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Real Pilgrims? Report Bed Bugs?

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Saint Mike II

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Time of past OR future Camino
cycled from Pamplona Sep 2015;Frances, walked from St Jean May/June 2017. Plans to walk Porto 2020
Hola all, well I am told I am not a real pilgrim until I have had blisters & bed bugs. Well I have had blisters & don't want them again. As for bed bugs, well not actually, but had a first hand experience today of washing clothes in hot water & hot driers! So here is the question we are reasonably sure we're we met the little buggers & so are the hospitaleros here in the Siervas de Maria. Do I name and shame or just post a warning? The town/village is Vila de Mazarife. At this juncture since I personally did not get them if you stay is a large albergue here be on you guard. As for being helpful the people at Siervas were streets ahead of the other place.

Advice or specific comments requested, but PLEASE keep to the topic. Moderators assistance requested.
 
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Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-

What a can of --- bed bugs you just opened ;-)

First of all - encountering/having blister/bed bugs doesn't make you a 'real pilgrim' (what ever that is) nor does NOT having them excludes you from the 'real pilgrim society' ;-)

Posting any warning about bed bugs is a two sided/edged sword - whilst you are posting it, the albergue owners might be already taking action and it would be unfair to denounce them whilst they are doing their best to counter act the problem. Personally I would only post such a warning if there is really strong evidence of albergue owners NOT taking action over a longer period of time. BC SY
 
Any establishment can have incidences of bed bugs, from flop houses to five star hotels. As SYates said, no need to "name and shame" if the hospitaleros are diligent in eradicating them once they are discovered.
I consider it the Pilgrim's responsibility to report them as soon as they find them.
 
Altus BALI Sleeping bag liner
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
Naming and shaming is wrong unless the people in charge are obviously not doing anything about the problem.
On a camino, in a brand new albergue, spotlessly clean. Beautiful private room. I woke up from a short siesta bitten and covered in...fleas ...that were popping up from my pillow!
I told the hospitalera immediately (very discreetly) and we changed rooms and put all bed stuff in washing machines etc....
Had I made a public fuss it would probably have wrecked her business.
Her son told me at breakfast she hadn't slept all night, she had never even seen the critters before, had to google it (I had, I have pets )
Turns out she'd let in a pilgrim with a puppy a few days before, didn't have the nerve to turn him down but put him in a private room so as not to bother the other pilgrims ....

It could have been the same with bed bugs. WE bring them.
 
My only time bitten by bedbugs was in a hotel in Kufstein, Austria close to the Jacobs Weg (though not walking it)!

I have walked over 100 Camino days
in North of Spain. No bedbugs.

Blisters, new shoes - anywhere!
 
Camino Preparation Guide
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Gee, some of these responses are reasonable. Some I don't care for. Since I was not the one who actually suffered the bites, just the after affects, I am going to leave this issue here and now. Moderators please lock. Thanks!
 
Altus BALI Sleeping bag liner
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
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