myself.

If (IF!) I do this, I would like to do it with the mind-set of a simple traveller/pilgrim (its relative). Depart on foot from my house carrying a half-full rucksack, and somehow make my way to my local airport (Cape Town) and catch a booked flight to BIQ. No pre-booked accommodation along the Camino; just see how one progresses. Allow myself to be open to this experience.

Purchasing the air ticket would be the deciding step.

 

[JeffV]

Hey Peter. I will be on the CF leaving from SJPDP at the exact time. Should be heading out about April 4th. If you make it, keep an eye out for me.. Just do it!!

 

[Peter CapeTown]

Pretty sure you'll be booking your flights by Christmas and your walking shoes will be broken in by the New Year. You know you'll do it- admit it!!!! Doesn't it just draw you in??!!!!

Ha ha, we'll see. If yes - new pack and shoes etc i'll get at the post-christmas sales. Flights would have to be booked during the next week or three.

 

[Peter CapeTown]

Hey Peter. I will be on the CF leaving from SJPDP at the exact time. Should be heading out about April 4th. If you make it, keep an eye out for me.. Just do it!!

Sure thing! Would be great.

 

[Peter CapeTown]

@Peter CapeTown you will enjoy the CF! I walked part of it in May and September this year, the two busiest months, but there were still times when I was completely alone. If you leave the albergue at the same time as all the other pilgrims, then you will probably be walking with them. If you wait for a couple of hours, you will often be alone.

It is certainly much busier than when I first walked it in 2001, but it remains essentially the same.

Good advice - company of others & solitude on the CF, both possible. Thanks