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annakappa, I am leaving for my first Camino this evening, leaving from SJPdP on Thrusday morning. So with your comment "Don't put your backpack on the bed" has confused me. I thought, from my readings here, that to put your backpack on the bed was the only way to save your bed for the night. Am I wrong?Both Rebekah have given a great list of do's and don'ts. I would like to add one more:
Don't put your backpack on the bed, it's been put down on the floor, in bars, on the street, in fields, near fountains, etc., so many times each day, before you ever get to see your precious bed for the night.
I have to admit that I have been very guilty over the past, until this was pointed out to me! Anne
By hanging something from the bed post that is a pilgrims way of saying "that's my bed"?Because of the bedbug situation, people are not advised (or allowed) to put their backpacks on the beds in the albergues.
That said, I NEVER put my pack on the floor.
Bedbugs do not fly, they crawl from bed to bed on the wall or floor.
I always hang my pack from the bedpost or put it on a chair.
If there is no chair, I ask for one.
If that fails, I carry a plastic garbage sack and tie it up in there.
Yes, but identify top or bottom with your sleeping bag to be most definitive.By hanging something from the bed post that is a pilgrims way of saying "that's my bed"?
And a chair is for sitting, not pack storage or clothes drying. Don't be offended when someone removes your belongings to sit down or climb to a top bunk! Unless you brought the chair from home, it is for everyone.Do not put your personal pack on the chair beside a bunk bed unless the bunk has a ladder. If there is no ladder, whoever is getting up and down from the top bunk needs that chair!
You save your bed for the night by putting out your sleeping bag, or maybe a towel and some ítems of clothing. But usually it's a sleeping bag. Anneannakappa, I am leaving for my first Camino this evening, leaving from SJPdP on Thrusday morning. So with your comment "Don't put your backpack on the bed" has confused me. I thought, from my readings here, that to put your backpack on the bed was the only way to save your bed for the night. Am I wrong?
I totally agree if the floor is a wooden one and an old one at that, but if the dorm has a tiled ceramic floor, I don't think that there is such a risk. AnneNo. That's my way of keeping my backpack up off the floor where the bedbugs walk!
I totally agree if the floor is a wooden one and an old one at that, but if the dorm has a tiled ceramic floor, I don't think that there is such a risk. Anne
Yes, but there's nowhere to hide on a ceramic floor. AnneWhy? You think bedbugs won't walk on tiled ceramic?
They DANCE across it!
Yes, but there's nowhere to hide on a ceramic floor. Anne
As a MAJOR snorer I jave noticed that the more the wine the louder the snore...As a snorer I would be appreciative for all the extra glasses of wine that the non snorers want to provide, if it is helpful
No there is not! Newer albergues do not have a problem, but there are older ones with well-earned reputations for cold showers.Can anyone tell me is there always hot water in the showers?
well cold showers are good for you, so even if i have to, not a big problem;D ThanksNo there is not! Newer albergues do not have a problem, but there are older ones with well-earned reputations for cold showers.
I agree with all that has been posted--especially what Grayland stated. If you are going to get up early, then for pete's sakes pack up your pack or atleast gather everything together in one lump and when you get up, take it immediately into another area away from those who are sleeping. My German ladies were the thorn of my last days on the Camino. They got up early, rustled around with plastic and conversation and the dreaded headlights, turned on the lights and otherwise woke everyone else up--then proceeded to sit around and make themselves tea before they left! Often they were the last ones to leave! When asked why they got up so early they said that it was because that was the time they always got up and they liked to enjoy their tea before starting out!!! It didn't seem to matter to them that they were making a whole lot of folks very angry--to the extent that folks tried to figure out how much further they would have to go to avoid them.
I carried a small LED light about the size of a quarter on a soft twine "necklace." It worked just fine for bathroom runs if the space was absolutely dark (only needed it once) and before sun-up trail marker finding. Because I always wore it around my neck, I always knew where it was. Some folks had big headlights and you cannot believe how irritating those suckers are in the morning or even on the Camino when flashed in your eyes. I also had a red one clipped to my pack so I could make a last minute check under my bunk if need be or to look at a map if I wanted to retain my night vision.
Another thing is to share clothesline space. If things are filling up, adjust your laundry so others have some room too. If yours is dry, you might want to remove it (especially if it is in a sunny spot) before someone else needing space takes yours down and puts it somewhere -- at one albergue this happened and someone thought the clothing pile was "for the taking." The owner of the clothes was not too happy.
Bring your own. They disappear with regularity.Thanks for your reply - that begs the question of do we need to bring our own clothespins, or do most albergues have them? Thanks!
Bring your own. They disappear with regularity.
Leave the clothespins at home, safety pins are lighter and not as bulky. And make it harder for someone else to « mistakingly » take your towel, socks or fleece.Thanks for your reply - that begs the question of do we need to bring our own clothespins, or do most albergues have them? Thanks!
I took both safety pins, and tiny craft sized clothespins. I only took safety pins on my first Camino, and I found that most clotheslines are not perfectly level, so when I used safety pins gravity usually landed all my clothes in a clump.Leave the clothespins at home, safety pins are lighter and not as bulky. And make it harder for someone else to « mistakingly » take your towel, socks or fleece.
But that is one of the little engineering challenges that make the camino fun. You might take just one tiny clothespin to use at the upper end, and connect all your other items via safety pins!when I used safety pins gravity usually landed all my clothes in a clump
But that is one of the little engineering challenges that make the camino fun. You might take just one tiny clothespin to use at the upper end, and connect all your other items via safety pins!
Thank you.This is what my mini clothespins look like.
View attachment 38683
Here are some on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075JDWRP3/?tag=casaivar02-20
Fantastic! They may not be strong enough to hold a regular bath towel, or a pair of jeans, but for the lightweight clothing we take on the Camino they are perfect.Thank you.I went to the local bargain shop today and bought a selection. Good timing because there were various small pegs designed for hanging christmas cards still available. Most lighter than the 6 cut off pegs I already have.
The route you take and the way you do it make you no better or worse than any other pilgrim. There is a tendency for a few of those who have walked, travelled further, carried a heavier pack, trekked in the most difficult weather or spent the least amount of money to think they are the truest pilgrims. This type of pride is out of place on the Camino where we are all pilgrims.
Give your donativo soon after you arrive, so you don´t forget later on.
Find out what time the doors close, and be back in the albergue by then. If you plan to leave early, prepare your things the night before, to minimize the racket you´ll make when you get up. Rattling plastic liner bags or shining your headlights around the room at 5 a.m. will not endear you to your companions.
Don´t expect special treatment, and you will be pleasantly surprised when it comes your way.
If you are abled-bodied and have scored a lower bunk, and the place is filling up fast, and an elderly or obviously suffering pilgrim arrives, give him your lower and take the upper. Elderly and infirm pilgrims should always have lower bunks. Younger and more spry pilgrims must sometimes give them what is theirs by right.
If you get up at 5 am and rush through the next etapa to stand in queue for an albergue bed, do not expect the people who arrive later to creep quietly around the place so you can enjoy your siesta. You woke them up this morning. It´s their turn to wake you up in the afternoon.
If you tend to snore, don´t drink a lot of wine in the evening. It makes you reverberate.
Don´t prance around the albergue in your skivvies, No matter how buff you think you are. There is such a thing as Too Much Information.
Don´t leave your litter on the floor. Wash up what you dirty. Clean up after yourself.
Share. Be kind and thoughtful. Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.
If early risers knew how little sleep most hospitaleros get, they might be a little more considerate.
Because of the bedbug situation, people are not advised (or allowed) to put their backpacks on the beds in the albergues.
And a chair is for sitting, not pack storage or clothes drying. Don't be offended when someone removes your belongings to sit down or climb to a top bunk! Unless you brought the chair from home, it is for everyone.
very pilgrim probably has some characteristic that drives others nuts!! The Forum has, at a minimum, snorers, bag rustlers, pole clickers, long showers, talkers, packs on beds, insect sprayers, two-bunk hogs, clothes line hogs, flash lights, early risers, locked albergues, late socializing, cell phones, iPods, effete snobs, litterers, the unwashed, beggars, donativo means free, and silent bicyclists.
An old thread, but these posts never get old; they are worth a bump:
The bottom line in albergues is that patience is absolutely essential (if you don't have it you will suffer - and then hopefully find a way to develop it PDQ):
No, often there's not, but if you have been walking in the heat, you are grateful for the shower and the water temperature doesn't seem to matter.Can anyone tell me is there always hot water in the showers?
thanks
I agree!
Except, I don't understand what is wrong with a silent Bicyclist?
They may shout at you (if you are lucky!), or swear at you as they thunder past because you were in their way! As my old schoolmaster said "an audible warning of your approach is necessary - and I don't mean a rattling mudguard!"
An old fashioned hooter would be good. "Parp, parp, parp" may even raise a laugh
Tio Tel
When I get into bed, I bring a couple of small stuffsacks with me with gadgets, flashlight, toiletries, etc. I generally re-pack my pack every morning. So what I do when I get up in the morning, I grab my sacks and my pack and drag them out into a common area, outside the sleeping area, to re-pack.I never do that.I'm just too lazy/tired/or whatever to do it the night before. This year I'm going to try it. I'm just not that organised.
But I don't think I annoyed anyone last year
I'm guilty. The quieter i try to be the noisier I become. My wife says its because I didn't have siblings.Very well said, Rebekah. It is really a shame that the worst offenders will never read this forum and thus continue their annoying and rude ways.
I have never understood why people do not prepare their pack and "stuff" the night before and then take it out of the dorm in the morning to dress and get ready to walk....must be a reason.
@VNwalking, this thread commenced before either of us joined the forum, and has now gone full circle. See post #2!And don't parade around in your underwear, or less.
Seriously.
Please just don't.
(Looking at you, guys. Women are less guilty of this.)
It's a good question, that I hadn't thought of.Wandering around naked I can understand, but most underwear that I have is no more revealing than the bathers/swimmers/trunks that I would wear at a pool or on the beach. So what is the issue here?
That can be an exhibition if someone's on their bunk a half-metre away. One thing to add. This is a pilgrimage undertaken by both lay and religious alike. A little modesty and consideration goes a long way.Standing by the bunk to get dressed, yes, but not making an exhibition of it.
That's why I've always liked a top bunk. Even in the US Army. No one sits or leaves stuff on the top bunk.And a chair is for sitting, not pack storage or clothes drying. Don't be offended when someone removes your belongings to sit down or climb to a top bunk! Unless you brought the chair from home, it is for everyone.
This works as a defense against having someone's naked butt inches from your face, tooThat's why I've always liked a top bunk
A local packaged ice cream maker made this very helpful advertisement to make it easy to tell when the context is conducive to wearing revealing clothes. NB. In Aotearoa New Zealand "bathers" are called "togs" in Kiwi slang. Enjoy.It's a good question, that I hadn't thought of.
Context is everything.
Out of doors versus in very close quarters, mostly. And given the context of this being a shared bedroom, how uncomfortable that has the potential to make people feel. There's a big gender differebne in the prevalence of this kind of thing. Women don't tend to walk around in bra and panties, even though it's less revealing than some bikinis.
(Edited for clarity)
A local packaged ice cream maker made this very helpful advertisement to make it easy to tell when the context is conducive to wearing revealing clothes
Since I’ve never stayed at the albergues or even a hostel, but I do want to experience it on the camino… I can’t even imagine any details of staying at one… I guess I get a bed picked for me, yes? Where do I leave the backpack if I’m on top bunk? Just want to figure out the best course of action so I’m prepared…. And do I take my backpack with me everywhere? I have a hard time grasping the whole idea or communal accommodation - please advise (without judgement, please. I’m trying to do my research so I can avoid asking too many questions once I arrive since I don’t speak the language)Both Rebekah have given a great list of do's and don'ts. I would like to add one more:
Don't put your backpack on the bed, it's been put down on the floor, in bars, on the street, in fields, near fountains, etc., so many times each day, before you ever get to see your precious bed for the night.
I have to admit that I have been very guilty over the past, until this was pointed out to me! Anne
Sometimes you are assigned a bed, sometimes you can choose your own.Since I’ve never stayed at the albergues or even a hostel, but I do want to experience it on the camino… I can’t even imagine any details of staying at one… I guess I get a bed picked for me, yes? Where do I leave the backpack if I’m on top bunk? Just want to figure out the best course of action so I’m prepared…. And do I take my backpack with me everywhere? I have a hard time grasping the whole idea or communal accommodation - please advise (without judgement, please. I’m trying to do my research so I can avoid asking too many questions once I arrive since I don’t speak the language)
No, we can not tell you that there will always be hot water. Although you can be assured that hot and cold will not be indicated on the handles.Can anyone tell me is there always hot water in the showers?
thanks
Do expect people to snore, or make other noises if you don't have a private room. Don't wake up someone to tell them they're snoring and to please stop.We're newbies, starting next September from Oporto. Could someone outline what are the "dos" and "don'ts" of staying at an albergue?
Chris
I happen to own a collection of medieval texts of etiquette rules for children (for those interested, it is The babees book, Aristotle's A B C, Urbanitatis, Stans puer ad mensam, The lvtille childrenes lvtil boke, The bokes of nurture of Hugh Rhodes and John Russell, Wynkyn de Worde's Boke of keruynge, The booke of demeanor, The boke of curtasye, Seager's Schoole of vertue, &c. &c. with some French and latin poems on like subjects, and some forewords on education in early England. Edited by Frederick J. Furnivall, Early English Text Society, Original Series 32. A modern English translation is available at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/58985)here are 10 etiquette rules for children by Dr. M.E. Waters
theres not reason these shouldnt apply
to adults
to adults on the camino
to all of us
theyre kind of cute
....
Ten Etiquette Rules for Children
Do's1. Stay away from people who are troublemakers
2. Say please, thank you, excuse me, good morning/evening, I am sorry
3. Put your hand over your mouth when you cough
4. Be kind to other people
5. Be polite on the telephone
6. Be neat and clean
7. Obey parents/teachers/elders
8. Go to church
9. Boys should open the door and always pull the chair out for a girl
10. Boys should take their hats off inside the building
Don't
1. Chew gum in class or church
2. Talk with food in your mouth or throw it across the room
3. Talk when adults are talking
4. Use curse words
5. Smoke or drink alcohol
6. Curse parents/teachers
7. Be rude to other people
8. Act ugly in public
9. Put other people down or tease them all the time
10. Lie on other people and get them in trouble
Where is your quote from in the first paragraph?I agree with what has already been said and would add.
Don’t expect anything of the people on the Camino. “A pilgrim does not demand, a pilgrim is grateful. He leaves what he can and takes only that which he needs.” You have no rights as a pilgrim and must rely on the kindness of strangers.
Look after your things. The people around are the same as those at home. Don’t leave your wallet and passport lying about if you wouldn’t do the same at home. And if you would, tell us where this utopia you live is, so we can all move there.
You will find that most of the people leave the refuges at about the same time this means especially in summer that there are people-jams of those who have come from the refuges in the bigger towns. If you start earlier than the crowd and walk a little faster or leave after them and walk a little slower you can walk alone in the height of summer - if you want to. Think about staying in refugios in the smaller villages, they are often less crowded in the summer.
The route you take and the way you do it make you no better or worse than any other pilgrim. There is a tendency for a few of those who have walked, travelled further, carried a heavier pack, trekked in the most difficult weather or spent the least amount of money to think they are the truest pilgrims. This type of pride is out of place on the Camino where we are all pilgrims.
Jack-from-Ireland?Where is your quote from in the first paragraph?
Well stated Dougfitz. Unfortunately, people with asthma and/or sinus conditions often snore and they can't help it. I travel with earplugs -- it's the only solution that I really control, and it does work.My view would be that you shouldn't have interfered with someone else's sleep, no matter how disruptive it might have been to people who were clearly not prepared for sleeping in a pilgrim dormitory. Leave any disruption to a partner or spouse. The onus is on individual pilgrims to be prepared, and that means having the sense to bring along earplugs if one is going to sleep in a dormitory.
I know I snore, and I was prepared to admit it last year until I was asked one night to sleep in the common room rather than the dormitory. I was reluctant to do so, but agreed. As a result:
- I couldn't go to bed until the last of the others left the common room, which some did with bad grace because they wanted to avoid the 'lights out' in the dormitory
- Every half hour or so, or so it seemed, someone would go to the toilet, and turn on all the common room lights because they were on the same switch panel as the toilet lights
- then to top it off, the person who had asked me to sleep in the common room was up at 5am noisily packing their backpack to leave at the foot of my mattress with all the lights on
- All of which resulted in one of the worst days that I had on the Camino the following day.
To top all that off, I was informed a couple of days later that there had been several snorers in the dormitory that night, despite the faithful pledges they had all made to the hospitalera that none of them snored.
My lesson. Don't offer the information, don't shift out of the dormitory, and if someone asks point out politely that you won't be the only snorer, and it was their responsibility to come prepared to sleep in a dormitory.
DougF
Good point here about alarm clocks - might sound silly but what do people do for wake up alarms? (Ie to have an alarm but not disturb others? I usually have quiet alarms anyway but it could still disturb others - any suggestions?)Do it yourself.
Leave the place cleaner than when you arrived.
Take short showers to save a little water for later arrivals.
Use just one bunk. The surrounding bunks are not your clothes line.
The chair is there for everyone to sit on. It is not yours for pack storage just because you got there first.
The space under the bunk generally is shared by both occupants. Save half for the other guy.
No maid will wash your dishes, pans, or cutlery. YOU do it.
Wear earplugs so the unavoidable disturbances by others will not drive you to distraction.
No alarm clocks that others can hear.
Don't steal the toilet paper.
Trailside tissues are not biodegradable at a speed that will prevent them from being an eyesore (not an albergue rule)
If you have a cold, go to a private room in a hostal for a few days. No one will be happy sleeping in a dorm with typhoid Mary.
I never set an alarm - I would always get woken up by other pilgrims in the morning. I don't really recall been woken by other peoples alarms - which would be rude IMO. I guess nowadays you can just set the alarm to vibrate.Good point here about alarm clocks - might sound silly but what do people do for wake up alarms? (Ie to have an alarm but not disturb others? I usually have quiet alarms anyway but it could still disturb others - any suggestions?)
If I really need one, I will put a vibrating alarm on my phone and hold it under my pillow.Good point here about alarm clocks - might sound silly but what do people do for wake up alarms? (Ie to have an alarm but not disturb others? I usually have quiet alarms anyway but it could still disturb others - any suggestions?)
It seems he was equally considerate, having woken none of you with his departure.These many posts about being able to sleep, and doing what one can to let others sleep, remind me of an incident which happened in a large albergue in a town about halfway through the Frances. There were two dormitories, available to whomever might choose a bed in either room. The dormitory closest to the entrance was largely occupied by men, and the second by women, with one man only in that room. I chose what felt like the women's dorm and settled in for the night, awakening at about dawn and setting about preparing to leave. All of we women in that dorm were tiptoeing around in that room for some time, reminding one another in whispers to keep quiet, so as not to disturb the man hidden in a corner bunk. Finally, one woman noticed that the man, who was dragging a buggy with his luggage along with him, was long gone, and all the rest of us could relax as we prepared for our own departures. This remains in my mind as a fond memory of communal living on camino.
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