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I have been corrected by Mexicans who say that their country is also a United States. Now I just refer to myself as “de Los Estados Unidos del Norte”.
As regards etiquette….a line from a 50s song, The Happy Wanderer…I tip my hat to all I see, and they tip theirs to me. In my words, say a...
Interesting, I just finished walking the last segment of the Camino, from Pamplona to Santiago. At 79, not sure how many partial Camiinos I have left in me, but I really have an itch to go from Sarria to Santiago again. Been that route twice before, but to me, it is the best part. Lots of...
2028!, I am not sure am going to be alive then, at 84. Let’s see here…sleep med, gut med, PTSD meds…(can’t go squirrely on the Camino, after all). Not too much to carry, for my usual 17-21 day journey. In the end, I find that I don’t need as much of the meds while walking. One of the many...
First partial go-around on the Camino, 6 years ago, I messed up my back just before Rabanal del Camino, really bad. I was with two friends. We took a taxi to Tricastela, then walked the rest of the way to Santiago. Well, I walked as much as I could. Some days 2-4 miles, some days 8, never...
You have years ahead of you…I am 79 and just finished the last 200+ miles, Logrono to Ponferrada. Started in 2018, did another 150 miles in 2021, and now done. Probably my last Camino, unless I can convince one of my kids to hike from Sarria on.
But you, in your 60s, many Caminos to look...
Fruit, fresh if available, in pouches or cans, if not. Canned fish, sausage, bottle of beer, some packaged sweets. Try for a communal meal at Albergue, pastry and coffee for desayuno hour or so after I start. Cup of instant coffee at wake-up. I refuse to buy coffee from a machine!
Last partial Camino in 2021, walked with some friends. We had walked 150 miles in 2018 with everything on our backs. This time, I was surprised to see them toting roller bags with ALL SORTS of stuff. I was still using my pack. I don’t think they ever had to wash their clothes on a17 day trip...
I have heard that the grizzled bar tends towards more open spaces and can’t hide as well. Plus most bear attacks are over a kill. Rifle shots are the dinner bell for them. Blacks are different, if they approach you, they intend to eat you, not just beat you up.
For the truly concerned, take Halazone tablets with you. Tastes horrible but the water will have been purified. Just don’t do like one Marine did in my unit in the Nam. He was so thirsty he drank unpurified water then swallowed his Halazone tablet. They Medavaced him out an hour later! Not...
Salami, or other dry sausage; sardines, or other canned seafood, my jalapeño salt and beer. What more can one ask for while walking. And a communal meal to finish the evening…glorious!
If someone is keeping me awake, IMO it is OK to touch, not grope, the individual. It has happened to me several times on the Camino. Afterwards, I turned on my side to sleep, without concern. To think that I would spend the night disturbing others is anathema to me.
Get over run by them about This time of year in Tucson. Can’t get rid of them fast enough, they are all over the place. Definitely not an endangered species here.
O ly 1 week to go! Spanish food is not Mexican food. The Spanish think of papas bravas as spicy, in my estimation it is about as mild as fry sauce! Depending on where you start, paella will be common or pulpo. I try as often as possible to eat as a communal meal. Cheap eats but nice to meet...
As I am from the U.S. southwest, I like my food a bit spicier than most. I carry jalapeño salt. On a rest break, I grind some into my hand and eat it for a quick pick-me-up.
Internet search reveals, RAID!, looks like same stuff I used. Has a tube attached to the sprayer. I used a general spray overall on my pack, sleeping bag and IKEA bag. Then used tube on the seams. This was a week before embarking on my flight, giving the items a chance to air out.
Trecile…it is in Tucson right now, I am 550 miles north, but I remember buying it in a grocery store. Maybe Utah is a “hotbed”(pun intended) of bedbug activity. I will do more research…
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