Please shut up!

[BeatriceKarjalainen]

I really prefer albergues with a clear quiet time. Right now the time is 22:44 and some guys are laughing and talking and screaming in the next room and some in the kitchen. I'm sorry but I need to sleep. I had the lights of trying to sleep alone in the room at 22. One came in and turned the lights on starting to repack the backpack and made the bed. Leaving the door to the kitchen open. I gave up on the sleeping. Have to find my earplugs (but they give me tinnitus and headache but so do these guys soon).

I'm so tired of having to say to people to pay some respect to others. If they haven't shut up in 15 minutes I'll go out there and just scream "shut of you stupid morons" as a "could you please be a little bit more quit didn't work".

I never experienced these loud and late wine drinking nights on the Francés. Seams to be a lot more young (mainly guys) here.

 

[Icacos]

I'm sorry you had this experience. I have to ask .... Where are the hospitaleros in these instances?

If you were to give these inconsiderate oafs a piece of your mind, you would not be the first one. Early in our Camino, we were staying in private rooms - can't remember which town - and around 1:00 some obviously inebriated English speaking persons came down the hallway to their room, laughing and speaking very loudly. Another person came out of his room and in a language, not English, gave them 'what for' in no uncertain terms ... and rightly so! My walking companion told me about it the next morning. I slept through the entire episode.

Actually, we had the opposite experience to yours in a private albergue in Rabanal. The sign said lights out at 22:00. We got back at 21:40, after the church service, to find the dormitorio in total darkness and everyone in bed. We were a bit miffed as we had left some organizing to do prior to bed. But we rolled with it, and did the best we could in the darkness. And I'm complaining about it now ....... Not really.

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Beatrice, sorry to hear this. Not fun.

Charlesx, I'll bet it's one of the municipal albergues -- typically, the hospitaleros come and check you in and then go. So poor Beatrice is essentially on her own.

I know it won't be any consolation to you, Beatrice, but my sense is that this is not a camino-specific problem but rather a summer problem. Who let the young crazies out of college for the summer anyway?! Hope it doesn't ruin tomorrow for you.

 

[DeadFred]

Reminds me of the Navy . Thirty sailors in my Division , on board a Navy Destroyer , the racket was un-merciful . In Port the drunks .. out at sea the watch changes and the heavy snorers , plus the constant comings and goings . I learned to adjust after a couple years of it . Hope I still can adjust when we head out on Sept 26th.

 

[michryan]

I had similar experience when I was nearing the end of my walk. It was in the last 100kms so there were fresh full of energy young girls who were only doing the last 100 and had bags transfer so they had there hair dryers etc and were very inconsiderate of the pilgrims that were tired and walked so very far and needed sleep. I though don't worry about speaking up and did so (as nicely as one could be) and didn't have a prob after. Mind you they did a lot of whispering about how mean I was.

 

[BeatriceKarjalainen]

I told them nicely again at 2320 and they went quiet(er). And I could sleep like a log.

 

[Mark Lee]

Ah, the joys of communal living. All part of the experience, right?
Stayed in a lot of municipals on my first Camino. Second Camino spent more time in private albergues. Sometimes is worth the extra four or five euros.
On my first Camino stayed in a private albergue in Santiago. My last night in Spain. One with no curfew, etc. A few of us were still up and talking at about 11:00 pm when another peregrino told us we were too loud and she was trying to sleep. We not so tactfully explained to her that we were in Santiago for goodness sake. The Camino's end! We will chat till the cows come home. Deal with it.

 

[Tia Valeria]

It isn't just the albergues. The noisiest nights we had were on the Francés after we joined it at Palas de Rei. The hotel in Melide was awful, in spite of notices to respect other guests. They did 'shut-up' after we banged on the adjoining walls at midnight, but I was so tired next day that it made it the hardest day walking. I do hope that you go well Beatrice and that you don't encounter too much more noise at night.

 

[NicoZ]

It isn't just the albergues. The noisiest nights we had were on the Francés after we joined it at Palas de Rei. The hotel in Melide was awful, in spite of notices to respect other guests. They did 'shut-up' after we banged on the adjoining walls at midnight, but I was so tired next day that it made it the hardest day walking. I do hope that you go well Beatrice and that you don't encounter too much more noise at night.

Plus in my experience some of the loudest and rudest guest in hotels are "mature" adults.

You're also more likely to get the youth to quiet down.

 

[jeffnd]

It's all part of the adventure! I'd love to be back on the Camino right now and to be kept awake by a bunch of rowdy folks! Next time, instead of complaining about it, I'm going to join them!

 

[Arn]

As already mentioned above, things get a bit crazy, especially in the summer months, and it's not just Camino centric. In any case, I make it a habit when surrounded by soccer teams, AT section hikers (only on for a short hike) or other youth groups to locate the chaperones. If a problem arises, I either start leaving messages, or in the case at the albergue Logrono, I stood next to the chaperone having a chat up and then just before 2200 said, "Well, time to turn in. I'll be back if your students don't also. Not always the best approach, but several peregrinos thanked me the next morning.

 

[Kanga]

It is not just party-goers. Late nights are the norm in Spain, even for small children. They don't even think about eating before 10pm. So albergue hours are really difficult for them. I've spoken to many Spaniards on the Camino and the early bedtime is the thing they find most weird. The closer you get to Santiago the higher the proportion of Spanish pilgrims. So it is to be expected that sometimes it will be noisy at night. Of course, the night owls will be the ones to suffer when the early risers start rustling plastic bags at 4am....

 

[jpflavin1]

I have only had this problem once, in Hornillas. Some people were being quite noisy and no one could sleep. I got up walked into the common area, said perdone por favor, pointed to the lights out sign and shut off the lights. I walked back to the room, some light applause and went to sleep.

Sometimes people just need a reminder.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[BeatriceKarjalainen]

I got a thanks from another pilgrim as she didn't want to tell them to be quiet her self. I know that they have late nights normally here in Spain and it makes it hard to eat in restaurants sometimes as they don't serve food before I have to be in the albergue.

Someone mentioned above that it should be better in private albergues. Well this was a private one. The municipal more often have a "lights out" sign is my experience.

Well they went quiet and I think they actually fell asleep as fast as me. They then went up before me turning lights on in the room and again taking LOUD in the kitchen. Well well I didn't need an alarm. Now I ended up with most of them again in Castroverde yeah! I will probably be the grumpy old lady again ;-)

 

[xin loi]

Staying up late in Spain--stayed at one Albergue that locked the doors on our young hikers who were out drinking after 2200. They slept on porch and were allowed into Albergueuntilt 0600. They came in and packed and as we walked with them up the street, their local drinking friends came out of the bar to cheer them forward--locals had still not gone home! Also don't forget a lot of hikers quit before lunch to get a bed before anyone else and then sleep all afternoon so they are NOT tired at night.

 

[Tia Valeria]

It is not just party-goers. Late nights are the norm in Spain, even for small children. They don't even think about eating before 10pm. So albergue hours are really difficult for them. I've spoken to many Spaniards on the Camino and the early bedtime is the thing they find most weird. The closer you get to Santiago the higher the proportion of Spanish pilgrims. So it is to be expected that sometimes it will be noisy at night. Of course, the night owls will be the ones to suffer when the early risers start rustling plastic bags at 4am....

It wasn't Spanish we could hear through the walls, but a non-Spanish group - we find the Spanish actually far more considerate than others.

 

[Alyssa]

I got a thanks from another pilgrim as she didn't want to tell them to be quiet her self. I know that they have late nights normally here in Spain and it makes it hard to eat in restaurants sometimes as they don't serve food before I have to be in the albergue.

Someone mentioned above that it should be better in private albergues. Well this was a private one. The municipal more often have a "lights out" sign is my experience.

Well they went quiet and I think they actually fell asleep as fast as me. They then went up before me turning lights on in the room and again taking LOUD in the kitchen. Well well I didn't need an alarm. Now I ended up with most of them again in Castroverde yeah! I will probably be the grumpy old lady again ;-)

In July in Carrion I ended up with a a large group of very nice college students from California, which for ME, completely changed the dynamic; I no longer felt I was in Europe. I asked around until I found out their itinerary, then walked a little more than I had planned to (El Burgo to Leon in one day) to "outrun" them. It worked like a charm.

A Mexican soccer team joined the path in Astorga and while full of the vim and vigor of youth, they were very respectful when asked to tone it down and were quite frankly, fun to have around on the trail.

Photo op with the soccer team on arrival at the cathedral:


I felt that the young people only needed a reminder to graciously quiet down. The more mature folks on the other hand... ;-)

 

[Scott Sweeney]

Hey just look at the good side, odds are you will be spending nights with them again along your journey.

 

[obinjatoo@yahoo.com]

Thanks for reaffirming why I like to camp.

 

[Kiwi-family]

At 9pm everyone in the parochial at Belorado was sitting around the communal tables. We were at one of the tables with a group of others learning a new and very exciting card game.
The hyper-considerate-of-others hospitalera came and told us it was time to be quiet in case someone wanted to sleep; the fact that no-one had even gone upstairs yet was totally lost on her. However, we did start whispering (while everyone else continued with their normal level conversations!) It was just a pity she was not still policing two hours later when one crowd would not quieten down!

 

[Theatregal]

I really prefer albergues with a clear quiet time. Right now the time is 22:44 and some guys are laughing and talking and screaming in the next room and some in the kitchen. I'm sorry but I need to sleep. I had the lights of trying to sleep alone in the room at 22. One came in and turned the lights on starting to repack the backpack and made the bed. Leaving the door to the kitchen open. I gave up on the sleeping. Have to find my earplugs (but they give me tinnitus and headache but so do these guys soon).

I'm so tired of having to say to people to pay some respect to others. If they haven't shut up in 15 minutes I'll go out there and just scream "shut of you stupid morons" as a "could you please be a little bit more quit didn't work".

I never experienced these loud and late wine drinking nights on the Francés. Seams to be a lot more young (mainly guys) here.

I know exactly what you're talking about Beatrice. This was the toughest thing for me last summer on the Primitivo. Spent a lot of the walk feeling pretty sleep deprived.

 

[jnoval]

I know exactly what you're talking about Beatrice. This was the toughest thing for me last summer on the Primitivo. Spent a lot of the walk feeling pretty sleep deprived.

Do you think that the time of year has something to do with it? July and August are big vacation months in Spain. We are going in early June next year before the kids get out of school so maybe we'll miss some of the noisier kids and adults? Hope so. Can't function very well without sleep.

 

[another walker]

I live with my wife and 5 dogs in a very quiet rural location in south east Portugal. Quiet until the locals have their summer parties.The musician usually has a key board and a range of backing tracks,all the tunes are very similar and the whole thing is quite amateur and played through HUGE amplification systems. This all takes place some 2000mtrs from my wide open bedroom window and is just as if it were 200 mtrs away. The sound is enormous. This usually finishes about 1 or 2 am and then the drunks start singing ,without music, into the microphone . The way i deal with this is by reminding myself that they are enjoying themselves and this can bring a smile to my face and sleep to my eyes. Usually i awake later at a different stage in the party and can be amused that the musician is sounding like he has too much to drink,so another smile and another sleep. Perhaps if you can convince yourself that someone else`s fun is more important that your sleep,you may then be able to have enough peace to rest,even if you cannot sleep. It works for me. Bless you. Martin

 

[tortuga bob]

Thanks for reaffirming why I like to camp.

Makes me think about it. Hiking in the American West seems so much easier.

 

[naplesdon]

All these posts were in 2014, perhaps2015 will be better?

 

[CaminoDebrita]

Makes me think about it. Hiking in the American West seems so much easier.

I'll be doing some long hikes in the Cascades this summer, and also some shorter hikes near my hometown. Within just thirty minutes, I have wonderful hikes available.

 

[tortuga bob]

I'll be doing some long hikes in the Cascades this summer, and also some shorter hikes near my hometown. Within just thirty minutes, I have wonderful hikes available.

Deb,
I've done some hiking in the Sierra Nevada in California and love it, but I have to try a camino or two. I think the good will out weigh any bad by a long shot.

 

[CaminoDebrita]

Deb,
I've done some hiking in the Sierra Nevada in California and love it, but I have to try a camino or two. I think the good will out weigh any bad by a long shot.

That's great! Your name reminds me of the Green Tortoise company....have you heard of that?

I love California, by the way. My dad was born in San Francisco, and California was my "road trip" location during my twenties. I used to drive down to Yosemite and camp for a week, making sure to stop off and visit the beautiful Redwoods, drive the gorgeous coastline (Big Sur!), and visit SF, where I'd enjoy Fisherman's Wharf, Haight Ashbury, The Golden Gate Bridge, and China Town.

When is it that you're departing on Camino?

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Yes, it is still noisy at night in Spain. Sometimes it's pilgrims, sometimes it's the natives. Just remember: This is all part of the wonderful tapestry of camino life you came all this way to experience! It certainly gave several people some colorful memories to share...

 

[tortuga bob]

That's great! Your name reminds me of the Green Tortoise company....have you heard of that?

I love California, by the way. My dad was born in San Francisco, and California was my "road trip" location during my twenties. I used to drive down to Yosemite and camp for a week, making sure to stop off and visit the beautiful Redwoods, drive the gorgeous coastline (Big Sur!), and visit SF, where I'd enjoy Fisherman's Wharf, Haight Ashbury, The Golden Gate Bridge, and China Town.

When is it that you're departing on Camino?

Never heard of the Green Tortoise Co. But I'm old and walk as slow as a turtle, hence my name. If everything works out with work I will try the Primitivo starting roughly 08/29/15 or 09/05/15.