The spirit of the camino is also the practice of empathy, humility and compassion toward others. The spirit of life in general suppose to be that too.
IMHO
While paying taxes and living in a country where many us have opportunities of good work and earning money, including to afford to pay $200 for good hiking shoes, fancy comfortable backpacks, tons of other modern equipment, accommodations for one or two months in Europe.... Remember many people around the world don't have this luxury.
Even looking from a business owner standpoint charging this much for such an important test, It is a business practice to lose. Covid testing is not a cancer test, cholesterol test or a diabetes test. It is not to protect ONE individual, it is to protect all of us. Because i can afford to pay for these tests on top of taxes, on top of my expensive private health insurance does not make me entitled to not care if anyone else can afford the test, or to be ok with whatever they charge for it. The point is beyond affordability. Taking advantage of such disease is crazy. Actually even sad to watch.
And it being reasonable priced or free is not paying anyones vacation. Our paid taxes should be used for emergency tests and vaccines like this unique terrible situation. I thought our taxes suppose to help in a calamity like this.
Because i can travel there and know that higher prices of everything ( Food, hotels, transportations) will not stop me, that should not make me think that is just ok to just charge everyone $440 tests both ways (based on Jfk prices) and everyone that can’t pay that price should just stay home. Including people that have a grandma or family member dying somewhere in the world and cant go say goodbye.
In fact it is so unreasonable what they are doing, that the answer of this discussion is already in the news! Countries like Spain and Italy and more to come.. is dropping the test for vaccinated people.
Nothing against the test at all, actually Covid is not gone, its right here and if they were doing it properly they could still be making their money for the tests with every single country. And all of us continuing to be tested which is not a bad thing specially if virus is not gone.
A test that can potentially save lives of many for $220 is not reasonable. Reasonable is to incentive people to protect others lives by wanting EVERYONE to have the ability to protect other peoples lives by offering a practical reasonable priced covid test.
The fact that i can afford these tests and vacations doesn't make me blind to the importance of the situation, protection and needs of others.
I do believe that the message of Covid and the camino is also to think and reflect that we don't live in this world just for ourselves. Peace and love to all.