1. NEVER JUDGE ANYONE ELSE'S CAMINO. We heard this before we started and we didn't really understand what it meant until we had actually begun the Camino. We heard people saying things like, "That guy's not even carrying his pack," "I can't believe they caught a bus, that's cheating," or, "They only started in Sarria." No one should judge anyone else because we don't know their stories. Everyone has their own reasons for doing the Camino and pilgrims should support each other and respect each other equally (this includes the cyclists..).
2. PACK LIGHT. A good rule of thumb is to pack one tenth of your body weight. This worked well for us as we only packed 6-7kg and it was a perfect weight for us. Very comfy. Some days we did't even notice the packs on our backs.
3. GET INTO THE CAMINO SPIRIT. Talk to your fellow pilgrims. If you see someone sitting alone, ask them to join you. Say "Buen Camino" when someone passes you on the way. Offer a glass of wine to people, or give your unwanted food or drinks to them. If someone's struggling, lend a helping hand or ibuprofen or a Compeed (Camino inside joke.. you'll see).
4. BUY GOOD EAR PLUGS! Invest in some good quality ear plugs. You'll need them.
5. PACK A PONCHO. Even if you use it once, you'll be grateful you took it. The weather can be unpredictable, especially going through the Pyrenees and Galicia (the start and the end of the Camino). We bought ponchos that covered us and our packs and we ended up using them several times.
6. COOK YOUR OWN FOOD. As budget travelers this was one of the biggest money savers. We would always stay in villages with supermarkets, and find albergues with a kitchen, so that we could make our own dinner. Sometimes it would only cost about €5 and we would almost always have leftovers for lunch (and sometimes even dinner) the next day. Usually we would cook pasta or rice with vegetables and buy a cheeky €1 bottle of wine (tip inside a tip - Spanish wine doesn't give you a hangover. Even the cheap stuff. Enjoy).
7. BLISTER PREVENTION. Do your own research for this, but we stocked up on Compeeds (blister pads), wore two pairs of socks and wore our shoes in before we started the Camino.
8. CLOTHES LINE. We weren't sure if we'd use this when we packed it, but we used it almost every second night. See our camino de santiago - what to pack video for more info.
9. LEARN SOME SPANISH AND FRENCH. We learnt some simple phrases to get us by, and not only was it helpful for us, but the locals appreciated it so much. Some useful phrases for us in Spanish were: "Tienes dos camas?" (Do you have two beds?), "Tienes leche de soja?" (Do you have soy milk?), and of course the basic greetings, such as, "Hola" (Hello), "Beunas dias" (Good day), and "Que tal?" (How are you?). In French we mostly just used "Bonjour" (Hello), and "Merci" (Thank you), as only the first day of the walk was in France.
10. ENJOY IT! Keep an open mind, there will be hard days (and nights, with the snorers), but it is all worth it and it's all part of the experience. Remember to stop and look back every now and then to see how far you've come - this always lifted our spirits. We made some amazing friends on the Camino and had some delicious wine. We look back on our time now and it all went so quickly, so even though those dusty trails seem like they'll never end at times, make the most of every step.
We hope these tips helped. If you have any questions - ask away!
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jorgiandkate
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