Guides

The guides who looked after us were all incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about their environments. Although we felt that we were always learning, it was never heavy going; they were all interesting and many were very entertaining. We learned a lot about the politics, economy and culture/sports of their city/island/country that we would not have been able to glean from a guidebook or the internet. Many of the guides found alternative work during the pandemic, with one setting up a bakery. In Puenta Arenas, the tourist season only lasts a few months – during the other months our guide works as a car mechanic, as well as being a grandmother.

Kineret who organised our excursions in Patagonia kicked off a conversation, after seeing Tim’s Birmingham Commonwealth Games hoodie, about the Midlands as she has friends in Leicester who she visits. Diana, our guide in Buenos Aries started most sentances with “This is a true story…” (just like one of our friends in the UK, although we think that Diana’s were all true !).