Strike

Tourism is a volatile industry. As the pilots and mechanics of Aerolineas Argentinas are on a 48 hours strike, we are waiting for tourists to come to Salta and book the tours to the outer regions. Meanwhile all I can do is gather more information about the history and social structures in the provinces of Salta and Jujuy to be better prepared as a guide.
Wednesday I've seen entire plantations of tobacco ruined by rain in southern Jujuy on the return from the tour to Humahuaca, rain accompanied by heavy hale just stipped the leaves of before flooding everything around. Subtropical storms they call that, all very local and therefore still regions that haven't seen rain since march. It's either too much or too little, never good.

money money money, always funny, in a rich man's world

My favourites Leeds beat Alan's heroes so I am back in the running again for the great Championship Jackpot.

Working

Finalement ça devient rentable, salaire et pourboire ensemble pour l'excursion du week-end de 122 pesos, avec des frais totale de à peine 25 pesos.
Un grand merci encore aux Français et la Polonaise pour l'invitation de diner ensemble et la pourboire de 42 pesos, ça me donne l'idée qu'ils étaient contents.

Cafayate

Hey, I am starting to like Cafayate more and more. Today I discovered that the guide who comes with a group to visit the Bodega Domingo Hnos receives 2 bottles of wine for the effort. By now I can do the tour around their winery by heart, I don't need to listen to the version in Castillano anymore to translate.
It's nice to get complimented at the end of a tour as well. Today I had 3 Slovenians who didn't speak a word of Spanish, so they were glad to get a guide that speaks english without a heavy argentine accent.

Crash

Due to busy activities, missed another plane crash in Afghanistan, an old Iljushin Cargo plane ... . 10 died though.

Viajamos

Entretiempo hacio excursionas hasta Cachi / Cafayate y San Antonio de los Cobres/Salinas Grandes/Purmamarca.

No News

This week two trips, one to Cafayate resulted in a job offer to work in Cafayate, and another to San Antonio and the Salinas, showed me how things can get disorganised, but all's well that ends well.
Normally next week, starting from sunday I will have a week full with some french tourists.
By the way, thanks for the comment on the WallMart crash, but at the time of publication I found only a one-sided commment on the event.

Another

A plane is said to have crashed into a WallMart garden center in Manchester, New Hampshire, but as yet no proof found.

Planes in trouble

Just a quick update: 2 people died when a small private plane crashed during an emergency landing minutes after take-off at Houston Hobby:

Ca y est

Voilà, j'ai complété mon premier circuit, une excursion à Cafayate. Puisque c'était le premier fois, il ne m'ont pas payé le montant complet, car je suis en formation ils disent, mais les passagers étaient content et m'ont payé un pourboire presque le même que mon salaire. Mais quoi que ce soit, demain j'ai une excursion qu'en fait je ne connais pas du tout: San Antonio de los Cobres y les salaires ... déjà heureux d'y aller gratuit.
De l'autre côté, je suis offert un boulot à Cafayate, dans un auberge que je connais, et qui maintenant ont ouvert une agance pour des tours et activités extrèmes.

Tout le monde content, et j'ai de nouveau de l'argent.

Chau

Bergen

Just to convince the people in countries like Belgium, The Netherlands and Ireland what it means if you use the word mountain: the highest point in the provincia de Salta is Volcano de Llullaillacu with 6.739m, nearly ten times the highest "mountain" in Belgium, and far more than that to the highest point in The Netherlands. It is not the highest of Argentina.
By the way, I nearly went on excursion tomorrow, visiting San Antonio de los Cobres, the salinas grandes, Purmamarca and Jujuy. If the japanese girl just would have bought the trip.

Fuera Bush

Today protests against the presence of Bush in this country.
Today temperatures that make you stay inside early afternoon.
Today my first day in my new job.
Today hostal Los Cardones will reopen.
Today is a day nobody will remember.

Travel agent

Tomorrow I start my job in the agency described below. Initially I'll be working in the agency selling or assisting from 3 to 9 pm. Whenever they need a guide to go out with foreigners, I'll be sent along as a translatora nd lateron on my own. I'll stay teaching with Mercedes for my fixed hours till the end of the year, as long as I am not away. My first excursion will be from 13 to 20 November.

B767

Not a crash, not even e real incident, but all mesures were deployed when a ANZ plane arriving from Hong-Kong was to land at Auckland airport. Luckily all went well.

Holy Saints

Help help, southampton is crossing the line using child labor in persuit of a return to the premiership. They are playing a minor who happens to score goals and so they won again.

I call for action to abolish all minor labor, this counts for professional soccer players as wel!!!!

Muchissima gracias

Thanks you all for listening to my cry for help, the gods in heaven were listening too and I am now supposed to have a job as translator from castillano into french and english on the tours organised by Nordic Viajes, see new link for more info.
I still have to undergo a test, which means that I will be going on an excursion for free, to see if I am up to their standards, but I don't fear my level of french nor english. I just have to translate what the guide says. When not on tour - traveling will become my job - I can work in the ofice trying to sell tours, paid on 10% comission only.
Hey, it looks fine to me.

Survival of the fittest

Let's see if I fit in here in Salta. As the hostel has been sold and currently is closed for refurbishment, I have one job less to attend to, as well as less money coming in. Teaching is nearing a 3 month break as far as the institutes are concerned, so I am currently looking for a job.
Appears there is a belgian running a tourist agency hereabout and he promised me to check if he could find some kind of position for me, as he himself, just a couple of weeks ago, employed a german fellow and subsequently doesn't need help.

Meanwhile I have been kicked out of Los Cardones, they still owe me 88 pesos, and I've moved to Inti Huasi, a more cosy place and also for sale. If anyone could help me getting a 10/12k euros loan, repayable over 5 years or so- no less than 3 -, then everything is settled. I could do with a lot less, let's say 6k and partner up with a friend in buying the business. Price doesn't include the building. Yearly turnover estimated at 20/25k euros a year. I have people to work the thing while in the first year(s) I might keep on teaching to earn extra money.

Hey, this a cry for help!!!!

Chauchau muchachos
Slainthé

Picture of Let410

yet another

Cargo plane crashes in Italy

Tuesday November 1, 2005

Let 410 cargo aircraft operated by Trade Air crashed Sunday night around 10:05 p.m. local time shortly after taking off from Bergamo-Orio Al Serio en route to Zagreb Pleso. Two crewmembers and one passenger onboard the turboprop were killed. Weather was described as poor with limited visibility of 200-300 m. owing to fog, according to the Aviation Safety Network.