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Terrible experience, but glad you are Ok. I hope this memory will fade a little in time and not spoil all the other pleasant experiences.
Hello,
I am Sabine from Berlin, did the Camino portuguess from Porto to Santiago some weeks ago ( 12.-24.3.2014) by myself. All the nearly 250 km have been such a pleasure- just nature, silence, great wetaher, amazing trails, only a few ( nice)poeple crossing my way - i felt so well ( beside the moments the toe or the hip or the foot hurted for a while).
And i felt also so well because i wasnt sure how i would feel walking alone all the ways - would this scary me , is it safe? it was - 240 km and at the 9,5 km till Santiago this discussting Situation happend, that i want to bring here, so others might be warned ( without beeing stressed)
At km 9,5 ( till santiago - maybe 20 -30 minutes after Teo a little way up into a smaller forrest and i still could see some houses far away.)
Somehow - i had no idea how - an older man appeared. He had dark black hair, jeans, jacket on and seemd to be a local person by maybe 55 -63 Years. He talked to me a little while ( oh you speak spanish so well, yes the next village comes in 2,5km) but he stood all the time 1,00 m behind me and walked as fast as i did.
immidiatly my intuition told me: something feels strange!!! and when i next turned me arround to check what he is doing behind me, i saw, he had his trousers open and his "Dick" out. Immidiatly i turned arround an walked back quickly to the more busy area with houses.
Then i told 3 man in a garage that somebody had disturbed me in the forrest, but they didnt take any care, not so an older lady, when i told her my situation when she wanted me to go back to the historical way.
That felt strange too - did they maybe know about him ??....
So finally i decided to go up to the national road and walk there for 2 km till i cross back to the original way. But the last km till Santiago i couldnd enjoy all the flowers and nature, because i was afraid he could still be somewhere. This somehow took away a bit of my excitment to reach in Santiago... but i guess i did the best out of this situation.
Take Care and Enjoy the Camino!!!!
Sabine
I am sorry to say that this also happened to me on the CF October 4th 2013, close to La Portela de Valcarce. I was alone and it is scary as we are so far from home and feel vulnerable (and it is not the same as happening in my home city). At least on the CF you can mostly count on other Pilgrims arriving quickly. I am walking the CdM in the fall, alone, and hate to admit I am a little concerned with this type of thing occurring again, of course chances are it won't.
danceshoe, I know how you felt, it sucks.
The problem is that one can't expect a policeman everywhere, and when one turns up the culprit has disappeared. However, one should always report such happening to the police (guardia civil or municipal), as soon as possible and possibly with the help of a local person (albergue hospitalero, taxi driver, shop keeper, etc.).Sorry to hear you experienced that.
Unfortunately there are weirdos and perverts everywhere, even on the Camino.
Hello,
I am Sabine from Berlin, did the Camino portuguess from Porto to Santiago some weeks ago ( 12.-24.3.2014) by myself. All the nearly 250 km have been such a pleasure- just nature, silence, great wetaher, amazing trails, only a few ( nice)poeple crossing my way - i felt so well ( beside the moments the toe or the hip or the foot hurted for a while).
And i felt also so well because i wasnt sure how i would feel walking alone all the ways - would this scary me , is it safe? it was - 240 km and at the 9,5 km till Santiago this discussting Situation happend, that i want to bring here, so others might be warned ( without beeing stressed)
At km 9,5 ( till santiago - maybe 20 -30 minutes after Teo a little way up into a smaller forrest and i still could see some houses far away.)
Somehow - i had no idea how - an older man appeared. He had dark black hair, jeans, jacket on and seemd to be a local person by maybe 55 -63 Years. He talked to me a little while ( oh you speak spanish so well, yes the next village comes in 2,5km) but he stood all the time 1,00 m behind me and walked as fast as i did.
immidiatly my intuition told me: something feels strange!!! and when i next turned me arround to check what he is doing behind me, i saw, he had his trousers open and his "Dick" out. Immidiatly i turned arround an walked back quickly to the more busy area with houses.
Then i told 3 man in a garage that somebody had disturbed me in the forrest, but they didnt take any care, not so an older lady, when i told her my situation when she wanted me to go back to the historical way.
That felt strange too - did they maybe know about him ??....
So finally i decided to go up to the national road and walk there for 2 km till i cross back to the original way. But the last km till Santiago i couldnd enjoy all the flowers and nature, because i was afraid he could still be somewhere. This somehow took away a bit of my excitment to reach in Santiago... but i guess i did the best out of this situation.
Take Care and Enjoy the Camino!!!!
Sabine
I am sorry to say that this also happened to me on the CF October 4th 2013, close to La Portela de Valcarce. I was alone and it is scary as we are so far from home and feel vulnerable (and it is not the same as happening in my home city). At least on the CF you can mostly count on other Pilgrims arriving quickly. I am walking the CdM in the fall, alone, and hate to admit I am a little concerned with this type of thing occurring again, of course chances are it won't.
danceshoe, I know how you felt, it sucks.
Horrid, quite horrid. Do report these to the police. Spanish police are usually rather brilliant and take these things really seriously - they have mothers, sisters ,wives, daughters - they do care.
"Mire, un pene! Pero mas pequenito. Que triste!"...Sabine, I'm sorry this happened to you.
Fortunately, men who do this are generally otherwise harmless.
But this type of thing can be scary.
I once was riding my bicycle across a bridge here in Portland Oregon at rush hour,
and a guy was vigorously masturbating at the traffic (and me) at the top of the bridge.
I almost crashed.
I didn't know whether to laugh or scream.
Then, I remembered something one of my girlfriends had once told an exibitionist who pulled up to her in a grocery store lot when she was with her 5 year old daughter.
She pointed, laughed , and said, "Oh LOOK Megan! Like a penis, only SMALLER!"
The guy promptly drove away.
Now I just need to memorize that in Spanish.
I saw this character in action as well, in that same area. He´s been doing his thing for years now. So far I have not heard of any harm done... or official action taken.
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