Day 13 - Update on gear and technology

Hi again

Thought I'd share a brief update on my gear - and the technology that's enabling me to share my travels with you and receive your wonderful comments and emails.

First the gear, well it's all good news. I've used almost everything in my pack with the exception of wet weather gear and my icebreaker 200 long sleeve shirt (though the latter could surface any time soon if today's much cooler weather continues). And not complaining about not needing the rain gear yet, happy to have it in case.

As I re-pack my pack every morning, along with everyone else it seems, I usually wonder what I could have left behind, but nothing comes to mind. The only change I'd make is replacing one icebreaker t-shirt with a lightweight long-sleeve (UV protection) hiking shirt. Would have saved the suntan (sun damage more like it) on my arms and a lot of time applying sunscreen every half hour, or so it seemed.

Also, I had thought about the hat situation before I left but as it remained unresolved on the morning of my departure, I quickly threw in a baseball cap. That's now been replaced by a much more practical - and notably unstylish - broad brimmed cloth hat. What a sight, but does a much better job.

On to the technology - I'm so glad I decided to write a blog and to bring my iPad to do it, and even to have endured that 90 minutes in Pamplona to buy a sim card. And thanks to Rosanne for giving me her French sim to use before that. On a sad note, in Julie's email this morning helping me with some technical issues, she told me that Steve Jobs had died. As she said, what a difference his work has made to our work and leisure - for me that includes the enjoyment of sharing this adventure thanks to this neat little device.

The photo situation has been so easy. I'm not usually one to take a lot of photos - I may have taken more photos in the last 13 days than in as many years. My Lumix point and shoot camera bought from Dick Smith for about $200 has been fantastic. I connect it to my iPad each afternoon and the photos are uploaded in less than a minute, ready for me to choose which ones to add to my blog.

Now to the blog. Working very well at this end but I know of two issues which hopefully I can help with - though I can't promise.

First if you signed up for updates via the subscribe facility you will have been receiving your updates with Blogger shown in the sender field. That looks to be working perfectly with the updates coming through within minutes of me publishing them via my iPad app.

If you subscribed using the follow by email facility you will have been receiving your email updates with Jenny@zen shown in the sender field. That was working fine until about a week ago when they started to lag by about half a day, then stopped altogether for a few days, though now seemed to have resumed albeit it seems to take about 24 hours. I have no idea why but here's an easy solution - bookmark the blog and visit when it suits to get the latest update:

www.elcamino.zencommunications.com.au

So if you hear from family or friends that they've had a problem with delayed updates, please pass on that tip as an alternative.

And finally to posting comments - a couple of people have asked how to do it and a few have thought they were posting comments which would show on the blog but in fact have been sending me an email message via the blog which only comes to me and doesn't show up as a comment. I'm pretty sure this will work.

You need to go the blog itself
Choose the link that says either Post a Comment or 0 comments or 1 comment etc
Don't choose the envelope picture (that's for sending someone an email with a link, which a few people have used thinking they were posting comments)
Once you've clicked on a comments link a Blogger page should open. If there are already comments posted on that update you'll see them too.
There will be a text box for you to type in your comment.
Then you need to Choose an Identity.
Choose Name / URL. Then type in your name as you want it to appear. You can leave the URL blank.
You may be asked to type in a verification code (anti-hacking precaution)
Then choose Publish your Comment.

Hope that helps -and works.

On the subject - and not wanting to make anyone feel inadequate - Helen (Mum) is a star poster of comments to the blog. Not wanting to give away her age (though some of you will recall we celebrated her 80th birthday a couple of years ago) - she's got this blog thing under control. But she was smart enough to call in the experts early on - Belle and Chris, two of her grandchildren. So well done Helen and thank you to Belle and Chris.

What's an update without some photos so here are a few of the many signs marking The Camino.

J x