Cards and Letters

It is fun to read some of the free advice people are sending me--much of it sent without noting our hiking experience or the route we're taking.

Folks seem to want share their own experiences on the Camino, even if they're on a different route or had never tackled a long trail before.

I'll share our experiences, of course, as we make our way along. But I promise not to offer advice to others unless they ask for it. As we say in the backpacking world: HYOH. Hike your own hike.

One thing we have discovered is that making lodging reservations in advance is much cheaper. When we first set our dates, I quickly made a few reservations in key towns along the way: Santiago, Oviedo, and a zero day in Lugo, where we knew we were going to be on a specific date.

Those have turned out to be much less expensive than staying in the same hotel only one day earlier or later, now that things have filled up. For example, 1st reservation $75. Now, to add a second night, $180. Just as well we planned ahead for most locations along the route...even the hostels have filled up completely.