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Where are all the Americans???

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Just a note on passports, until this year, you did not need a passport if you traveled by land to Canada or Mexico, so even those of us who live along the border didn't get them unless we went elsewhere. Now we need passports to go across to Mexico or Canada for dinner (!), so the percentage of Americans with passports or passport cards is already rising substantially.

Just a point of correction to the above that was mentioned a few posts above. You do not need a passport to get into Canada. You just need photo ID such as a driver's licence.

You do need a passport to get back into the States, even if you are an american. These restrictions were put in place by the American government - the canadian rules are the same as they have always been.

If the Canadian customs guard asks for you passport, it is only because if you have one, he/she can scan the barcode which is quicker than punching in all of the numbers from your driver's licence - not because you have to have a passport.
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Restless Rose wrote:

At the pilgrims office in Santiago, I was told that I was the 5th Malaysian to walk the Camino this year.

Perhaps in time there will be more Malaysians

We are Malaysian and we did a route from Santander to Burgos to Fatima to Santiago, then to Lourdes. We used buses, trains, and walked. We did more than a 100km on the Camino by foot.

We did not call into the pilgrims office to queue for the Compostela, we felt we had done our pilgrimage in our own way and it was deeply satisfying to us. By the way there was a young typical Singaporean nun who led us up the hill for the Station of the Cross at Lourdes, it was nice to hear Singlish. We stayed in the same hotel in Santiago as a group of Singaporean pilgrims on their way to Oviedo and Lourdes on a religious tour, again it was nice to chat to them, and to see each one fulfilling one's own spiritual needs in one's own way.

There will no doubt be more Malaysians and Singaporeans coming to Santiago, young people like you and Evan can adapt better to the refugio, bar, walking and eating life style. We look forward to your input into this forum, and especially Evan's techno geek advises. The pilgrim office will not know the real numbers of pilgrims.

Grandpa Joe
 
I see Americans every day here...I was kind of glad not to encounter too many on the Camino back in 2007. But I do think it would be good for us as a nation if more Americans walked the Camino and expanded their horizons. :idea:

Cheers,

VT :arrow:
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
Well, I'm an American hitting the Camino this year and excited to do so. But I think many of you are right... a lot of Americans don't travel out of the country. There is so much to do and see in the U.S.!

Additionally, we don't get the paid holiday time off that most Europeans do. I am working in Abu Dhabi right now and get 42 days of holiday a year and I'm having a hard time trying to figure out how to use them all! I had 13 left over from last year! :lol:

So, when you combine the average of 10 days off a year with a vast country to explore you have less people traveling abroad.

Just my .02 cents,
Sandi
Waiting impatiently for 21 April... when I leave to start my walk!
 
flamidwyfe said:
Additionally, we don't get the paid holiday time off that most Europeans do.

Yeah, that's a bummer. I had to take a two-month leave of absence back in 2007 to do the Camino (it was my 10-year anniversary, and it was a lucky break I got approved even though I work for a Catholic health system). That kind of time off wouldn't be possible in our present-day lousy economy. I may do the Porto-to-Santiago route this summer, but I was barely able to get 2.5 weeks off this time... :arrow:

VT
 
I walked in the fall of 2009 from SJPP to Finisterre and only encountered half a dozen Americans the whole trip. The majority of the pilgrims were French, Spanish and German , followed by Canadians, Brits, Dutch and Scandinavians. A few Brazilians and Koreans added some spice to the mixture.
I don't know where the Americans were or are, but I don't think the Camino has
registered in the States as it has in Canada or elsewhere.

The Americans I did encounter seemed to be well informed about the Camino, but low key ( for Americans).

AJP
Victoria
(Canada)
 
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€46,-
I am an American and to be perfectly honest I had never heard of the Camino until last November. I was in a place called the 'OPTIMUM HEALTH INSTITUTE' in San Diego California. We were discussing hiking the Appalachian trail. One of the folks in the group mentioned the Camino(No one else in the conversation had heard of the Camino). To make a longer story shorter, I researched it and decided to hike it this Spring. I am leaving SJPdP on March 25th and looking forward to a journey filled with new experiences and encounters with others that will direct me towards future adventures^^.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
The FEAR factor has many Americans hunkering down because of the economy and the upcoming market crash, scheduled for Spring.
 
Anniesantiago said:
The FEAR factor has many Americans hunkering down because of the economy and the , upcoming market crash scheduled for Spring.

:shock: :shock: ...and who has scheduled this :?: :?:

or is this a mystic goanian prediction?
 
::shrug:: don't know who scheduled it... it's just been the buzz around my town.... wait and watch, I guess :)
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
The first edition came out in 2003 and has become the go-to-guide for many pilgrims over the years. It is shipping with a Pilgrim Passport (Credential) from the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.
Rebekah Scott said:
interesting, how Americans in mixed company (among French, Italian, Brazilians, South Africans and Aussies, for instance) can look downright low key!


Yes, and low key becomed them......

AJP
Victoria
 
I am an American planning to walk the Camino on March 25th. I maybe a little naive but I am not sure exactly what several of you are saying when discussing American behavior? Can you clarify your comments for me?
 
Neither humor nor insult will improve with explanation! Like Germans, English, French, and Spanish, Americans include blowhard, boorish, drunk, charitable, generous, and arrogant pilgrims. A stereotype has an element of truth and enormous falsity. I like to laugh at the truth and ignore the falsity. Every reader, though, gets to select his/her level of umbrage. Choose wisely.
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
I think it's time to work some distraction- let's start a Finnish thread and pick on them a while! :lol:
 
I met a australian last year and was amazed when she told me it cost her 2 grand + to come to europe, my brother in law went to china at the weekend for 500 euro return.
Taxes and charges are a bane but its happening here too, its cost me about 160 euro return to come to spain this year
I think for the americans who think the air fares are exhorbitant it all depends on how you travel the camino, im paying for single rooma all the way , anywhere from 26 euro a night to 48 euro a night , you can do the hostel route which is free accomodation more or less and then you have avery cheap holiday/vacation
I do not think americans like travelling around the world , the terrorist threat has frightened a lot of americans., Im amazed at the lack of vacation time for americans, in ireland i have 20 days + bank holidays, i have taken the month of may off for the camino frances
 
as an australian I can vouch for the cost of over $2,000 to get to europe - I don't think our taxes are any higher than UK or USA - it's just that it's such a long way! From taking off in Adelaide until I finally arrive in Paris I'm looking at a 30hr trip.....so imagine travelling for that long, then you understand why it costs to much! It's just as well our annual leave is 4 weeks otherwise I doubt many Australians would travel much further than Asia. cheers, Jane :)
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
My return ticket from Toronto to Biarritz and return is costing just under $1100. This does not include the cost from Niagara Falls to Toronto, or the cost from Biarritz to SJPP. Then there are costs of accommodations, meals, the cost of equipment, etc. I am not complaining - these are just the costs. In comparision, I could go to a 5 star all-inclusive (unlimited food, unlimited drinks) in the tropics for $1100 and no extra fees (I did this trip last year).

I am lucky in that I have worked for the same employer for 31 years so I get 6 weeks off a year, and my employer, in a weak moment, is letting me take them off all together. (Acutally it is only because I am taking them in yucky March and April, as opposed to June, July, or August.)

So I can fully understand why the Camino either does not work for folks who have to come a long way, or is not their first choice for a break from work and their hectic lives.

I wll be flying there next week, so wish me luck. I will get to experience it first hand.

Tim
 
Direct distances:

Adelaide, AU to Madrid - 10,347 miles
Auckland, NZ to Madrid - 12,175
Toronto, CA to Madrid - 3,774
Portland, OR, USA to Madrid - 5,413
Johannesburg, ZA to Madrid - 5,019

Distance and price are (somewhat) related.
 
[quote="benandsam"
]you can do the hostel route which is free accomodation more or less
Although this is out of context with regards to the original title, accommodation is NOT FREE. The minimum that you might be "lucky" to find is 3 euros. Normally, it can be anything from 5-10 euros. There are a handful of "give a donation" hostels and, as mentioned on the Forum many times, that does not mean free. For the two of us, we count 30 euros a day, and that does not include our travel from and back to Costa Rica. Anne
 
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annakappa said:
[quote="benandsam"
]you can do the hostel route which is free accomodation more or less
Although this is out of context with regards to the original title, accommodation is NOT FREE. The minimum that you might be "lucky" to find is 3 euros. Normally, it can be anything from 5-10 euros. There are a handful of "give a donation" hostels and, as mentioned on the Forum many times, that does not mean free. For the two of us, we count 30 euros a day, and that does not include our travel from and back to Costa Rica. Anne


I found the "free" comment stange also. I often wonder who those who do not donate think is paying to keep the "donation" albergues open???.....the spirit of the Camino suffers a great deal at this attitude. Most, if not all, of the members here are not guilty I am sure. It is those who on on a holiday hike and trash the trail, steal the toilet paper, turn on the lights at 4 am, and complain loudly about the "service" who are at fault.
 
annakappa said:
For the two of us, we count 30 euros a day, Anne
Sorry, I made a mistake here - hit the send key too quickly! I should have said "we count 30 euros per person" and not for the two of us.Anne
 
Im sory if i said free , 5 euro a night is free so to speak , its accomodation for nothing , americans tip a fiver a round of drinks or at a meal so for a nights sleep its more or less free, im paying on average 40a night for my peaceful sleep, you can make the camino very cheap or expensive, your choice
 
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€83,-
American pilgrims are pretty far down the list. Here is a chart of the number of pilgrims per 100,000 population. Spain quite naturally has four times as many pilgrims as the next country. Canada provides the most non-European pilgrims, with Australia and New Zealand not far behind.
 

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I remembered reading this thread awhile back. Based on some of the current threads and with the release of "The Way", I believe this might be a boom year for Americans on the Camino.

Ultreya,
Joe
 
It will be very interesting to see if the number of Americans increase this year.
I have only met a couple of Americans on several walks on the Camino Frances. There were many Canadians on each Camino.
I don't expect to find any on my Le Puy camino which I start at the end of this month.
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
Sheen's movie "The Way" was widely marketed on college campuses nationwide and is now available on cable TV, so it is getting quite wide exposure. On the other hand, with gasoline prices increasing, the air fares are going through the roof. It will be very interesting indeed, to see the impact on Americans walking this year.
 
It seems logical that there would be many more Europeans than Americans simply because the Camino is in their backyard and has been for a thousand years. I don't think the paucity of Americans is necessarily a bad reflection on them.

Another factor is undoubtedly the difference in vacation time between Americans and Europeans. The Camino takes a lot of time, even if you do only part of it. Americans don't generally have a month of paid vacation. That's not something to be ashamed of, not necessarily proud of -- it's just a difference between the cultures.
 
I'm from San Diego and I leave from SJPP on April 2nd. So, I will add to the American numbers for this year. It takes some time to explain what I am doing to my friends and family, as they have never heard of it before. I have spent a decent amount of time in Spain, mainly in Barcelona and San Sebastian, so all my Spanish friends know it, of course, and a couple of them have done it.

I first heard of it from someone I met in Barcelona a few years ago - he had worked to put in the cell towers along the trail. When he told me, I could not imagine having that much free time to walk, but I was curious.

Then some friends took me to a showing of The Way in December, and everything my friend in Barcelona had told me was on the screen. It also happens that I just left the corporate life and started my own business, so I have the luxury of being able to take the time now. With a regular American job, there is no way to take so much time out all at once. And it is not easy or cheap to hop over to Spain to do parts every year. As said above, I think that is a major reason for less Americans - even if they learn what it is and want to go, it is hard to get the time.

I feel very fortunate that I have the time now, I may never again. It's been in my heart to want to go since I first heard of it, and well, here I go.

I expect that the movie will have an impact on American numbers. I have several friends who want to when they can make the time.
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
As many have mentioned we as Americans (BTW I don't like the term American for those of us from the USA because American really includes everyone who lives in the Western Hemisphere in the three divisions of America, North, Central and South but perhaps that is just semantics) or rather from the United States do not have the time off enough to do the total Camino as I intend to do in the fall of 2012. When we have the time it is that we are unemployed (as many are right now) or retired and do not have the money or when we have the money we don't have the time!

I had hoped The Way would influence more of us. But the movie was distributed in limited distribution here for quite some time. I had started planning my trip almost 5 years ago when I first read the first of the Sue Kenney books on her pilgrimage. I am really looking forward to it because it will be my first major walk. I have been doing runs of various lengths for a few years now to build some stamina and strength physically but what I hope to build is some mental and spiritual strength along The Way.

Thank you for so many inspiring posts....
 
I expect a significant increase in Americans this year. Personally, I have been subconsciously planning this trip for over 10 yrs and found every excuse why I couldn't get away for 6 weeks. After seeing "The Way" , I said "that's it, I'm going" and booked my flights the next day. Depart the U.S. on May 9th. My only concern is that, although I'm in fairly good shape, I haven't trained hard enough. Haven't had a backpack/rucksack on in 25 years. Nevertheless, I can't wait! Rick
 
rickster said:
.....SNIP..... My only concern is that, although I'm in fairly good shape, I haven't trained hard enough. Haven't had a backpack/rucksack on in 25 years. Nevertheless, I can't wait! Rick

Not to worry. You will get all the training you need in the first days over the mountain. :shock:
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
I will also add to the US numbers this year. As for *why* more people from the US don't travel, most of that has been covered. I live in a small city in southern Mexico and we see far fewer people from the US than from any other country. The people from the US we see generally fall into 5 categories:

1 - people using their 2 weeks of vacation to visit a place that is close, cheap and doesn't involve jet lag to get to.
2 - people who are in some sort of transition (job-job, school-job, etc.) that gives them an unexpected break from the normal "work 50 years then retire" pattern
3 - retirees
4 - entrepreneurs who have developed businesses that allow them to travel and live abroad on their own schedule (I am one of those)
5 - people who have dropped out of US society and are making their way around via luck/charity/whatever they can scrape up doing odd jobs.

Unfortunately, where I live we have more people from category 5 than any other category and if those people aren't making it over to the camino, consider yourselves lucky. For the most part, they are, in my experience, dirty, lazy and more interested in getting high and begging other people for food/money than contributing to any society. And, if they ARE willing to actually *earn* money, they generally do it in a way that is damaging to the local community, not helpful. They're the ones who would ONLY stay at donativos and would NEVER contribute but rather only take whatever they can get for free and then move on to the next place they can leech from.

I think it'll be a while before there is a surge of people from the US on the Camino. It's just not something most people in the society would consider and it's not something most have even heard of. The $1k flights to Europe don't help. Last time I flew to Europe it cost me less than $500 RT. The only way I'm justifying the price now is because I am going to stay for 4 months. I would not be paying that much just to fly and do the Camino. Just the cost of the flight is the equivalent of 2 months of living expenses where I live. :)
 
Interesting reading. This is a good a place to introduce myself and why you'll see me on the Camino.

I'm an American who is currently planning his camino. I was injured last October at work and due to the weakened state of my hip and lower back, I stil limp and walk slowly. I was already in the planning stages of my trip when the injury occurred and I had to put everything on hold. I should have been there at the end of this summer. I've just been cleared to begin training to regain my strength. The camino is back on my list of goals. The blessing of my injury is that even a year from now, I will, most likely, be unable to rush as I once could have.

Your comments about Americans are, to a certain extent, fair. We are certainly products of our society and our society's most common export is selfish consumers. A pass/fail society that often-times doesn't always see that some things transcend triumph or failure. Always in a hurry for the next accomplishment without always paying attention to the work already in progress. But that is true of a large percentage of our world. With our status quo of productivity, so many Americans reach the end of their lives without ever having taken the time to truly live it.

I lived abroad, working in Germany and France twenty years ago and I learned very early on to be detached and keep my country of origin on the quiet side of the fence until I was aware of who I was dealing with. Some Americans are hideous when they're not at home. More than once I pointed out to one that if they wanted a Big Mac and a Coca-Cola, they could have gotten those at home and that perhaps they would have done everone a favor by staying there in the first place. On the other hand, some of the Americans I met there are still friends and dear to me. There are good and bad in any place where people who are not natives congregate. I can still remember standing with a female friend a few years ago, in Colorado in the US, and hearing Germans making comments about her physical attributes. She was lovely. They went so far as to say, in German, that Americans were too lazy to learn a second language so there was no reason to worry that we'd understand them. I quietly and politely advised them, in German, that that wasn't necessarily the case.

My hope is to be on the Camino beginning in early April of 2013 and I will be one of your 'low-key' Americans. I am quiet and respectful by nature. Although I do love to sing so I probably won't be completely silent. I'm curious about other cultures without wanting to change them and I'm not interested in inflicting my own upon strangers. My trip is no longer being planned as a hike but as a thanksgiving pilgrimage in gratitude to God for the way that this injury has changed my life. I will provide alms fairly to donativos and pay for my own food. I am not a heavy drinker, am not interested in random copulation, do not smoke and do not do drugs.

I'll be the jolly, middle-aged bald man who has lived in monasteries and who is currently a children's catechism teacher; dressed all in black, with a big smile, a rosary and a few kinds words for those that I meet.

I am not an entrepreneur and I'm not wealthy. I work very hard and am able to save but little by taking care of at-risk adults. I've already told my employer of several years that I will be leaving my job to do this. She understands that, as a man of faith, I have a drive to seek and she's encouraging me to pursue the camino. If it takes me two months from Roncevalles to Santiago de Compostela, it takes me two months. Three if takes three. It will be what it needs to be. I've made no plans beyond the walk. Aside from the possessions that I box up and put in storage before I leave, I'm literally setting aside my entire life to live the Camino. I seek the journey as a whole and all the experiences of it, not a destination as the singularity of a bragging right. Should employement or volunteer opportunities present themselves, and I would welcome them if they should, I will approach them as Spanish law permits. I hope to learn from my fellow pilgrims, regardless of country of origin, more than they ever need to remember from me.

Folks, not all Americans are bad, rude or selfish. One of the best things in our culture is the high percentage of Americans who are happy as children are happy, compassionate as God intended and who will give more of themselves than they ever hope to receive just for the joy of giving. Some of us want to see the Camino and Spain and the Spanish and Saint James and the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts because of all of the good and beautiful things we have heard about them. And to experience a religious pilgrimage that exists as it could never exist in our country without the stain of corporate sponsorship and billboards. And we don't want to mar the beauty of Spain. We want to rub the earth of it into our souls and wear it next to our hearts.

If I get to make a few friends and maybe sit in a garden or two along the way with a glass of Rioja as the sun sets, that'll be a reward beyong measuring. Mass in small churches with pilgrims from around the world? Bliss beyond imagining. As someone who's lived abroad before, I know that those things are not unreasonable to hope for. I also know that if they don't happen, I won't be disappointed. You have my promise that I will strive to leave nothing more behind me than smiles. And I'm sure I won't be the only one who feels that way, American or not.

I look forward to seeing and meeting some of you in the spring of 2013. Until then, wherever you're from and wherever you fare, Buen Camino!
 
Pyotr_Miley, thank you for such kind and accurate words. Indeed you have caught the heart of some of us Americans. And perhaps it is because so few Americans have this heart that our numbers on the Camino are so small.

I have never travelled abroad but you have certainly expressed, with clear detail, some of my feelings and reasons for my desire to walk.

As you say, and i agree, I wish to be changed by this experience not to change the land or impose our ways upon those I meet along the way.

May your walk be a joy to you and those you meet.
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Not sure why some Americans are down on themselves, but there is such a thing as an American hero.

And it was my privilege to meet one of them.

The Youth Hostel in Madrid in 1970 was unlike any others I had encountered in my travels. There did not seem to be any curfew, travelers slept in as late as they pleased and many had been living there for months. There were travelers from all over the world and we would talk far into the night about our respective countries, lives and philosophies while indulging in vino tinto and blanco. I don’t remember any girls other than one incident. It was our custom to adjourn en masse to the University of Madrid for lunch. (15 pesetas as I recall. I had been earning 350 pesetas an hour working on the line in a Kitchener factory. I had enough money in traveler’s checks to buy a Spanish villa on the Mediterranean coast). As about twenty of us, replete with wine and delicious bean and chorizo stew were sunning ourselves after lunch on a grassy knoll, my friend Julian confidently approached a group of office worker lovelies on the adjoining knoll. Julian was a tall, handsome, muscular Australian with long blonde hair and charm to match. He delivered his lines with his customary aplomb and the Spanish beauty looked down her perfectly shaped nose and said: “Dirty hippy. No money”. Well… no girls in Madrid. But it was a great time, nevertheless.

Greener fields beckoned. So Julian from Australia; Paul from Hamilton, Canada; Mike, the American and myself, an eighteen year old South African immigrant to Canada, all piled into Paul’s ramshackle Volkswagen and headed for the Mediterranean coast. My companions seemed to typify certain conceptions of their countries. Julian was rash, brash, and generous to a fault with a heart as big as the great Outback. He was twenty one and had been on the road for years. Paul was twenty and like most young Canadians had been caught up in the Haight Ashbury thing. Also like all Canadians, he was one of God’s children: decent, quiet, innocent and honest as the day was long.

And then there was Mike from California. Mike was twenty four years old and like us, had the long hair and other hippy paraphernalia. He was tall, rangy and looked like the film version of the American hero: a cross between Gary Cooper and Jimmy Stewart. But there was a vast difference between Mike and us. Mike had volunteered for the Marines and had, incredibly volunteered for an additional term in Viet Nam. He had ended his military career as a sergeant, had been wounded in battle and had numerous medals. Mike was quite laconic and I was the only one who knew his background having elicited it by adroit questioning after noticing how everyone unconsciously deferred to his rare pronouncements.

Our quixotic journey across Spain was the ultimate adventure. We got lost on numerous occasions, but what the heck, we did not have to be anywhere at any particular time and anyway, Mike would take care of us – and he did.

I remember a typical instance where we ended up in a remote region high in the mountains. We made camp on a hillside and walked into the nearest village to get food. It was midday forty two years ago but I remember it like it was yesterday. We walked into town along the main street: Mike, Julian, Paul and I. The entire town turned out to see us. The dogs were barking, the children were screaming, the women were pointing and talking and the men were staring. I remember how blue the sky was, how bright the sun shone, I also seem to remember birds squawking overhead. It was surreal. Like a painting, somehow. The villagers had not seen anyone like us for hundreds of years.

Everyone, my buddies, the villagers, and I focused on Mike who seemed at ease and calm and we all relaxed. We got our meat, bread and vegetables at the only store in the village. The crowd was still outside and followed us to the end of town.

We made a big fire, cooked our supper, drank our wine and talked as few men have ever talked. I fell asleep looking at a star studded sky.

The next morning a chauffeur driven limousine, followed by a car full of Guardia Civil with some pretty heavy looking armaments pulled up. Mike calmly walked over to the limousine as the lowering window revealed a black suited gentleman. Mike spoke to the man, who nodded and smiled. Mike came back and said we were welcome to stay as long as we liked.
After many adventures, which we thoroughly enjoyed since Mike shouldered all the attendant problems, we ended up at the Valencia Youth Hostel. This was just like a luxury resort, with swimming pool, no restrictions and we settled back to the life of Riley.

Such is the nature of man that even Paradise palls after a few weeks and adventure called across the Mediterranean from Morocco. So we all piled onto the ferry to Algeriras. We were all long haired hippies at that time, but Mike had the forethought to cut his locks. As a result, he was waved through to Morocco while we were turned back.

Like the American hero he was, he rode off into the sunset. And that was the last time I ever saw him.

I’m sixty years old. I attained my age in a time of cynicism. We don’t believe in heroes in our day. But this twenty four year old was my hero when I was eighteen and …. I have to admit he still is today.

And I’ll tell you why.

It’s not because he was a war hero in the most unpopular war ever fought. Nor is it that even the hippies listened to him and recognized him as a hero in their own sphere. It’s because he really was a hero for all the times. While I was in that Youth Hostel in Madrid, I met another American that I spoke to at length. He was trying to dodge the draft. He was the most anguished individual I’ve ever met. Mike is my hero because I saw him, a decorated veteran, trying to give this individual some comfort.

Mike, wherever you are, I salute you.

You are a true American hero.
 
I had dreamed of walking the Camino ever since I happened to come upon an article on the Camino de Santiago in an old copy of The Atlantic magazine.
But none of my friends were so enthusiastic to hop across the pond considering how the air fare would set their pocket books back.

I had not considered walking solo at the time, though I would do it in a heart beat knowing what I know now.

So when an Irish friend from an online film community, who'd been chatting me up for a year, asked if I cared to meet up and walk the Camino together, I took him up on his invitation. While we bumped into not a few Celtic folks, a few Magyars (Hungarians), my land of origin, we only ran into a couple of U.S.A. folk.

The cost of flying over from the New World lol is pretty dear .
 
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Pyotr_Miley said:
...

I'll be the jolly, middle-aged bald man who has lived in monasteries and who is currently a children's catechism teacher; dressed all in black, with a big smile, a rosary and a few kinds words for those that I meet. ....

I look forward to seeing and meeting some of you in the spring of 2013. Until then, wherever you're from and wherever you fare, Buen Camino!

Thanks for your tale, Pyotr Miley! I'll be the American who's spent 40 of her 60 yrs in Norway, now walking alongside my 75 yr old husband. Maybe we'll meet on the Camino.. We expect to be walking towards Santiago from ca. Leon about mid June, 2013... I appreciate all the people sharing their wisdom, curiosity towards fellow travellers... met with open minds. I admire this willingnes to accept a challenge and the stamina to carry on.
I'm just hoping there'll be a little café, a little copa de tinto about halfway the steepest ascents.. ;D, shannon
 
Hermanita said:
What is it with us Americans from the USA???

As if it were that simple..... :roll:

Somebody already mentioned the transatlantic crossing as a deterrent and I would like to emphasize that. There is simply no comparison between boarding a train/bus and getting to a destination than having to embark on a transoceanic flight, thousands of miles from home, and several hundreds of dollars in the process.

Almost 100% of the Americans I talked to regarding travel would LOVE to do it..only if they could afford: 1) the flight cost, 2) the time commitment.

Most European countries have much lax work leave schedule that the US. I have been obsessing with doing the Camino since 1986....but I have to work. It has only been in the last 2-3 years that I have been able to take 2 weeks/time and guess where I've been..... :wink:

Where are all the Americans???-- they are at the National Parks, the local beaches, cruising, taking road trips....they may not be in Spain, but many are definitely not on a couch either.....
 
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As a US citizen I can say that I'm personally glad there aren't more U.S. pilgrims. Not, necessarily, because of any American bashing.......mostly just because I don't go on vacation to meet and hang out with people I could have met back home. I go to Czech Republic to meet Czechs, France to meet French. The Camino is special. It is international and a chance to meet people from all over. I'm glad the U.S. is represented, but I certainly don't see it as a disadvantage that the numbers are limited. If anything, I see it as a bonus (and, again, not necessarily for anything pro or con with generalizations about people of nationalities).
 
I don't go on vacation to meet and hang out with people I could have met back home.
But you cannot meet them at home; they are on the Camino! :D
 
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I'm an American. I travel a lot, and often with my wife, and child. You will never see us advertise the fact that we are American. I can't think of anything more bizarre than traveling with an American flag patch on my backpack. People tend to target us because they believe we are rich. Others might hurt us because of our governments actions. It might seem paranoid but blending in has served us well.
 
Tximeleta said:
...is it true that you only have 10 days off at work?????

Tximeleta-- the lucky ones get 10 days! :D The average is ONE week vacation at a time, EVEN if you have 10 days (or more vacation days on your leave bank).

There are 10 national (federal) holidays in the United States's work calendar. These are mandatory days off to all federal employees and for most other workers. Not surprisingly, a substantial number of companies choose not to honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day (shameful!). So, in addition to those mandatory days, companies usually grant 10 pay vacation days/year. However, many companies very rarely allow that a worker take all 10 days at a time. This does not apply much to academia/schools where they get Christmas/Easter/ Spring Break/Summer/ Thanksgiving breaks.

I have to save both, time and money, to be able to complete the Camino because I can only walk 7-8 days at a time been from the US and having a demanding job.

That is why, when I read those judmental minds that do not consider me a pilgrim because I choose to transfer my bag and stay once in a while in a private room, I laugh histerically. Given the obstacles I face and the determination I show to still get on the Camino every year, I truly believe I am 100% more of a Pilgrim that any one of them. Seriously.
 
I am an American and for this country, I have a really generous vacation allowance. I started with only 10 days a year, but after 5 years with the company I was bumped up to 15. Now I have 18 days/year. We top out at 20. We also have 4 floating holidays (we used to get the day after Thanksgiving, MLK day, and a couple others) but we decided we wanted more flexibility so we have minimal set holidays and more floaters. This is very generous though. Even still, I would be very hard-pressed to take all those days in one chunk - it is just hard to be away from my job that long. I usually take 2 weeks off at a time, but for the Camino I will be taking 3 off.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Olivares said:
Given the obstacles I face and the determination I show to still get on the Camino every year, I truly believe I am 100% more of a Pilgrim that ony one of them. Seriously.
I fully agree with you. You have pointed out details which for many Forum members are not evident. We all live in an ever more comunicating world, yet many differences are often overlooked. You are lucky to have a job. Others are retired with money time on their sleeves. Two opposites. :)
 
To be honest , given the small number of holidays enjoyed by our north American friends, coupled with cost , it is surprising so many Americans make the trip. I live in Scotland, am lucky to have 30+ leave days plus public holidays to take and I can "only " manage 16 days on the Camino this year.
If the Camino was in North America and I only had 10 days to cover family celebrations/other family commitments etc, there is no way i would get to go on the camino. So well done to all those who make it.
 
I'm an American, and my employer allows us to save vacation days from one year to the next. I'll be starting the Camino from SJPdP on 02 April (God and the weather willing) and finishing in Santiago by 03 May. Plus transit / flight days.

That's two years worth of vacation, more or less.
 
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I sometimes wonder what makes american jobs so different from all other jobs...

I have a good job, tons of work and tons of responsibilities (and am lucky to have one too)

Amazingly the business is always still there when I return after a break be it 1 day or 3 weeks...

Also, a lot of other people travel to other continents, myself included, airfare is really not that expensive anymore if one is careful...

I really believe it is all in the attitude & priorities, if we tell our selves something is very far away it will be, if we tell ourselves it is too expensive it will be...

Myself, I will happily live on bread & water for a year if the prize is 2 weeks in galapagos

but then, that is just me...
 
I think part of it is a cultural difference. Unless one makes the Camino a pilgrimage for religious/spiritual reasons, then it is simply a vacation, and the American culture on vacations tends to be oriented towards family and/or relaxation. Short vacation windows, plus travel cost, plus the sacrifice and struggle of the Camino equals a low interest factor.

I think "The Way" movie from Estevez/Sheen will continue to make a difference. At a recent information night at my local REI, about 50 people were there to learn more, and every last one of them had seen the movie and indicated it was at least part of their inspiration to learn more.
 
Pieces said:
I sometimes wonder what makes american jobs so different from all other jobs...

I have a good job, tons of work and tons of responsibilities (and am lucky to have one too)

Amazingly the business is always still there when I return after a break be it 1 day or 3 weeks...

I completely agree, and I see this as a major, major problem with my (U.S.) culture. It ties into ego-centricsm, a focus solely on economic gain, etc etc. This certainly is a major (and fair) indictment of our society, and I actually think it has a causational link to many other problems in our society.

But you also have to realize that it isn't necessarily the individual who feels that way. But if their boss feels that way...... Or even if their boss would agree with you and me, if their competition feels that way. The problem is deep and wide, and it is a cultural one. SImply saying "you should come, how is your job more important than mine" isn't satisfactory (even though it is true). You live in a culture that mostly supports our viewpoint. Many live in a culture that would actually (amazingly) try to argue that we are the selfish, egocentric ones. And no matter how much that offends me, it doesn't change it from being a reality.

Pieces said:
airfare is really not that expensive anymore if one is careful...
That is, simply put, not true.


Pieces said:
I really believe it is all in the attitude & priorities.

Myself, I will happily live on bread & water for a year if the prize is 2 weeks in galapagos

but then, that is just me...

Agreed. My wife and I are able to take a major, three week trip (usually to Europe, sometimes to other locations) every 2 years because we make it our only major priority. This year we are spending 6 weeks on the camino.

To accomplish this, however, we only eat out (or take out) once a month, we keep track of literally every dollar we spend, heck my wife hasn't had a coffee out in 6 years. We rarely buy any clothes even when our old ones become worn, we drive cars that are a decade old with no plans to replace them, and many more such sacrifices (that we gladly make without complaint). Because of this we are able to take a major trip. But doing so takes making travel that much of a priority. And I say that as someone where we are both college professors making a living wage. Economic times are tough, and not everyone can even have the privilege my wife and I have of "making" it a priority. Meanwhile, even for those that can, I can understand why they don't. While I think travel, and truly immersing yourself in a local culture (not packaged tourism) is the most important thing in life........I also realize that with the current economics and current cost of travel, that one has to almost 100% agree with that viewpoint (that it is the most important thing) in order to make it happen unless they are truly rich. I can't blame people for not being willing to go to the great lengths that my wife and I do. That said, I don't second guess our decision making for a second.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Another American voice here. For many Americans a trip to Europe - any trip to Europe - is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We see Europe through the rosy romantic-tinted vision of the great cities like Paris, Rome, London, that we see in movies. My sister has wanted to go to Paris since she was four years old, but it's not her highest priority in life (family first) so it hasn't happened. I've been to Europe nine times, but I don't have children, or a mortgage, or a husband to consider.

A surprisingly small percentage of Americans hold passports - why leave the US when everything we need is here? While I don't share this view, I know people who swear by it.

As others have mentioned, it's very much a cultural attitude. But this can change; just give us time!
Nancy
 
nreyn12 said:
Another American voice here. For many Americans a trip to Europe - any trip to Europe - is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.


I don't understand why this is the case, I would love to be as close to Europe as the US, your airfares are half the price that i must pay from Oz , and for decades your dollar gave you great spending power in Europe,

Good luck with trip No 10
 
ffp13 said:
nreyn12 said:
Another American voice here. For many Americans a trip to Europe - any trip to Europe - is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.


I don't understand why this is the case, I would love to be as close to Europe as the US, your airfares are half the price that i must pay from Oz , and for decades your dollar gave you great spending power in Europe,

Good luck with trip No 10
It's a bit of a mystery, isn't it? I felt that way until I took my first once-in-a-lifetime trip, and then I stopped using the phrase! Thanks for your good wishes. :)
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
For my American Cousins-the train system in Spain is not Amtrak, it works, it is efficient, its on time, clean, and costs 50-60 Euro from Santiago to Madrid. There are also buses even a so called direct one from Santiago to Barajas the Madrid airport however it requires a ride into downtown Madrid a change of buses and the stops along the way few and far between requiring a bladder as big as a watermelon. Having said that the Santiago airport is small, traveler friendly, and is easy to get out to with the shuttle bus from downtown, you passed it walking in you can also walk back out to it.
 
Almost 30% of Americans over 18 have a passport; almost 50% of those in New Jersey have passports! The deep south has the lowest percentage.

The United States has everything that you can find anywhere else in the world -- high mountains, seacoast, the Gulf, snow, deserts, plains, coastal mountains, etc. I think many Americans do not feel the need to travel to see terrain. Why they don't wish to see more cultures probably is much more complex. Considering the number of potential pilgrims in this Forum who are anxious about weather and bed bugs, it is not surprising that some Americans might be anxious about foreign languages and cultures.

Not everyone seems to feel the need for the rush that comes from new experiences. Lots of people just like to be comfortable. Chacun a son gout.

There is no single American. The schisms make Spain's divisions of Basque, Catalon, Galician, etc. seem like small potatoes. There are 565 American Indian tribes alone, very few of which care about the others; there are only 193 members of the United Nations, so there are three times as many American Indian nations as world nations. You cannot find an AMERICAN just like you cannot find an INDIAN.
 
I think I just found one
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Let's see. For an American, travel to Europe takes three elements: time, money, and interest. Someone has already addressed the very limited workplace vacation situation here; I would only add that in this very tight job market, taking any time off at all is considered to be "slacking", and puts one at a competitive disadvantage when layoffs (terminations) are selected. So, in practical terms, fully employed Americans will not be walking the Camino -- only students, retirees, or the unemployed -- and the occasional semi-retired/self-employed.

As to money there is the trip cost (~$1200 air fare, $200 train, and $35-50/day) which can easily reach $3000 for a month's walk. It takes a special situation to be able to swing both the time and the money.

And then there's the interest. Frankly, we are a nation of many perspectives; more a salad than a melting pot. Younger folks are paying off their own heavy college debt, while older folks are paying off college for children or grandchildren, or are frightened of the poor employment situation for those over 50. Fortunately, most colleges now have multiple "semester abroad" programs, so many youngsters are getting exposed to overseas cultures at a young age.

So, be glad you see as many of us as you do!
 
I don't understand why this is the case, I would love to be as close to Europe as the US, your airfares are half the price that i must pay from Oz , and for decades your dollar gave you great spending power in Europe,

It's not all that big of a mystery. We get maybe 2 weeks of vacation time a year, and it's not guaranteed to be consecutive either. Paying $1,000+ every year to do, at the most, two weeks on the Camino isn't feasible for many, and for those who want to pay several thousand for a trip to Europe will do other things than the Camino, as the Camino isn't well known over here.

And I think even if it were, people would want to do things more well known that are 'status' symbols of a sort. Like seeing the leaning tower of Pisa, or going to the Eiffel Tower, or other things you can brag to others about. Saying 'yah I walked across Spain' just isn't a real great story to some and not appealing due to the exertion.

We may be physically closer, dependent on what side of the country you live one I suppose, but we're a long ways away in terms of opportunity.
 
I didn't realise how exploited the average worker in the US is, I think you are hard done by, you don't even have free hospital :(

in Oz the minimum annual holidays is 20 working days = 4 weeks, then many workers are can get additional leave for long service 3 months leave after 10 years ( most gov employees) 15 years for many private sector jobs. For my first Camino I was on long service leave.

I believe the average German worker has 6 weeks a year and get 1 months additional bonus pay when on leave, no wonder they are the most travelled nation :)
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Kitsambler said:
...taking any time off at all is considered to be "slacking", and puts one at a competitive disadvantage when layoffs (terminations) are selected. So, in practical terms, fully employed Americans will not be walking the Camino -- only students, retirees, or the unemployed -- and the occasional semi-retired/self-employed.

Hmm... so much for the land of the free. :|
 
ffp13 said:
I believe the average German worker has 6 weeks a year and get 1 months additional bonus pay when on leave, no wonder they are the most travelled nation :)

And most productive. :!: :idea:
 
if most productive is by GDP US is actually number 4

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)_per_hour_worked

also the claim that Germany is the most travelled people is really dependent on how you look at it, yes combined they spend most money abroad, but the stats does not take into account how many people live there...

I would have expected some of the Scandinavians to be quite close to the top of that list but we are not that many people so hard to compete with Germany who has 16 times as many people as Denmark or Norway....
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
US geography is varied, beautiful, and eclectic. We have tropical beaches, trekking mountains, long hiking trails, fast rivers, glacial lakes, prairies, and cities: glamor cities, fashion cities, Cajun cities, musical cities. Basically, you name it, we got it. It's cheaper and faster to travel in your own country, and with so many choices in your own backyard, why not?

Besides, in terms of Camino-like activities, and in accordance to the it's-cheaper-in-your-own-backyard concept, we have the Appalachian trail, the continental divide, the American discovery trail (for those wanting to hike through towns like the Camino does).
 
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Olivares said:
Hermanita said:
Where are all the Americans???-- they are at the National Parks, the local beaches, cruising, taking road trips....they may not be in Spain, but many are definitely not on a couch either.....


Here here
 
nreyn12 said:
Another American voice here. For many Americans a trip to Europe - any trip to Europe - is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We see Europe through the rosy romantic-tinted vision of the great cities like Paris, Rome, London, that we see in movies. My sister has wanted to go to Paris since she was four years old, but it's not her highest priority in life (family first) so it hasn't happened. I've been to Europe nine times, but I don't have children, or a mortgage, or a husband to consider.

A surprisingly small percentage of Americans hold passports - why leave the US when everything we need is here? While I don't share this view, I know people who swear by it.

As others have mentioned, it's very much a cultural attitude. But this can change; just give us time!
Nancy
I'm glad you said this. I'm always surprised by how people think that travel can be considered so nonchalantly for Americans. For most people I know, overseas travel just isn't a consideration due to the cost. Contrary to popular belief, not all Americans are dripping with diamonds and painted in gold!
 
I am an American in my early 50's and will be embarking on my first Camino on Aug 23rd from SJPDP. I would have loved to do this before know but had neither the time nor money to do it. This has been an interesting thread. For those that I meet, I hope that if you must judge me, that you will do it based on my behavior and not on what may passport says. I am looking forward to a fantastic experience and making some life-long friends.
 
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What we really need is a Camino Canadiense or Camino de Estados Unidos ... You know, walk from Seattle to St John's and get a certificate.

Currently, most Europeans can start their Camino from their doorstep ... thats not the case for us here in the Americas.

Perhaps establish a tradition of Rowing from St John's to Finisterre in order to finish ... Do you think all that would earn a Compostela?
 
No compostela, but I hear Katahdin on the Appalachian trail has she same pull on hikers as the cathedral in Santiago does of peregrinos.
 
The other thing I think people don't consider is that, for Europeans, traveling from one country to another European country is the equivalent of Americans traveling around the States. It's easy to go around the States. Just as its easy to be in Europe and travel around the European countries. So if we consider it that way, I'd say that Americans are just as well travelled as Europeans. It's just that we don't need passports to do it!
 
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If there was as many excuses FOR leaving the US as for NOT leaving it. it seems like more americans would travel...

and FYI europeans are not dipped in gold either, even if we do choose to leave the continent on occation...
 
jrosado1 said:
I'd say that Americans are just as well travelled as Europeans. It's just that we don't need passports to do it!

Europeans don't need passports to travel in Europe either.
 
ffp13 said:
jrosado1 said:
I'd say that Americans are just as well travelled as Europeans. It's just that we don't need passports to do it!

Europeans don't need passports to travel in Europe either.
Missing the point.
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
jrosado1 said:
The other thing I think people don't consider is that, for Europeans, traveling from one country to another European country is the equivalent of Americans traveling around the States. It's easy to go around the States. Just as its easy to be in Europe and travel around the European countries. So if we consider it that way, I'd say that Americans are just as well travelled as Europeans. It's just that we don't need passports to do it!

I didn't realize till my first trip to Europe that we are living in a cultural backwater. Our history is about 250 years. The cultural diversity is non-existant... you can see McDonalds, Walmart, and the usual box stores everywhere.

Contrast that to crossing a thousand year old bridge at Puente la Reina or sitting in a chapel in Rabanal where people have participated in the same services for a thousand years ... I saw only one McDonalds restaurant along the entire camino. ... Its not the same and you cannot compare.
 
What I found when I walked the Camino last September is that it was coincidential on who you met. I met two Americans from Texas on my first day and spent my entire Camino walking with them. I only met maybe two Canadians but when I was talking to people from all over the world, they commented on the large number of Canadians that they had met. So I think the folks are all out there, from all over the world - but coincidence may have it that you may not come across many of a certain nation.
 
Sooo what about the AUSTRALIANS ???? :D

We have to travel to the other side of the earth to get to almost anywhere- that may be a bonus for us :p

My first Camino - but NOT my first travel experience in Europe - will as usual open up a whole new world. I LOVE It :D

Oh and for the posters - ALL of LIFE IS a Camino regardless of where you live :lol:
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
whariwharangi said:
The cultural diversity is non-existant...

I don't quite agree here, someone from Brooklyn, New York would feel a little out of place down in Valdosta, Georgia, and vice versa.

whariwharangi said:
you can see McDonalds, Walmart, and the usual box stores everywhere.

Wholeheartedly agree. I've heard this phenomenon refered to as the "United States of Generica".
 
Anyone who thinks cultural diversity is non existent in the USA has never left their own small corner. We aren't called a melting pot for nothing!

Portland, Oregon, for example, is extremely culturally diverse. Send someone from Oildale, Ca to San Francisco or Massachusetts and they'd have a heart attack. Boston and Dalton, Georgia are as culturally different as night and day. The people can barely understand each other, not to mention a 360-degree difference in mindset. :lol:
 
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This thread is really annoying me.

Why isn't anyone picking on the Greeks? In all my travels, I've never met a traveling Greek.
 
maybe a better question would be why is an american picking on the americans...

anyways, if it is annoying I suggest you just skip it in the future...
 
I have been out and about for work in areas like Oz, India, Turkey, and all over Europe from Spain to Moscow and know a little about the various differences work and cultural exposure wise. For vacation time, I work for a large Fortune 50 US Corporation and our vacation is adjusted over time as follows:
1-4 years = 10 days
5-14 years = 15 days
15-20 years = 20 days
21-25 years = 1 additional day per year (up to 25 days)
Also we general will get Christmas through new years off and 7 holidays sprinkled through the year. But you may not get to choose the weeks you get to take off as your boss may need to space all employees vacation time around the year so that there is no stoppages. So, you just don’t see the companies, or countries, closing for August like I have seen in Europe.
Other companies can be much less with only 1 to 2 paid weeks off and some will let you take 1 to 2 weeks unpaid. Mostly through, Americans tend to be very provincial and just don’t have a lot of world views. As for the Camino itself, it is not well know in the US and was virtually completely unknown till the film “The Way” came out. Most US hikers or trekkers will be heading for the Appalachian Trail and many will do the trail over 5-10 years by hiking 1 to 2 week sections. The same can be said for the Continental Divide Trail, and the Pacific Crest Trails. Here is a page with just some of the long distance trails that are in the US: http://sectionhiker.com/long-distance-hiking-trails/
But as I said, in the US we have 50 States to move around in that all use the same money, speak the same language, and have all the comforts of home - MacDonald’s, Wal-Mart (AKA American TESCO). But we have a very bad tendency tend to look inward much too much if only because many think we are the best with no exterior basis for comparison.
 
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jrosado1 said:
This thread is really annoying me.

Why isn't anyone picking on the Greeks? In all my travels, I've never met a traveling Greek.

To show that there are Greeks on the Camino (I have met several, including a doctor from Salonica who used the computer before me without closing out of facebook-- I called him back and he was sufficiently grateful I got a glass of orujo de hierbas out of it) and that US folk are not as provincial as they like to think, an incident from my last Camino might prove of interest. Several of us, crawling and stumbling on the way to San Sebastian, crested the height and had our first view of the city by its bay and beach. After a minute of silence, a Greek pilgrim told us that Cavafy had written a poem which expressed her feelings, but she did not know it in English. A retired US Army Corps of Engineers major was standing behind us, and began to recite Cavafy's Ithaca from memory. I can only remember the lines (May there be many a summer morning when, with what pleasure, what joy, you come into harbours seen for the first time).
 
I am not surprised to find a retired US officer being well educated as in the US professional military education is very highly praised. University degrees are required for Officers and are quite common for senior non-commissioned officers. Master and Doctorate degrees are just about required for ranks of Cornel and General and are also common in the non-commissioned ranks.
 
This original posting was done by my friend Rita (aka Hemanita) from Boston, back in 2009 and before the days of The Way.
Rita and family are extremely well travelled Americans, who also try and learn their languages. After their Pilgrimage, they came and stayed with us here in Costa Rica, bringing two of their grandchildren along too.
Since The Way, I have most definitely noticed an enormous increase in, not only Americans, but other English speaking nationalities walking the Camino. I have to admit that I can't tell the difference between most Canadian and American accents, maybe unless we happened to get chatting with them and found out where they came from, I could have been mistaking Americans for Canadians ( at least the English speaking Canadians, because the French Canadians have, for me, a very distinct French accent) Anne
 
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If you can do it, and want to do it, you will. US citizens have a tough time of it though, with the short vacation time, and the costs involved.

However, I have to say, that in my travels around the U.S., I have met so many decent and friendly people. I was absolutely amazed at the open and freely given generous hospitality I encountered, and me, a total stranger. That kind of hospitality is not so frequent in Europe. My friends who have visted the US also said the same thing.

So be proud of yourselves! it is a wonderful attribute to be so generous and open to others.

And of course the US is such a wonderful place for Europeans (and others) to visit. It is truly an amazing country. I don't blame you Wanting to experience your own fabulous country before venturing abroad.

Buen Camino.
 
I am from Pittsburgh, USA, and I have live on the Frances for 7 years. I used to be the only American around. It was kinda fun being an exotic. Now the camino is awash in Americans, and they enjoy chatting with me sometimes. What is best is when they tell me "your English is almost as good as a native speaker!"
 
Travel overseas can be intimidating. For some people, going to a place where you don't speak the language or know the customs can scary. I know for some it's a rush, but for others, constantly worrying about if you're offending someone is no way to spend a vacation. Also, Americans have this perception that they aren't liked abroad. Would you want to go to a place if you thought everyone hated you there before they even met you? The cost and time to do it are a big factor as well. Your average American just doesn't have the income to fly to Europe and then spend the time to make it worth their while.

While seeing other countries might be on our bucket-list, there are a lot of things to do at home too. Drive Route 66, see Mt. Rushmore, visit Revolutionary and Civil War battlefields, go to Hawaii, go to Alaska, the Grand Canyon, the Empire State Building, the Indy 500, the Daytona 500, the Super Bowl, the World Series, National parks, barbecue in Kansas City, pizza in Chicago, cheese steaks in Philadelphia, fishing the Great Lakes, fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, camping in the north woods of Minnesota, skiing in Colorado, snowmobiling in Montana and so on. Most of these events are within the reach of your average American. You can save up for bit and find the time to take off from work to do them.

I very much disagree with the poster who said America is a "cultural backwater."
 
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Pieces said:
maybe a better question would be why is an american picking on the americans...

anyways, if it is annoying I suggest you just skip it in the future...

Thanks for your suggestion. I won't be taking it, though.
 
After reading all of this post - I am truly glad to be AUSTRALIAN - do not believe we have as many hangups :) sorry guys :D

Live and Let Live

Annie X
 
I am an american living in london and dublin. I have lived and worked in italy, france, ireland and the uk since 1977. I will put my 2cents worth of comments in this topic regarding the americans. Puting all other things aside, i would like to offer a piece of advice. The camino always welcome you. I realise that you have come a long way to visit us at tremendous cost, with limited time and resources. But please during your time in spain, at least try to learn and speak some spanish. In europe the english language is not the center of the world. We in europe speak many other languages - be it spanish, french, italian, german, flemish, dutch, portuguese, etc. the thing that upsets many people in europe is asking the question "do you speak english?". In any european country, we do appreciate tourist who at least attempt to speak our native languages. I learn to speak several languages in europe without any formal lesson - italian, french, spanish, apart from my native language - chinese. Remember you are guest in our countries and it will be highly appreciative by the natives if you even try.

Thanks to everyone.

Que tengan un buen camino y que dios os bediga. To those who don't understand spanish, the translation is:

May you have a buen camino and may god bless you (plural).
 
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Parzival said:
I'm an American. I travel a lot, and often with my wife, and child. You will never see us advertise the fact that we are American. I can't think of anything more bizarre than traveling with an American flag patch on my backpack. People tend to target us because they believe we are rich. Others might hurt us because of our governments actions. It might seem paranoid but blending in has served us well.

That's an interesting thought, I was in the process of buying an American Flag patch, but may reconsider. Thanks for the insight.
 
Hi all,

This post was started a while back, and there are more americans on the Camino now than when this post was created.

I hope we can discuss this topic without putting one group of people up against another. I will let the thread continue, but if it turns way off course... it may be closed in the future.

Let's all be friends! :)

Greetings from the forever-optimist,
Ivar
 
This was one of the more strange threads I have read.

People are people, American or European or Australian. You have all types. Assuming any one American is the stereotype on the Camino can really take take away the meaning of walking to begin with.

I just finished Valenca Portugal to Santiago with my friend. We "saw" a few people as we walked but really didn't meet up with anyone. There was hardly anyone on the Camino Portugues We met one gentleman - an Englishman living in Dublin walking the Camino while he can - he has MS. We had a wonderful night of wine, food and talk with him. I am so upset I didn't get his contact info. Dave, if you ever read this, contact me :)

Please don't assume the stereotypes are correct concerning Americans. There are more and more that are planning to come, but as someone else mentioned, time off is premium for us, more than two weeks is almost unheard of. I get three weeks per year plus holidays plus personal time, but then we barely get a chance to take that all at once! We work too hard, we know this, but if your company requires it, so be it, until you can afford not to work. I introduced many people to walking the Camino that had never heard of it, now they are planning to go. You will see more working Americans on the shorter distances.

My Camino Portugues was only the beginning for me. I learned Portugues and my friend learned Spanish so we did great! We met wonderful charming people that would help or guide us if we went astray or send us through a detour that was more beautiful. There was nothing about my trip I wouldn't do again and I hope the people I met and touched along the way feel the same about me.

Be careful of labels... that's why some Americans will not travel abroad - fear that they will be targeted or taken advantage of.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
whariwharangi said:
What we really need is a Camino Canadiense or Camino de Estados Unidos ... You know, walk from Seattle to St John's and get a certificate.

There is a group of people in California working on establishing 'El Camino Real' Mission to Mission walk. Check out this blog for starters: http://californiamissionwalk.yolasite.com/
 
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