Carrying a laptop on the Camino

[Jane Shoemaker]

Hello -
In February I attended an information session about the Camino, here in
Vancouver, B.C., Canada.  The presenters were Bethan Davies and Ben Cole,
who walked the Camino last year with the notion of writing a guidebook.  Ben
said that he did in fact carry a laptop the whole way.  They planned to work
on their guidebook on this laptop.
However they recounted how before long the laptop stopped working, and
nothing they could do got it going again.  They interpreted this as the
spirit of the Camino rejecting the idea of high tech apparatus interfering
with their experiences.  Ben continued to carry the nonfunctional laptop all
the way to Santiago, because it was not his own and he had to return it when
he got back to Canada!
Ben said that as soon as he got home the laptop immediately started working
again, with no detectable explanation.  Ben said that this was further
evidence that the spirit of the Camino had objected to it.
Jane

P.S. Their guidebook has now been published.  "Walking the Camino de
Santiago", published by Pili Pala Press, $25 Canadian funds, 224 pages, 30
maps.
I'm not a friend of theirs, but since I have quoted them perhaps I should do
them the favour of mentioning their book!

----- Original Message -----
From: "Joe English" <santiagowalkingahotmail.com>
To: <gocaminoapete.uri.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, February 25, 2003 1:38 AM
Subject: Funniest posting ever - Digital or Film


> David Foote wrote " We were driving the Camino and we had a lap
> top, so we downloaded all the day's pictures into the laptop each night.
>  Carrying a laptop when walking may not be an option."
>
> Thank you David for brightening up my morning - I think your message is
> the (obviously unintentionally) funniest I have ever seen on this or other
> Camino related sites. On a very regular basis we have very involved
> discussions on this listserv on the subject of what to carry, and more
> specifically what to leave out. People go into great detail over saving an
> ounce here, or the availability in the shops of some absolutely essential
> item along the Way. I doubt if anyone has ever considered carrying a
> laptop before, or indeed if it has even crossed anyones mind.
> Were you speaking with your tongue firmly stuck in your cheek, when you
> innocently suggest that carrying a laptop 'may not be an option'?
> I'm still giggling - thank you so much
> Joe