So You Think You Can Be Pilgrim (Peregrino) ?
Do You Have What it Takes?
I want to take you through a “Typical Day in the Life of a Pilgrim”. Can you handle it? Before I can do that, I must make you aware of a few things first.
YOUR ACCOMMODATION
My travelling companions and I almost always stay in Private Albergues. Now don’t get all excited, Private means that we all stay (yes all 6 or 7 of us) in 1 room of 3 to 4 single bunk beds, sharing a bathroom with everyone else. There is little air flow (NOT good when the night time serenade of body sounds begins!). Public or Municipal Albergues (hostels) ARE MUCH MORE BASIC! Rubber mattresses and pillows with 25 to 100 people in a dorm! You get locked in at 10 pm.
THE PILGRIMS SERENADE
This is a term used to describe the various sounds and more, made by 25+ people as they sleep, cough, sneeze, burp, snore, fart, and turn and toss in their bed all night.
Your Day Begins With:
THE MORNING WAKE UP!
The term “morning” can begin anytime from 4 am to 6 am depending on when someone else wants to wake up and start making noise to wake all! “Wake Up” also has the assumption that you actually fell asleep! There is light shining in your face all night, people party outside all night long making noise, the musical serenade with the Albergues… BREATHTAKING! If you happen to be near a church, do not worry because those bells ring all night long and they are loud enough to wake the dead and the pilgrims!
GETTING DRESSED TO WALK:
This is a ritual! EVERY day you pack your backpack! All you own is scattered in there and the morning re-pack is simply for checking you have not forgot something! When you only have 2 pairs of underpants, forgetting 1 pair is a disaster! Every night, you pull out what you need for the morning to avoid packing and repacking. Guess what! No matter how n=many times you do this, there is ALWAYS something that requires you to rummage through that pack in the dark before you leave!
PREPARING YOUR FEET!
OMG, OMG : THIS IS A JOY!
You find your shoes and socks, check for blisters then apply blister pads, Vaseline your feet and toes, wrap them in hikers wool or toe tubes or whatever remedy your have heard about, then cram them into your shoes!!!! You are ready to walk and walk and walk!
BREAKFAST
This depends upon what time you start walking. If you are up and out before 7 am, you don’t have any and wait until the next town. Hopefully, you have something in your bag!
If the town’s café is open, your breakfast is; Café con leche, ANY sweet pastry they have, fresh orange juice and/or a piece of potato tort.
BEST PART OF THE DAY
The walking is amazing. You walk a leisurely pace, absorb the sights, sounds, and smells, and take it all in! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! Photos, chats, stories, and laughs are shared and they all strengthen the bonds you have made with perfect strangers!
THE WALK IS DONE AND YOU HAVE CHECKED INTO THE ALBERGUE!
You pay for your right to enjoy this new accommodation! You hand in your credential for a stamp and your passport so they can record your stay and country of nationality. You RACE to the dorm hoping for a bottom bunk by air flow! You then race again to get a hot shower ( NOT likely, but life is full of hope).
After that, you take a shower. In that shower, you use any soap to clean your hair, face, and body! It is like the basic pioneer days, without gels, creams, lotions , and dryers! The next great event that comes along is hand washing your clothes and hanging them on the line to dry and then YOU WALK UP INTO TOWN WITH THROBBING LIMBS TO EAT SOMETHING.
LEISURE TIME
This is a fun time. You get to have cocktails, explore the towns, have coffee, share so many stories and share special times with your friends! I LOVE THIS PART OF THE DAY!
DINNER
I hate the Pilgrims Menu! I find it very bad food for a cheap price!
We have had some great meals and the vino acts as a tranquilizer for bedtime!
GOING TO BED : A TRUE JOY!
Yes, you cram yourself into a silk sleeping bag liner, on a bunk bed and hunker down for a noisy restless night so you can begin your day all over again!
IF YOU SERIOUSLY THINK YOU CANNOT DO THIS, GET OVER IT!
WALKING THE CAMINO WILL BE ONE IF THR BEST EXPERIENCES OF YOUR LIFE!
KEEP WALKING!
