Camping During The Holidays, A Dutch Tradition That I Will Skip Next Time

Index

The Only Accommodation Left Is A Tent

I won the 2nd prize and can go to the Freedom X Fest in the Spanish Pyrenees for half price. Yeah! Only, the only accommodation left is a tent. 

A Tent? 

The only time I went camping before was in 2010 in Mongolia that didn't go well. I never camped before Mongolia in 2010, when on the transiberia express I stopped for a week in Mongolia and camped for a few days.  Yet after a night's sleep I book my tent, my own tent with mat and sleeping bag.

I Go For It!

After a flight to Barcelona and a few hours in Barcelona I take the bus to Freedom X Fest. Check in and I am assigned my tent to street A number 11. The red case looks ok. I put my stuff in the tent and I want to go explore before the talks start, but no matter how I zip the tent won't close. Instead of exploring I go back to the check-in tent. No problem, I pass on my number and they'll fix it. I go to the talks and one of the volunteers comes up to me: 'Your tent is fixed but be careful with the zipper'. 

That's Solved So Far….

In the evening I want to brush my teeth, but I don't see a sink anywhere. There are toilet bins and shower bins outside, but no sink. I decide to try my luck at the shower. 

How Are Others Doing This? 

I try not to get wet, but I do open the shower. Oh and there is no light in the shower cabin, so I have such a headlamp dangling on my head. Brushing works, but I'm a bit wet and it's not ideal. The next day I just ask the neighbor where she brushed her teeth. It turns out that there are toilets inside with a sink. 

The Next Days I Use Those Toilets And Sink To Brush My Teeth

The night is ok and after a shower in the shower in the morning with not really hot water, which was promised, I think, about camping.

Is Camping Really Necessary? 

I want to pull up my tent to have breakfast and stand with the zipper in my hands. Fortunately it is zipped up because I don't really feel like having visits of spiders or anything (Some people were bitten by spiders I heard). After breakfast and some pictures of the beautiful surroundings I go to the desk to let them know that I can no longer enter my tent, because it is zipped up, but I have the zipper in my hands and have no idea how to make this again. An hour later my tent is made again. A white strip has been used at one end, so that I can no longer pull the zipper totally. Good Thinking! 

It Also Closes Well, The Rest Of The Time It Doesn't Bother Me Anymore

With a tent made and a new location to brush my teeth, I'm getting ready to go to sleep. It will be one of the coldest nights there in the Pyrenees for me. I keep waking up from the cold and put on more and more cloths. 

Why Camping?

It rains a lot the next day. The whole site becomes a mud pool, but surprisingly the tents keep dry and it is even nice to hear the rain in my tent. 

What A Soothing Sound

One more complaint and then I'll stop. During the day when the sun shines I burn away from the heat in the tent. 

What A Difference With The Cold Nights

It was an experience for me. Good to experience and I had fun, but for now I don't have to camp again ever again. 

I Was So Happy With My bed In Barcelona After The Trip In The Pyrenees

In 2010 I camped in Mongolia and in 2018 I camped in the pyrenees by visiting the Freedom X Fest, a digital nomad gathering. I will keep those two experience in mind and think twice before camping ever again! It was a good experience, but I am not made to camp! I will take a hotel above a tent.