- Time of past OR future Camino
- Sept/Oct 2023
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Or speeding up peeing? A question that seems to grow more relevant for me daily....So what tips do you have for minimising the effects of these lights?
Hmmm- if that special place is in your heart, you’re a far, far better person than I…I have a special in my heart for those people unable to close the door again behind them when they went out to the brightly lit hallway in the St.Domingo d.l. Calzada albergue to go to the bathroom during the night. A very, very special place.
The municipal Albergue in Xunqueira de Ambia on the Camino Sanabrés has a large perspex transom light above the door of both dormitories with motion sensor lights in the hallway. There is no escape!In Spain I learned to hate motion- sensor lights.
You know, the BRIGHT ones the are triggered the second you open the door making it impossible to leave the dorm in the middle of the night without annoying everyone in the room? Or how about the ones in toilet stalls that turn off after 5 seconds so you have to wave your arms & jump around with your pants down in order to re-light the room? Ah- the indignities.
how about the ones in toilet stalls that turn off after 5 seconds so you have to wave your arms & jump around with your pants down in order to re-light the room?
Yes, light sensors can be a nuisance sometimes, but if it bothers you, bring it to the attention of the hospi or leave a note, or mention it in the guest book. Best not to take such things into your own hands though, same goes for moving beds around, adjusting heating controls etc. Sometimes, things are how they are for good reason. I admit, flapping around in the dark isn't fun, though..Maybe there is a way to disable them? I stayed in St. Domingo dl Calzada...
I cannot understand why the albergues who think 9f everything forget about those lights,,,,
When seated I often feel like John Williams conducting the Boston Pops Orchestra.Ahhh, the spanish bathroom windmill, a move that only the experts know!!
Why I take a sleep mask and good earplugsThat made me remember my night in Roncesvalles
where the lightwent on every time someone went to the bathroom,
only to be followed by the loudest toilet flushknown to man.
Why I usually walk the quieter routes in winter and have the albergues to myself half the time!Why I take a sleep mask and good earplugs
That's the thing really. Conserve energy and reduce costs or run electric lights for no purpose if no one is about. You can't please everyone all the time.Electric bills in Spain are exorbitant. Use your headlamp.
I was explaining this to my wife via text whilst executing said windmill! She thought that was hystericalAhhh, the spanish bathroom windmill, a move that only the experts know!!
You want a "Red Light district" in a co-ed albergue?And why not red lights?
Off topic and unrelated but this reminded me of my Catalan camino where two albergues had the wall outlets connected to the overhead lights. I almost didn't notice and my phone wouldn't have been charged. (I charged it in another room.)Seriously I know electricity is holy cow expensive in Spain and I would never mess with any automatic timers or controls.
But the point of the thread is that many albergues have bright lights that automatically come in with a motion sensor.Electric bills in Spain are exorbitant. Use your headlamp.
I gotta admit, the same thought had crossed my mind...after all, Rick is often a jokester.You want a "Red Light district" in a co-ed albergue?
Yes, I was wondering that myself. I’ve spent quite a bit of time at sea, and our lights all switched to red after 2200.And why not red lights?
I recently noticed that the newly renovated Albergues including the Monasterio Sobrado dos Monxes on the Norte have green inconspicuous lights strategically placed on the ceiling. Enough to walk safely in the dark.our lights all switched to red after 2200.
You want a "Red Light district" in a co-ed albergue?
I gotta admit, the same thought had crossed my mind...after all, Rick is often a jokester.
For the former, sometimes there is nothing you can do. But I try and open the door just the minimum I need to squeeze through and close it behind me as quickly as possible.In Spain I learned to hate motion- sensor lights.
You know, the BRIGHT ones the are triggered the second you open the door making it impossible to leave the dorm in the middle of the night without annoying everyone in the room? Or how about the ones in toilet stalls that turn off after 5 seconds so you have to wave your arms & jump around with your pants down in order to re-light the room? Ah- the indignities.
Flashlights are welcome at the RAO, though red light is preferred as it does not affect the telescopes and allows you to maintain your night vision.
Oh, @CWBuff, this is so, so sad that it brought a smile to my face. You are a truly a bad man!You want a "Red Light district" in a co-ed albergue?
Or shower next to a very tall person in the next stall as did I recently in Berducedo. She had worked out a complicated basketball manoeuvre that turned the light (located outside the cubicles in the main area), back on . The shower stall lights lasted a full 45 seconds before deactivating. By the end of our showers she had made several new friends and scored a few goals for the centre cubicle.It's not just when you are using the toilet. At Arres last summer the timer on the bathroom light would make the light go out while people were showering. You had to open the shower cabinet door to reactivate the light which was sometimes a little revealing in the shared bathroom.
On and off. The mice in the kitchen flicked on and off all night at one albergue I stayed at a few years ago. Nothing you can do there. But when you use a bathroom, use a headlamp.But the point of the thread is that many albergues have bright lights that automatically come in with a motion sensor.
The simple answer is for everyone to sleep with eyeshades, and folks who get up to use the slightest light available. This is usually a headlamp, pencil torch, or smartphone illumination.That's the thing really. Conserve energy and reduce costs or run electric lights for no purpose if no one is about. You can't please everyone all the time.
A little more difficult with a CPAP machine to sleep with a sleep mask. Overall it is the hazard of albergue selection. Sometimes good, sometimes more difficult to sleep. The price is right, but comes with its own unique sleeping challenges.The simple answer is for everyone to sleep with eyeshades, and folks who get up to use the slightest light available. This is usually a headlamp, pencil torch, or smartphone illumination.
The entire point here is to NOT disturb others, as you would not wish to be disturbed.
It works for me when I use albergue style accommodations.
Hope this helps.
Tom
Glow in the dark undies?So what tips do you have for minimising the effects of these lights?
Do you have a brand you prefer or can you post us an Amazon link?Glow in the dark undies?
Agreed Tom...but this thread is about motion sensor lights in the corridors and toilets and not about your disturbing anyone on your nightly "visit" exiting the sleeping quarters. This is caused as soon as you open the doorThe simple answer is for everyone to sleep with eyeshades, and folks who get up to use the slightest light available. This is usually a headlamp, pencil torch, or smartphone illumination.
The entire point here is to NOT disturb others, as you would not wish to be disturbed.
It works for me when I use albergue style accommodations.
Hope this helps.
Tom
Exactly. Thanks!Agreed Tom...but this thread is about motion sensor lights in the corridors and toilets and not about your disturbing anyone on your nightly "visit" exiting the sleeping quarters. This is caused as soon as you open the door
In an ideal world everyone would mitigate disturbance by self help (shades and earplugs). In an ideal world everyone would have a low level light with them. In an ideal world everyone would know where the light switches were in the dark and, more importantly, turn everything off when you have finished.
The observation is that when motion sensor lights are installed they are too bright, too sensitive to a door opening and the setting too short in the shower/toilet area
These problems of disturbance are not caused by the client and, in the case of toilets/showers, is an inconvenience and not necessarily a disturbance.
making it impossible to leave the dorm in the middle of the night without annoying everyone in the room?
It seems to me that one of the things this thread is about is disturbing anyone when exiting the sleeping quarters, as the bright motion-sensitive lights spill into the dormitory. At least that was what I took from the quoted portion of the original post, and it informed my initial response.this thread is about motion sensor lights in the corridors and toilets and not about your disturbing anyone on your nightly "visit" exiting the sleeping quarters.
Yes...I did also.It seems to me that one of the things this thread is about is disturbing anyone when exiting the sleeping quarters, as the bright motion-sensitive lights spill into the dormitory. At least that was what I took from the quoted portion of the original post, and it informed my initial response.
I saw your "not about..." in the text I quoted above as saying the opposite. It was the placement of the "not" that fooled me. If you had written "and about your not disturbing anyone..." it would have read very differently than "and not about your disturbing anyone...".Yes...I did also.
If you had needed clarification it would have been better to do so by DM.I saw your "not about..." in the text I quoted above as saying the opposite. It was the placement of the "not" that fooled me. If you had written "and about your not disturbing anyone..." it would have read very differently than "and not about your disturbing anyone...".
Good rules for a long and healthy life.I have a special in my heart for those people unable to close the door again behind them when they went out to the brightly lit hallway in the St.Domingo d.l. Calzada albergue to go to the bathroom during the night. A very, very special place.
There i learned not to chose the bed next to the door if i can help it.
On other occasions i learned to always take my phone with me (there have been bathrooms with no light sensor in the stall...) and to always check for paper before comitting.
Well, WE know what a red light means…nudge nudge…I-used to work Vice.And why not red lights?
LMAO ! You have to admit, it’s one of the indignities we all face on this and other situations in the various things we take for granted in our home life. My favorite is trying to get out of the top bunk and missing the step to get down safely and then Karpluk on the floor with a large bang boom and wake everyone up. Someone moved the ladder!In Spain I learned to hate motion- sensor lights.
You know, the BRIGHT ones the are triggered the second you open the door making it impossible to leave the dorm in the middle of the night without annoying everyone in the room? Or how about the ones in toilet stalls that turn off after 5 seconds so you have to wave your arms & jump around with your pants down in order to re-light the room? Ah- the indignities.
Maybe a warning about such should be added to the online listings of albergues.I have wondered as I walked why the albergues have such things, they are unnecessary. All pilgrims should have a torch for night time toilet visits and in the event of a fire there will either be no lights at all or emergency lighting will come on to show the way to the exit.
??!!??Electric bills in Spain are exorbitant. Use your headlamp.
One of the Navy ships I was on did not. Had to learn to get around the same way blind people do. With a bit of effort, one might scope out the layout before dark and plan how to navigate without light. If blind people and Navy people can do it …Yes, I was wondering that myself. I’ve spent quite a bit of time at sea, and our lights all switched to red after 2200.
My phone’s flashlight is so <censored> bright that instead, I just call up an e-mail for its white backgroundMy watch has a ‘light mode’ which has come in very…uhh…handy…in certain albergues and cafes
And if it has an auto-flush, never lean forward while sitting!… in the stall...) and to always check for paper before comitting.
I have an Android phone. I have two ways to get dim light with it.My phone’s flashlight is so <censored> bright that instead, I just call up an e-mail for its white background
Oh yeah! And being a small woman, many times I couldn't reach all the steps.LMAO ! You have to admit, it’s one of the indignities we all face on this and other situations in the various things we take for granted in our home life. My favorite is trying to get out of the top bunk and missing the step to get down safely and then Karpluk on the floor with a large bang boom and wake everyone up. Someone moved the ladder!
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