The emphasis is on LITE. I don't mean any disrespect, as I know walking the Camino is for many a once-in-a-life-time opportunity and for some a life changing experience.
It is LITE, because:
1. We are walking only part of the Camino Frances. Leon to Santiago is 269km (167 mi), whereas the standard route starting at St Jean Pied de Port is 780km (485 mi). So distance-wise we are covering only the last third. (14 days of walking nonetheless. Taking two weeks plus off your work schedule is a lot by American standards. We looked into doing only the minimum length necessary to get a certificate, which is starting from Sarria, but it did not feel right that we would walk only the last and probably the most crowded section for less than a week.)
2. We are using a commercial outfit to book the hotels ahead. So we do not get to experience the spontaneity or camaraderie that comes with staying in random refugios or albergues, whatever they really are.
3. We are having our luggage transferred from one stop to the next. We will only be carrying a daypack, so will not look like typical peregrines with their life's burden on their backs.
4. Although I was baptized Catholic as a child, I have not been religious most of my adult life. Chisoon is an avowed agnostic. We have a distinctly secular approach to the walk. You can say this walk is on our bucket list.
5. This blog will be kept simple. Thank you, Google, for allowing me, a (relatively) old dog, to learn a new trick, but there will be no fancy customization. There is a plethora of blogs and websites on the Camino which are filled with practical information or very personal introspective accounts. This site will have very little of such nature. For me, this is just a means to record and communicate. Primarily to family, friends and colleagues. And most importantly, it is for myself.
So there. The Camino for the rest of us, or for the spoiled or privileged or the impatient, depending on your perspective. Camino Lite or Camino de Lite, if you will.
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After-sunset glow, Moon Valley, Atacama:
Two-hour flight north of Santiago, Chile
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Salar de Talar, Atacama, Chile:
pristine, colorful, surreal, and at 14,000 ft |
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I am making it a rule that I will not post without pictures. A major motivation for this blog is to find a way to share pictures. Since the trip has not started, there is no picture from the Camino yet. I do not want to post pictures of the hiking boots I will be wearing like some people have.
Instead, how about pictures from the other Santiago? The capital of Chile we visited last month, that is. It is a blessing that we are able to travel to both Santiagos, a world apart from each other, within a few months of each other.
Actually these pictures are from the two other-worldly places we used Santiago as a jumping point for: the Atacama desert and Easter Island.
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| Easter Island: five-hour flight west of Santiago, Chile |
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| Ahu Tongariki, Easter Island |
The countdown has begun. The Day 1 will be when we get into Leon on Sept 18.
I will probably post next when we arrive in Spain.
