Thank you, everyone, for your kind words, encouragement, support in regards to the naked man sightings in September during my Portuguese Camino...
I have since returned to Canada, and would just like to share that I did indeed put this horrible experience behind me. I was able to laugh about it 3 days later, while walking with my new friend and guide from England. I was fortunate to have a wonderful Camino, and met several fellow pilgrims along the way who kept me great company.
One of the difficult parts of that story was that I had not seen any other pilgrims for 2 days of walking, from Porto, so felt very much alone, and I wondered if there was any hope of having someone to at least be near me as I walked. While I do understand that these (very ill) men may not be dangerous, when you are alone and don't speak much Portuguese, it can feel very threatening. Seeing him twice, and knowing that he was anticipating my journey, was very disturbing and upsetting.
The hospitalerio at the albergue in Rates, Nuno, and his volunteer Manuel, took my 'event' very seriously, and were very supportive and kind to me. I cannot say enough about these wonderful people. They also entertained us with a ceremony that night to ward off witches and evil spirits! It turned into a wonderful experience, as many difficult situations in life can be. The warmth and kindness of these lovely people is something I will cherish always. I learned a great deal about many things that day.
I do, however, think it is very important to have an awareness of the risk of such sightings of these men. It is not as rare as many would suggest - I had another sighting just outside of Santiago later on in the month, walking with 2 others on the way to Finisterre, which I also reported. My friends also saw a man flashing, just south of Redondela, near Mos. So these are not so rare.....
I believe that women considering doing any Camino should have the opportunity to be able to make an informed decision on this matter, and be warned of the very real possibility of having these experiences. Then they know, and can plan accordingly.
I am very grateful for all of my experiences on the trail, and now choose to see this one as a gift, because it resulted in receiving the compassion and kindness of the Portuguese people and fellow pilgrims.
CR