Camino - Dance Like Nobody's Watching

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Panorama Me in front of Cirauqui - Rough translation 'Nest of vipers'

Daily life on the Camino is simple. Walk, find a bed, food, water and a bar. I'll break the day down further so that you can understand the minor details.

Albergues or Refuges have daily hours of opening around 14:00 for check in. They shut the doors, mostly at 22:00, silence from 22:30 or 23:00 to 6 or sometimes 7 in the morning and then pilgrims have to be out by 8. It's hard to get in a good night's partying with the locals when you have restrictions like this. The locals don't come out to party until midnight in some places. So in some towns it's nice to take a room in a pension or hostal instead. That way, you can firstly have a later night out with friends and secondly get a decent night's sleep without the snoring.

So the day starts when woken at 5 by the Fit and Physical. I lie in bed thinking about the day and then negotiate with myself about maybe starting later. I usually win. Most people get up at 6, which is more reasonable. I learned early in the piece that if I get up at the same time as these people, then we would be bumping into each other between the bunk beds. So, I stay in bed until my neighbours have cleared out. Then my preparation for the day is less harried. I had the packing procedure down to a fine art. I can be up and out in 10 minutes if I have to. Luckily, most days I didn't have to.

I then go to the bar for a cafe con leche or two. Bars open very early in Spain. I'm not wandering around town either. I have already located the coffee place and purchased snacks the day before. My coffee is drunk at leisure usually outside while watching the pilgrims pass me by from the previous village. They have probably been walking for 2 hours already. I pay the barman, put on my pack, stick my earphones in my ears and crank up the volume.

Some mornings are very difficult to get a rhythm going but I've had help from the beat of the random music I play. Most mornings, Michael and his brothers have given me the best start with Blame it on the Boogie. Then I walk, but I not only just walk. I dance, I sing and make sure that I look around me at the scenery. The saying is "Dance like nobody's watching; love like you've never been hurt. Sing like nobody's listening; live like it's heaven on earth." Mark Twain. I told myself that this was how I would approach the Camino.

I would now like to apologise to all those pilgrims who thought they'd have a peaceful day. haha

So I am walking from village to village, I stop in most villages to look around, enjoy a snack and maybe another cafe. The coffee in Spain is superb and everyone has the machines so I've not met a coffee I didn't like. The music can sometimes speed me up or slow me down depending on what I'm listening to. I only listen to music when I am alone or want to be alone. There have been more days when I am walking with others. Most times I catch up to the fast walkers who passed by when I was having my morning coffee. So it makes me wonder why they go so fast.

I'll stop at a village no earlier than 13:00 or 13:30 and no later than 16:00, because any earlier people could suffer a 'hotel death' especially if there's nothing to do in the village. And any later would risk the chance of a bed for the night. It's just drinking until dinner at 19:30 which can be ok if you're with the right people. But if you're alone and drunk, it's just sad.

I find an albergue and check in, making sure I get a stamp in the Credencial. I either find a bunk or am assigned one. Most people prefer the bottom bunks. I do because I can't sleep on the top bunk for fear of falling off in the night. So there's always an issue about where people sleep. I have a shower and wash my clothes at the same time, hang the clothes in the sun and proceed to find a bar or restaurant for the evening. Red wine, or vino tinto, is the call of most days. It's great to try the local wine in each province. Some days I just feel like a beer.

I think there was only one night's meal I ate alone but for all the others, I was in the company of other pilgrims. I may have come here alone but I am not alone.

Back to the Albergue before the doors are locked and then to bed. Then the snoring begins. Mostly men, but some women are pretty good at it too. My solution is to listen to mild music or an audio book to fall asleep. This usually works but sometimes the snorer is in the bed above and the vibrations keep me awake. Earplugs are a necessity for your sanity.

So that's the day, in a nutshell. It doesn't include the shenanigans during the day and there was plenty of fun and laughs with all the different people.

Parts of the Camino Culture include the various languages. There are many Germans, French, Italians, Dutch and Spanish with British, Australians, NZ represented by a few. But the familiar things you'll hear are Buen Camino, Bon Camino, Buon Cammino, Hola, Buenas Dias. The other familiar things to hear are the complaints about the snorers, cold showers, crowded dorms. The familiar things you'll see are people limping because they decided to walk the full stretch of 30kms the first day. Blisters blisters and more blisters. Men are not famous for holding a needle and thread but it they want to lance and drain, most are found struggling to reach their feet with the sharp implement. Very funny to watch. Sometimes I help them.

Any initial conversation begins with the usual questions. Where are you from? Where did you start? Why are you doing the camino? How far did you walk today? When will you arrive in Santiago? or how long will it take you to walk to Santiago? If you have a chance to plan ahead, have a t-shirt made with all the answers.

Many people do the camino in stages over a period of sometimes years. Not everybody walks the entire distance in one go. They may walk between Burgos and Leon, then take a bus or train to Sarria, for instance, and walk the last 100kms from there. It doesn't matter. Whatever the time you have or the fitness and health you have, everybody does their own Camino. And just as I mention that, I remember to tell you all that it's ok to say that you want to walk alone. Nobody gets upset or takes it personally. Everyone is aware of personal space and the reasons for being here. Bloody marvelous!

Next Blog - Camino - The Colour Spain

Pics in this blog are the common signs of the camino. You can't lose your way here but in saying that, we lost our way only 2 km from the end and went the long way around to the Cathedral. Oh well.

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