Devastating.
What woman elects to go on pilgrimage today, alone, separated from a group, in any country? Even small groups are in danger, man or woman, but this.. alone? In Spain?
There are always dreamers, but they are definitely getting themselves thinned out.
Lone female backpackers are common in Thailand. My wife has talked to several at Wororot Market in Chiang Mai. Speaking good English and Thai, of course, started conversations when my wife helped her niece at their clothes stall there.
I go around all by myself in Wyoming.
Of course I’m never actually alone. One of my best friends and his seven little hollow-point buddies are on my hip all the time just in case I meet a Spanish farmer.
(-:
“....What woman elects to go on pilgrimage today, alone, separated from a group, in any country? Even small groups are in danger, man or woman, but this.. alone? In Spain?
There are always dreamers, but they are definitely getting themselves thinned out.....”
I am a 68 year old man. Last year I did the Camino by myself (no friends, or family). I saw many women doing it alone. Each year over a quarter million people do the Camino. The Camino Francis is the major route. On that route the trail is within 100 feet of the road for much of the trail. One is hardly ever not within sight of other pilgrims. Sometimes, yes, but not often and then you are often in sight of passing cars/trucks. I was all alone and not in sight of other for maybe 5 to 10 minutes at most just a few times.
Most hiker/pilgrims enjoy the company of walking with fellow pilgrims. This is sometimes called a Camino family if it last for more than a few days. Most people travel in groups, even if they have just met.
One of the issues on this case, and such cases along the Camino are very rare, is that Dennise had a lot of money on her over $1000 and rural Spain is a very poor country.
Another issue was that the farmer had painted fake Camino markers to lead a pilgrim off the “trail” or Camino or Way to his house. Outside of his killing her we do not fully know what his motivation besides money was.
My suspicion was that he tried to sell pilgrims that came to his house food, water or something and when she flashed a large amount of money, he killed her. I don't know this as a fact, but I do know that rural Spain is quite poor.