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It is rare. Few pilgrims want a wet towel when they pack in the morning, but sometimes it is the only time to get hot water. It is a rare enough occurrence that you should not expect it to be a big source of irritation.people taking showers at 05:00
"Fitting in"? Conformity? I would say that a considerable amount of pilgrims are of the non-conformist crowd. That is if one were to go about categorizing people.To me , dorm life is about fitting in with everyone else as much as possible. Essentially majority rules.
It requires tolerance and patience but also requires leaving selfish behaviour, as much as possible, at the doors.
Treat your fellow pilgrim as you'd want them to treat you...
So...
I'm fine with snoring - it gives me the giggles
People going to the loo in the night - well that's me too
Alarms going off - some pilgrims just like to leave early and don't like the heat
Alarms going off for the 2nd time - I've learnt to take a deep breath
Noisy packers - we're not all blessed with good admin, with good drills.
Even lights I've learnt to tolerate.
But...people taking showers at 05:00 when the showers are within the dorm, waking absolutely everyone up? I didn't tolerate that very well last night!!
Multiple deep breaths were barely enough and prolonged prayers were required as I whispered "Buen Camino" through clenched teeth!!!
Ho hum...we learn new lessons every day.
Not sure that would be a good idea for so many reasons. If some strange man walked up to me as I was exiting the shower or just out the shower and tried to drape anything around any part of me, things may get ugly.If someone woke me at 5am by showering, I would wait for them to come out the shower and then I would drape my sleeping bag gently around their shoulders and return to my empty bunk. I would seek out the showeree later and apologise for not having a warmer bag.
Every time I stay in private accommodations I always showered again in the morning before I started walking. Felt good and woke me up. Dried my feet. Little bit o powder or vaseline. I never had a blister problem. That is probably an old wive's tale. Like soaking your knuckles in pickle juice makes them tougher (boxer's).Well (says the devil on my left shoulder) if it makes you feel any better, the person will probably end up with horrible blisters! Showering in the mornings leads to damp, soft feet, which leads to blisters.
:::evil chuckle:::
Whilst I agree in principal to all points made - I still think there comes a point where behaviour crosses the line. If I was the only one woken up and bothered then I would be in the minority and that is my problem.
I do wonder though that if it's ok to wake the entire dorm up early ( which it pretty much did), is it ok to say get hideously drunk and slam into the dorm at 1am? Or talk on the phone in the night? Or"make out" in the dorm? I know I'm probably being devil's advocate here, but there must be a line somewhere beyond which behaviour is unacceptable. What is eccentric behaviour and what is simply rude or unacceptable?
I will climb off the soapbox now!!
Great reading all these posts,i'm a few years off from doing my 1st CF and doing lots of research and reading,was just thinking today as I had my morning shower as I like an evening shower and then a morning shower to wake me up,The thought popped into my head,how will I survive with no morning shower...hehehe better cut back to 1 a day as pre training. Buen camino
You carry wet wipes in your backpack??Oh, please!!!! ... that's why God invented wet wipes.
You carry wet wipes in your backpack??
So...
I'm fine with snoring - it gives me the giggles
People going to the loo in the night - well that's me too
Alarms going off - some pilgrims just like to leave early and don't like the heat
Alarms going off for the 2nd time - I've learnt to take a deep breath
Noisy packers - we're not all blessed with good admin, with good drills.
Even lights I've learnt to tolerate.
But...people taking showers at 05:00 when the showers are within the dorm, waking absolutely everyone up? I didn't tolerate that very well last night!!
Multiple deep breaths were barely enough and prolonged prayers were required as I whispered "Buen Camino" through clenched teeth!!!
Ho hum...we learn new lessons every day.
All I can say is good earplugs and a scarf over the eyes lol. Also I think it’s very interesting why certain things are the last straw or make us incredibly angry. I don’t think it happened to me on my Camino, but it happens frequently at home. When my anger flares up at something relatively small like this, it’s usually about something else, something bigger. That might be something to explore on your walk one day.
And it only takes one pilgrim out of 20 or 100 to be thoughtless to everyone! The vast majority of pilgrims are courteous even though they have different eating, sleeping, and packing habits. The last 100km may be the worst because there are a lot of pilgrims who have not had a month living with strangers (who may be new friends). As you point out, taking it in stride is about all you can do (unless you are willing to ruin your positive camino attitude).I simply thought them to be very thoughtless
Except the women in a group of Appalachian Trail through walkers, who bragged like fishermen.Always a guy.
Or mmmmmmmaybe you just have feet of steel! lol!Every time I stay in private accommodations I always showered again in the morning before I started walking. Felt good and woke me up. Dried my feet. Little bit o powder or vaseline. I never had a blister problem. That is probably an old wive's tale. Like soaking your knuckles in pickle juice makes them tougher (boxer's).
Love it. Your scheudenfrade is infractious for your fellow pecorinos...Well (says the devil on my left shoulder) if it makes you feel any better, the person will probably end up with horrible blisters! Showering in the mornings leads to damp, soft feet, which leads to blisters.
:::evil chuckle:::
So...
I'm fine with snoring - it gives me the giggles
People going to the loo in the night - well that's me too
Alarms going off - some pilgrims just like to leave early and don't like the heat
Alarms going off for the 2nd time - I've learnt to take a deep breath
Noisy packers - we're not all blessed with good admin, with good drills.
Even lights I've learnt to tolerate.
But...people taking showers at 05:00 when the showers are within the dorm, waking absolutely everyone up? I didn't tolerate that very well last night!!
Multiple deep breaths were barely enough and prolonged prayers were required as I whispered "Buen Camino" through clenched teeth!!!
Ho hum...we learn new lessons every day.
It’s not good for your feet to shower before a hike. They must be completely dry.So...
I'm fine with snoring - it gives me the giggles
People going to the loo in the night - well that's me too
Alarms going off - some pilgrims just like to leave early and don't like the heat
Alarms going off for the 2nd time - I've learnt to take a deep breath
Noisy packers - we're not all blessed with good admin, with good drills.
Even lights I've learnt to tolerate.
But...people taking showers at 05:00 when the showers are within the dorm, waking absolutely everyone up? I didn't tolerate that very well last night!!
Multiple deep breaths were barely enough and prolonged prayers were required as I whispered "Buen Camino" through clenched teeth!!!
Ho hum...we learn new lessons every day.
Yes for me it is before I even begin like Camino as I sit here in a Montreal Hotel after having my flight to Toulouse delayed five times and then canceled. So much for starting from st. John be at the Port this morning not even in the right countrySo...
I'm fine with snoring - it gives me the giggles
People going to the loo in the night - well that's me too
Alarms going off - some pilgrims just like to leave early and don't like the heat
Alarms going off for the 2nd time - I've learnt to take a deep breath
Noisy packers - we're not all blessed with good admin, with good drills.
Even lights I've learnt to tolerate.
But...people taking showers at 05:00 when the showers are within the dorm, waking absolutely everyone up? I didn't tolerate that very well last night!!
Multiple deep breaths were barely enough and prolonged prayers were required as I whispered "Buen Camino" through clenched teeth!!!
Ho hum...we learn new lessons every day.
It depends mostly on the arrangement of the dormitory. When toilets and showers are "down the hall," there is little disruption. When they are a door off the bedroom, it can be disturbing. It just depends. It takes pretty observant pilgrims to notice when showers have blocked the use of toilets. It is something of a rare occurrence, so I am not surprised that unaware pilgrims might notice that showering prevented using the toilet. It would be nice if pilgrims were fully conscious, but they just aren't. With six Germans and only two showers, it is strange that they would not arrange the showers to allow others to use the toilets. It must have been a bit of a relay team not to "share."I never considered I would be disturbed by a person showering.
How incredibly disappointing! I assume you are flying with Airtransat..my experience flying with them to Itlay this spring for a hiking and cycling tour has made me look for alternate companies, though their routes are often very convenient. I hope it is resolved soon. Maybe there will be a blessing in there somewhere...Yes for me it is before I even begin like Camino as I sit here in a Montreal Hotel after having my flight to Toulouse delayed five times and then canceled. So much for starting from st. John be at the Port this morning not even in the right country
Well I’ve been so tired I don’t hear anything when I fall on the bed to sleep EXCEPT last nite. Don’t get me wrong, I love kids and it was Friday night, near the city square so very noisy outside. Then kids running thru the hostel at 10 pm waking people, then 4 am people who were staying with kids and the toddlers crying for 1/2 hr waking everyone. Needless to say my earplugs didn’t workSo...
I'm fine with snoring - it gives me the giggles
People going to the loo in the night - well that's me too
Alarms going off - some pilgrims just like to leave early and don't like the heat
Alarms going off for the 2nd time - I've learnt to take a deep breath
Noisy packers - we're not all blessed with good admin, with good drills.
Even lights I've learnt to tolerate.
But...people taking showers at 05:00 when the showers are within the dorm, waking absolutely everyone up? I didn't tolerate that very well last night!!
Multiple deep breaths were barely enough and prolonged prayers were required as I whispered "Buen Camino" through clenched teeth!!!
Ho hum...we learn new lessons every day.
Hi @Albertagirl ,Many posters have suggested that booking a private room in a hotel will solve the problem of noisy neighbours and give them a good night's sleep. This is not always the case, particularly if you are on a budget and booking an inexpensive room. Wooden floors and doors crashing, people returning from late night meals and celebrations, no attempt by anyone to keep voices down, all may have you wishing you were back in the albergue, with the 10 o'clock curfew. My first two nights in Spain last fall were a bit of a nightmare, as I tried to get some sleep while those in rooms near to me came in late and noisy. The first night, a couple with a baby were arguing so loudly when they came in that they woke the baby, which howled (not so likely in an albergue). I am sure that I am not the only pilgrim who can afford (most years) to go on pilgrimage because accommodation is cheap in Spain. We must adjust to the challenges which that sometimes brings and be grateful for the opportunity.
My take on it is go get a room if you are not prepared for all of the different behaviour, there is no common courtesy or common sense or any other category when you are talking worldwide audience ... every culture has its differences, pretty simple yet annoying at the same time ... TOLERENCE is the word that comes to mind ... I must say though after experiencing all of what you are saying plus after having to listen to a German couple have sex, then a shower one morning before they left at 6am, then another day a young Italian guy, solo, relieve his pent up sexual energy in a room where the beds were so close we were almost sleeping together then another young couple canoodling almost all night ... I decided it was time to get a room! If you find someone that wants to share you can still in some places get a twin room and it is not totally out of reach. BUEN CAMINOpretty
Particularly during the "season," pilgrims want to be on the trail early, so the wake up time is early. From the point of view of the hospitaleros, their work day goes from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Midday is the only time for cleaning, resupply, and bit of personal time. They typically want the place empty by 8:30 a.m. or so, requiring reveille at about 6 a.m. It is easy to slip into thinking that only the pilgrim counts, but you can be certain that hospitaleros, bartenders, cooks, and merchants do not view it that way. The "customer" is not always right; actually, in Spain he is rarely right!Roncesvalles albergue was my first “introduction” to peregrinO life: lights automatically come on at 6am. I’m still confused about that.
I can probably count on one hand the times I encountered morning shower pilgrims in albergues. So infrequent on hundreds of nights in albergues that quite honestly barely worth remembering. I certainly never let it spoil my day/night. As the old saying goes, "don't sweat the small stuff". A fellow pilgrim taking a shower in the morning would definitely be classified as "small stuff". Besides, it is a dormitory existence when you choose to stay in an albergue. Different people have different habits. Tolerance and non-judgement are virtues. Who knows, maybe you do things that they do not like.
I remember taking morning showers myself a couple of times, perhaps (was I monster or selfish for doing that?). Like I said, non-memorable events. Just needed a wash-up before I set out for another beautiful day walking, and walking by far is the most important part. Not whether or not I had a great time on a bunk bed in a room full of strangers, lol.
Hi.. i walked my first Camino last summer and always showered in the afternoon/evening. It feels good to shower after walking all day. I don’t recall anyone showering in the morning.Hello everyone. I'm new here and this is my first post.
I was just wondering;
What is it about the morning shower that is annoying? I didn't think water running would wake me in the early hours and I prefer a morning shower, although I didn't think there would be time in the mornings.
My first Camino is in the planning stages. (March 2019) I'm trying to get as much info as possible. I thought soft earplugs would save me from snoring, bag rustling and flushing toilets. I never considered I would be disturbed by a person showering.
So here I sit, at the knee(s) of those more experienced than I. Please enlighten me.
nailed it... often common/general confuses as 'all'... in a family what is only common is the last name, but the rest of it different name, height, habit, age etc.there is no common courtesy or common sense or any other category when you are talking worldwide audience ... every culture has its differences, pretty simple yet annoying at the same time
Yep.... I agreeHello everyone. I'm new here and this is my first post.
I was just wondering;
What is it about the morning shower that is annoying? I didn't think water running would wake me in the early hours and I prefer a morning shower, although I didn't think there would be time in the mornings.
My first Camino is in the planning stages. (March 2019) I'm trying to get as much info as possible. I thought soft earplugs would save me from snoring, bag rustling and flushing toilets. I never considered I would be disturbed by a person showering.
So here I sit, at the knee(s) of those more experienced than I. Please enlighten me.
These kind of incidents were one reason I abandoned municipal albergues for the smaller private ones. Yes, it was a bit more expensive, but the trade offs were well worth it. Smaller groups of 4 or so beds in a room, more respectful pilgrims, and smaller albergues(20 to 30 beds).So...
I'm fine with snoring - it gives me the giggles
People going to the loo in the night - well that's me too
Alarms going off - some pilgrims just like to leave early and don't like the heat
Alarms going off for the 2nd time - I've learnt to take a deep breath
Noisy packers - we're not all blessed with good admin, with good drills.
Even lights I've learnt to tolerate.
But...people taking showers at 05:00 when the showers are within the dorm, waking absolutely everyone up? I didn't tolerate that very well last night!!
Multiple deep breaths were barely enough and prolonged prayers were required as I whispered "Buen Camino" through clenched teeth!!!
Ho hum...we learn new lessons every day.
There are many albergues that also have private rooms. If you find yourself beginning to loose it, splurge for a private or even a shared room where you can catch up on sleep deprivation from all the noise.
So...
I'm fine with snoring - it gives me the giggles
People going to the loo in the night - well that's me too
Alarms going off - some pilgrims just like to leave early and don't like the heat
Alarms going off for the 2nd time - I've learnt to take a deep breath
Noisy packers - we're not all blessed with good admin, with good drills.
Even lights I've learnt to tolerate.
But...people taking showers at 05:00 when the showers are within the dorm, waking absolutely everyone up? I didn't tolerate that very well last night!!
Multiple deep breaths were barely enough and prolonged prayers were required as I whispered "Buen Camino" through clenched teeth!!!
Ho hum...we learn new lessons every day.
Honestly people, if you have to get up early so that you can spend one or two hours shuffling in and out of the room, with a flashlight, and talking, then yes, you are inconsiderate. Pick up your pack, grab your bedding and take it out of the sleeping area. It is one thing to want to get an early start...or to stay up later, but organize yourself accordingly. Yes, staying in an albergue requires tolerating a variety of personalities and behaviours but it also requires thinking of others. Those that can't consider their fellow roommates are the ones that should seek alternate accomodation.
Live and let live my friend.
You should book your own private room in hostals or pensions if you cannot bare the personal choices of other people.
Live and let live my friend.
You should book your own private room in hostals or pensions if you cannot bare the personal choices of other people.
To put a positive spin on all this - I've been very grateful for some totally silent early leavers. One couple I remember in particular, who were often staying in the same dormitory as me. They were always gone before I woke but I was never aware of them leaving. They had their packs pretty much ready the night before, and I assume the last minute things they put into their packs outside, after leaving the dormitory area.
OMG! I only remember on encounter with a blowdryer. And the complete shock in Hornillos when we all heard the sound coming from the ladies shower area! Hadn't heard or seen one in over two weeks at that point. Good for a laugh at least! Three days later I noticed she didn't have her hair dryer anymore!Let's talk about the bald Italian guy in the bunk below me carrying a portable hair dryer he used to dry (heat up?) every page in his guidebook early in the morning. (I have a picture of this somewhere)
Prepare everything the night before. You wake up, pick up your bag and sleeping bag, walk into a non sleeping area, do your self care routines, eat, go, it's not hard, it just needs a bit of foresight, self organisation and consideration.]
I am a long-distance walker (3 caminos: 800, 900, 1,000 km so far). I am also 70 years old and of average health and strength. I always walk in the fall, to avoid the summer heat, to which I do not adjust well as a Canadian. I try very hard to be quiet at night and if I get up before others in the morning. But, my clothes, washed at night after my shower, are virtually never dry before I go to bed. Nights are long and the best outdoor drying time is often over before I get them hung up. After I bring them in, I hang them all around my bunk to dry, and retrieve them and pack them in the morning. A few times, I have left things behind because they slipped off wherever I hung them and eluded my morning search. I use my flashlight, carefully screened to avoid disturbing others, to look under the bed and next to the wall if my bunk is against a wall. I shall never be able to pack my bag the night before. I am uncomfortable with the assumption that this is obligatory for the courteous pilgrim.
Let's talk about the bald Italian guy in the bunk below me carrying a portable hair dryer he used to dry (heat up?) every page in his guidebook early in the morning. (I have a picture of this somewhere)
OMG! I only remember on encounter with a blowdryer. And the complete shock in Hornillos when we all heard the sound coming from the ladies shower area! Hadn't heard or seen one in over two weeks at that point. Good for a laugh at least! Three days later I noticed she didn't have her hair dryer anymore!
But it would be better still if she blow-dried the hair on both feet.Please consider the woman whose hair may be thinning so badly that she needs the help of a hairdryer to make her feel suitably fit to face the day. Even on camino one may want to put one's best foot forward.
I was wondering who would be the first to come up with a bit of irreverence.But it would be better still if she blow-dried the hair on both feet.
Oh, the envy I feel when I encounter people who can go back to sleep after being awakened. I have a switch in my head that somehow just goes "awake/sleep"...there's no switching back and forth. I'm bringing ear plugs, a buff which I'll use as an eye mask, and sleep aids (aka drugs). I pray I can go back to sleep but it's never happened before.If someone wakes me at 5 and I don't need to be up until 7 I would go back to sleep and treat it as a chance to have 2 hours extra sleep.
For a minute there I thought I wrote this myself! Ear plugs, the buff eye mask, magnesium, melatonin, and if needed Theanine. I'm quite the babe when I get into my bunk!Oh, the envy I feel when I encounter people who can go back to sleep after being awakened. I have a switch in my head that somehow just goes "awake/sleep"...there's no switching back and forth. I'm bringing ear plugs, a buff which I'll use as an eye mask, and sleep aids (aka drugs). I pray I can go back to sleep but it's never happened before.
Having finished my Camino in May, i would like to reassure any worried pilgrims that all can go well. As an older (72) pilgrim, i slept in albergues and in private rooms. The latter was because I developed a cough. They cost a reasonable amount and were available everywhere. Overall, my Camino was wonderful from every viewpoint with no problems in spite of the potential problems the forum had highlighted.So...
I'm fine with snoring - it gives me the giggles
People going to the loo in the night - well that's me too
Alarms going off - some pilgrims just like to leave early and don't like the heat
Alarms going off for the 2nd time - I've learnt to take a deep breath
Noisy packers - we're not all blessed with good admin, with good drills.
Even lights I've learnt to tolerate.
But...people taking showers at 05:00 when the showers are within the dorm, waking absolutely everyone up? I didn't tolerate that very well last night!!
Multiple deep breaths were barely enough and prolonged prayers were required as I whispered "Buen Camino" through clenched teeth!!!
Ho hum...we learn new lessons every day.
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