Ten Infallible Ways to Earn the 'Bad Pilgrim' Label (and How to Avoid Them with Laughter)
He Camino de Santiago It is a school of life. It teaches you humility, patience and, above all, it tests you in coexistence. To help you avoid those small (and sometimes very big) mistakes that break the magic of the Route, we have compiled the 10 things you should not do if you don't want to be remembered as the tourist who dressed up as a pilgrim.
Take note, laugh a little, and may the Apostle guide you!
The Decalogue of the Good Pilgrim (and the Serious Hidden Rules)
1. Ignoring the Hostel's "Silent Hour" (The Deadly Sin of Sleep)
- What you will do: Entering the bedroom at 11:30 PM, turning on the main light, talking on the phone at full volume and digging through your noisy plastic bag until you find the paracetamol.
- The Seriousness: The unwritten rule of silence (22:00 to 06:00) It is sacred. Respect the rest of others. A sleepless pilgrim is an unhappy pilgrim, and Jacobean karma is relentless.
2. Confuse the Hostel with a Boutique Hotel
- What you will do: Complain because the sheets are not 500 thread count, ask for breakfast to be prepared, or demand the single room closest to the outlet.
- The Seriousness: Hostels are places of humble welcome, not hotels. The humility and adaptability They are the key. If you are looking for comfort, there are pensions and hostels.
3. Go Stamp Hunting Without Walking (The Fiction Credential)
- What you will do: Go from bar to bar in a car or bus asking for stamps on the Credential to get the Compostela, arguing that you have a "mental injury."
- The Seriousness: The Compostela is awarded to those who demonstrate that they have walked or pedaled, for religious or spiritual reasons, the last 100 km (on foot) or 200 km (by bike). Don't cheat. The Path is with yourself.
4. Perfume the Bedroom with Your Wet Footwear
- What you will do: Leaving your freshly removed boots and socks right next to your bunk, creating a “mustard gas” that will make all your roommates want the bunk on the street.
- The Seriousness: Boots and clothing must be aired outside, in designated areas (terraces, clotheslines). Personal and equipment hygiene is a matter of respect and public health (goodbye mushrooms!).
5. Walk to the Rhythm of the Pilgrim in Front (and Back)
- What you will do: Being obsessed with catching up with that ultralight runner you saw in the morning, or getting stressed because the German pilgrim is half an hour ahead of you.
- The Seriousness: The Camino has your name. Walk at your own pace. Listen to your body, enjoy the landscape and don't compete. You are not in a race, you are in a pilgrimage.
6. Not Saying “Buen Camino” (Your Finger Falls Off!)
- What you will do: Passing by everyone with your eyes fixed on the ground or on your cell phone, ignoring the universal greeting.
- The Seriousness: «Buen Camino!» It is the currency of the Route, the energy that connects you with others. It's mandatory, it's free and it brightens the day.
7. Leaving Garbage on the Road or Believing that Bushes are Trash Cans
- What you will do: Throwing away the banana peel believing that “it is biodegradable”, or worse yet, leaving plastic wrappers or wet wipes where they shouldn't belong.
- The Seriousness: He respect for the environment and heritage is fundamental. What you bring with you, goes with you. The beauty of the Camino depends on the conscience of each one.
8. Carry a Backpack Heavier Than You
- What you will do: Pack three towels, seven pairs of shoes, the hair straightener and the entire Paulo Coelho library, because "just in case."
- The Seriousness: The ideal weight is 10% of your body weight. A heavy backpack is the number one cause of injuries, abandonments, and having to pay for daily backpack transportation, denying the experience of self-sufficiency.
9. Catch the First Bits of a Donation Hostel's Breakfast Buffet
- What you will do: Finish the loaf of bread, the box of coffee and the last yogurt at 6:30 AM, without thinking about the 30 pilgrims who come behind.
- The Seriousness: In donation or community shelters, the generosity and moderation They are the norm. Be aware of the community and think about the next one.
10. Forgetting why you started walking
- What you will do: Complain about the heat, the cold, the blisters, your neighbor's snoring and that beer is expensive in Galicia, losing perspective.
- The Seriousness: When physical pain and frustration appear, remember your purpose. The Camino is a metaphor for life: it is not about avoiding pain, but about learning to move forward with it. Enjoy every step!
