Walking alone; dangerous or adventurous

[geraldkelly]

This is such a feel-good thread that I hate to ruin it. But, I have a Google news alert on "Camino de Santiago" so I can keep up to date with Camino related articles in the Spanish press. This article appeared a couple of weeks ago.

Prisin para el acusado de violar a tres peregrinas en el Camino de Santiago. elnortedecastilla.es

I'll translate it with the help of Google translate:

Prison for the accused rapist of three pilgrims
Civil Guard officers in the commands of Palencia and León have arrested a man aged 29, resident in the province of Palencia, who entered prison on suspicion of three sexual assaults committed in the vicinity of the road to Santiago passing through the provinces of León and Palencia.
The arrest, which took place last Wednesday, is the result of the investigations have been carried out since February. The first known sexual assault occurred on Feb. 4 near Frómista (Palencia) against a Korean citizen 36 years.
Subsequently, on 16 February, a German citizen, aged 36, became the subject of sexual assault near the town of Calzadilla de la Cueza.
The latest attack occurred last Tuesday, May 10, near the town of Villamarco (Leon), a citizen of U.S. nationality, aged 26.

Complex investigation
The central government representation in Palencia said yesterday, investigation has been complex due to the 'modus operandi' of the author, the length of time that has passed between the three events and the fact that the victims live abroad.
The detainee has been brought before the examining magistrate of competent Leon, who ordered his imprisonment.

[Covey]

That was fairly depressing to read with my morning coffee!! Interesting that it was on the Burgos to Leon "Meseta" section where there are fewer Pilgrims and those that walk the Meseta tend to be spaced further apart than on other sections.

[unadara]

I read in a book that there is an extremely dangerous road and road crossing in the Leon area. Some people choose to get a bus by this stretch, is that an extreme reaction or a sensible one ? maybe the route is safer now ?. It may be an idea to recommend lone females to attach themselves! to another to walk this stage/s?
Has Gerald anything depressing to add re the full alberques!

[Covey]

Yep, it's called the Pilgrim Dash from one side of a main highway to the other. In simple terms you have to cross 6 lanes of traffic (3 lanes each way) and then get down in the drainage ditch and walk for 70m before you extract yourself from the ditch and get back to safety.

It's at this point that you wonder if Pilgrims are actually wanted in the cities any more cos they could have easily built an underpass for the Pilgrims (we are the only people that need to cross the road there!!)

It is doubly difficult for us Brits cos they drive on the wrong side of the road in Spain so if we ain't careful, we are looking the wrong way for the cars and trucks!!!.

[unadara]

And those that get the bus to avoid this potential trauma ? Do we say well ok but I wouldn't!
The thought of it, my husband often says crossing the road, ok let's go and I see a car, imagine the opportunity here, 6 lanes to say ok, ok, ok 6/1 chance...haha. Can you judge it to be there really early ?
Not worried, not yet anyways...just love reading about the "things" that can be challenging, the opportunity to walk every day for 30+ days seems to me to be a "blessing". Mad or sad or what.

[cindy]

wauw, i go away for a week orso and the thread has taken quite a turn...
Depressing as it may be to know that even the camino is not considered ´sacred ground´ i think one should never stop looking around wherever you are. Meaning: be present and use your brains... (And reflexes if you want to get to the other side of that motorway...).
Since i´ve started this, i am no longer scared of possible bad experiences, but ofcourse bad things can happen everywhere and at anytime....I won´t be running around naked as an invitation to get to know someone better than i would like to though, but i am planning on enjoying the camino 100%. I am looking forward to itt so much, that in my mind (and dreams) i have walked quite a bit of it already!!!!(without the blisters though)

I´m happy to start walking on my own now and think i will make some new friends.... haven´t figured out yet how to get to sjpdp yet as i will probably go by car and park it at the destination... Will have to do some more research on that.... still 114 days to go before though.....

[cindy]

Tried out my new liner socks as suggested to prevent blisters; i now have THE BIGGEST BLISTER i have ever seen on my little toe...
Feeling rather stupid as i thought this would be the answer...

[geraldkelly]

Hi Una

On the subject of albergues being full I have this to say: DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT!!!! I've walked loads of Caminos and I have never failed to find a bed in an albergue because it was full. There are loads of albergues on the Camino Francés and you're highly unlikely to have a problem.

On the subject of the rapist, it is an awful development, especially given that so much on the Camino is based on trust. But there are a couple of positive things I think it's important to emphasise. One is that this was one obviously sick individual acting on his own and they got him. So you don't have to worry about HIM. Also, in the recent history of the Camino I'm only aware of one other incident of sexual violence and that was an attack on a Korean pilgrim on the Camino del Norte who accepted the offer of a lift in a car.

So the Camino remains an extremely safe place to be for everybody and the chances of something bad happening is probably even smaller than in your normal life. It would be a terrible tragedy if women were put off walking the Camino because of a small number of incidents. If you exercise the same caution and common sense as you do in your normal life the chances of something bad happening is very slim.

Ger

[Covey]

I think Gerald is absolutely right in his assessment of the risks. I live in south London and I don't go out walking after dark because the risk is high.

My advice for what it's worth is if you feel uncomfortable about walking a particular stretch, then just ask another pilgrim if you can walk with them. Nobody will say no!