[Gocamino] Yellow Arrow "Dumped"

[Hathor821@aol.com]

The system of housing and feeding pilgrims will collapse; it's
getting  close to that  now.
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 My first part of my camino ended about l0 days ago and my  impression of the 
same is totally different to what I had anticipated.   My personal  opinion 
is that el camino, for the majority of  people from  those countries east of 
Spain  that I  encountered  take el camino without the spirit that it is meant 
to  be or has meant for many or still means to me.  It has become a  way for 
the cheapest form of tourist in the 21st century.  Albergues 'by  donation' 
shouldn't exist anymore.  From my own personal experience and  because I became a 
'hospitalera' at different albergues and only for   personal curiosity and 
only  for a day or two,  I can tell  all of you that it was pitiful the donations 
most people put inside the little  box. It is my opinion that the majority of 
those I met are running their  little marathons to reach Compostela so they 
can brag at home about all  those kilometers they walked....other than buying 
food in the local stores  to prepare in those places where food can be prepared 
or enjoying the 'peregrino  menu' at 8 Euro including dessert I fail to 
understand how this 'camino' could  ever become profitable from the tourism point 
of view.
 
Without injuring the feelings of those reading this message, a nice goat  
sheppart said to me that if the camino was all along France, the French  would 
charge a fee for walking it.  Fortunately, we did it our way, I  understand, we 
had the time but we also had the generosity and contributed in  many other 
ways than by donations.  In one instance of many, a  peregrino not only enjoyed 
the meal I had bought for 50 of them and prepared all  afternoon for the 8 PM 
dinner, he even had the audacity to take bottles of  wine and get drunk during 
the evening; his donation in the box made the sound of  a single coin and I am 
being optimistic if it was 1 Euro., breakfast  was included.
 
I am not generalizing my thoughts, but the main thought for me after my  
first camino is that it has become the cheapest way to travel, at least for  those 
which have no boundaries and can move easily throughout the  ECC. 
 
We did it our way...we learned our own lessons and we appreciated the  beauty 
and the generosity of the Spanish people.  We will not take anything  for 
granted again, not even a stale piece of bread.
 
Patricia
Coconut Grove,  Florida