Re: Intoducing myself
Hi Andy,
Along with Johnnie, I am a fellow Scot so it is fitting that we welcome you to the forum on behalf of the international membership! (ok so I have a stupid english accent these days but I'm still a Moffat Toffee at heart..)
Learning Spanish is not essential but it IS useful and much appreciated by the largely non-english speaking locals you will encounter. My only advice is to TRY. We Brits tend not to be very forthcoming in speaking foreign languages a) because we are lazy and b) we tend not to speak unless we know we can get it RIGHT. Bad Spanish is better than no Spanish so go for it!
As for fitness, yes it will help but lots of people get fit as they go. It is equally important not to push yourself too hard, especially at the beginning and carry as little as possible. I don't know how old you are, but most of the people I saw suffering badly were young- they were fit and energetic and therefore saw no reason to build up their stamina, break in their boots or limit their pack size.
As Johnnie says, there is a huge wealth of experience and advice on this site so make use of it and happy planning!
Buen Camino
Laura
