Early Risers on the Camino

One issue you run across on the Camino is people leaving at all hours of the morning, some before daylight. In the summer months, people want to get where they're going before the heat falls.  In recent years, it's been the rush for a bed that drives the early risers.

One night in Lorca, we had an ¨interesting¨experience!

There were 8 beds in our room. All were full. Everyone settled in for the night by 10 pm, and after a discussion about whether or not we would leave the windows open, we all fell asleep.

About 1 am, there was a rustling.. it was those dreaded plastic bags... I looked up to see a perigrino. What was he doing? He appeared to be rummaging around in his mochilla for something... but what? He went into the bathroom... ON goes the bathroom light... SLAM goes the door... then in 2 minutes, he is out again, rummaging, rummaging... appeared to be packing... another head popped up to see what the hustle is about. Then another. Then they sighed and lay back down. I checked the time. It was 1 a.m.

I finally asked... ¨"Are you ok? Are you sick? Do you need help?"

He said, "No, I am leaving now."

He walked out the door, shutting it... and I fell back asleep.

Morning comes.

I walk out into the kitchen.

There on the chair is his mochilla.

I go back into the bedroom.
He is in his bed with all of his clothes, including shoes, on.

? ? ? ? ?

Apparently, he woke up, believing it was morning, packed up to go, then realized it was the middle of the night.

This is when you want to strangle a pilgrim....

So... we all got up, had a good laugh, and walked on....

We reached the wine fountain at Irache and filled our bottles. One pilgrim was drinking directly from the spigot.  Please don't do that?

We enjoyed the walk up to Monjardin... only to find bedbugs there. We got to the bar and had them call a taxi... and headed to Los Arcos, where there were clean beds and nice people waiting for us. The M&Ms and I, settled into our 4 bed room (niiiice!)... and when we left for dinner, guess who was in the bed in the next room? 

The man who woke us all up yesterday morning! GRRRRrrrrr!

(I call Michelle and Michael, a couple I met from France, the "M&Ms"... they don´t quite understand the joke since they do not speak English and I do not speak French. But we manage to communicate anyway, and have become close friends. )

We all had a good laugh... then forgot about him, until we heard the stories next morning around the coffee table... he had done the same thing to other pilgrims. I forgot to mention that I caught him going through the medicine cabinet at Lorca, so I suspect he is on speed... his eyes are pinpointy and BRIGHT icy blue... if you see him... tie him into his sleeping bag!