Do people get hurt on the Camino? Yes they do. The most common ailments are blisters, followed by problems with joints, tendons and ligaments. Day after day, your body takes a pounding, especially your feet and joints. I've had issues with blisters but they have resolved themselves and have healed nicely. I feel lucky that I've experienced no joint pain with the exception of some minor twinges here and there. The worst injury that I have suffered is a toss up between an infected blister and bruises on the balls of my feet, the latter occurring when I pushed it and walked 22 miles. It was a bit much and I haven't walked that far again.
I've conducted an informal survey and have discovered that it is those under 30 that suffer the most. Mostly they come unprepared in terms of training before the camino. Some don't have the time to train as work interferes. I met one young lady who decided to walk a portion of the Camino two days before she started walking. For Europeans this is possible as Spain is just a short flight or train ride away. But it seems that the athletic looking young pilgrim is the one that suffers the most. Perhaps it's because they may feel invincible, being young and stupid and all.
What happens if you need medical care? The first stop is the pharmacist as he can dispense most medicines for many ailments. If you need a doctor, the albergues can direct you. What about the cost? I went to a clinic for my infected blister and was not charged anything. I know of a women who needed some dental care. She went to a dentist who took care of her problem and when asked about payment, the dentist gave her the names of two people and asked that she pray for them when she reached Santiago.
Do more serious things happen? Yes, people die on the Camino. In days of old they died due to exposure, basic poor health, lack of medical care and the occasional robbery. Actually thieves prayed on pilgrims back in the day. Today pilgrims die mostly due to natural causes like heart attacks. There is also the occasional accident, like getting hit by a truck. When you consider that over 120,000 pilgrims reach Santiago each year, the number of pilgrims who die or who a seriously injured is relatively low.
As I walked along the Camino, on occasion I would come across a small memorial to a pilgrim who died while walking to Santiago. Here are some photos.
With just two walking days left before I reach Santiago, I believe I remain in my current condition, unless of course I get hit by that truck.
Posted with Blogsy
No comments:
Post a Comment