[Gocamino] Our Camino 2009

[deb berman]

I am in Santiago right now, having just completed the Camino Frances from Pamplona. I stayed in a combination of albergues and hostels, pensiones, hotels. There has been, over this past month, constant talk among pilgrims about bedbug encounters. People have been hospitalized with allergic reactions, need for steroids, etc. Some have called it quits and gone home. Every group of pilgrims I met has either been bitten or knows someone who has been bitten. For the victims, and I am included among their numbers, the situation can be demoralizing. 

 

Bedbugs ARE a part of being a pilgrim on the camino. No matter what one does, what preventatives one uses, etc. etc., bedbugs are here and encountering bedbugs is completely random---doesn´t matter what type of accommodation. 

Yes, the albergues seem to have more than their fair share, but more people are staying in albergues and in closer quarters. 

They are difficult to eradicate. There are definitely more bedbug encounters this year than I heard about when I walked in 2007.

Travelers need to be aware of the habits of bedbugs and what they need to do when they have been in contact. 

 

All too many times, I heard pilgrims say things like---I was on the trail and felt something tickle me, scratched it off and it was a bedbug.

Folks, bedbugs are hitchhikers. They travel in backpacks, clothing, shoes, sleeping bags, etc. They like to hide in mattresses, between wooden floorboards, in wooden headboards. Hotels and albergues do not know to fumigate a room until someone has dropped off a few bedbugs, then the next traveler who sleeps there complains of having been bitten. 

 

If you encounter bedbugs you need to seal everything into a plastic bag then quickly find a place where you can wash all your stuff in a washing machine at high heat and dry it in a dryer at high heat. The heat from the dryer will kill them. Don´t take your boots into the sleeping areas. Before going to bed, check the sheets and mattress---you are looking for tiny black specs and especially blood spots---meaning bedbugs have feasted on the previous occupant.

 

Please do not hesitate to report bedbug sightings or suspicious looking bite marks to hospitaleros, hotel, hostel, pension personnel, etc. If you don´t tell them, they cannot do anything about it. They only know to fumigate if they have been advised of a problem. I have been told that regular fumigation schedules do not help. The little critters are quite resilient and there is a concern they may develop resistance to the insecticide. 

It is easy to pass the problem off to the Spanish health department, but we pilgrims need to educate ourselves and do our share to help the situation.

 

It was suggested earlier to me, on this forum, to bring a sheet soaked in Permethrin to place on the albergue bunk as a barrier. I emailed the folks with Sawyer´s and they also thought this would help. They also suggested soaking the pack or at least spraying it. More weight for the backpack, but hey, an ounce of prevention... 

The most important thing---if you encounter bedbugs---make sure you immediately remove your things and wash and dry everything---do everything you can do to not bring along any stowaways after a bedbug encounter. I know this sounds completely inconvenient, but you would be surprised at how many pilgrims have recounted stories of hospitaleros lending them clothing, washing all their things, etc. We pilgrims don´t want bedbugs and nobody else does either. 

This has become a significant problem, so be aware and take precautions.

Buen camino,

Deborah
> From: et at zianet.com
> To: gocamino at oakapple.net
> Date: Sun, 18 Oct 2009 20:58:23 -0600
> Subject: [Gocamino] Our Camino 2009
> 
> We just completed our second Camino from Roncesvalles to Santiago.We hiked the Camino in 2006 and took 34 days to complete the trip.We had such a great experience the first time we decided to return once more.
> We are 65 and 68 years old and are avid hikers. Our Camino experience this trip was mared by the infestation of bed bugs in many of the Albuguergues. We experienced the horror of the bugs ourselves on numerous nights. We went to the Pharmacy's and ask for assistance. We purchased creams for the bites as well as spray insect repellants which we used every single night to try to keep the bed bugs off of us.
> We encountered pilgrim after pilgrim that were bitten hundreds of times and ended up in the emergency rooms for treatment. Many had to take steroids as well as antihistamines. Some chose to discontinue their Camino trip.
> We spoke with some hikers who think the bugs are a part of being a pilgrim on the Camino.
> When we hiked the Camino in 2006 we had only one occasion when we had bed bugs and that was a private Albuguergue in Puenta La Reina.
> Worse yet when we did arrive in Santiago and got a Pension guess what? It was also infested with bed bugs.
> Something must be done to rid the Albuguergues of the bed bug infestation.
> It needs to be talked about and the Spanish health departments need to establish a plan to solve this problem.
> What say all you Pilgrims?
> 
> Pat Little
> New Mexico USA
> et at zianet.com
> _______________________________________________
> Gocamino mailing list
> Gocamino at oakapple.net
> http://mailman.oakapple.net/mailman/listinfo/gocamino