[Gocamino] - Ultreya rental cell phones

[hme347 at aol.com]

I do not recall that any of the refugios in Spain, where most pilgrims travel, accepting phone reservations.  As for gites in France, I have no firsthand experience, so maybe  a cell phone can be useful.  


I imagine one could easily survive the ordeal of being "lost in a heavily wooded area" along the Camino without a cell phone to call a rescue party.  After all, it is not darkest Africa or the Amazon jungle.  In summer camp kids use the buddy system; maybe 85 yo pilgrims should consider something similar in case they fear getting lost.


Your justification for the cell phone still seems a matter of personal convenience not a necessity.


Howard Mendes, NYC





-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Spenger <rspenger at earthlink.net>
Cc: OakApple †GoCamino <gocamino at oakapple.net>; Ultreya †Yahoo <ultreya at yahoogroups.com>; James †Yahoo Saint <saintjames at yahoogroups.com>; santiagobis at yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wed, Aug 4, 2010 2:57 pm
Subject: Re: [Gocamino] - Ultreya rental cell phones


I'll repeat here my reply to Wilna:

Quote:
I don't consider the use of a cell phone to be "fun." I would be using it to 
contact places of accommodation. The internet is rarely available in the little 
villages along the route - it is hardly a substitute for a telephone, especially 
in emergency situations. There may be great magic on a pilgrimage, but when you 
are 85yo and lost in a heavily wooded area, it is not all that wonderful. I 
don't exactly relish living moments such as that.
Unquote

Of course that particular situation was not one where a cell phone would have 
been much help, but I  could have used it to let the gîte owner know that I 
might be quite late and to hold my reservation. 

In Spain, I never felt any urgent need to have a cell phone, but France was a 
different situation. In both countries, the public telephones are now inadequate 
and, in France, I found the internet to be laboriously slow, since the French 
keyboards are radically different from the QWERTY keyboards. Also, the internet 
is not much use for making reservations (a necessity in France), since many of 
the facilities do not use the internet.

Bob S.


On Aug 4, 2010, at 11:32 AM, hme347 at aol.com wrote:

Totally agree with Wilna.  Cell phones on the Camino are ANNOYING and 
unnecessary.  How did pilgrims manage so well for centuries of traveling without 
them?  Now they are considered by some as "indispensable" appendages everywhere 
you go, not just the Camino.  The excuses that people make to justify carrying 
them and using them are ridiculous. 


They destroy the tranquility of the outdoors and are invariably intrusions 
indoors.  The argument that they are needed for "emergencies" is a stretch.  
Also, if you are so concerned about keeping in touch with loved ones back home, 
you can use the internet, as Wilna suggests, or write postcards.  That assumes 
that you can still remember what postcards look like and you know how to write. 
I'm sure nothing will deter those of you who love to blather on your "cell" 
everywhere you go.


Howard Mendes, NYC





-----Original Message-----
From: Wilna Wilkinson <twoxscotch at gmail.com>
To: GASpangler at hotmail.com
Cc: †GoCamino OakApple <gocamino at oakapple.net>; †Yahoo Ultreya 
<ultreya at yahoogroups.com>; †Yahoo Saint James <saintjames at yahoogroups.com>; 
†Yahoo Santiagobis <santiagobis at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wed, Aug 4, 2010 12:28 pm
Subject: Re: [Gocamino] - Ultreya rental cell phones


Better still, my fellow-pilgrims -- leave the phone at home and avail
yourselves of the internet if and when the need arises to let people know
you are still fine and find out if all is well with those you left behind --
and to get those flights. Think about what you are bringing with you on the
Camino by bringing your mobile phone. If you are just walking for fun, by
all means -- bring your phones and ipods and why not bring your entire
'filofax' as well, but if you want to be able to live in the moment and
experience the magic and the wonder of the pilgrimage, leave everything
behind that will not enhance your experience.

Wilna Wilkinson


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