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Great response but not the answer I was looking for! lolI got lost once in the Galician woods, but never in a town or city.
It is variable. Some cities don't like yellow arrows. They mark the route with a variety of other signs including tiles on building corners and brass shells in the sidewalk. If you have become accustomed to yellow arrows, it is a bit difficult to find the alternative markers. The last few hundred meters into Santiago are confusing because the arrows and signs respond to intersection traffic so that the pilgrims does not get run over by a car!HWhat is it like walking through the larger towns and cities? is the path well marked? is it easy to get lost?
Taxi?? Whole new topic of discussion for those of us that are walking snobs but you will find it can be very entertaining. But if you become one of us walking snobs keep it entertaining as some simply can't understand why others have to use transportation. Who wants to be a human porter? God bless you!We got kind of lost in Ponferrada. The issue probably wasn't the lack of arrows, but just that the arrows compete with a lot of other things for your attention - that combined with a lot of streets and possible twists and turns makes it easy to miss an arrow. We had booked a hotel in Ponferrada for the night that was right on the path - got lost on the way to the hotel and were not in the mood to traipse around looking for the place. A taxi appeared, so we hailed it and it took us to our hotel - The Camino ProvidesThe next morning we had trouble finding the route out of town too, but we were fresh after a good night's sleep, so it wasn't a big deal - we found our way out.
The route out of Leon was another place where we probably would have gotten lost, except that there were plenty of other people walking out of Leon that morning, so we just went with the flow.
I usually do exactly that - excellent suggestion, Pete.Most evenings we would check out the path so we were sure in the morning where to go.Buen Camino, Pete
Taxi?? Whole new topic of discussion for those of us that are walking snobs but you will find it can be very entertaining. But if you become one of us walking snobs keep it entertaining as some simply can't understand why others have to use transportation. Who wants to be a human porter? God bless you!
Never got lost. Just keep your eyes peeled and you wont go wrong. However, I hated the cities, much prefer being in the countryside and small villages. The walk out of Leon is particularly horrendous. On my second camino, I went to the main bus stop in the plaza just down from the cathedral and got the bus out to La VerginHello everyone!
Quick question....... What is it like walking through the larger towns and cities? is the path well marked? is it easy to get lost?
Much Thanks
Darren
I find that is always easy to get lost in cities. However, I try to keep in mind our good fortune. We have those precious yellow arrows whereas folks from years gone by hadn't. Think of the pilgrims of many years gone by. No guide books either. You can ask people in the streets or aim for the cathedral of places like Burgos and Santiago but I would say just plod on. Really. It gets me where I want to be without a guide book. It is a truly amazing feeling to be able to walk through a city completely new to me and get out at the other side. I don't actually want too much assistance because I want the good feeling it gives to succeed without. I can only say this works for me. For my Camino. Yours is yours and you absolutely must to it your way.Hello everyone!
Quick question....... What is it like walking through the larger towns and cities? is the path well marked? is it easy to get lost?
Much Thanks
Darren
Ten years ago on my first camino along the Valcarlos alternate all vibes were 'bad' although I had been diligently following the arrows. The sun seemed off its course and my feet were on the wrong bank of the stream!! Taking a deep breath I climbed out of the deep wood to seek help. Luckily a farmer in a distant pasture waved and came nearer. When asked where the camino path lay he pointed opposite to where I had been heading. When shown the last arrow that I had erroneously followed he replied "Oh those children they do SO enjoy confusing pilgrims!" He then turned that arrow to re-face in the correct direction. How lucky I was to have sensed something out of kilter and to have met the helpful farmer. ...Since then those arrows have gained a firm base which can NOT be easily moved yet I am still cautious when following that section....Strange thing is when you are off course you find yourself saing that something doesn't feel right.
But if you do get off course still take time to enjoy the day.
Hi Darren, keep your eyes open and you be fine. Wish you a great journey and a Buen Camino, Peter.Hello everyone!
Quick question....... What is it like walking through the larger towns and cities? is the path well marked? is it easy to get lost?
Much Thanks
Darren
What's wrong with a hotel? We stayed in one in Molinaseca after a long day.Heehee - YES, we used a taxi - OMGWe pulled up in front of the hotel and one of our friends was there, sitting outside having a drink. He gave us a ration for taking a taxi too - of course he had used pack transport that day to get over the mountain, which is why he was already there having a drink while we walked slower with our packs. We had a fun discussion about which was a worse pilgrim infraction - staying in a hotel, using pack transport, or taking a taxi the last km. In the end, we decided we were equally bad, so we'd celebrate our lack of achievement with a good bottle of wine followed by a good night's sleep in a comfortable and quiet hotel.
Agree with you completely; a bit of a challenge is always more fun. The only reason I would use a guidebook for a city is so that I would be more knowledgeable about the area I was walking through. It would really upset me if I learned after the fact that I had missed something interesting because it was, say, one block off the marked route. And backtracking on the Camino is not the done thing, IMHO...... We have those precious yellow arrows whereas folks from years gone by hadn't............gets me where I want to be without a guide book. It is a truly amazing feeling to be able to walk through a city completely new to me and get out at the other side. I don't actually want too much assistance because I want the good feeling it gives to succeed without.......
Yes, I agree with that. I just do a bit of homework before I leave and jot it on my route planner. One small point that I could have written was that I have never heard of a pilgrim who was so lost in a city that they had to stop their Camino or turn back or any such thing. It may be difficult but we do all seem to get through these cities. As far as I know...Agree with you completely; a bit of a challenge is always more fun. The only reason I would use a guidebook for a city is so that I would be more knowledgeable about the area I was walking through. It would really upset me if I learned after the fact that I had missed something interesting because it was, say, one block off the marked route. And backtracking on the Camino is not the done thing, IMHO.
What's wrong with a hotel? We stayed in one in Molinaseca after a long day.
Privacy, spreading out your stuff on the floor without regard and a BIG TUB!
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