Friday, Dec. 13. Our hiking days are over and we are returning to Chile now. We did 3 big hikes on the Argentina side and saw amazing scenery, glaciers, peaks, etc. in total we hiked about 100k or 60 miles up mountains and down again. It was physically demanding but so great!
About the tour with Active Adventures, the tour itself is well organized with many amazing dinners with dessert always included. I've eaten well (altho often after everyone else has been served) and am drinking wine with every dinner. The specialty here is Malbec, a red wine but I've so far stuck with white.
We have stayed in a few very nice hotels, 3 nights in a nice hostel, and decent hotels. Wifi access is sporadic.
Our group is 2 men who came with wives and 8 single women. Oldest are Bruce and Heather at 60ish, then me, then Becky my fave who is 45, and the rest in their 30's. All great folks except for one physician know.it.all woman who is difficult.
Our guide is a disappointment. He has a few people he talks with regularly and a few of us he doesn't really acknowledge. Until a few days ago he has always kept quiet and did not mix much with the group at meals or hiking. This morning was the first time he spoke to me personally before I spoke first....he said good morning! As far as trip details, he is on top of the organization part so that is good.
I have not spoken about how I feel about him except to Becky, who brought up the subject one day. She tells me others are feeling the same frustration with him. I guess I am not lucky in the guide department. It took a while to get over wanting him to acknowledge me but I'm over it now and definitely enjoying my tour group travel companions - 3 have bad colds now and we hope they don't share them.
The no wheat has been quite a problem too and he has not helped me so that is my own personal complaint about him. It is better now that we are eating in restaurants and I bought my own GF crackers and snacks. Other friends who did this same trip had a different guide and loved her.
A guide from Active's New Zealand trips is on our trip as a participant and she is friendly and lovely. I do recommend this trip and the company but not Sebastian as a guide.
After this I will be a solo traveler again for 9 days. I enjoy that but it takes a certain can-do attitude that I will get back after I leave the group. I will use Claudia's house in Santiago as home base and it is awesome to have that. I have only been speaking English and will be plunged back into Spanish too, which is good and bad.
All said, it's been fantastic to hike around Patagonia and not have to figure out much on my own.
Sent from Samsung tablet
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