[Gocamino] Sending things

[Janet Burgos]

I have only walked the Camino Francés in May, the weather was wonderful but
the albergues were very crowded even then.  I sent my larger pack ahead many
times and always arranged the transport though the albergue where I had
stayed, or the small inn, the inns are great about helping you make a new
reservation and have your pack waiting for you.  I did tire of the "race" to
get to a bed each day, it takes so much of the beauty and purpose away from
the journey.  I picked small wild flowers on each section of the trip and
pressed them in my journal and now I have a beautiful framed arrangement of
the flowers on my desk. I would not have enjoyed my journey if I had to race
for a bed, I almost always found a very nice place to rest at night with a
good meal, only once or twice in May were the restaurants not operating
yet.  I hope your trip is peaceful and full of joy,  Janet


On Sun, Aug 2, 2009 at 3:06 PM, Rosina <blaroli at aol.com> wrote:

> To answer your queries: no, I haven't used organized backpack transporters
> and do not know of any (except, perhaps, going up O Cebreiro).
> I usually know where I'll be in two or three days time and send ahead my
> backpack, keeping with me a very tiny one with the absolutely bare
> essentials. I tell?the proprietors of wherever inn or small hotel I'm
> staying that I want to send my backpack ahead, and they?get in touch with a
> taxi going in that direction that will take it for a couple of bucks. On
> occasion I've been a day or so late in arriving to the designated place,
> ?but I've always found the backpack waiting.
> When, and if, I buy something bulky, or finished with a book, or realize
> that there are things in the backpack they I won't be using, I just go to
> the post office and mail them to myself to General Delivery in Santiago.
> I have done this in four Caminos and have never lost a single thing.
> Often I have seen taxis dropping off a lot of backpacks in front of
> albergues that haven't opened yet, and have surmised that their owners will
> show up walking later in the day. But even I, risk-taking New Yorker that I
> am, wouldn't send my backpack where it would lie unattended.
> I used to think that my speaking Spanish gave me?a significant advantage
> over other pilgrims?in making these arrangements, but I;ve?learned that
> friends of mine whose Spanish is limited to "menu del dia" and "vino de
> verano" have made the same arrangements without? difficulty. One of them
> told me that if she got stuck with the language she merely went to a tourist
> information office (which, as we know, are everywhere) and had the people
> there help her out.
> The taxi thing is common, and inexpensive, because the taxis are going in
> that directin anyway, so to them performing such a service provides them
> with a little windfall.?
> Hugs!
> Rosina
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