[Gocamino] [saintjames] Re: July 25th, 2009

[Rebekah Scott]

One other aspect of pack transport mentioned in the latest (July 09) Boletin for federation hospitaleros is the bedbug problem. At least one of the the transport services is dealing with infested vans. Which means infested packs, which means infested hostels, hotels, albergues. 

They´re baaaack!

Rebekah Scott 
www.moratinoslife.blogspot.com

"It is impossible to speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood."
-- Karl Popper


--- On Sun, 8/2/09, Robert Spenger <rspenger at earthlink.net> wrote:

> From: Robert Spenger <rspenger at earthlink.net>
> Subject: Re: [Gocamino] [saintjames] Re:  July 25th, 2009
> To: 
> Cc: gocamino at oakapple.net, saintjames at yahoogroups.com
> Date: Sunday, August 2, 2009, 6:42 PM
> Deborah,
> 
> Thanks for that response. My own message, of course, was
> all just  
> about my speculations, so it was interesting to read a
> first hand  
> report from someone who had actually used pack transport. I
> didn't get  
> into the problem of being locked into a particular schedule
> because  
> your luggage has gone on ahead, but it was definitely an
> item that I  
> considered to be one more negative aspect of using pack
> transport. It  
> doesn't leave you with any options. There is a certain
> feeling of  
> freedom that I get from knowing that I have every thing I
> need with  
> me. I remember experiencing this feeling many years ago
> when I was  
> into wilderness backpacking and it felt good to
> re-experience that  
> when I was on the roads in Europe.
> 
> Bob S.
> 
> On Aug 2, 2009, at 7:01 AM, deb berman wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> I found Bob's analysis of having the backpack with at all
> times most  
> interesting--- and wanted to add something about the
> advantages and  
> disadvantages pack-carrying versus pack transport.
> On my first Camino I tried both--- carrying my pack at all
> times as  
> well as sending it ahead. For most of the Camino, my
> daughter and I  
> always had our packs with us. It wasn't until towards the
> end, when my  
> sister joined us, that I arranged for pack transport. My
> sister was  
> almost seventy years old and had some health issues---the
> cardiac  
> thing was the one that worried us the most. Also she had
> done little  
> or nothing to train for the walk because she was determined
> to think  
> it was just that, a simple walk.
> 
> When she joined us, we purchased some tiny day
> packs---kid's school  
> bags really---and carried only the essentials---food,
> water, rain  
> gear, maps, journal, personal papers, cell phone.
> Even though we plotted a much less strenuous course for my
> sister in  
> terms of mileage, we still managed to overestimate her
> capabilities.  
> However, because our packs had been sent ahead, we felt
> committed to  
> the pre-planned mileage. We could see my sister was
> overdoing things,  
> stubbornly trying to be a good sport. Towards the end of
> each day we  
> would pass possible options for lodging and wish we had our
> packs with  
> us. Instead, we pushed on, to wherever the packs had been
> delivered.
> Eventually my sister collapsed on the trail and had to be
> rushed to a  
> hospital. She's fine now, except for the fact that she
> still feels  
> guilty for "ruining" our Camino---which she didn't, but try
> and  
> convince her of that!
> 
> For my daughter and me, after carrying the packs for weeks,
> it was a  
> pleasant change to walk without the weight. We felt much
> lighter of  
> course. But the trade off was frustration, of not having
> the freedom  
> to stop and go as needed or as we pleased. Anyway, if we
> had kept our  
> packs with us, we could have adjusted our mileage, stopping
> sooner  
> each day, and perhaps accommodating my sister's needs
> better. Despite  
> good planning, the human body can be unpredictable.
> Of course the key factors are to listen carefully to what
> the body  
> needs each day and carry the lightest pack load possible!
> Buen Camino to all,
> Deborah
> 
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