First timer at the Primitivo in August

[Maria Man]

Hi friends of the camino,

I am a first timer at the camino and choosing to walk solo on the primitivo in early Aug. Here's something I need your input on.

1. Since I don't speak Spanish, is it easy to get by speaking English? Especially to make conversation to stay at the albergues along the way?

2. I am quite worry about not getting a bed at the albergues as it is a busy season in the Aug, is it safe or possible to bring a tent and just sleep along the way?

3. My family is a bit worry about the latest missing person incident in the camino as it was in our local Catholic newspaper lately and I am thinking to give them my latest update regularly but it seems that not many albergues have wifi, is there a cheap way to get internet in Spain ? I saw about the wifi egg but it cost around 8 euro/day, it seems a bit much for my budget.

4. I saw the other post about the naked guy in Oviedo, I really do hope to meet some good company in Oviedo for my start, is anyone starting there at that time also ?

Looking forward to your great input !

Maria

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

Hi Maria!
In reply to your numbered questions - and remember this is only MY opinion, and others may have more up-to-date comments ....
1. Learn the basics before you go. Hello. Good-bye. Do you speak English? Thank you! Have you a bed ...? How much is ..... and take a tiny phrase book. I would GUESS that in August there will be many other pilgrims who will help you.
2. I have never taken a tent on camino - but I believe it can be difficult, unless you sleep in designated camping areas. Any comments, peregrinos?
3. Wifi may be a problem, but you will probably have a telephone signal everywhere you go, so you can always send inexpensive texts .... and get them to phone you. You will probably still have to pay a small charge for receiving phone calls, but not much.
4. I've never been hassled by naked guys - I think in August there will be quite a lot of other pilgrims, so you can possibly travel in a group.

I'm planning on walking from Oviedo to Melide, but not until next May!
Be happy. You are going to have a wonderful time, but be very careful, because ....... you will probably catch the 'camino bug' and want to return again and again!
Blessings from Suffolk, England.

 

[hsabs]

I have not walked all of that route, but have never heard problems about beds. Just dont leave it too late in the day to look for somewhere to stay.
Can't coment on the naked guy!
As for language problems - a little goes a long way, so do try to learn a little before you go. I have found it definitely helps, particularly in rural areas where Enlish is not widely spoken> if you try people are more willing to help with a bit of sifn language etc.
Buen camino

 

[Anemone del Camino]

As has been suggsted before, learn a few key phrases. People on this route are not used to much camino tourism, so what ever you can learn will help.

Whenot comes to beds, paln to arrive earlier rather tha. Later, but by that I do not mean noon. And there are places that are bottlenecks that fill up, or those specual albergues like San Juan de Villapanada, or Bodeyana and Borres. I was there 6 weeks ago and these did fill up by early evening. In Borres people slept,outside. Some albergies take reservations, and as distances between them is such that walking an extra 5km because you feel loke it and will still find a place to sleep does not really apply. When ebrant was there in early May she did get to places that were already filled. I did not, but I don't walk 30km a day so I get in relatively early.

WIFI Is iffy outside of larger towns, and all albergues do not have it. I wpuld say that you will find it 1 day yes, one day not. And cell reception is also iffy. If ypu send me a private message i can send you the list of places where I remember having WIFI and perhaps you could plan contact with your family as you pass through there.

I had a Vodafone plan and it was a disaster, are all my time in one or two calls. Clearly I am horrible,with technology, or the systm is iffy, which an hospitalera said it is as noone takes these plans these days anymore. Others will help you more than me. Next tome I am taking a plan from home! At way I will have my supplier to blame if things go badly like this year.

Lastly, naked men. It apparently did happen to someone in May, but to tell you the truth, when I walked past the area wjere it hapened I didi not even remember the incident. And it can happen Everywhere. Keep your eyes and ears open, walk with cnfidence. Bring a whistle tied to the drint of your backpack if you want. You are walking this route as a solo young woman: you are strong, much stronger than these poor useless men that have to resort to this for entertaiment or feeling manly. You are the Alpha, don't ever doubt it!

If it makes your family feel better, ere are groups of volonteers checking the roads to ensure pilgrims are well. Saw this in in particular walking towards Fonsagrada: the man in charge od the albergue in Perdon is also part of a camino safety group and monitors the flow of pilgrims from his car with a large logo,on the hood.

I hope this helps you a bit. And as I said, if you want I will work on listing the areas where I know I had WIFI, and where I kmow I did not have it.

 

[Maria Man]

Hi Maria!
In reply to your numbered questions - and remember this is only MY opinion, and others may have more up-to-date comments ....
1. Learn the basics before you go. Hello. Good-bye. Do you speak English? Thank you! Have you a bed ...? How much is ..... and take a tiny phrase book. I would GUESS that in August there will be many other pilgrims who will help you.
2. I have never taken a tent on camino - but I believe it can be difficult, unless you sleep in designated camping areas. Any comments, peregrinos?
3. Wifi may be a problem, but you will probably have a telephone signal everywhere you go, so you can always send inexpensive texts .... and get them to phone you. You will probably still have to pay a small charge for receiving phone calls, but not much.
4. I've never been hassled by naked guys - I think in August there will be quite a lot of other pilgrims, so you can possibly travel in a group.

I'm planning on walking from Oviedo to Melide, but not until next May!
Be happy. You are going to have a wonderful time, but be very careful, because ....... you will probably catch the 'camino bug' and want to return again and again!
Blessings from Suffolk, England.[/QUOTE]

As has been suggsted before, learn a few key phrases. People on this route are not used to much camino tourism, so what ever you can learn will help.

Whenot comes to beds, paln to arrive earlier rather tha. Later, but by that I do not mean noon. And there are places that are bottlenecks that fill up, or those specual albergues like San Juan de Villapanada, or Bodeyana and Borres. I was there 6 weeks ago and these did fill up by early evening. In Borres people slept,outside. Some albergies take reservations, and as distances between them is such that walking an extra 5km because you feel loke it and will still find a place to sleep does not really apply. When ebrant was there in early May she did get to places that were already filled. I did not, but I don't walk 30km a day so I get in relatively early.

WIFI Is iffy outside of larger towns, and all albergues do not have it. I wpuld say that you will find it 1 day yes, one day not. And cell reception is also iffy. If ypu send me a private message i can send you the list of places where I remember having WIFI and perhaps you could plan contact with your family as you pass through there.

I had a Vodafone plan and it was a disaster, are all my time in one or two calls. Clearly I am horrible,with technology, or the systm is iffy, which an hospitalera said it is as noone takes these plans these days anymore. Others will help you more than me. Next tome I am taking a plan from home! At way I will have my supplier to blame if things go badly like this year.

Lastly, naked men. It apparently did happen to someone in May, but to tell you the truth, when I walked past the area wjere it hapened I didi not even remember the incident. And it can happen Everywhere. Keep your eyes and ears open, walk with cnfidence. Bring a whistle tied to the drint of your backpack if you want. You are walking this route as a solo young woman: you are strong, much stronger than these poor useless men that have to resort to this for entertaiment or feeling manly. You are the Alpha, don't ever doubt it!

If it makes your family feel better, ere are groups of volonteers checking the roads to ensure pilgrims are well. Saw this in in particular walking towards Fonsagrada: the man in charge od the albergue in Perdon is also part of a camino safety group and monitors the flow of pilgrims from his car with a large logo,on the hood.

I hope this helps you a bit. And as I said, if you want I will work on listing the areas where I know I had WIFI, and where I kmow I did not have it.

Thank you guys for your advice, I am trying to learn the basic Spanish and downloaded a Spanish/English dictionary on my phone and hope this will be ok.
Anemone, how can I send you a private message to get the wifi info you have ?

Maria

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Hi Maria!
In reply to your numbered questions - and remember this is only MY opinion, and others may have more up-to-date comments ....
1. Learn the basics before you go. Hello. Good-bye. Do you speak English? Thank you! Have you a bed ...? How much is ..... and take a tiny phrase book. I would GUESS that in August there will be many other pilgrims who will help you.
2. I have never taken a tent on camino - but I believe it can be difficult, unless you sleep in designated camping areas. Any comments, peregrinos?
3. Wifi may be a problem, but you will probably have a telephone signal everywhere you go, so you can always send inexpensive texts .... and get them to phone you. You will probably still have to pay a small charge for receiving phone calls, but not much.
4. I've never been hassled by naked guys - I think in August there will be quite a lot of other pilgrims, so you can possibly travel in a group.

I'm planning on walking from Oviedo to Melide, but not until next May!
Be happy. You are going to have a wonderful time, but be very careful, because ....... you will probably catch the 'camino bug' and want to return again and again!
Blessings from Suffolk, England.

Thank you guys for your advice, I am trying to learn the basic Spanish and downloaded a Spanish/English dictionary on my phone and hope this will be ok.
Anemone, how can I send you a private message to get the wifi info you have ?

Maria[/QUOTE]
Maria, I posted a new thread called " Where I found WIFI on the Primitivo", it's all there.

 

[Maria Man]

Great, thank you so much Anemone !