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Good tip!Sometimes the exit door will latch shut after you go through so think about this and ensuring that you have everything with you before you leave so that you don't have to bang on the door to be let back in if you forget something.
It is lovely ... but not common.I read on a couple blogs about certain albergues waking people up by playing gregorian chanting music over the loudspeaker and slowly turning up the lights. How common is this? I would LOVE to wake up this way!!!
Her bathrobe????her bathrobe
I have never gotten over the fact that I incorrectly thought I had turned off my alarm from my night in the pensión on Day 1 on the Mozárabe. On Day 2, in Alboloduy, with ©C clearly and two other dear camino friends sleeping soundly, the alarm woke everyone up.Audible alarms are extremely inconsiderate.
Good stuff. I've set mine to vibrate then put it inside my sleeping bag with me; heck of a way to wake up instantly. Most of the time, though, I can count on the other folks who are ignorant of the albergue etiquette you described above to wake me.Yes, turn your phone to vibrate and if it is dark and you need a light please don't use one of those head torches as you will inevitably shine the light in people's eyes.
When you get up, take all your belongings to another room so that you can wash, dress and put away your nighttime belongings.
Sometimes the exit door will latch shut after you go through so think about this and ensuring that you have everything with you before you leave so that you don't have to bang on the door to be let back in if you forget something.
Also, if you are with someone then please don't talk in the room, even in a whisper as we humans are set to respond to any sort of talking and you will wake lots of people up.
Haha! I wasn't actually, or I wouldn't have said it! I don't think it was very early, anyway, and you were more embarrassed than we were annoyed!I am hoping that ©C clearly was not thinking of me when she wrote that comment!
If you have a Fitbit or other similar watch, you can set alarms so that it vibrates on your wrist and won't disturb others.But how do people wake up so early without an alarm? Simply turn it to vibrate? Is that what everyone does?
Please, no. Not audible ones anyway - that is, unless you want all your fellow pilgrims to hate you.Is setting an alarm on your phone ok?
Vibrating alarms work. But other pilgrims are pretty reluable alarms: there is always somebody - the selfish or oblivious sorts who wake everyone else up way too early.But how do people wake up so early without an alarm? Simply turn it to vibrate? Is that what everyone does?
Good point!If you need an alarm to wake, then doesn't this mean that you need more sleep
It means that you have not yet learned the D Method. With the D Method you bang your head (gently) on the pillow just before you go off to sleep once for each digit of the hour that you want to wake up.If you need an alarm to wake, then doesn't this mean that you need more sleep?
It means that you have not yet learned the D Method. With the D Method you bang your head (gently) on the pillow just before you go off to sleep once for each digit of the hour that you want to wake up.
For example, if you want to wake up at five am then you would bang your head on the pillow five times, six am would be six times and so on.
I have found that this method works very well for me and I have taught it to a number of other people.
One time a person asked "what happens if you want to wake up at 5:30?"
My reply was "simple, you just bang your head five and a half times".
This method has been reliable for me for a long time.
Yes, earplugs! I can remember so many mornings I'd awake to an empty albergue. Those were some mighty fine sleeps on the Camino.No one has mentioned using earplugs in this thread yet (I don't think anyway). They amaze me at how well they work. Since I do not walk in the heat of summer, I never need to head out extra early to avoid the heat later in the day. I hear no rustling of bags or people walking around until the lights are turned on and I remove my earplugs.
One of the places that did this during past happier years when I walked was the refugio Pequeno Potala in Ruitelan on the CF. This was and hopefully still is a very special place.It is lovely ... but not common.
But equally important is being tolerant of others who are not as considerate as you. It can really dent your camino if you can’t get into a 'live and let live’ frame of mind. There will be times when your fellow pilgrims are coming in late and turn on all the lights/start snoring immediately their heads hit the pillow/do all their social media stuff in bed on bright phones - or even have phone conversations/ use alarms or have the phone beep every hour/work on their bright laptops through the night (typically cyclists checking elevation profiles)/get up early and make a lot of noise.
After Sarria can be even more of a test: quite often groups will turn on all the lights when they are ready to get up (and will talk to each other as they pack up, possibly as early as 4am in summer) And leave the lights on after they’ve left. Take all the toilet rolls (you thought the night before - OK, there are 3+ in each toilet, that should be fine. Then in the morning they have all gone..). Not all of this will happen to you, but if/when it does, just be ready to let it go past you - and not into you and start spoiling your camino.
I put my phone on vibrate and placed it under my pillow or inside the pillow case. As long as I had alerts turned off it worked very well.Ok this is a very basic question, but in all the youtube videos and all the books and blogs I've seen, I don't think I've gotten the answer to this.
- What is the etiquette in albergues regarding waking up early? Is setting an alarm on your phone ok? I would think that those still sleeping wouldn't appreciate hearing others' alarms ringing... I've read countless posts about preparing your bag and gear the night before so you aren't rustling around in the morning getting your things together, which makes sense. But how do people wake up so early without an alarm? Simply turn it to vibrate? Is that what everyone does?
- I read on a couple blogs about certain albergues waking people up by playing gregorian chanting music over the loudspeaker and slowly turning up the lights. How common is this? I would LOVE to wake up this way!!!
The etiquette is simply to not disturb other sleeping pilgrims, at least until the compulsory departure time is close!
I slept on my phone with the alarm on vibrate. I prepped my backpack and things the night before. I always tried to get a bottom bed closest to the door. At one albergue I had my back pack just outside the door and in my bunk I kept only my valuables, electronics, ID, money etc and my sleeping bag liner I slept in. I got up every morning at 5, grabbed my bag with all of my valuables, my sleeping bag liner and did a sweep of my bunk with the light of the phone screen to make sure I didn't leave anything.Ok this is a very basic question, but in all the youtube videos and all the books and blogs I've seen, I don't think I've gotten the answer to this.
- What is the etiquette in albergues regarding waking up early? Is setting an alarm on your phone ok? I would think that those still sleeping wouldn't appreciate hearing others' alarms ringing... I've read countless posts about preparing your bag and gear the night before so you aren't rustling around in the morning getting your things together, which makes sense. But how do people wake up so early without an alarm? Simply turn it to vibrate? Is that what everyone does?
- I read on a couple blogs about certain albergues waking people up by playing gregorian chanting music over the loudspeaker and slowly turning up the lights. How common is this? I would LOVE to wake up this way!!!
Ok this is a very basic question, but in all the youtube videos and all the books and blogs I've seen, I don't think I've gotten the answer to this.
- What is the etiquette in albergues regarding waking up early? Is setting an alarm on your phone ok? I would think that those still sleeping wouldn't appreciate hearing others' alarms ringing... I've read countless posts about preparing your bag and gear the night before so you aren't rustling around in the morning getting your things together, which makes sense. But how do people wake up so early without an alarm? Simply turn it to vibrate? Is that what everyone does?
- I read on a couple blogs about certain albergues waking people up by playing gregorian chanting music over the loudspeaker and slowly turning up the lights. How common is this? I would LOVE to wake up this way!!!
Very good question. I would add that the late birds are also very disturbing. Before starting my Camino in 2014 I read many instructions about the standard rules and air of commonality in albergues and was sure that everybody will follow some pilgrims code of behavior - at 10p.m. all lights and activities must stop and even the door is closed because pilgrims have to rest. But in reality -situation was much worse and especially in municipal albergues and the closer to Santiago - the worse. Slamming the doors, shouting, chatting loudly, zipping-unzipping the bags even the ligths are off and most of people are trying to sleep, shining with cyclops to all sides while packing-unpacking - that was really very unemphatic and even frustrating. And even ir the rules are written at the entrance - very few care. Actually from Astorga I tried to avoid municipal albergues because of that - I simply was not able to rest during night. In day time all these people were fineAs a hospitalera, I go to bed after everyone else (10 pm or later) and get up at 5:30 am to start coffee and breakfast. At some albergues the door is locked between those hours. At one albergue where I served the boots and bikes were locked up outside until I got up and unlocked the cupboard.
Try to plan to get up between 6 am and 8 am and try to leave by 8 am. In crowded bunk rooms some people will get up early and disturb others while some people like my husband will sleep through the bag rustling and preparations. In this case I usually put on some morning Gregorian chant music and then finally about 7:30 go wake the late sleepers and reinforce that we close for cleaning at 8 am.
We get the occasional request for a later departure and try to accommodate, but please try to be considerate. Don't use audible alarms. Minimize plastic bags. Limit your use of lights. However outside of posted quiet hours all bets are off so usually after 6 am you cannot plan on getting more sleep unless you a heavy sleeper.
If the hospitalero says the door will be locked and you want to leave earlier, choose a a hotel without set hours and private bathrooms. This is also a good recommendation if you are someone who needs a bathroom for longer that a few minutes in the morning. Often there are limited toilet facilities for large numbers of pilgrims.
Usually the hospitalera will orient you as you sign in and often the rules are posted in several languages.
I'm sure I've woken many in the middle of the night when walking to the bathroom but it's not my fault, really. I remember the municipal in Najera mainly. The corridor to get to the bathroom faces nearly the entire dorm of 90 beds. As soon as the door opens a bright white light shines down the corridor to the beds. You can't open the door, get into the corridor and shut the door before the devil's replacement for a timed, dim, red light goes on. And after I was done it would be someone else's turn to get the light to shine on the nearest bunk to it, mine.another who needs to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, and then walks into a bed frame
I was in Albergue San Nicolas in Larrasoana and there was about 5~6 bunk beds in the room. The bathroom was in the hall. In the middle of the night, I wake up with some guy trying to climb into my bed. I gave him a quick snap kick and rung his bell off the bottom of the top bunk. I can still remember the white and black horizontally striped briefs as he ran out of the room. I was hyped and it took a couple of minutes before the adrenaline rush subsided. I then realized that he just screwed up and made a wrong turn coming out of the bathroom in the middle of the night and thought that he was returning to his bunk in the other room.who forgot where he was as he zealously thrashed into 'my' space.
Sorry... that might have been me. Hey, it's disorienting to sleep in a different place every night and I might have been over-served at the local pub... just sayin' ;>)I was in Albergue San Nicolas in Larrasoana and there was about 5~6 bunk beds in the room. The bathroom was in the hall. In the middle of the night, I wake up with some guy trying to climb into my bed. I gave him a quick snap kick and rung his bell off the bottom of the top bunk. I can still remember the white and black horizontally striped briefs as he ran out of the room. I was hyped and it took a couple of minutes before the adrenaline rush subsided. I then realized that he just screwed up and made a wrong turn coming out of the bathroom in the middle of the night and thought that he was returning to his bunk in the other room.
No problem. I would just like a little small talk first.Sorry... that might have been me. Hey, it's disorienting to sleep in a different place every night and I might have been over-served at the local pub... just sayin' ;>)
This red is too bright for me and I'm not even trying to sleep.I changed the lockscreen on my iPhone to use as a night light. The red light does not destroy might night vision, and does shine like a beam of light from a headlight. I do use a headlight to walk in the predawn hours when it is hot out.
View attachment 114209
Yeah. I know!!!Her bathrobe????
I'm reminded of the message that appears on screen before the featured film at my favourite arthouse cinema:I got up every morning at 5, grabbed my bag with all of my valuables, my sleeping bag liner and did a sweep of my bunk with the light of the phone screen to make sure I didn't leave anything.
Can you provide more information on the headband? Sounds interesting.There has been mention of the use of earplugs but personally, I have yet to find any that do not fall out. There may be some, but I have not found them.
There is, however, a headband, designed for sleeping that does work. Again, nothing gets in my pack with just a single use outside of my toothbrush. The headband can be used when you want a private listening session on the path or maybe during a food stop or siesta. And with earbuds inside the headband, there is nothing small to lose inadvertently.
Finally, something that I did not see in this thread that perhaps needs to be mentioned is to dress fully for the next day before going to bed. When the alarm wakes you, get up, grab the pack and move to the bathroom, wash up etc and you're out the door minimizing any disturbance of others.
Firstly, setting an alarm is incredibly inconsiderate.Ok this is a very basic question, but in all the youtube videos and all the books and blogs I've seen, I don't think I've gotten the answer to this.
- What is the etiquette in albergues regarding waking up early? Is setting an alarm on your phone ok? I would think that those still sleeping wouldn't appreciate hearing others' alarms ringing... I've read countless posts about preparing your bag and gear the night before so you aren't rustling around in the morning getting your things together, which makes sense. But how do people wake up so early without an alarm? Simply turn it to vibrate? Is that what everyone does?
- I read on a couple blogs about certain albergues waking people up by playing gregorian chanting music over the loudspeaker and slowly turning up the lights. How common is this? I would LOVE to wake up this way!!!
I would sleep in as much of the next day's walking clothes as I wished... minimised the time (and noise) of preparing for the departure. Any sleeping gear that I didn't need on departure were stashed in an exterior pocket of the backpack (and not in a plastic bag!)- What is the etiquette in albergues regarding waking up early?
Ultimately yes, absolutely. Unfortunately that takes both awareness and self-discipline, which can be in short supply sometimes.Don't be surprized, though, if some practices differ wildly from what might be seen as good behaviour. That said, you always have control over how you behave, and respond.
You are one of the blessed disappearing ones.I must be one of the lucky ones. I am a natural early riser. [...] No lights, no sound.
On my first Camino, on the first night in SJPP, I met with a pilgrim who also wore a bathrobeYeah. I know!!!
And fuzzy slippers, I hope!On my first Camino, on the first night in SJPP, I met with a pilgrim who also wore a bathrobe
Just reflecting on my comment yesterday:But equally important is being tolerant of others who are not as considerate as you. It can really dent your camino if you can’t get into a 'live and let live’ frame of mind. There will be times when your fellow pilgrims are coming in late and turn on all the lights/start snoring immediately their heads hit the pillow/do all their social media stuff in bed on bright phones - or even have phone conversations/ use alarms or have the phone beep every hour/work on their bright laptops through the night (typically cyclists checking elevation profiles)/get up early and make a lot of noise.
After Sarria can be even more of a test: quite often groups will turn on all the lights when they are ready to get up (and will talk to each other as they pack up, possibly as early as 4am in summer) And leave the lights on after they’ve left. Take all the toilet rolls (you thought the night before - OK, there are 3+ in each toilet, that should be fine. Then in the morning they have all gone..). Not all of this will happen to you, but if/when it does, just be ready to let it go past you - and not into you and start spoiling your camino. Cheers, tom
A. They don't know how to relax into waking up whenever?Why does anyone need an alarm on the Camino?
Check Amazon for,Can you provide more information on the headband? Sounds interesting.
You read my mind!Especially if the alternative is nothing but tighty-whiteys!
As was mine but i guess the wink emoji not enough. Anyway thé post is deleted.Gee...I thought the bathrobe comments were said more of surprise and rather "tongue in cheek", not criticizing.
I noticed and so have deleted mine, too.As was mine but i guess the wink emoji not enough. Anyway thé post is deleted.
Beat the heat! We come from opposite seasons so the difference is marked, I did get better at dealing with the heat, but at first I didnt cope, finishing by 2pm did the trick for me. And I found I like walking in the early morning, as the day slowly became lighter.A. They don't know how to relax into waking up whenever?
B. They're participating in the 30km bed race?
C. They're wanting to beat the heat?
D. They drank too much last night and don't trust themselves to wake up?
E. They're afraid if they let themselves go on the Camino, the toothpaste will never go back in the tube back home and everything will have to change?
F. All of the above?
I really don't want Bluetooth that close to my head all night (and day).Check Amazon for,
headband earbuds
They have a lot of choices there. And if you carry a small power bank, they can be charging in your pack during the day.
I use wired earbuds to listen to podcasts as I'm going to sleep.I really don't want Bluetooth that close to my head all night (and day).
Yes, I remember. That’s why I sleep wearing my walking boots ever since.Did we look the door? No, just the locker with all the boots in.
I was given this same tip by @Anniesantiago a few years ago on the forum. Even when I woke up naturally and pulled out my ear plugs to rustling bags and busyness in motion, I would just lay there until the hubbub would die down. It was then oh so peaceful to do the last minute preparations and practically have the bathroom sinks alone with plenty of elbow room. It helped with walking in more solitude, too, as everyone else is always somewhere ahead, and I dislike bed races. Private lodging has in recent years become more often become my norm, as more and more pilgrims are marching to the Camino drums.My favourite way to wake up is when everyone's gone
did this as well, worked like a charm drowning out the snoring. Earplugs just don't work for me.I use wired earbuds to listen to podcasts as I'm going to sleep.
For me, listening to something through earbuds rather than trying not to hear something by using earplugs works better. I use very small silicone earbuds that are very comfortable like these.did this as well, worked like a charm drowning out the snoring. Earplugs just don't work for me.
I wear your same ones for listening to music when walking my local trail.For me, listening to something through earbuds rather than trying not to hear something by using earplugs works better. I use very small silicone earbuds that are very comfortable like these.
First, the easy question. Waking up to music is usually only done in Donativo Albergues. Places where you have a communal meal and agree as a group on wake up time.Ok this is a very basic question, but in all the youtube videos and all the books and blogs I've seen, I don't think I've gotten the answer to this.
- What is the etiquette in albergues regarding waking up early? Is setting an alarm on your phone ok? I would think that those still sleeping wouldn't appreciate hearing others' alarms ringing... I've read countless posts about preparing your bag and gear the night before so you aren't rustling around in the morning getting your things together, which makes sense. But how do people wake up so early without an alarm? Simply turn it to vibrate? Is that what everyone does?
- I read on a couple blogs about certain albergues waking people up by playing gregorian chanting music over the loudspeaker and slowly turning up the lights. How common is this? I would LOVE to wake up this way!!!
I do not think this is possible but I am sure you try.I must be one of the lucky ones. I am a natural early riser. On Camino I pack everything into my pack before bed except for my shorts and Tee shirt which are under the bed with my pack. I always wake at around 5.30am. I roll out of bed, put on my shorts and Tee shirt (easy even in the dark), take my pillow case off the pillow, pick up my silk bag liner and pack and leave the sleeping area. Once in the communal area I put my liner and pillow case into the pack, toilet and then put on my shoes and leave the albergue. No lights, no sound. It is usually light enough to see outside at 6.00am but if not I have a very small torch to find the arrows.
Gregorian chants are played in the morning in the municipal albergue in Roncesvalles. I know that that there are others, not necessarily donativos that also play music in the morning.Waking up to music is usually only done in Donativo Albergues. Places where you have a communal meal and agree as a group on wake up time.
I remember that too. I think I recall it starting up soft and quiet and then it slowly became louder. I loved it!Gregorian chants are played in the morning in the municipal albergue in Roncesvalles. I know that that there are others, not necessarily donativos that also play music in the morning.
Oh, too trueGood point!
Some people wake up early naturally - and usually these are the folks who just seem to disappear, because when you wake up they're gone without having disturbed the whole room.
But some folks can't relax their driven selves and have to set an alarm and beat everyone else out the door - in order to get to the next place, in time for something.
They're also often the ones who are taking an afternoon nap when the rest of us arrive, and get all grumpy when their precious sleep is disturbed.
Yes, I remember. That’s why I sleep wearing my walking boots ever since.
Sure it is.I do not think this is possible but I am sure you try.
Very true. All it takes is a little awareness, something many people never learn to cultivate as they get up in the morning. But it's not hard to be almost completely silent if you're paying attention.Hi jpflavin 1, It is easy, just try it. If you do not turn on a light, then there is no light. There is no noise in putting on shorts and Tee shirt or lifting a sleeping bag liner off a bed. I am very careful when taking my case off the pillow. When you are very aware of those sleeping around you while this is taking place, you are as quiet as you can possibly be.
I was very lucky to be told what to do by a fellow (experienced) pilgrim. I had no idea!Sure it is.
Very true. All it takes is a little awareness, something many people never learn to cultivate as they get up in the morning. But it's not hard to be almost completely silent if you're paying attention.
That’s one of the many nice things about the Le Puy and other french caminos - the often small numbers of beds in les dortoirs.If you are sleeping in a small dorm with only a few beds, it is also possible to talk about the waking up topic with your fellow dorm mates. When I walked the via podiensis, it happened quite often that the people sharing a room agreed on a general wake up time (usually 7:30-8:00, in summer that would probably be a bit earlier!). Of course that doesn't work in large albergues with big dormitories, but I thought it was a nice solution for the smaller podiensis dorms.
Sadly, agreements don't always work in small albergues either. A few years ago, over the communal evening meal at a small donativo, the hospitalero proposed a communal breakfast at 7 a.m. None of the pilgrims objected, and although I would have preferred an earlier start, I was quite willing to accept the majority decision. Unfortunately, the silent majority of dissenters slunk out of the albergue at 4 a.m. -- silently! -- leaving just 3 of us to apologise to the hospitalero on their behalf for the waste of his time in preparing the food, much of which was also going to waste....it happened quite often that the people sharing a room agreed on a general wake up time (usually 7:30-8:00, in summer that would probably be a bit earlier!). Of course that doesn't work in large albergues with big dormitories...
I've been thinking the same as I've read this this thread. All those little nuisances will likely cause a grin after looking forward to returning for so long.Unless I had a tad bit too much to drink the night before, I have always woken up early and naturally when staying in albergues. Never used an alarm. The combination of an afternoon siesta nap and going to bed at 10 pm provides me plenty of sleep. Sometime between 5 and 6 am I naturally wake up, go to the toilet and after that quietly gather up all my things which I have prepared the night before and slip out into a common area with light. That allows me to double check my pack and such, put on my shoes and if there's no breakfast included I either prepare something for myself in the kitchen or I just simply leave the albergue and begin my walk and a search for precious coffee.
I just do not get the messing with pack and gear in the dark routine. Makes zero sense. I have lain in the dark watching silly pilgrims doing that, making noise and flashing their light beams everywhere like a Star Wars Jedi combat. All the while they are doing that there is a well lit place just metres away beyond the doors of the sleeping quarters. Sometimes I do go back to my bed just before I leave and with my small light carefully and non invasive as possible, give the area of my bed a quick scan to make sure I have not left something behind by mistake, and a couple of times I have. If all is OK, I'm off.
I cannot wait to be able to do all that again.
Oh...really bad karma!None of the pilgrims objected, and although I would have preferred an earlier start, I was quite willing to accept the majority decision. Unfortunately, the silent majority of dissenters slunk out of the albergue at 4 a.m. -- silently! -- leaving just 3 of us to apologise to the hospitalero on their behalf for the waste of his time in preparing the food, much of which was also going to waste.
Haha, me too! Always the last to leave!Yes, earplugs! I can remember so many mornings I'd awake to an empty albergue. Those were some mighty fine sleeps on the Camino.
Yeap, it happened to me once. As soon as I walked out, I realized that my hiking poles were still inside. Luckly my daughter who can never wake up early was also still inside, sleeping peacefully. Of course, I didn't hesitate to dial her number knowing it's on vibration. For once, I was glad she couldn't wake up early. Did I feel bad about waking her up? No, not at all. When she was a newborn, she woke me up every two hours like a clock work. I secretly enjoyed the sweet revenge.Sometimes the exit door will latch shut after you go through so think about this and ensuring that you have everything with you before you leave so that you don't have to bang on the door to be let back in if you forget something.
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