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falcon269 said:Last year 42.28% of the pilgrims were female.
vagabondette said:Having also been the survivor of violent crime, I don't let my past control my future. And yes, I use survivor purposely because I refuse to be a victim. Once you get into the walk you may relax. You'll have a hard time during high season NOT finding people to walk with but being shackled to someone else for 24/7 - particularly a stranger - may be a bit much for anyone to take. Good luck.
nancy300 said:vagabondette said:Having also been the survivor of violent crime, I don't let my past control my future. And yes, I use survivor purposely because I refuse to be a victim. Once you get into the walk you may relax. You'll have a hard time during high season NOT finding people to walk with but being shackled to someone else for 24/7 - particularly a stranger - may be a bit much for anyone to take. Good luck.
that's a good point about being "shackled" to someone else 24/7 (especially a stranger)-
Also there's a fine line between letting your past control future and learning from experience - I consider myself in the category of learning from experience.
Thanks for all of your responses, I really appreciate it.
Thornley said:In July the albergues will be full early
In August the albergues will be full early.
Currently the albergues are full early.
tyrrek said:Search for the latest stats but I think August is usually busiest for arrivals in Santiago. It doesn't necessarily follow that July is the busiest for departures from SJPP due to the number of people joining the Camino later.
I was chatting to the woman running the bar in Uterga (Navarra) earlier this year and she said their busiest time was usually September, which surprised me.
Buen Camino!
3walkingtoSantiago said:I'm not there now, but based on last year, I would say that as a solo walker, you will have an easier time getting a bed than those of use walking with a few other people. We had to go to a hotel once or twice (but that was okay with me) when there were only one or two beds left at albergues. Hostals and pensions are not as expensive as you might imagine, and if you need to, you might find someone in the same boat who could go in with you for a night. Most double rooms in Spain have two single beds, btw. We lashed two together with bungee cords to make a bed for the three of us one time!
For the record, there were plenty of times when we were walking without other pilgrims last year. If you start and stop walking early, you will probably always have company. We were alone when we started out late (after 8:00) or kept walking late (after 2:00 or 3:00).
Hi Nancy, Although I often walked without seeing anyone in front or behind me, if I stopped (e.g. to write in my journal or to have something to eat) someone or a group of people would come along a few minutes later. Then another a few minutes after that, then ... etc.nancy300 said:So when you are on the long stretches, you don't see anyone else on the trail for miles? That might freak me out a bit ...
It may appear offensive to a young woman but one of the benefits of being on the wrong side of 50 is that you can accept the pipping and waving as encouragement. I loved it. What a wonderful lift to the spirit it is to be acknowledged when you're trudging along beside a busy road.tyrrek said:As males, we took his gesture to mean 'Wow! Pilgrims! I'm going to give them a bit of encouragement, and maybe I'll get a bit of reflected glory in the eyes of St James. We're fellow travellers after all'. We waved back and he was remembered in the cathedral in Santiago.
As females, I guess the same gesture could be interpreted as a lewd reference to their physical appearance or even offensive.
For much the same reason that American Indians do not like being made into mascots. It objectifies the person. Outside of Hollywood, most people are not their appearance, which is genetic. They have made themselves into individuals, often quite different from the superficiality of their appearance. Why would they care if you find them attractive? Wouldn''t they be more interested in finding you attractive? When the construction worker whistles at women during his lunch hour, is it really successful? Is it about him or the women? His ego or theirs? The women want him to doff his hard hat and go on a date? There is actually a lot to understand about women getting offended if one thinks about it a bit.I've never understood why women get offended by this kind of thing.
falcon269 said:For much the same reason that American Indians do not like being made into mascots. It objectifies the person. Outside of Hollywood, most people are not their appearance, which is genetic. They have made themselves into individuals, often quite different from the superficiality of their appearance. Why would they care if you find them attractive? Wouldn''t they be more interested in finding you attractive? When the construction worker whistles at women during his lunch hour, is it really successful? Is it about him or the women? His ego or theirs? The women want him to doff his hard hat and go on a date? There is actually a lot to understand about women getting offended if one thinks about it a bit.I've never understood why women get offended by this kind of thing.
I agree totally. To give a slightly different example - last year I did a Nordic Walking course: half a dozen of us - men and women, all ages - trotting round the local footpaths with our poles - ski-ing without skis....vagabondette said:This is not the same thing as a drive-by whistle/honk combo to which there is no recourse against the offender and getting upset/offended only impacts the honkee and is only negative if the honkee lets it be.
Sojourner47 said:I agree totally. To give a slightly different example - last year I did a Nordic Walking course: half a dozen of us - men and women, all ages - trotting round the local footpaths with our poles - ski-ing without skis....vagabondette said:This is not the same thing as a drive-by whistle/honk combo to which there is no recourse against the offender and getting upset/offended only impacts the honkee and is only negative if the honkee lets it be.
One evening, a group of youths spotted us and yelled out a lot of insulting 4 letter stuff, which we of course ignored. For to react in any way is just to give these morons encouragement. Which of course we all know.
However, the sad part was that a couple of our group were really upset by this, and discontinued their training walks.
Pity I couldn't have sent those perps to jail.... :lol:
Hi TyrrekI was walking this March with an (also male) peregrino somewhere in the middle of the Camino where the path ran alongside a major road. While walking and chatting a truck passed by from behind us, pipped his horn and when we looked up a hand was waving enthusiastically from the cab window.
As males, we took his gesture to mean 'Wow! Pilgrims! I'm going to give them a bit of encouragement, and maybe I'll get a bit of reflected glory in the eyes of St James. We're fellow travellers after all'. We waved back and he was remembered in the cathedral in Santiago.
Dang. I thought they were hot for me ...it may be less about your gender, or body shape, or facial features, or age, and more about the shell on your backpack
I totally agree, Sulu. And being positive is not the same as being naiive.sulu said:I welcome any encouragement that comes my way. I reckon that, on the Camino, where there can be any doubt about someones intentions we should believe them to be good.
Melbrob, I'm not 70 but I'm no spring chicken either. Nor am I George Clooney. If I can get a toot anyone can. Just distinguish the 'pip, pip, pip, pip, piiiiiiip' with the driver hanging out of the car from the normal mayhem. That's when you've been tooted.Melbrob said:I'm over 70 and will be on the road next April - how do I get the toots as well? Otherwise I will feel left out!!
Thanks for rephrasing. I'm lovin' every minute of it as well. I was on the "other side of 50" when I first walked the Camino but should confess to now being on the "other side of 60".Juliec55 said:Hey Julie. We aren't on the wrong side of 50, we are on the "other side of 50".And, I for one am lovin' every minute of it. Julie too.
I got toots last year [as mentioned before] on the Camino Portuguese. I was 72. I don't think anyone wanted my body, but we can dream ....Melbrob said:I'm over 70 and will be on the road next April - how do I get the toots as well? Otherwise I will feel left out!!
Sojourner47 said:As I'm a sixty-something man, I'm a mite concerned that someone with such obvious bad eyesight should be in charge of a large goods vehicle..... :lol:
Despite the title, the OP was largely gender based. And we males were even very graciously deemed 'welcome' to respond from the start.Sojourner47 said:I just hope it was the trailer he fancied - though as I didn't really look, it's quite possible it was a female truck driver.....
Not unusually, this thread seems to have strayed somewhat from the OP's original question......
Many young and not-so-young ladies have answered Nancy's questions, and the "welcomed men" put a pinch of salt to the subject :lol:nancy300 said:Men are also welcome to answer, but I notice that men feel safe everywhere and typically don't understand why women feel sketchy about traveling alone. No offense to anyone.
Stephen Nicholls said:"
I'm still waiting for someone to pinch my bum.
Stephen.
Stephen Nicholls said:" If by chance someone pinches your bottom (i.e. becomes "Latin physical") a slap in the face of the offender is most effective. "
I'm still waiting for someone to pinch my bum.
Stephen.
Hi Vagabondette. Was this on the Camino?vagabondette said:A few months ago some guy tried to grab me on the street. Never found out if he was trying to do the latin grope thing, rob me or had something more dastardly in mind because instinct kicked in and, after doing some serious damage to his testicular area I'm pretty sure I broke his nose. I suspect he won't be grabbing any gringas for a while.
tyrrek said:Hi Vagabondette. Was this on the Camino?vagabondette said:A few months ago some guy tried to grab me on the street. Never found out if he was trying to do the latin grope thing, rob me or had something more dastardly in mind because instinct kicked in and, after doing some serious damage to his testicular area I'm pretty sure I broke his nose. I suspect he won't be grabbing any gringas for a while.
I have travelled in some really suspect places.."Slumdog millionaire" setting was one.dazzamac said:Just to return to the OP, there was a suggestion that perhaps men don't feel concerned or may not be as aware of the trepidation that a woman might feel walking alone. Having walked the Camino, I can say in all honesty that I was more concerned walking through the bigger towns and cities than I was when out in the middle of the countryside. But that would hold true at home too. Wherever there are large groups of people there will also be those that want to take advantage of them.
Being aware of your surroundings and keeping a mindful but not paranoid eye on those around you goes a long way to staying safe. I believe that 99% of the people I've encountered, and will encounter, on the Camino are trustworthy, but I don't think that lessens my responsibility to take care of myself and my possessions and to keep an eye out for the 1%.
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