Albergue Karma

Though the building is very old but it's part of the Camino experiences! The dinner was so amazing, there were only me and a girl having the dinner on that night, I marked one of the top 3 dinners I had during the whole Camino journey, it was so delicious and such big portions, two of us finished everything!

As soon as I checked in to Karma, I decided to stay one more night there. Not only because of the inflammation of my knee, but also the atmosphere of the old house and kindness of the host, Josu, to made me stay longer in this small town. The 260 year old house is very clean. The sunrise looking from balcony is stunning. It is unforgettable during my Camino trip. Josu was so nice and caring to help me on bandage my knee and taught me how to prevent injury. He was just so nice to give me a ride on his way to grocery shopping because the bus didn’t show up. He treated us like old friends. Thank you Josu ! I would stay in Karma next time when I am on Camino again.

I had an amazing stay at this Albergue. It is in a wonderful location right in town and well signed. When I got there, I was greeted so warmly by the host and everything was taken care of. Best of all he showed us so much kindness and compassion and made us the most amazing dinner and helped us all have a wonderful conversation. The warmness of the atmosphere here put everyone in a good mood and helped us connect. it was one of my best days on the whole Camino.

Josu saved my Camino! If it was not because of Josu, I may have had to end my pilgrimage prematurely. He is my Camino angel! Upon entering his albergue, I felt a vibe of serenity which I didn't experience in other places. Albergue Karma is Josu's home and thank him to open it up to share with pilgrims. It's old but very clean and cozy. It offered the homey hospitality which is precious and different from other commercial facilities. While borrowing the scissors to cut my Compeed bandage, Josu checked on my blisters and explained to me how the blisters are formed and what to do to prevent more (by taping your toes together to avoid friction). I knew he is an experienced pilgrim himself with lots of knowledge on camino. Two three days later, I got bed bug bites in one of the following cities. While I was searching for any clues on what to do, I saw his response to the malicious slander on Google review and I felt he may have some medical background to deal with bed bug situation. I consulted with him on WhatsApp and he immediately told me to seek for medical treatment at the healthcare center for the allergic reaction. I didn't even know I had allergic reaction at the moment. (I thought itchiness was expected and wasn't aware it could worsen to the point it's unbearable.) I did go the the next healthcare center on the way next day and got my prescription pills as a preventive measure. Oh my, after taking the pill, the bites started drying up and forming a crust the next day. I knew I was able to continue the trip as long as I made sure that I didn't carry any bed bugs with me. Thankfully, after observing the following days without new bites, I was safe and clean. Phew~ Fast-forward to the morning to enter Santiago de Compostela, I saw a bed bug crawling on the floor next to my bed and I immediately crushed it with my sandal. The bed bug was crushed with blood and it seemed to have a fest the night before. You can imagine how terrified I was considering my previous experience not long ago. I immediately texted Josu on WhatsApp with the picture of the dead bed bug to know how to identify if the blood is mine or not. The bed bug at that size was the most dangerous which could lay 300 eggs and very likely it has been festing on several nights in a row. I checked my bunk beds at the albergue and didn't find any sign of bug bed nest and I haven't had any bites in the past week so it's unlikely traveling with me. It's very possible my neighbor at the upper bunk bed carried it with her. God bless her. So I regained the confidence to continue my last stage and finished my pilgrimage knowing my camino angel has been watching over me. Thank you, Josu!

Gracias Josu 🙏 felt like coming home after a long walk. Thank you for caring for us pelegrinõs. What a nice old house and what a beautiful small village, awesome sunset on the church. Come and visit Sansol and Josu's place Karma.