Fiction

[Teruel, Dr. Jose Romero (WDC)]

Dear Felipe
Thanks for you sincere and open comment.
I was suspecting the same after reading carefully both books.
With other members of this net I have been discussing the reasons persons
have to walk the Camino.
 From the different categories that usually are mixed in different degrees
this is a new one. Unfortunately this might grow as people will walk for the
reason to "profit" either with touristic promotion or promoting his/her
"experience" (book).
As some of us will say ; God has different ways to attract people and the
hope is that while doing the "walk" for individualistic interest or
curiosity they will open their mind and soul looking the uninterested people
that are the real "PILGRIMS". Remember that there were people doing business
in the temple!
I start making difference between "Pilgrims" (Peregrinos)  and "Walkers"
(Caminantes).

-----Original Message-----
From: Felipe Sanchez
Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2002 12:05 PM
To: GOCAMINOaPETE.URI.EDU
Subject: Fiction


Before trekking from Saint Jean to Santiago in May and June of last year, I
read CAMINO by S.M.  Along the route I spoke with hospitaleros about her.
Their accounts are summarized here:  she received sellos at the refugios but
stayed in hotels;  her pack was so small as to be risible;  she was
accompanied by body-guards;  she was invariably well dressed, occasionally
with ostentation, clean, and not trail-ridden.  In the town of Acebo I spoke
with the only hospitalero that supported her claim that she had traversed
the entire Camino.  He adamantly affirmed that she had spent seven days in
mediation there and he had witnessed this.  If I remember correctly her book
stated that she had done the entire walk in thirty days.  If we allow seven
days for meditation one must conclude that she accomplished the entire trek
in 23 days.  Unbelievable!  Similar reports were shared with me about Cohelo
whose work, according to the many Brasileros on the trail, sold about forty
million copies.  Based on my conversations, then, I must allege that both
authors are long on imagination and short on practice and veracity.  I walk
my own trail so the actions of most others in no ways impinges on the
integrity of my being but I find the inconsistencies inherent in the two
accounts aforementioned interesting and rather representative of the "new
age."  The respect I feel for the experience I perceived while on the Camino
prohibits my profanation of the experience by hyperbole or fabrication.
Apparently, my attitude and reaction are unique.

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