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<P>Here are comments on the points outlined in part 1.<BR><BR>1. Budget I had
gathered it was possible to do the <BR>Camino for 2000 ptas a day, so I had
budgeted <BR>30 days x 2000 ptas a day. In fact I spent 3000-3,500 a day,
<BR>and used nearly all my reserve fund as well. <BR>So to compensate I had to
do more kilometres a day,<BR>in orderto arrive in Santiago with some cash still
in my pocket. <BR>This clearly altered the way I experienced the <BR>Camino, and
my 30 days were reduced to 24.<BR><BR>How did I spend 'so much'? Travelling
alone, I decided that my body <BR>needed at least one cooked meal a day, i.e.
'menu de peregrino'. I <BR>expected this to cost 1000, 1200 ptas. For every menu
which <BR>cost 1000 ptas, there were three which cost 1200 - 1500.
<BR>Breakfast, budgeted at 250, usually cost 375, occasionally 500+.ptas.
<BR>Buying fruit, yoghurts etc. usually came to over 500
ptas.<BR>Refugios/albergues cost 500 or more. Where donativos were expected I
<BR>always gave 500, or 1000 if they provided supper or breakfast.<BR>Add in
Compeed, antiseptic, postcards, stamps, buying a long-sleeved <BR>T-shirt en
route, and so on. </P>
<P><BR>Yes, I could have kept it under 2000 if I had been happy to eat
<BR>bocadillos during the day and cook for myself at night. I did not want
<BR>to eat bocadillos every day for a month (besides they sometimes cost
<BR>800ptas) and buying food to cook means buying uneconomic quantities.<BR>In
August, most refugios fill quickly and and I frequently slept rough <BR>(and was
happy to do so) - so I couldn't cook anyway…<BR><BR>In January 2002, the Euro
currency is introduced. People planning <BR>journeys after this date can expect
prices to be rounded up, and should <BR>be advised to familiarise themselves
with the euro exchange rate.<BR>If it were of interest, I would be willing to
type up a detailed <BR>breakdown of expenses, and send it on request.<BR><BR>2.
Footwear<BR>As it happened, my feet would not tolerate my trekking shoes, and I
fell <BR>back on my 8-year-old Birkenstock sandals. I nearly sent the shoes home
<BR>in Burgos. My point is that in dry weather, most of the Camino from
<BR>Pamplona to Santiago can be done in sandals. (Now I know why Franciscan
<BR>friars have always worn sandals.) There was only one short section to
<BR>the village of Acebo where this did not apply, but before it began there
<BR>was a sign advising cyclist to continue on the road. As for Roncevalles
<BR>- Pamplona, I guess shoes are preferable.<BR><BR>In the six weeks I was
doing practice walks for the Camino, my new shoes <BR>were fine. At the end of
Day 1, my feet refused to go 5km further in <BR>search of a refugio which was
not full, and on Day 2, they advised me <BR>after only 10km, that it might be
better to treat the day as a rest day. <BR>Thereafter, there was not one day
where my feet were comfortable.<BR><BR>3 Showers.<BR>The refugios which charge
500 ptas a night charge 300 ptas for access to <BR>showers and washing
facilities. Otherwise donativos.<BR><BR>4. Toilet roll<BR>On the first day, I
felt for a North American who was stuck in an <BR>albergue toilet without the
Spanish necessary to ask for some toilet <BR>roil (papel higienico). Whether you
find paper available or not seems <BR>subject to the laws of lottery - or the
number of people who have been <BR>there before you.20<BR><BR>5. Return
journey<BR>The Iberia offer certainly applies to European destinations. I do not
<BR>know about transatlantic ones.20<BR><BR>Having focused for weeks on getting
to Santiago, it was a surprise to <BR>learn I could not get out. Sleeper trains
were booked solid at least <BR>'til Sep 3, and the earliest flight I could get
on Monday afternoon was <BR>Thursday evening. Even direct bus services to
Barcelona were full and I <BR>ended up returning via Madrid - 18
hours!<BR><BR>Buen camino a todos, and especially to Howard Murphy. (Howard, I
am so relieved you are starting from Pamplona: All the time I was coming down
from <BR>Roncesvalles, I was wondering how on earth you would know which
sections <BR>would be impossible to negotiate by donkey cart.)<BR><BR>Charles
Clasen<BR><A
href="http://www.trainingpath.com=20/">www.trainingpath.com20</A><BR><BR></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>