[Gocamino] hiking sticks/poles

[cek954@aol.com]

I bought my baston in SJPP - it has carved flowers on it and I love it- the flowers seem to give it a little personality and on hard days looking at them cheered me up. Like the others who have written, I relied on it with great results. 
 
Flying from Santiago through London/Stansted to Norway on RyanAir, I checked mine unwrapped, with the luggage tag taped directly to the stick and it made it just fine. But to get it back to the States I took it to the post office and used a mailing tube. It now leans against the wall in my bedroom, where I see it every morning when I  wake up. 
 
A woman I had walked with found a "Mail Boxes, Etc." store in Santiago and had them ship hers back. As far as I know it also made it to the States without any problem although I don't think it was a cheap service. I believe the Tourist Information Office in Santiago gave her directions to find the store. (There are several Tourist Info locations as I recall - I think one is just down a bit and on the other side of the street from the Compostela office. They also helped us find a hotel)
 
When I walk again this coming fall I plan to get a different stick along the way - I just don't want to have to check anything on the way, since again, I'll be going to Spain rather indirectly through Norway and it would have to make too many plane changes. I don't think the first stick will mind! 
 
Carol
for the time being from Florida, too!