[Gocamino] Camino deaths

[blaroli at aol.com]

Hello you all,

On my very first Camino, way back in 1999, I asked a priest whether it was part of the Camino endeavor to carry one´s backpack.  He told me that the Church frowns severely on corporal self-punishment and mentioned, on passing, that Saint Francis of Assisi, and most pilgrims way back then, carried nothing with them but the clothes on their backs a a small gripsack with some food.... so small,. in fact, they they would hang it from their walking stick..

Anticipating my next question, he mentioned that they would wash their clothes in the rivers and wait for them (in the altogether, one expects), to be dried by the sun before going on.. 
For one, I usually figure out where I am going to be after two or three days walking, make a reservation in a hostal, pension, or private house (recommended, usually, by a parish priest) in such a place, send my backpack there by taxi, and walk with only a very small day pack containing what will be absolutely needed for a two day, or so, walk. 
In my sixth decade, many people ask me how I manage to go on such long pilgrimages and complete them. Perhaps the sending of the backpack ahead has a lot to do with it.
Of course, over the years I have met quite a few pilgrims who do the same.
Hugs!
Rosina

-----Original Message-----
From: Ana Young <ayoung2001 at yahoo.com>
To: gocamino at oakapple.net
Sent: Thu, 24 May 2007 1:46 am
Subject: Re: [Gocamino] Camino deaths




--- Janet Burgos <sigburgos at gmail.com> wrote:
And, there is no
 rule that says you can not
 send your pack on ahead, 
I couldn't agree more with this. There's a lot of
rgument right now equating pilgrims who send their
acks on to the large groups of non-pilgrims who walk
ith a vehicle, then crowd the albergues. I don't
onsider them the same at all.
These groups of "turigrinos" with buses and vans are
lmost always kids on cheap holiday. Pilgrims who
erely send their packs on to save on weight could be
nyone who feels they'd do better without it. The
ackpack does not a pilgrim make. Many of these
ilgrims are older, have back problems or other
roblems that not having all that weight would help
itigate.
So do the pilgrimage with a full heart, take your
ime, go as slow as you wish or have time for, savor
ll in front of you, and reach your destination with
ove and joy.
Buen Camino,
na

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