[Gocamino] communication- climate

[Grant Spangler]

Renee:

To be call-able on the Camino:

Three different scenarios, I recommend the first as easiest:

As soon as you get into Spain, buy a Telefonica (Movistar) mobile phone. 
There are three major mobile phone carriers in Spain, and Telefonica is 
hands-down the most extensively built-out system. They will have the best 
coverage in the rural areas you will be traversing. You will be able to call 
the US, and be called by the US. Check to see if there are any deals on 
international calling when you sigh up. If you want to peruse the company, 
look at: http://www.movistar.com/. People can also text you (SMS) from 
anywhere in the world.

Option two:

If your existing mobile phone is a GSM (global systems mobile) phone, it 
will work in Europe. If it is not, it will not. You can check with your 
company about international roaming, and pay attention to the rates. The US 
party would simply dial your regular number to ring you up. You would call a 
US number the usual way, but including area code.

Option three:

If your US mobile phone is an UNLOCKED GSM phone, you simply put in a new 
Telefonica SIM card (it's just behind the battery) when you get to Spain. 
You instantly have a European phone number, but retain your address book and 
familiarity of operations. This is a 'variable' option, it may work 
perfectly or poorly for you. When you get home, you pop in your regular SIM, 
and the phone returns to 'normal'. Please pay attention to 'locked' versus 
'unlocked' in a GSM phone. Here is where marketing enters and common sense 
exits. Theoretically, any GSM phone can work on any system. Enter the phone 
carrier: they want to sell you a new phone. They often 'lock' the phone you 
buy so it only works on their system. Any 'locked' GSM can be 'unlocked'. 
Demand your carrier give you the unlock code, or buy the unlock code on the 
Internet.

This is why option #1 is so attractive.

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Next item: contacting your friend on the Road ...

Will he/she have a mobile phone? If not there is an inter-albergue messaging 
network which can look for a peregrino. Another option (I have done this 
one) is to be at an exact place at an exact time. That's kind of rough, but 
it is do-able. You may need to build in a day's buffer to arrive early for 
good measure. Is that 100 miles or 100 kilometers? 100 kilometers would be 
Sarria; 100 miles would be about Villafranca de Bierzo or O Cebreiro. You 
can phone ahead to a known albergue where you have agreed to meet. I can 
give you numbers if you wish. Please be advised they will speak Spanish 
almost exclusively, so have a script ready.

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Weather:

September is cooling, but still warm. I recommend against a cotton jacket. 
Cotton absorbs and holds moisture. I used to travel with cotton, but no 
more. A properly designed synthetic fabric garment is more appropriate for 
the Camino. Especially when you get to Galicia. Wet, wet, wet. Cotton will 
not dry out in Galicia. Look at my site for tried and proven travel clothing 
and outerware, link below.

Have a great time preparing. Have a great journey.

Onward,

Grant

Grant Spangler
GASpangler at hotmail.com
http://groups.msn.com/ElCaminoSantiago
http://community.webshots.com/user/ElCaminoSantiago