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I am very keen to do a camino route - in fact we have considered the French route, the Portuguese route and now since reading Tony Kevin's book, I am keen to walk from Ganada to merida etc. All this talk about rubish etc is making me a bit worried. Is Spain that dirty? I am not squeemish but I am looking for a special and memorable hiking experience and obviously keen to see some art and culture but also nature. Is it worth doing the Camino ? Which route is the quietest - seeking peace and tranquility (obviously safety too) but also seeking hiking through beautiful mountains and nature. It's a long long trip for us from the Southern hemisphere. We gave hiked many long and tough hikes in South Africa. If anyone has advice it's most appreciated.
The Camino is a magical path laid in a very real environment, surrounded by people -- some of whom have very little education, awareness, or common sense. As more knuckle-heads view it as a cash-cow or a resource to be exploited, we may well see more dumping, advertising, price-gouging, and other abuses.
As for pilgrims: If walking past someone else's trash offends you, book your holiday elsewhere. This is not Disneyland, nor a pretty sight-seeing tour. Pilgrims take the bad with the good. Good pilgrims carry a bag with them, and carry out some trash. When enough good pilgrims pass an eyesore, it soon stops being an eyesore. It soon disappears.
We need fewer self-righteous people to say "tsk-tsk what a shame" and snap photos to post on the internet, and more to simply pick up a bottle or can or two and take it to the next waste container.
The solution is simple. You see a problem, be part of the solution.
Picking up after the World would be a great tribute to Denise Thiem, our lost Sister PelegrinaThe Camino is a magical path laid in a very real environment, surrounded by people -- some of whom have very little education, awareness, or common sense. As more knuckle-heads view it as a cash-cow or a resource to be exploited, we may well see more dumping, advertising, price-gouging, and other abuses.
As for pilgrims: If walking past someone else's trash offends you, book your holiday elsewhere. This is not Disneyland, nor a pretty sight-seeing tour. Pilgrims take the bad with the good. Good pilgrims carry a bag with them, and carry out some trash. When enough good pilgrims pass an eyesore, it soon stops being an eyesore. It soon disappears.
We need fewer self-righteous people to say "tsk-tsk what a shame" and snap photos to post on the internet, and more to simply pick up a bottle or can or two and take it to the next waste container.
The solution is simple. You see a problem, be part of the solution.
And that is why we keep going back for moreOgres guard the entrances of each pueblo, and only the wisest and bravest pass.
Yes, I believe it is!Is it worth doing the Camino ?
I have been trash picking along the Aragonese from the beginning at Somport Pass and I shall continue to do so, but I have pretty much given up along the highways, which the route frequently follows. Yesterday I estimated one piece of trash every meter in a highway pull off and no way can I carry that amount of litter - mostly beverage bottles and empty cigaret packets - with me. If there were waste bins at such places it would be a little easier to manage for everyone. But I try to clear the off road trails as I go. There are a lot of tissues and less other litter on trails which seem to be mostly frequented by pilgrims.
Thanks for your comments. Growing up in South Africa with a strong sense of keeping nature clean and tidy I never dump my rubbish when I am hiking or camping but some people's comments about their experiences and references to over exploitation did make me nervous. I accept it's not Disneyland what a relief! I could think of nothing worse - yetch!!!!But it's an expensive trip for me. It must be worth the money.There has been bad press on the camino of late on the Internet and if it's over exploited, the Spanish are unwelcoming and it's dangerous (probably never as dangerous as hiking in Lesotho or South Africa at the moment and we are not afraid) it makes me doubt that spending all that money is worth it. We are just very average middle class people with kids in high school - this will be a trip of a life timefor us and I just want to be assured that I will not be making an expensive mistake that's all. There are other really big hikes that are equally attractive and I really am looking for something special. I lived in Africa - I am no rookie to mess, poverty and illegal dumping. But it's reasonable to want to spend my hard earned money wisely. I don't want to come home feeling it was a bad and very expensive mistake. As for the 'tisk tisk ' about people's mess - I am certainly not judging the Spanish and will not be going to embarrass them by making a fuss or irritating them by cleaning up what I think they have neglected to and I certainly will not deface their countryside with the detritus of my trip. I simply wish to know - is it an experience not to be missed?
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