SOLO CAMINO DE SANTIAGO
Can a Woman Walk the Camino de Santiago Alone Without Danger?
One American woman was murdered on Camino, but that was unusual for Spain.
Juan, Juan! Espera! Wait! I shouted. An older male pilgrim had walked by a minute earlier, and now a sketchy looking guy without a backpack was in front of me. He stepped out of some bushes on the trail and blocked my path.
He sported dirty clothes and an unshaven face, and he didn’t blink.
I faked happiness to see this guy staring at me with shark eyes. The eyes of a predator.
I have some Spanish language, so said, “Hola, como estas?” Hello, how are you?
Then, with more enthusiasm, I absolutely yelled to “Juan” up ahead to ‘Wait, wait!’
I didn’t know the guy’s name, the stranger who had just walked by. I didn’t know him from Adam! He was Juan now, though. I needed to fake it that he was my friend, my husband, my man.
At the least. I wanted to create a diversion so this asshole, who was getting ready to unpack his junk, backed off. Clever, no? Oh, mucho.
Even more so when the older guy who had just walked by jogged back to me and greeted me, “Oh, Maria! You’re so slow.”
