Camino Paradox (In Hospital de Orbigo)

[arturo garcia]

Very early this morning at 6 a.m. we were serving breakfast in the albergue meanwhile a few pilgrims were already leaving the place and saying good bye, then, 4 persons from outside the albergue (pilgrims), came in, while the others were opening the door, with any word to the staff or neither saying good morning, they took envelopes for Backpack transportation and start to fill them out. I aproach to them with my hands in praying possition and say:

- Hello! Good morning! , you can leave you pack in same place you sleep!, the company will take it from there with no problem!
They open their eyes very big and say.

-We thought this was the municipal Albergue! and I say, No, this is a private albergue
-Where do you sleep last night?
They said; We stay in Leon! (Now they were in Hospital de Orbigo it was before sunrise, 6;30 a.m.) and I open my Eyes very Big, I though (Teletransportation? in my mind)
I said - Please Just leave you packs in the same place you sleep!
- Then I said, - we cannot accept your bags if you are not registered here. Just leave it in same place you sleep, is always like that.
(The comunication was all in english)

I show them the way to the Parrish Albergue (there no Municipal albergue in Hospital de Orbigo)
and they left complaining with one of the ladies very Mad about me.

The thing is: They Never ask for help or support from us or gave any explanation of what was going on in the moment, neither when they came in.

Weird? If they sleep in Leon, Why they doesn´t leave their bags there? where they sleep.

 

[Davie Blisters]

Don't worry Arturo - they must have used the time-tunnel, which is situated under the 5th arch of the bridge.

 

[Bala]

Yes, weird. Maybe they took a taxi? Regardless, they were rude to just barge into the albergue without even a hello, and start using things. But you did the right thing, politely and graciously. If they complain, let them complain. Maybe it will help spread the word not to take advantage of and abuse the hospitalero tradition.

 

[Bala]

It's also worth noting, you have the safety of your own pilgrims to look after. This sounds suspiciously like the tactics used by the group of thieves recently arrested. They slipped into the albergues either late at night or early in the morning, before the hospitalero would be around. Maybe this group was casing the place and taking the transfer envelopes was their "excuse" for being in there. Or it could be entirely innocent. I guess.

Either way, weird.

 

[arturo garcia]

It's also worth noting, you have the safety of your own pilgrims to look after. This sounds suspiciously like the tactics used by the group of thieves recently arrested. They slipped into the albergues either late at night or early in the morning, before the hospitalero would be around. Maybe this group was casing the place and taking the transfer envelopes was their "excuse" for being in there. Or it could be entirely innocent. I guess.

Either way, weird.

You got to the real point my friend, that´s why we don´t accept visiting in the albergue, we ask once the GUARDIA CIVIL about that and they say that only people registered can be inside the albergue, because is private. We are always monitoring when the people leave early in the morning and leave the door open. Of course we don´t sleep much! Hugs

 

[NorthernLight]

I'd guess they took a taxi from Leon, and figured they could forward their luggage to Astorga from Hospital, saving some money on luggage transfer and skipping the last flat part of the camino. They'd have done better to go to one of the larger hostals, paid for breakfast and asked to leave their luggage for transport.