02 May 2010

not sure how many days, not quite sure where

We are close to Leon anyway and about halfway to Finisterre. More than halfway to Santiago :)
I say we, because since yesterday I've been walking with 5 others and it's been great fun. I'm particularly lucky to find a great group because we are in the meseta and seeing those who travel through here alone, it's a very demanding part mentally / psychologically. The group consists of an Australian guy, an Irishman, a crazy French guy (he's picking up stuff from the side of the road; so far he has found a towel, 2 different socks, a peg, a soother and probably many other things), an American girl, a German guy and myself - there was a German girl walking with us yesterday but she drank some bad water and had to stay in the previous albergue to recover.
Yesterday we stopped at an Irish pub to have Guinness and then we stopped at a bus stop when it was raining and got rid of the 2 bottles of wine that the guys were carrying and had food and fun :) Last night we stayed in a lovely place - there was dinner for everyone, beautiful sunset, breakfast in the morning and a beautiful building we stayed in (and not much snoring!). I think i'll add pictures when i'm back home because even if i have the time, like here, there are only 2 computers and a lot of people are waiting for to use them.

There was an incident yesterday morning that i'll share because it's so unusual that it's worth mentioning and because i want to give bad press to this particular guy.
So i started walking early in the morning yesterday and walked to the next village, about 6 km, this is normal. There i saw an albergue, door wide open, "abierto" = "open" sign on the door and on the road it said BAR. So i went in and there were other pilgrims there who told me that the bar is not open yet but i am welcome to use the kitchen, i can boil water and have a tea or coffee if i have a teabag. I was starving (really, i was unusually hungry) and a Czech guy gave me a bag of soup. I boiled water, made a soup and started eating. In the meanwhile, the others have left and somebody closed the door. Somebody tried opening it and i went and opened it for them - recognized the couple i was chatting with the previous evening and let them in, told them what i knew: kitchen can be used, bar not open yet. They went to find the toilet and i was eating my soup. A guy came to the door and started shouting at me that i can't just open the door, how dare I, etc etc. I told him i didn't know it has to be closed, somebody came, i opened the door. He smacked his hand on the table i was eating on and shouted that it's a private albergue, i can't just do whatever i want, bloody pilgrims or something like that. I thought, okkkkay, i'll finish the soup and get the hell out of here. Finished the soup, washed the cup and because he locked the door, i had to go out through the bar. I was going to say adios and leave quickly. So as i entered the bar, he started pointing at me and screaming and cursing. The pilgrim couple was in there and i showed to them that the guy is crazy. Ooops, he ran out from behind the counter and came to me shouting and waving his arm. The old lady stood between us and held him... I ran out and explained to a Spanish couple outside what happened. They wanted to call the police but i didn't want the hassle.
There is no need to worry, this is extremely rare if not unique that somebody behaves like this to a pilgrim. And before anybody starts with "you can understand the guy too" or "if you provoke him, don't be surprised at what happened", i have to say: there is no explanation or excuse for such behaviour. He shouted at me ie provoked me 3 times before i did anything and i'm glad i didn't take all the shit just because he thinks he's stronger and because he tries to intimidate me... I honestly wasn't afraid that he'd hurt me: pilgrims are very well respected here, i think the police would've been on my side to protect tourism - weird but true - and i am quite strong now really :)
There were morals too: 1. there are assholes even in the best and safest and nicest places on Earth 2. i met the group i'm with now because of this delay, happy days 3. i didn't take all the bully, it's important to me 4. a stranger protected me without question!
Later i cried mostly out of gratitude for the old couple who were there, i can't explain that feeling when somebody out of pure good will stands between you and raging idiot... The story doesn't bother me any more, i just want to make sure whoever comes to the Camino:
The guy who OWNS the albergue and the bar in the beginning of Ledigos is an asshole.

3 comments:

  1. I love this story!
    I am collecting pilgrims' stories for an anthology I hope to publish later this year. Please may I include this one in the book - with credit to you?
    un abrazo,
    Sil

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  2. ciao, Agiii!
    you've come to the halfway to Santiago already? i'm sorry i couldn't post comments any before... I'm just sooo proud of you!!!
    bacione!

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  3. Hey Sil,
    no problem, in a week i'll be home (hopefully) and i can go through the blog and correct mistakes and add logical points etc.
    Also, on the condition that you also include how it balanced things out (ie that i met a group who gave me the best time of the Camino and that this is one of the lessons of the Camino, people are just people, no matter where you go) :)

    Yoshimi - you have to come!! You will love it so much :) Except that it's pretty cold now :-/

    Thanks woman, he was also the only czech i met so he gave a 100% good name to the nation :)

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