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Hello, too bad that those things happened. Let we hope that the rest of your journey will be more pleasant for you. I wish you well and a Buen Camino, Peter.I walked from La Virgen del Camino to Santibanez today and I must say these parts of the route definily aren't very welcoming to Asians. At least in Navarre or in La Rioja people asked me if I was Korean (and give a confused stare back when I tell them I'm Canadian), here most locals don't even speak any English, and they clearly aren't very fond of non-whites. I could name a few, like how even in small villages people don't respond to your greetings and give a blank, alarmed stares back, being totally ignored and served very last at bars, etc., but I know all too well it varys from person to person and all I'm saying is that the vibe I get in general clearly indicated racism against Asians and the past few days of the Camino Frances wasn't so great for an asian(compared to first ten days or so starting from SJPP, which were great!).
Of course some of you might point out that this quasi-racism thing has very little to do with Denise's disappearance, but I just got "Ching-cheng-chong!"ed from some local thugs hanging at a bar in Villares de Orbigo few hours ago, and not only was it extremely unpleasant, I don't think I would've felt very safe if I was a 40-year old woman travelling alone.
The atmosphere here is very different from the first few days of Frances, which was much more pilgrim-friendly. And for those who say they'd feel safe sending their 16-old daughters alone on Camino, well, good for you sir/maam, but I wouldn't send mine.
Tomorrow I'll be passing the part where Denise went missing. I'll pray for her and her family.
PS- didn't see any missing person posters in Santibanez albergue.
Her theory was that small-town Spain's dealings with diversity were reminiscent of small-town Canada a half-century ago; if they could not figure out what box into which they could classify one, they just really didn't know what to do.
However, although the conversation with the shop-keeper may seem rather intrusive, at least they had a conversation with you. I think that's better than just "Two euros!"
....... just my opinion ....
I walked from La Virgen del Camino to Santibanez today and I must say these parts of the route definily aren't very welcoming to Asians. At least in Navarre or in La Rioja people asked me if I was Korean (and give a confused stare back when I tell them I'm Canadian), here most locals don't even speak any English, and they clearly aren't very fond of non-whites. I could name a few, like how even in small villages people don't respond to your greetings and give a blank, alarmed stares back, being totally ignored and served very last at bars, etc., but I know all too well it varys from person to person and all I'm saying is that the vibe I get in general clearly indicated racism against Asians and the past few days of the Camino Frances wasn't so great for an asian(compared to first ten days or so starting from SJPP, which were great!).
Of course some of you might point out that this quasi-racism thing has very little to do with Denise's disappearance, but I just got "Ching-cheng-chong!"ed from some local thugs hanging at a bar in Villares de Orbigo few hours ago, and not only was it extremely unpleasant, I don't think I would've felt very safe if I was a 40-year old woman travelling alone.
The atmosphere here is very different from the first few days of Frances, which was much more pilgrim-friendly. And for those who say they'd feel safe sending their 16-old daughters alone on Camino, well, good for you sir/maam, but I wouldn't send mine.
.......people asked me if I was Korean (and give a confused stare back when I tell them I'm Canadian
........that saying you're from the U.S. or Canada when you're not Caucasian often has a befuddling reaction that leads you to explaining your life story.
Often, if I'm feeling mischievous and someone asks where I'm from, I'll say, "I'm a West Indian." You should see the confused face then!
This made me smile, as my eldest son is Cruzan, born in St. Croix.
When people there are rude to him, he can just switch into a nice Creole patois, "Heeeeeey, mahn! YOU mad sick! I Cruzan! I eat fish and fungi undah da jumbi tree! I bahn heah!"
I believe Sunik was referring to the Camino del Norte. And she said "There are few lengthy stretches" where you might not see someone for hours. So I doubt that you will have much problem staying within sight of others on the Camino Frances in September-October.I was under the impression from all that I've been reading that there are people fairly predictably within eyesight, but this sounds not to be the case at all if there are stretches where you were alone for hours.
Where are you getting that? She's on the Camino Frances as we write.I believe Sunik was referring to the Camino del Norte. And she said "There are few lengthy stretches" where you might not see someone for hours. So I doubt that you will have much problem staying within sight of others on the Camino Frances in September-October.
I looked on the left under her gravatar, where it says "Camino(s) past & future: Camino De Norte (July-Aug 2015)." But now when I check the places she referred to, it does appear that she is on the Camino Frances.Where are you getting that?
When you tell someone where you are from and you get a confused stare back, why not simply smile and say, "We come in all colours." That's what I do. I find often people simply don't know, and just need to be educated.
You see, I am Caucasian, but I come from the West Indies, where the population is predominantly dark skinned. When I meet people (even English speaking people), and because I speak with "an accent," the conversation often goes like this:
"Where are you from."
"The West Indies." (puzzled look). Explain further, "The Caribbean."
"Oooh! How long did you live there?"
"I was born there."
"And where were your parents born?"
"They were born there too." (I can trace my ancestry there back to 1792.)
This is where I smile nicely and say, "We come in all colours."
Often, if I'm feeling mischievous and someone asks where I'm from, I'll say, "I'm a West Indian." You should see the confused face then!
I am SE Asian. You were obviously in Thailand. I am Singaporean. What is obvious to me is that the language barrier impaired your experiences/expectations. I speak rudimentary Thai and Spanish. I confess my Spanish is better. Both countries are open to foreigners if you embrace their language and culture.This will initially sound unpleasant, but I was in SE Asia as a farang recently and was literally taken LAST out of hundreds of Asians no matter how early I arrived on many occasions, and the transportation officials were often very rude. SE Asia is, of course, not the Camino and I would have expected better treatment of you as a peregrina.
That said, I am truly sorry for your experience and am not looking forward to walking through places with bars and local thugs myself. I'm also concerned because although it is what I'd imagined could be the case, people tend to minimize those things related to the Camino - walking as a female is a totally different thing when it comes to offensiveness/harassment/predatory behavior and taking liberties. You probably know this, but Koreans are doing the Camino in droves related to a book about the Camino that is popular there. Still no reason to assume, though.
I'll be thinking of you during your walk tomorrow and wishing you every happiness for the rest of your Camino. I've thought about completely bypassing that entire area around Astorga. Please post again and say what your experiences are, if you have a moment!
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