Top 4 Enemies of the Camino

There is no doubt that walking the Camino de Santiago was one of the greatest adventures of my life. And I’m not alone. Numerous books about the Camino, dozens of websites devoted to the pilgrimage, and various Facebook Camino groups dedicated to providing answers to inquiring minds all universally agree: walking the Camino will potentially test your body, open your mind, and stir your spirit.

However, it would be naive to think that the Camino is not without its obstacles and annoyances. So allow me to present to you my own Top 4 Enemies of the Camino.

Injuries

They are bound to happen to many pilgrims. I mean, how many times do you walk 800 kilometers inside a month (and probably without much training)? But they don’t have to ruin your entire trip. I injured my ankle on Day 8; got some drugs & medical cream from the doctor, took a day off from walking, took a bus for a couple of days, and then started walking again.

Failing an accidental twist or fall, all you can do is try and prevent potential problems the best you can.

To avoid blisters, slather your feet every morning with an Anti-Chafing stick.

To avoid sunburns, apply sunscreen sometime after breakfast.

And to avoid serious injury, maybe avoid the often-recommended start in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.

“…While most of the Camino trail is majestic and manageable through pastoral farmlands and rolling hills, the first day walking out of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is dire and demanding, sending you up and down a mountain. Any pilgrim dubious about his or her stamina would certainly be severely tested on their first day out.

The good news is that the rest of the exhaustive walk would be much easier without the stubborn obstacle of a lurking mountain range. The bad news is that any injury suffered on that first day, like a strained knee or a twisted ankle, would likely remain with you for the rest of your pilgrimage…”
(page 46, Shadows, Shells, and Spain)

It’s true. I met several pilgrims in Pamplona with noticeable limps. When I asked them what had happened, they all had the same response, “Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.”

You know who doesn’t start their journey in France? The Spanish. They all begin in Roncesvalles. “This is a Spanish Camino inside Spain. Why should I cross the border first?” Agreed.

Snorers

You only need one snorer to ruin your whole night’s sleep. While sleeping in albergues along the Camino trail, there were always be one or two snorers sleeping among the dozens of beds placed inside your room.

Every night!

And they will probably wake you up. And they will probably incite angry thoughts. “How can these pilgrims sleep among us? These sleeping sociopaths know they snore! Of course they do! These are full-grown men with partners and families and previous roommates. Somebody in their lives, at some point, somewhere, must have told them, ‘Dude, you snore!'”

Clearly, I was agitated on most nights at the beginning of my journey. And yes, I wore ear-plugs. They didn’t help…

I eventually had to skip the cheap albergues and switch to budget hotels to ease my mind. Yes, I paid more money but, boy, did I sleep!

Allergies

This will not affect everyone, of course, and this might be a seasonal ailment, but be warned. They kick in when you reach the green pastures of Galicia.

“…My biggest issue with Galicia was the ferocious return of allergies that had been dormant since my teenage years. All that greenery, all that wet and mild air. Once we passed the Sarria cemetery I couldn’t stop sneezing. My eyes became teary and puffy, and my nose ran like a faucet…”
(page 248, Shadows, Shells, and Spain)

So my advice is to load up on allergy medicine and nasal spray when you arrive in León or Astorga (the last sizeable towns before you enter Galicia). I didn’t. And I suffered with sneeze attacks, along with a leaky nose and tearful eyes, until I finally found an open pharmacy in Palas de Rei, two days later.

The flies

Again, this will not affect everyone, of course, and this might be a personal complaint, but be warned. They also kick in when you reach the green pastures of Galicia.

Every Camino guidebook raves about Galicia, but none of them ever mentions the flies. They lie in wait for you, buzzing around happily over the huge piles of animal excrement littering the pathway. And then they maliciously attack you!

“…I didn’t need to read (my guidebook) to get an indication of where the next hamlet would be. The flies would tell me. Each hamlet was identical, with only a small collection of stone farmhouses dotting the road… Just sinister stone houses and empty, yawning barns with huge piles of fresh animal shit on the ground. And, boy, did those flies love that fresh animal shit. They also loved dive-bombing me, smacking my face, burrowing in my hair, and tunneling into my ears…”
(page 249, Shadows, Shells, and Spain)

So like I said, there is no doubt that walking the Camino de Santiago can be one of the greatest adventures of your life. However, the Camino is not without its obstacles and annoyances. So all you have to do is protect your feet, wear sunscreen, pick up some allergy medicine, wear a floppy hat in Galicia, stay in a few hotels to get some sleep, and (maybe, just maybe) avoid the first and only mountain.
 
For more inspiring stories about the Camino experience, check out:

https://www.johnmeyerbooks.com/beyond-a-shadow-of-a-doubt/

https://www.johnmeyerbooks.com/bulls-vs-camino/

https://www.johnmeyerbooks.com/title-cover-trailer/

https://www.johnmeyerbooks.com/why-you-should-walk-the-camino/
 
And for more information on Shadows, Shells, and Spain… click “Books” in the above menu!