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<P><FONT size=3>I've been planning to walk the Camino in 2003 and I've been
"lurking" for some time trying to get a feel of it. I've learnt a great deal and
I'm very grateful to all of you for your help. However, some of the recent posts
have given me pause and made me wonder whether the Camino is the right kind of
adventure for me. It is difficult to explain and I hope it doesn't give offence,
but I am troubled about what seems to be a heavy emphasis on religion and
spirituality. Is this an illusion of the "virtual experience" or is it really a
day to day preoccupation of people on the trail? I realize that in raising this
matter, I may be contributing to the friction. If so, I'm sorry. Perhaps I'm
being a bit provocative because I'm looking for brutally honest answers before I
get too far along with my planning.</FONT></P>
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<P><FONT size=3>I always saw my journey on the Appalachian Trail as a sort of
pilgrimage, but not in any religious sense. If anything I saw myself rather as
one of those irreverent characters in the Canterbury Tales - like the Shipman,
perhaps. However, without conscious effort on my part and without discussion on
the subject with others (almost by a process of osmosis), it turned out to be a
profoundly spiritual experience. After many weeks on the trail I began to be
aware of a sort of "oneness" with nature. Sleeping under stars of
incomprehensible remoteness; walking over mountains of unimaginable age;
drinking from crystal clear mountain streams; enjoying every day the myriad
wonders of creation; I began to see humankind as a just one small, transient
part in an interlocking web of marvels which totally defies understanding. My
experiences did not fit into the context of any organized religion that I know,
and I have become very wary of strongly held opinions, which so often seem to
lead to nothing but discord. I feel with Walt Whitman in the "Animals". To put
it bluntly, I would rather work out my own salvation without unsolicited advice
from others.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3>With all the overcrowding that I hear so much about, is it
possible to avoid hearing discussions, and possibly arguments, about these very
personal matters? Do the ever-present artifacts of mankind detract from the
infinitely more impressive works of nature? Can one find solitude if one wishes?
Does an unbeliever like me even belong on the Camino?</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3>Thanks,</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3>Chris,</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3>Ottawa</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3>Canada</FONT></P></FONT><FONT
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