| For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here. (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation) |
|---|
Rebekah Scott said:Any technical mountaineer worth his salt will know within five minutes that most of the Caminos de Santiago are not what they´re looking for. But I challenge any of them to walk the Camino Viejo, all the way to Santiago, and report back here as the same old hard-ass thrill-seeking goober that started the trip. .
Reb
Rebekah Scott said:I am back, having just picked a couple of young North Americans off the trail. One of them went home this afternoon, ending two long weeks of rain-soaked misery. He was NOT meant for the Camino, but was dedicated to his friend -- a person who is happy, rain or shine.
The happy friend is sad to see him go, but he is joyful to be on the trail. I think the happy guy will be utterly liberated when he sets out tomorrow, free of the heavy burden his friend had become.
Not everyone is cut out for the Camino. It is a fact. There is no shame in it. If you are continually miserable, ill, injured, or just not having any fun, you should go home. The camino will still be here if and when you decide to try again.
That´s the whole point of the original post. Listen to your heart and your body. Don´t judge yourself too harshly. And don´t let other people´s judgments make you miserable.
hotelmedicis said:Oh man, "the camino is not for everyone." That's like saying "not everyone likes fish." The world is vast and wide and we all have different tastes and priorities. Some people eat meat, others eat vegetables. So what? Of course the Camino is not for everybody - ok, so what? A bit like Paris. Or Manchester. Or Osaka. Not for everybody.
Pieces said:WE don't decide
everyone decides for themselves only...
Because in other threads, there were comments from disappointed pilgrims that the Camino had not met expectations. The criticism was often about things intrinsic to the pilgrimage, such as it is too easy. This thread addressed the criticism by saying, essentially, if you want to go mountain climbing, go to mountains, not the Camino Frances. The route was set a thousand years ago, and generally followed the easiest path available. If you expect to go surfing, then the Camino is Not For Everyone. :wink:But then, why this thread?
Rebekah Scott said:The first part is a no-brainer: There are some people who simply are not cut out for long-distance hikes, physically or mentally. A 700 km. walk, or even the minimum requirement of 100 km., would be detrimental to their health. They would quickly fall ill or hurt themselves if they attempted it.
Inflexible people might think twice about walking the camino.
Some people do not get on well in uncontrolled environments. The idea of coping with other languages, strange food and water, money and beds and bathrooms is just too much for them. A guided tour is as far from their comfort zone as they are willing to go.
Some do not appreciate people of other cultures, colors, or beliefs. They feel compelled to speak out against people who behave or represent things that make them uncomfortable.
Some people can´t handle discomfort, inconvenience, or unmet expectations. When faced with any, they complain, rage, sulk, or behave in ways designed to spread their misery.
Then there are people whose economic or social positions bar them from camino-walking. 150,000 people per year seems like a lot of pilgrims, but that´s a pretty small percentage of the whole world´s population. I daresay the majority of humanity would find a pilgrimage across Spain is just bizarre, or just not their cup of tea. And that´s OK by me.
The Camino de Santiago is not for everyone. Or perhaps it is better said, Not everyone is for the Camino de Santiago.
Susannafromsweden said:Pieces said:WE don't decide
everyone decides for themselves only...
Exactly.
But then, why this thread?
Pieces said:Susannafromsweden said:Pieces said:WE don't decide
everyone decides for themselves only...
Exactly.
But then, why this thread?
maybe not everyone agrees with me...
falcon269 said:Can they share those with us? I have been on several dozen GR routes, and none was difficult overall; just some stretches that require exertion, a bit like leaving Castrojeriz. Is there any chance they exaggerated the difficulty? I have a few friends whose walks are always a bit more difficult than anyone else's, usually after a beer or two.They opted for more challenging GR routes through France and Spain, of which there are many!
David said:Great pilgrim story, honest and refreshing - you don't like to give up do you! :wink:
Hi there ... hasn't put me off! Very inexperienced but determined as well. I want a challenge, want to meet new people, and want to get over my husband who found a new life without me after 27 years. But most of all I'm looking forward to doing something for me for the first time in a very long time. And looking forward to get back to being me. Cheers TrishI agree that some people might hate the experience, especially if they were forced into it by a partner etc and weren't really enthusiastic themselves.
However I hope this thread doesn't put inexperienced walkers off the Camino. One of the great things about it is the fact that many of us are novice walkers who have never done anything else like it in our lives! That makes the achievement all the greater when you arrive at wherever you're aiming for.
Buen Camino!
WE don't decide
everyone decides for themselves only...
Of course not.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could decide who should walk the camino!?
Then... Hmm... I would chose only nice interesting people. They must smell good, no snoring. Not too much people. Perhaps just a bunch of handsome gentlemen, with lots of muscles. They would carry my bag and buy me coffee.
And massage my feet in the evening.
The real question is: who should decide wether the Camino is for someone or not, the person in question or someone else....
I stated my opinion quite clearly elsewhere....
Thankyou Scruffy, you have given me a different perspective and much food for thought.....smiles.There is entirely too much agreement on this subject, so allow me to introduce a dissenting voice-sorry but its a Jewish thing. People walk the Camino for a myriad of reasons, reasons which often change before arriving in Santiago and very often several times. But we are all assuming that the goal is to arrive in Santiago and herein lies the obstacle. The forum is filled with inquires-"I have ten days/two weeks where to start/what to see" as but one example. Many many pilgrims come to the Camino in order to enjoy the special feeling which one is granted, the camaraderie experienced with fellow pilgrims, the views the art the beauty of so many places is overwhelming. Santiago is the goal but it should not become the overiding guideline. We have all met people who run through say Astorga or Villafranca del Bierzo without stopping because like Alice's Little White Rabbit no time no time or I haven't done my 35-40 kilometers today so I'll just push on. Alternatively perhaps you have met the two Frenchmen who may be seen yearly walking the Meseta with garbage bags picking up litter left by pilgrims (Now that is an important subject which should be constantly addressed!) or couples who walk very slowly small sections every year and finish the Camino once in five or six years, or the Canadian woman, 89 years old who has favorite stretches of maybe five kilometers between her special albergues who people have known her for years. And truthfully, Santiago can be disappointing, its myriad souvenir stores, itrs overly expensive restaurants and sadly if you have ever attended a pilgrims mass during say Galicia Week why it is full of cellular phones, photographers, noisy meryimakers, and constant ebb and flow of rubbernecking tourist-probably one of the worst masses I personally have ever witnessed. I could go on but won't I will finish with a paraphrase from the Greek poet Constantine Cavafy "Ithica"
"Always keep Santiago (Ithaca) in your mind.
To arrive there is your ultimate goal.
But do not hurry the voyage at all.
It is better to let it last for many years;
and to anchor at the island when you are old,
rich with all you have gained on the way,
not expecting that Ithaca will offer you riches.
Ithaca has given you the beautiful voyage.
Without her you would have never set out on the road.
She has nothing more to give you.
And if you find her poor, Ithaca has not deceived you.
Wise as you have become, with so much experience,
you must already have understood what Ithacas mean.
Scruffy in Jerusalem
I made that categorical statement in another thread, and a wise moderator suggested we take it elsewhere so as to not derail the subject under discussion there.
Still, by popular demand, I will explain myself.
The first part is a no-brainer: There are some people who simply are not cut out for long-distance hikes, physically or mentally. A 700 km. walk, or even the minimum requirement of 100 km., would be detrimental to their health. They would quickly fall ill or hurt themselves if they attempted it.
Inflexible people might think twice about walking the camino.
Some people do not get on well in uncontrolled environments. The idea of coping with other languages, strange food and water, money and beds and bathrooms is just too much for them. A guided tour is as far from their comfort zone as they are willing to go.
Some do not appreciate people of other cultures, colors, or beliefs. They feel compelled to speak out against people who behave or represent things that make them uncomfortable.
Some people can´t handle discomfort, inconvenience, or unmet expectations. When faced with any, they complain, rage, sulk, or behave in ways designed to spread their misery.
Then there are people whose economic or social positions bar them from camino-walking. 150,000 people per year seems like a lot of pilgrims, but that´s a pretty small percentage of the whole world´s population. I daresay the majority of humanity would find a pilgrimage across Spain is just bizarre, or just not their cup of tea. And that´s OK by me.
The Camino de Santiago is not for everyone. Or perhaps it is better said, Not everyone is for the Camino de Santiago.
Nice stereo typing!
Maybe some of us are technical mountaineers but are actually a bit deeper than "hard-ass thrill-seeking goobers"
True, they are vastly different experiences, but many of us enjoy both. We just don't discuss climbing in this forum
Newfy the goober
If there's one thing about this thread that surprises me, it's how many people here agree with the sentiment that the Camino is not for everyone. Which I agree with completely, so perhaps I'm biased on the matter. =) Anyone can do the Camino, but not everyone should.
However, I think if we all look down within ourselves, we'll find we all have prejudices of what types of people "shouldn't" do the Camino. When I did my Camino, I heard a lot of people gripe about the bicyclists. I heard people suggest that those who use taxis to forward their bags along aren't "real" pilgrims. Others say that anyone who prefers the use of hotels instead of alburgues aren't following in the "spirit" of the Camino. Or that those who skip ahead of "boring" parts are cheating themselves.
And I'm not throwing stones here--I'm as guilty as the next person. The thing that annoyed me the most were that so many people would stick to the "main" Camino route rather than take the (in my opinion) much quieter and nicer scenic alternatives. Well, admittedly, I had something of a love/hate relationship with that. I loved that it was quieter and nicer because not so many people crowded them, but then I'd get back into the mass of humanity and listen to people complain about how miserable that section of the trail was which irritated me to no end. "Then why did you CHOOSE it?!"
But when you get right down to it, all of those things are all about intolerance--intolerance towards people who aren't doing things like we do--intolerance towards people who are different from us. There's probably not a day on the trail I didn't hear some sort of reference to people being intolerant of others. I kind of think it's human nature to be intolerant towards anything and anyone who's different from ourselves, and the trail is packed with case studies.
I hope everyone who walks the trail tries to look out for this sort of intolerance. Identify it and avoid it. We should welcome our differences, not scorn them. This world would be a pretty boring and rotten place if everyone were just like me. I talk to myself enough already! =)
And then there's another kind of person--the kind of person who would have absolutely no interest in walking hundreds of kilometers through a foreign country with a bunch of strangers. I don't get it, but I don't have to to understand that the trail is not for these kind of people.
I love backpacking. I love walking out in the middle of nowhere and spending a night under the stars. Some of my best times were thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail--and I feel much the same way about those trails as I did the Camino. You'll even hear similar vocabulary used. Thru-hikers will describe their journey in spiritual terms. I can't imagine why someone wouldn't want to do these trails, but I know it's true. I once had someone who met me on the trail ask if they would recommend that they do the trail someday, and I told them, "Probably not. It takes a certain kind of mindset to do a trail like this, and most people just don't have it."
The Camino is the same way. It takes a certain kind of mindset to do a journey like this and enjoy it. Not everyone has that mindset. Anyone can do the Camino, but that's not the same as saying that everyone should do it. Failing to recognize that the Camino isn't for everyone is just another form of intolerance--intolerance towards people who have no interest in the Camino.
There's already too much intolerance on the trail--watch out and try not to fall victim to it.
-- Ryan
May is a good time to walk along the North of Spain, whether it's on one of the "Caminos" towards Santiago or other paths with different touristic and/or cultural attractions. If Santiago is not your destination, it's interesting to walk the Camino Francés "backwards", towards the East. No yellow arrows to guide you. And if there aren't many pilgrims coming in the "right" direction, you can miss the classic track quite a few times. There is no "pull" towards the daily destinations yet you can meet a myriad of "pilgrims" with rainbow colours' purposes.Many reasons for me not to walk the Camino.[...] In the end I only need one reason to do it, and its because I want to do it! Camino is not for everyone, I will answer that one when I get back from my Camino in late May 2014.
Hi Folks - A 'Newbie' here,
I am looking to do Camino Frances in May - probably on my own although there is a possibility that a friend will join me for a few days.
My original intention had been to do the walk next year as my plan for 2013 was to retrace, by bicycle, a 2500 km sponsored walk around France and Spain I did for an environmental charity in 2008. That walk was done almost entirely on my own with no backup. Carrying a full pack including tent, sleeping bag, sleeping matt etc. Unfortunately I had chosen a companion for the bike ride who told me today he cannot make it so my original plan for the Camino in 2014 has taken its place.
The weather for the 2008 walk was atrocious in the main but I still I covered the distance in 2.5 months - up hill, down dale, over mountains, alongside beaches and so on.
So, I am a pretty experience walker but I am not, I hope, an arrogant man so have been trawling the internet for tips and advice on this trek- in the main regarding what or what not to carry. I also thought it might be good to do what many seem to think is the 'easy option' - Camino Frances. This is because I felt that having the opportunity to meet so many different people of varying backgrounds etc could be inspirational rather than spending so much time in solitude as before.
Then it occurred to me that I might question my suitability as I am a non believer. Don't get me wrong - I am not particularly 'anti' either. Amongst my friends and family I have people of many ethnicities and followers of different belief systems. In fact I was discussing this very point just today with my sister who is a Jehovah's Witness.
So I came across this thread... And the entry made by:
All I can say is that I would find it very interesting to meet that chap but feel very confident having now read many posts that I can expect some excellent company. Hopefully combined with the odd lively, but not contentious, debate.
But I would like to say to 'Bama Hiker' that I do have a belief and that is that The World is for EVERYONE.
Thanks,
Phil
There is entirely too much agreement on this subject, so allow me to introduce a dissenting voice-sorry but its a Jewish thing. People walk the Camino for a myriad of reasons, reasons which often change before arriving in Santiago and very often several times. But we are all assuming that the goal is to arrive in Santiago and herein lies the obstacle. The forum is filled with inquires-"I have ten days/two weeks where to start/what to see" as but one example. Many many pilgrims come to the Camino in order to enjoy the special feeling which one is granted, the camaraderie experienced with fellow pilgrims, the views the art the beauty of so many places is overwhelming. Santiago is the goal but it should not become the overiding guideline. We have all met people who run through say Astorga or Villafranca del Bierzo without stopping because like Alice's Little White Rabbit no time no time or I haven't done my 35-40 kilometers today so I'll just push on. Alternatively perhaps you have met the two Frenchmen who may be seen yearly walking the Meseta with garbage bags picking up litter left by pilgrims (Now that is an important subject which should be constantly addressed!) or couples who walk very slowly small sections every year and finish the Camino once in five or six years, or the Canadian woman, 89 years old who has favorite stretches of maybe five kilometers between her special albergues who people have known her for years. And truthfully, Santiago can be disappointing, its myriad souvenir stores, itrs overly expensive restaurants and sadly if you have ever attended a pilgrims mass during say Galicia Week why it is full of cellular phones, photographers, noisy meryimakers, and constant ebb and flow of rubbernecking tourist-probably one of the worst masses I personally have ever witnessed. I could go on but won't I will finish with a paraphrase from the Greek poet Constantine Cavafy "Ithica"
"Always keep Santiago (Ithaca) in your mind.
To arrive there is your ultimate goal.
But do not hurry the voyage at all.
It is better to let it last for many years;
and to anchor at the island when you are old,
rich with all you have gained on the way,
not expecting that Ithaca will offer you riches.
Ithaca has given you the beautiful voyage.
Without her you would have never set out on the road.
She has nothing more to give you.
And if you find her poor, Ithaca has not deceived you.
Wise as you have become, with so much experience,
you must already have understood what Ithacas mean.
Scruffy in Jerusalem[/q
Hey there,
I was reading your response to "The Camino is not for everyone" and I got to your comment about the trash. I picked up a lot of trash last year and I want to go and pick up more. I'm just curious if you would support or be interested in a concerted effort of a team or group of American Pilgrims (I'm assuming you're American, pardon if I'm wrong about that) in an organized service project. You don't have to participate I'm just taking a survey to see if I can generate interest.
Thanks
Hey there,
I was reading your response to "The Camino is not for everyone" and I got to your comment about the trash. I picked up a lot of trash last year and I want to go and pick up more. I'm just curious if you would support or be interested in a concerted effort of a team or group of American Pilgrims (I'm assuming you're American, pardon if I'm wrong about that) in an organized service project. You don't have to participate I'm just taking a survey to see if I can generate interest.
Thanks
your point is an excellent one,i would really love to have the time and freedom to do the camino in one go ,but am happy to go in stages on my second trip I met I think some of the people you describe, they complained about lack and qualitity of services en route ,we [my father sister +I]met them in an alberguie that we thought was fantastic,they complained about the taxi driver ;he was rude?;and did not speak English/?people blocking the path [with their big bags]they did briefly annoy us but at meal times when more like minded folk joined in tales of their day/journey; they for all their cash lost out big time ,I made that categorical statement in another thread, and a wise moderator suggested we take it elsewhere so as to not derail the subject under discussion there.
Still, by popular demand, I will explain myself.
The first part is a no-brainer: There are some people who simply are not cut out for long-distance hikes, physically or mentally. A 700 km. walk, or even the minimum requirement of 100 km., would be detrimental to their health. They would quickly fall ill or hurt themselves if they attempted it.
Inflexible people might think twice about walking the camino.
Some people do not get on well in uncontrolled environments. The idea of coping with other languages, strange food and water, money and beds and bathrooms is just too much for them. A guided tour is as far from their comfort zone as they are willing to go.
Some do not appreciate people of other cultures, colors, or beliefs. They feel compelled to speak out against people who behave or represent things that make them uncomfortable.
Some people can´t handle discomfort, inconvenience, or unmet expectations. When faced with any, they complain, rage, sulk, or behave in ways designed to spread their misery.
Then there are people whose economic or social positions bar them from camino-walking. 150,000 people per year seems like a lot of pilgrims, but that´s a pretty small percentage of the whole world´s population. I daresay the majority of humanity would find a pilgrimage across Spain is just bizarre, or just not their cup of tea. And that´s OK by me.
The Camino de Santiago is not for everyone. Or perhaps it is better said, Not everyone is for the Camino de Santiago.
Hahahahahahaha..........why yes, yes it is! Not so harmonious after all.Sweet Jesus, it's all entropy......
This totally sums it up for me. My wife and I planned our Camino for about 1 year. We got tired of hearing "You will not be able to do it" or "Please don't do it, I have friends who did the last 100 km and had terrible problems with their feet" (we personally found the last 100 km to be the easiest, terrain wise), and my favorite from a co-worker "Are you nuts?!?! 24/7 with your wife for over a month?!?!" (We have never been closer since completing our Camino-our 25th wedding anniversary present to ourselves). So yes, I agree totally with Pieces, do not let anyone else decide if the Camino is for you, except you. No, it is not easy, but it is most definitely rewarding. Someone asked me when we came home if it was worth it. I said "After walking several hours uphill and getting to see the views that God created just for us, yes it was worth it!" Yes, we were nervous about it, never being away from home for more than 2 weeks, and never being outside our own country, but WE made the decision to do it, and did not let any outside influences discourage us. Second best decision we ever made (first was when she said yes)
Buen Camino!!
I stumbled across this photo in an old thread. Where was it taken? Is it on the Camino Frances? @sillydoll or anyone else? Thanks.
I stumbled across this photo in an old thread. Where was it taken? Is it on the Camino Frances? @sillydoll or anyone else? Thanks.
I think I took that photo - either in SdeC cathedral or in Lucca circa 2007. Im away from home but will check when I get back and let you know.
As if they were pulled to do it..? I only bring it up because that is how I felt, so many obstacles to over come yet strangely each was removed.I have three good friends who have come to camino since I first walked. I would never have guessed that they might, but they have. They asked me questions before they went and I told no lies but they went, not because I had but because it was their time.
I love the light in their eyes and I love the way they'll tell the curious 'walk when you're ready; it's your walk'.
And in my favourite pub, in my favourite town in all the worlds, most tell me that the camino is not for them and I can only but agree
... So if a pilgrim is looking alone and lost open your arms and hearts to them please !
Your honest response was very appreciated as the answer in my opinion depends on each individual & their reflection of the Camino.A long long years ago, before internet and popular films and other stuff I was out hiking in the Picos de Europa. I stopped at a finca to ask for water. The woman who granted my need asked if I was 'en camino' . I didn't really understand the question but said 'no'. She didn't seem disappointed as such but there was something about her reaction that made me curious so when I got back to the UK I started to research. Weren't libraries, and librarians, great? When I found out what her 'camino' was I got curious, then intrigued, and then I spent a decade or two waiting till I could get 6 - 8 weeks off work and go and find out for myself. When I told my grandmother about my discoveries and my plans she said ' Oh yes, Santiago. That's on the way.' So then I did some more research and some more questioning of elderly relatives with dubious pasts and discovered the 'costa del muerte' and the sundering seas and the end of all things in the setting sun.
When the time came, I walked, and I watched the sun set into those sundering seas and I thought of granny, and others that had passed. And I've been coming back ever since, when I can. And offered up what I can when I can.
Which doesn't really answer your question about my friends and their reasons but I haven't asked them so I don't know. Is it world economics? Well, the world-wide-web has certainly put a few librarians out of work and made 'finding-out' a damn sight easier. Until the last of the bucket price airlines goes down in the ocean of debt (pace Monarch) getting to the Way is a damn sight easier than getting to Potes in 1974 was.
As a post-script I 'phoned one of them and asked why. It turns out they saw / had a memory of a mention of something about camino from their childhood. And when opportunity came, they went.
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?