YOU WILL MEET THEM.
The 5 people you will meet on the Camino de Santiago.
It’s said that all roads lead to Rome, but when in Spain , all pilgrim roads lead to Santiago. For nearly a thousand years, the religiously fervent have been trekking from across Europe to Santiago de Compostela , a lichen-covered limestone town in Northwest Galicia.
There are a myriad of reasons to walk – to seek closure, to seek penance, to seek clarity – though others do it for the challenge or for exercise. Some just do it for adventure and to have the experience. Because the various stages go by distance to the next pilgrim’s inn, it’s very usual to run into the same group of people during a couple of weeks on The Way.
The five people you meet in Heaven? Try the five people you meet on the Camino !
The Hardcore Pilgrims:
They are really pilgrim-centric as they do countless treks, volunteer at the pilgrim’s inn in their hometown,listen to the music about the Camino, read books on this issue, keep a blog about the Camino…etc. You may learn little else about them in a few days but of their immense love for the trail. These are the hardcores – those who dream of their next route, who know about the quirks of the road, who tell you Camino secrets.
The ‘I don’t care about the Compostela’ Pilgrims:
On the flip-side, you also get those pilgrims who don’t always play by the rules. They might grab a bus to get to the inn and snag a bed before the others, or decide they were done walking for the day and hail a taxi. To be eligible for the ‘Compostela’ certificate once in Santiago, a pilgrim must walk the last 100 kilometers to the city on foot or 200 by bike, carrying pilgrim credentials that serve as proof that you’ve completed the task. You will meet people who have either done a previous trek and don’t care about another certificate, or who have decided that it isn’t important to be honest with themselves and the volunteers at the Pilgrim’s Office in Santiago. These are the ‘Me da igual’ Pilgrims.
The Speed Racers:
Most of them are personal trainers and walknearly 40 kilometers every day at a lightning pace. You will sometimes catch up with them in the ‘albergue’ later, but after a few days, you will assume they have already arrived to Santiago and perhaps Finisterra, given their strenuous pace. But don’t worry if, after one rainy day racing for a bed and not stopping for nearly three hours, you quit speed walking and take the time to enjoy your Camino. There are always tortoises and there are always hares.
The Turigrinos:
When the Camino del Norte hooks up with the Camino Francés in Arzua, you may be shocked to find unfamiliar faces. Specially in August, the nearly universal vacation month in Spain , the road is suddenly choked with people, including baby buggies and pilgrims without backpacks. These arethe turigrinos, those who come to do the last 100 or so kilometers with a walking group or scout troop.
The Purists:
Those who want to do the Camino the way they had imagined it, by walking every single kilometer to Santiago with their packs. Those who rather than having a pilgrim’s meal, opt for a sandwich in the park but still are extremely satisfied with their experience. Those who come to love hand washing their clothes, collapsing into bed for a long ‘siesta’ after walking and setting out while the air is crisp and the light is low.
Of course, you’ll meet people from all walks of life – people who complain, others who came with no money and rely on others, those who barely say two words, lost in their own thoughts. People of all kinds who will make your Camino a much more enriching and different experience.
Article by thespainscoop.com Image: Dreamstime.
