Cristobal Manuel photo - Haiti
I entered Santiago on April 05, more than a month ago. I've had time to reflect. Just what did my Camino mean to me. It started out as a cool way to spend a month of my life...and that is how it finished. The only real surprise was just how social an experience it is to spend a month walking with people from all over the planet and seeing them a lot, sometimes daily for a few weeks. This made my Camino very enjoyable indeed.Check out the name list from my diary below. These are people I met on my 2 month trip that I had a meal with, spend a social evening with, walked with for a few days. On the Camino you might hang out with a person for a few days, then not see them for a week or two, then re-connect like lost-long buddies. This was so much fun
I enjoy walking and have been for years, and I enjoy backpacking, staying in dorm rooms and meeting people. The Camino fit like a glove.
Take a look at the 2 photos that I have included in this post. The naked man in Haiti is walking down the street of a ruined city after the earthquakes. Can you even imagine what this man's life is like and what might be going through his mind at this time? If you follow Haiti at all, you know that their infrastructure has not progressed much since then and many lives are still in shambles.
Now look at me in the picture below. I am a tourist in a 1st world country. I'm carrying all I need for a few weeks. Back in Canada, I have a nice house and comfortable lifestyle. On this night, I will stay in a nice hostal, take a hot shower, go to supper with some friends and trade stories of the day and enjoy the wine. My concerns will be simple, my worries few.
What did I do to deserve such luck? Mostly, I was born in Canada. That fact alone sets me up for a pretty good lifestyle. I have my health, a good education and the freedom to gad about the planet on basically no more than a whim.
My Camino has left with a sense of imbalance. My yin/yang is off-kilter. I feel the need to redress that balance, possibly by working in a 3rd world country.
Paris
Fernando BRA William IVR CST
Camino
Christian GER Julia GER Martina GER Armin GER Flavio JPN Thays BRA Sergio SPA Martin GER Yolanda SPA Emma GER Theo GER Olivier FRA Andres CDN Standal CZE Yeoung Li KOR Jesus SPA Bernardo SPA Pitr AUS Luis BRA Louik FRA Mikhail GER Tessa SAFR Jesus SPA Jenny AUSSIE Daniella ITA Balin SPA Anna SPA Peer GER Oscar GER Manual SPA David SPA Antonio SPA PoleEric NDR Dominical ITA Tomas GER Lourdes ECU Gordon CDN Sara CDN Jack KOR Jose SPA Janet AUSSIE Renato ITA Angelo ITA Fernando SPA Mihn KOR Yari SLO Fenn CDN Alain FRA Tomas GER Daniel GER Alex GER Cena BELG Doreen USA
Santiago
Judith GER Sergio SPA Fernando SPA Joss NED Vupkiss GER Sake JPN
Finisterre
Anna SPA Jan AUS Marianne FRA Xavier FRA Susan GBR MaryLou SPA Lissie GER Tia GER Anna GER Jose SPA Juken LITH Werner GER
Madrid
Lisa GBR Monica ITA Hector SPA Julian USA Holly GBR Sam GBR Chris GBR Susan GBR Carol GBR
Porto
Karina POR Katarina POR Joanne POR Amy USA Fernando BELG Lini BELG Natalia POR Nisha GBR Saba GBR Clair GBR Helena GER Jon USA Ju-on POR Inez POR Hendrick GER Tomark GER
New York
Maya RUS Marni NDR Stephanie PHIL
