Walking the Camino de Santiago

 First published in Options, The Edge, on July 4, 2022 @ https://www.optionstheedge.com/topic/travel/going-distance-walking-camino-de-santiago-spain-and-portugal

The scallop shell, symbolic of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, has a series of converging lines which fuse at the base of the shell. It’s been pointed out that this is representative of the many routes that lead to the cathedral at Santiago de Compostella.

Legend has it that the remains of St James the Greater, Jesus’ disciple, was brought and buried here by his followers after his beheading in Jerusalem.  What was once an unmarked grave has since grown into the great cathedral of today.

A First Timer's Practical Guide to walking the Camino de Santiago

 June, 2022

I wrote this simple guide for those interested in walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain.  It covers in a single place such practicalities as what to bring, accommodation, etc. It is not intended to be a comprehensive 'how-to' guide. There is plenty of information on the Internet on the details of various aspects of the walk. 

A brief note on Planning.

There are many Camino routes.  Do some research and select the one you want to walk, the distance and your starting point. There is no fixed starting point, although practically, people start from towns where they arrive by bus, train or plane. 

 Walking the Camino your way.

There are many ways to walk the Camino:

-          Complete self-sufficiency, carrying everything in a rucksack and deciding each day how far you want to walk.  Many who opt for this will seek out accommodation when they’ve walked far enough for the day.  Walkers can decide how long to walk, whether they want to stay an extra day to rest or go sightseeing in a stopover. There is the uncertainty of finding suitable accommodation at the destination town. During high season, all accommodation can be booked out. Some hotels charge more for walk-ins compared to pre-booking.  The logical stop points are in the larger towns with accommodation.

 -          Going with a company that pre-arranges accommodation. Specialist companies in the Camino can prebook accommodation for you before you leave.  It means a fixed itinerary with a determined distance to walk each day to the booked accommodation. This provides the assurance of accommodation at the end of the day, but also the relative inflexibility of a fixed walking schedule.

 -          Guided:  companies offer full guided services, with a guide familiar with the route who accompanies the walker.  A support vehicle can also be arranged.  The guide provides assurance and local knowledge as well as intimate knowledge of the route and what to look out for.

 

Accommodation

There is a wide range of accommodation on the Camino routes in the larger towns. These suit a variety of needs and budgets. Among them:

-          Albergues are part of the Camino history and tradition, set up to provide shelter to pilgrims. They are usually right on, or very near the actual Camino routes and so are very convenient in terms of location.  Albergues can be public or private, and are usually dormitory style with shared facilities. Typically, they cannot be reserved beforehand, so you turn up and check on availability.   Usually the most inexpensive accommodation on the Camino route.

-          Hotels in urban settings vary widely in terms of quality and price and offer the amenities of typical hotels.

-          Cottages.  These are set in rural areas, usually a little distance away from towns, and may need some extended walking or a taxi ride but they provide a taste of the rural farm life and can be very charming.

-          Apartments, etc through online channels such as AirBnB, Booking.com.

-          Paradors are luxury hotels, which are State run in Spain, usually located in a historic building such as a castle or ex-monastery. The best known of these is the Parador Santiago de Compostella, housed just beside the cathedral Santiago de Compostella. Now a 5-star hotel, it was historically a hospital and an alberque, and considered to be one of the oldest hotels in the world.

 Training

Much depends on the fitness of the individual, there are many online resources which go into detailed training plans and there is no intention to replicate them here. 

There is no fixed distance to walk every day. Generally, assuming a walking pace between 3km/hr and 5km/hr, as a rough guide, daily walks average between 20-30km a day. Camino walks can be tailored to the individual, so distances may be longer or shorter as preferred.  A natural constraint is the availability of accommodation at the end of the walking day.

 

Luggage

-          Carry your own luggage in a rucksack along the way with everything you need.

-          Some companies offer forwarding services: walkers carry a light rucksack with the essentials for that day. Bulky luggage is collected every morning and sent to the next destination for a fee. For this, travelers must have prebooked accommodation at their next destination.

Meals

Most prebooked accommodation can provide breakfast and dinner. If the accommodation is in a rural setting, such as a farm, this may be the only option. Travelers who stay in town can go to a local café or restaurant for their meals.  Meals in Spain are late, lunches start around 1.30pm and dinners start around 8pm or later, which is when restaurant kitchens open.

In the late afternoons, especially in the provincial towns, shops and restaurants close so getting a meal can be difficult.  In the larger towns, some cafes may stay open and offer informal meals such as cold tapas, tortillas and empanadas between meal times.

In the larger towns with a bus or train terminus, there is usually a café open at odd hours to cater to incoming trains and buses. Usually these serve quick, informal meals which do not require kitchen service.

For meals along the trail, there may be cafes to stop at for coffee and snacks. These can be few and far in between along rural stretches. Usually these provide informal easily prepared meals such as empanadas and sandwiches. Some cafes can be crowded with hikers if there are few other cafes along the route during meal times, or if it is raining. 

Travelers should also consider carrying snacks in their rucksacks in case there are no cafes or bars encountered for long stretches, eg, forested trails.

 

What to Bring

-          Walking shoes/boots. Many walkers wear hiking boots, although a good pair of walking shoes will suffice. Make sure that the shoes are broken in and comfortable as you don’t want to develop blisters wearing new shoes on the trail.

-          Sandals/informal shoes for after hiking each day.

-          Socks.  Woolen socks with good padding are recommended.

-          Raincoat/poncho

-          Sunglasses. The sun can be very harsh in the afternoons.

-          Water bottle

-          Trail food/snacks (optional)

-          Hiking pants should be light and well ventilated with pockets. Avoid wearing jeans.

-          Walking jersey/T shirt made from quick drying synthetic material.

-          Jacket/fleece for cold weather

-          Torchlight

-          Personal medication

-          Toiletries

-          Hat/cap

-          Sunscreen

-          Rucksack/Day bag

-          Camera

-          Chargers for camera/smartphone

-          Walking poles (optional, depending on preference)

-          Plastic bags for rubbish while walking.

 

Navigation

The route is well marked with milestones and other markers, so if you don’t see a marker after some time, there’s a good chance you’ve gone off route.  If there are locals around, they are usually very obliging in helping travelers.  There are also many smartphone navigation apps for the Camino, eg, Camino Ninja which can be downloaded and installed.

Markers feature a stylized scallop shell design and/or a yellow arrow.

It is easier to go off-route in towns with many buildings and streets.

 

Others

A local prepaid SIM card is recommended to avoid expensive roaming charges. These can be purchased at the airport or in towns. Useful for communicating with accommodation, for local navigation, eg, finding the way to your hotel in town, as well as browsing for information on stopovers or places to eat, etc.  

 

The Pilgrim’s Certificate

To be eligible for a Pilgrim’s certificate, or compostella, issued at the Pilgrim’s Office in Santiago de Compostella, travelers must walk the last 100km of the Camino, or complete 200km if riding a bicycle or a horse.

The Pilgrim’s certificate is written in Latin script. After a short interview, if the traveler is eligible, the certificate is issued with the traveler’s name and the date of certificate issue. There is no charge for the certificate.

A longer “distance” certificate with additional details is optionally available for a fee of 3 Euro at the time of writing.

 

The Pilgrim’s Credencial (“Passport”)

The credencial is a document carried by the traveler which is stamped along the Camino, like a passport. The credencial can be purchased for a nominal fee at the starting point at churches and pilgrim’s offices.

Businesses and churches on the Camino can stamp the credencial as proof that the traveler stopped at the said point along the way.  The traveler should collect a minimum of 2 stamps a day. Hotels, alberques, churches, tourist offices, restaurants, cafes and bars can stamp the credecial.

The credencial is presented at the Pilrim’s Office in Santiago de Compostella to prove that the traveler did cover the distance in order to be eligible for a Pilgrim’s Certificate.

 

 

Feedback and comments can be sent to me, Lee Yu Kit, at leeyuk9@gmail.com

 

Visiting Wayag

First published in Options, The Edge Malaysia, March 26, 2018

http://www.optionstheedge.com/topic/travel/visiting-wayag

Wayag has acquired a sort of mythical reputation, for in the remote and magnificent Raja Ampat archipelago, it is even more remote and magnificent. 

My first view of the Bird’s Head Peninsula of West Papua was at dawn. From the aircraft window, long slanting rays of morning sunlight reflected off puffs of mist rising from the dense forests below. The aircraft was silent, and as it angled gently, the calm sea shimmered like a vast sheet of gold.  Two hours away by ferry from The Bird’s Head Peninsula, was Raja Ampat.

An Odishan Odyssey

First published in Options, The Edge Malaysia, 9 Sept 2018 at http://optionstheedge.com/topic/travel/visiting-temples-bhubaneshwar

Visiting the temples of Bhubaneshwar

Taking the train to Bhubaneshwar was like entering another India. This was the timeless India rushing by outside the windows:  of brown rivers, green fields, vignettes of villages on dusty roads, farmers toiling in the fields, with the train journey itself being a reminder of a venerable institution beloved of, reviled by, and quintessentially, India.

Tiffin was served in aluminium-foil covered trays: a creamy orange-coloured tomato soup in a cup, a “Soup Stick & Butter Chiplet” (bread finger with a knob of butter), white rice, a weak aloo curry, a watery dhal, a choice of chicken or paneer (cheese) dish, a tub of yoghurt, and a sickly sweet gulab jamun dessert.  The placemat, a single sheet of thin paper, advertised meals available on board, and Holiday Packages by the IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited).  It carried the stern admonition “Please do not pay Tips”.  Not unexpectedly, towards the end of the journey, the carriage attendant came around with open palm, followed minutes later by the cleaners who swept the carriage, soliciting tips.

The Hidden Treasure of Panagsama

First published in Options, The Edge Malaysia, January 9, 2017

A diving haven in Cebu holds a hidden surprise, just meters from shore.

I knew the exact distance to Moalboal, thanks to McDonalds.  There were signs along the road counting down the distance to the McDonald’s in the town, presumably the only one for miles around on the western coast of Cebu.

The country was scrubby, with low knobby limestone hills running along the spine of the island in a North-South orientation. The rocky nature of the island precluded the lush tropical growth I expected, except for the magnificent rain trees planted perhaps over a century or more ago, lining the main road. 

Bonjourno, Positano!

First Published in Options, The Edge Malaysia, 20 February, 2016

Almost too pretty to be true, Positano lodges itself in one’s memory

I was in the hamlet of Montepertuso, about 300 meters high on a rocky escarpment, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea shimmering blue far below.  Montepertuseo was small, with the customary church and a few buildings, but it had a breathtaking view of the rugged coastline, with its craggy cliffs.  Just below, the picturesque town of Positano was spread over the contours of the steep terrain that descended down to the sea.

One Night in Masouleh

First Published in Options, The Edge, 20 June 2016

A traditional way of rural life, preserved in a heritage village in Iran

We emerged from the tunnel cut into the mountainside into another landscape.  We had come from the high country, with its rolling, barren hills stippled with snow, and emerged into a lush country of trees and verdant grassy hillsides, a complete contrast to the stark nakedness of the arid high country.

The valleys below were thickly forested with trees, and the adjoining hillside was the country of Azerbaijan.  As we descended, the country became greener and more luxuriant. A razor wire fence running beside the road demarcated the boundary between Iran and Azerbaijan. Occasionally, there were Army outposts by the border. 

We drove through wet rice fields, so incongruous in Iran, and turned into the town of Astara, which is a transit point between the two countries.  Like many border towns, it had a slightly shabby appearance, open air car parks crowded with vehicles, and a busy main street with vendors selling food and knick-knacks. The bazaar was a sad market of cheap, throwaway plastic goods, garish clothes and Made-in-China sneakers.  Astara was near the sea, however, my first encounter with the vast Caspian Sea.

Sorrento By The Sea

First Published in Options, The Edge Malaysia, July 18, 2015

The Sorrento Cathedral is a large, airy building near the center of the old quarter. It is not particularly notable as grand cathedrals go, but by the entrance to its dim interior are several panels depicting religious scenes, of such finely-wrought detail that the expressions on faces, the folds of clothing and details of the background landscape in perspective are evident.  The panels are rendered in varying shades of brown, because they are not painted or embroidered, but are wood marquetry, the ancient craft of applying wood inlay in decorative patterns. 

Wood marquetry became popular in the town of Sorrento in the eighteenth century, in response to the increased numbers of people visiting the town, because even back then, it was already well-known as a resort town and tourist destination.  And it has been so ever since.

The Island Abbey

First published in Options, The Edge, on May 9, 2015

Mont St Michel is separated by a few hundred meters of water and centuries in time from the modern world.

Only about a half-kilometer separated me from the island, with its stone ramparts and mossy buildings and steeples, yet it might as well have been a gulf of centuries. I stood on the mainland, my feet rooted firmly in the 21^st century, and within sight was the island abbey of Mont St Michel, which belonged to a different era altogether, a medieval fragment that had withstood the passage of time and modernity, embedded as irrevocably in the past as the rock island was rooted in the seabed.

Time had slipped slowly, and almost imperceptibly by, as I left the modern suburbs of Paris, and headed towards the northern coast of France.  The lush colours of autumn were gently brushed over the rural landscape of wheat fields and poplar trees, with their grey foliage in the breeze, the smell of freshly-harvested hay bales, upturned leaves turning silver by the roadside.  There were small somnambulent villages, neat and tidy looking, with cobblestone streets, boulangeries, patiserries and small grocery shops that flashed by. All that was needed was a woman with a parasol or a man in a beret to complete what could have been an Impressionist painting.

Time slipped further by at the coast, shedding the hectic modern world for fishing villages with slate roofs and wooden piers, fishing boats in the harbour, the salty tang of the sea and narrow, colourful houses jostling against each other.  And then, there in the distance, was the improbable mirage of Mont St Michel.

Of Knives, a Fire Temple and a Prison

First published in Options, The Edge, March 21, 2015

An adventure into regions less traveled for a warm welcome, and remnants of an ancient culture waiting to be discovered

Zanjan was the city of knives. In the lobby, the hotel displayed locally-produced knives for sale in glass cases.  There were many knife shops in the town nearby, with an assortment of hardware, from mundane kitchen knives with wooden handles to pen-knives, switchblades, cleavers, fancy knives with inlaid, shiny blades and elaborate handles surely meant for display rather than actual use.  You could have a knife made to your specifications.  In a small corner shop in town, the genial man behind the counter, with silver hair and an ample moustache was not only the shopkeeper but also the craftsman, for he made knives with the same care and pride that an artist takes in his work, and handled them with the fondness and familiarity of the master artisan.

Railay Rediscovered

First published in Options, The Edge Malaysia, Feb 21, 2015

Magic happens when rock, sea and sand come together in an isolated peninsula in southern Thailand

When I first visited Railay, many more years ago than I care to recall, there was no airport at Krabi. The trip involved an overnight train journey from KL, stepping down at the Malaysian-Thai border for Immigration formalities in the morning before continuing on to Haadyai.  A small minibus, with passengers and luggage squished inside, wended its swaying way on Thai B-roads from Haadyai to Krabi town, then a quiet backwater.  The last part of the journey involved a songtheaw (longtail boat) for the 20 minute journey over the sea, hugging the coastline, which was overgrown with mangrove forests, beneath pale and towering cliffs.