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As previously mentioned, you can get sellos at bars, churches, police stations and many other places. I once got a sello in an emergency room. After a doctor patched up my foot, I half-jokingly asked, "Do I get a stamp to remember you by?" And he casually walked across the exam room, opened a...
The Royal Suite at the Parador in Santiago is the only hotel room in town that overlooks the square in front of the Cathedral. I know that sounds strange but none of the other rooms at the Parador have windows facing the square. And it comes with a balcony so you can spend your time watching...
There were times walking the Meseta where the rhythmic sound of gravel crunching beneath my boots put me into a trance where I was able to be awake and aware of my surroundings while at the same time be lost deep in thought. It was a magical time and place.
It never used to be like that. But now days, it seems like many people take instant offense to even the most innocuous comments.
For example, if I said, "I like dogs," it would take only 35 seconds for someone to comment, "Why do you hate cats so much?"
I am thinking about starting a new...
Actually, being severely irritated by certain sounds is an actual neurological condition. It's called Mysophonia.
"Repeated noises like chewing, pen tapping, sniffling, or scratching can cause annoyance and frustration for anyone. But for people living with a condition called misophonia...
Violent crime while walking on the path is extremely rare. However, if you are staying in an albergue and are getting up at 4 am and flipping light switches, rustling plastic bags, and slamming shower doors, your life will be in danger.
With regards to traveling with cash, I had a recent incident at the Frankfurt airport that scared me for a few minutes. I was on my way to Zimbabwe, and I had placed a total five hundred one-dollar bills in my carryon case. I was taking a bunch of ones with me because there is a shortage of...
I have told this story from time to time on this Forum and I think it worth repeating.
On my second Camino, I met a very skilled surgeon from the United States who was a complete and total perfectionist. In planning his Camino, he read hundreds of books, consulted maps, poured over elevation...
Some friends of mine are very wealthy. A few years ago, their daughter got into a very prestigious university that is now at the center of the cheating scandal that involves parents who paid to have their children admitted to prestigious universities even though their children did not...
When I walked my first Camino, I set out with a change of clothes, some rain gear, a jacket, and toiletries in my backpack. I had a cell phone, but no Euroean chip. Communication would be strictly WiFi. Like most, my emotions bounced back and forth from “how cool is is?” to “this is without...
I have told this story from time to time on this Forum and I think it worth repeating.
On my second Camino, I met a very skilled surgeon from the United States who was a complete and total perfectionist. In planning his Camino, he read hundreds of books, consulted maps, poured over elevation...
Man walks 932 miles solo across Antarctica without any assistance. [e.g. he never forwarded his bags one time]
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2018/dec/26/american-man-first-to-solo-across-antarctica-unaid/
After being on the Camino for a few days you will find the only things (or possessions) that are truly valuable is your passport, your pilgrim’s credential, your cell phone, your credit cards, and your money.
Protecting these valuables is extremely easy: they never leave the cargo pockets on...
I stop when my body tells me it’s time to stop. Many pilgrims aggravate minor injuries by walking three or four more days to take a day off in a pre-planned location in order “to stay on schedule.”
Here are some options when an albergue tells you that they are full:
First, find out if there is a second albergue in town or on the edge of town. Or sometimes there is an albergue a little ways out of town. These are the albergues that veteran pilgrims prefer.
Second, walk across the...
I think there is another angle to the "problem" being solved. Although these trains are relatively infrequent, they are passing through at a high rate of speed.
Train engineers live in fear of hitting someone, let alone killing them. Somewhere in the United States, on average, one person is...
Here are your options. First, find out if there is a second albergue in town or on the edge of town. Second, walk across the street to the one star Hotel that has converted several rooms into albergue style rooms (i.e. removed the queen bed and replaced it with four bunk beds. Third, walk into...
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