Day 20 Off exploring
For those of you thinking of doing the Camino - step by step it's not hard - it's like walking the Otago Cycle Trail or Great Taste Trail - benched tracks, sometimes graded gravel, sometimes sealed, sometimes country roads, sometimes mud. NZ tramping is far harder step by step - even the Able Tasman strolls are more challenging - it's just the distances! Then finding food, and sleeping with 30-50 others with just the side of the bunk as your space - snoring, the early rustlers - those are the challenges.
It's very secure - everyone leaves their gear around the Albergue - phones charging- clothes drying - no one wants to take any extra in their pack.
No threats from the Spanish so far - mostly charming elderly folk - all the young have left these agricultural areas - many gone to Germany looking for work - 40% unemployment after the GFC. The private Albergues are often run by city imports who add a bit of flair - the Municipal ones staffed by volunteers, often Dutch for some reason. The Church ones can be a bit intense encouraging mass and prayers - but they are also volunteering their lives so want to ensure their efforts are aimed at souls worth saving.
Water is easy - bottled is cheap but I fill up from the tap at the Cafes and my system hasn't skipped a beat yet (touch wood).
The other staff of life - coffee - is very good in Spain even in little places - and Decaff espresso also available everywhere :).
Cash machines in larger towns - always respond to either EFTpos or Credit Card.
So every step is easy - always a friendly Fluoro arrow - it's the sheer distance that is the challenge.
341kms completed - 45% -434kms to go - well done Jeff - I've walked 140 :)
Stuff walking today.