Toward Professionalism in Tour Guiding - : A Manual For Trainers

 

TOWARD PROFE PROFESSI SSIONAL ONALISM ISM IN TOUR GUIDI GUIDING NG – A MANU MANUAL AL FOR TRAINERS

November 27, 2012 This publication was produced for revie review w by the United States Agency for International Development. It was wa s prepared prepa red by Thomas W. O’Brien and a nd Sam Sa m H. Ham, University of Idaho.

 

Toward Professionalism in Tour Guiding– A Manual for Trainers Introduction There are far more skills and responsibilities to being a tour guide than most people imagine. Good tour guides have to be knowledgeable and resourceful, and they have to know how to communicate efficiently and effectively. They also need to be able to plan and execute logistics in a rapidly changing environment, all the while prepared for medical emergencies and a variety of other problem-solving situations. And in addition to all of this, guides need to have polished social and diplomatic skills. All things considered, few jobs demand the broad spectrum of skills required by a professional guide. We believe many of the skills that make a good tour guide also make great leaders. This is why we believe that guide training, especially on a local level, should be an integral part of almost any community tourism development program. Confident and communicative local guides are able to serve as ambassadors for their communities. They present their communities to the visiting world, and at the same time they enlighten their communities as to the expectations and desires of visitors. These skills also make local guides exceptional candidates as advocates of conservation or local issues. This guide-training manual is designed to help trainers develop strong local guides and potential community leaders. It encourages a hands-on approach with ample field activities, and it assumes that those doing the training will, themselves, have enough guiding experience to allow them to use the manual to provide real-life preparation for the unpredictable and demanding world of guiding. We hope this manual will serve to further the role of responsible tourism as a potential force in sustainable development and nature conservation wherever it is used. May the work of guides throughout Nicaragua contribute to these important goals.

Tom O’Brien Lindblad Expeditions

Sam H. Ham University of Idaho

November 2012 With thanks to the 2011 Nicaraguan “Patas de Perros”, who displayed unforgettable endurance and pride in shaping the foundations of guide-training in northern Nicaragua.

—i—

 

Table of Contents I.

Introduction — i

1.

Key Elements of an Effective Guide-Train Guide-Training ing Course — 1

2.

1-1. 1-2. 1-3.

Know Your Course Goals Goals and and Objectives — 1 Incorporating Testin Testing g and Potenti Potential al for Monitoring — 1 Active,, Participatory Active Participatory Field Practica are Essential Essential — 1

1-4. 1-5. 1-6. 1-7. 1-8.

Guides Must Know What it Feels Feels Like to be a Tourist — 2 Treat the Course Like Like a Tour Tour — 2 Create Group Bonding and Inspiration — 2 Utilizing Resources is is More More Important than Accumulating Accumulating Knowledge Knowledge — 2 Efficient Communic Communication ation is More Important Important than Accumulated Accumulated Knowledge — 2

What is a Guide? — 3 Activity 2-1: What is a Guide? — 3

3.

Know Your Audience — 6 3-1. 3-2. 3-3.

4.

Being a Touris Touristt — 6 Activity 3-1: Developing Your Critical Eye — 7 Specialized Interests — 9 Activity 3-2: Guiding from Photos — 10 Cultural Differences — 11 Activity 3-3: Cultural Differences — 11

Mechanics of Guiding — 12 4-1.

4-2.

4-3. 4-4. 4-5. 4-6.

Physical Aspects of Guiding — 12 Activity 4-1A: Self Presentation — 12 Activity 4-1B: Voice Projection — 13 Introductions and Briefings — 15 Activity 4-2A: Introductions — 15 Activity 4-2B: Briefings — 16 Learning Names — 17 Arrival for a New Tour — 17 On and Off the Bus, Van, or Boat — 18 Guiding in a Market or Town Town with “Free Time” Time” — 19

Activity 4-6: Free Time in the Market or Town — 20 Checking In and and Out of Hotels — 21 Activity 4-7A: Checking In — 21 Activity 4-7B: Checking Out — 23 4-8. Airport Departure and Arrival Transfers — 24 Activity 4-8A: Airport Departure Transfer — 25 Activity 4-8B: Airport Arrival Transfer — 28 4-9. Tour Administr Administration ation and Paperwork — 31 Activity 4-9: Making Sense of a Tour Packet — 31 4-10. Managing Tour Expenses Expenses — 32 Activity 4-10: TrackingExpenses — 33 4-7.

5.

Knowledge and Resources — 34 Activity 5-1: Starting a Resource Notebook — 35

— ii —

 

6.

Communication of Knowledge and Information — 37 6-1. 6-2.

6-3.

6-4.

7.

Numbers, Statistics and Context — 37 Activity 6-1: Making Numbers and Statistics Meaningful — 38 Saying What is Important — 38 Activity 6-2A: National Symbols — 39 Activity 6-2B National Currency — 40 Thematicc Interpretation — 41 Themati Activity 6-3A: Thinking Thematically — 41 Activity 6-3B: Seeing the Thematic World Around You — 43 Activity 6-3C: Teaching Guides Guides How to Write Their Own Themes — 44 Activity 6-3D: Analyzing Strong Themes — 45 Activity 6-3E: Using Transitions — 46 Activity 6-3F: Putting it all Tog Together ether in a Guided Thematic Thematic Tour — 48 Developing your Lifelong Lifelong Database of Important Themes — 50 Activity 6-4: Themes for a Lifetime — 51

Tools and Props — 52 Activity 7-1: The Guide’s Backpack — 52 Activity 7-2: Lamination — 53 Activity 7-3: Using Binoculars — 54 Activity 7-4: Using a Spotting Scope — 56

8.

Planning and Executing the Itinerary — 57 8-1. 8-2. 8-3. 8-4.

9.

Know Your Route — 57 Activity 8-1: Planning Your Route — 59 The Ever-Ticking Ever-Ticking Clock: Balancing Balancing Time Time and the Guest Experience — 59 Making Split-Second Decisions — 59 Field Excursions — 59 Activity 8-4: Full-day Field Excursion — 60

Earning Your Pay; Problematic and Difficult Situations — 62 9-1. 9-2.

Leadership — 62 Activity 9-1: Problematic and Difficult Situations — 64 Addressing Addr essing Sensitive or Controversial Controversial Issues — 65 65 Activity 9-2: Frequently Asked Questions — 66

10.

Meals — 67

11.

Music and Dance — 70

10-1. The Role of Meals — 67 10-2. The Social Aspect of Meals — 67 10-3. Meal Options Options — 67 Activity 10-3: Meal Options — 67 10-4. Facilitating a Meal Conversation — 69

11-1. Recorded Music — 70 11-2. Live Music Music — 70 70 11-3. Dance — 70 Activity 11-3: Indigenous Dance Discussion — 70

— iii —

 

12.

Special Interests for Everyone — 72 12-1. Birdwatching Birdwatching — 72 Activity 12-1: Why Pay Attention to Birds? — 72 12-2. Photography — 73 Activity 12-2. Group Photo — 74 12-3. What’s That Plant? — 75 12-4. Cooking Classes Classes — 76 Activity 12-4: Cooking Class — 76

13.

A Few Words About First Aid and Emergency Response — 78

14.

Working Workin g Relationships — 79 14-1. Bus and Van Van drivers — 79 Activity 14-1: The Driver’s View — 79 14-2. Restaurant and Hotel Managers Managers — 80 Activity 14-2: Getting to know the Restaurant and Hotel Managers — 81 14-3. Venue or Site Manager (i.e. (i.e. Aerial Tram, Tram, River Boat, Coffee Tour — 82 Activity 14-3: Giving Feedback to Site Managers and Venues — 82

15.

Inspiration for Beginning Guides — 83 15-1. The Outlook for Nicaraguan Nicaraguan Tourism Tourism — 83 15-2. Inspiration from from Veteran Guides Guides — 83

16.

Activity 15-2: Stories from the Veterans — 84

Using Guiding Skills to Make a Difference — 85 16-1. 16-2. 16-3. 16-4.

17.

Environmental Education — 85 Nature Conservation Conservation — 85 Travel Philanthropy Philanthropy and Fundraising Fundraising — 86 Conclusions and Promotion Promotion — 88 Activity 16-4: Reviewing the Reviews — 88

Course Conclusion — 90 17-1. Monitoring Success Success of the the Course — 90 17-2. Final Presentations Presentations — 91 Activity 17-2A: Individual Final Presentation Presentation — 91 Activity 17-2B: Group Final Presentation — 92 17-3. Awards and Prizes — 92 Activity 17-3: Guide Awards — 93 17-4. Certificates and Acknowledg Acknowledgement ement — 94

Appendices — 95 Appendix A – Guide Training Training Self Assessment — 95 Appendix B – 20 Things Good Guides Routinely Do — 99 Appendix C – The Values North Americans Live By — 100 Appendix D – Topi Topics cs That Need Themes For Everyday Guiding — 103 Appendix E – Feedback Letter to an Ecolodge — 105 Appendix F – Example Logistics Plan for a Training Course — 106

— iv —

 

Chapter 1: Important Elements E lements of an Effective Guide-Training Course Course It would be hard to find the time t ime and money to conduct a guide-training course that includes everything that an experienced guide guide would want to include. Many things are only learned through experience anda aguide course only teach techniques and that time, prepare forcan continued learning. When a guide-tr guide-training aining opportunity arises, the course organizer and instructor will be faced with many important decisions decisions on what to include, how to present topics, and most difficult – what will have h ave to be omitted. We hope this manual will be a useful resource to help make some of these decisions, and will assist in the delivery of prioritized subjects. Following are some important elements to consider when planning and executing an effective guide-training course:

1-1. Know Your Goals and Objectives  The length of time that you have for your training, the experience level of the guides you are training, the venues and budget available to you, and many more factors will define the parameters within which you must design your course. This means that the objectives and expected outcomes of a guide-training guide-training course will always be differen different. t. It  It is important to be clear to yourself, your sponsors, and the guides-in-training about what the goals and objectives are for the course. Take time to write them down so that they are clearly identified and realistic. Above all, develop a detailed logistics plan ( such  such as the one in Appendix F ) so that you have a clear idea of the facilities and training resources you will need.

  that your course has been 1-2. Will You Testing Monitoring? Though notIncorporate always necessary, necessary , if you and want Potential to find out for or show your sponsors successful, you will want to gather some baseline data to compare guides’ ability before and anytime after the course. This can be done by writing a simple set of “self assessment” questions for guides to answer at the beginning of the course and again at the end. You can then compare the results (See the example in Appendix  A) This  A)  This can also be done by filming a short self-introduction or presentation at the beginning of the course, and then again at the end. The important thing is that you base the questions or the presentatio presentation n exercise on your desired goals and objectives objectives,, so that you can see if your course is achieving them.

1-3. Active Active,, Participatory Field Practicums are Essential  You cannot learn to be a guide from a book, or by listening in a classroom! Yet this is how most guiding courses are taught. Make good use of the time that you have to train guides by getting them actively involved in the field guiding experience. Make them speak in front of each other, make them design tour plans, get them out on walking tours, site visits, bus tours, and make them critique each other. (See chapter 6-5: “Guided Groups” and chapter 8-4 “Field Excursions”) Your Excursions”) Your course is the opportunity that they have to learn from an experienced guide. Guides-in-training need to understand the motion, people management, problem solving,

—1—

 

and practical aspects of guiding, which are much harder to learn than facts and statistics. Site visits and bus tours are more expensive than classroom lessons, so you will have to use your resources and persuasiveness to incorporate as much field experience as possible. If nothing else, organize walking tours around your building and neighborhood.

1-4. Guides Must Know What it Feels Like to be a Tourist  Whether you are a speaker, a teacher, a leader, or a guide, it is important to understand your audience. If you can put yourself in the mind of your audience, audience, it is easy to give them the security and set the priorities that will provide them a memorable experience. Yet surprisingly few guides have ever had an opportunity to be a tourist on a guided tour. And once you begin working as a guide, it is rare that you ever again have the chance to look at a tour through the eyes of an innocent tourist. Make sure your guide-training course provides your  students with the experience experience of being a tourist  tourist , so that they understand the anxieties, uncertainties, and desires of their future audiences.

1-5. Treat the Guide-Training Course Like a Tour   When teaching a guide-training course that contains dynamic field activities, you are very much like a tour guide with a new group that will share a set of experiences over the given time. Keep this in mind as you run the course, and use many of the same techniques and adjustments with your training group that you would use with a tour group. This will ensure that you establish leadership, group bonding, participation, participation, adaptability and improvisation, and that you take advantage of opportunities and teachable moments as they arise. (See chapter 8-4: “Field Excursions”)

1-6. Create Group Bonding and an d Inspiration In spiration  Like a tour group, you will want to start by getting the group comfortable with each other and with you, so that they feel that they are on a shared journey together, sharing special experiences and making the best of the time and opportunity together. Look for opportunities for your group to have social interaction on their own in the first days, outside the course framework. The more they spend time together, the more they will learn and share with each other.

1-7. Utilizing Resources is More Important than Teaching Facts and Accumulating Knowledge  A beginning guide’s greatest greatest fear is that they don’t know everything, and that they will get questions that they will have to answer with the dreaded “I don’t know.” know.” Don’t put too much time and emphasis in your course on teaching subject matter like history, geology, architecture, etc., because you won’t be able to teach it all. A few good guest speakers, documentary films, or interpretive center experiences will suffice as examples of resources. (See chapter 5: “Knowledge and Resources”) Make Resources”)  Make the training guides feel comfortable about the process of accumulating knowledge, and about telling guests that they don’t know something. Emphasize the importance of learning how to locate and use resources, resources, so that you can look up things you don’t know and continue the never-ending learning process.

1-8. Efficient Communication is More Important than Accumulated Knowledge  Once a guide has finally gained the confidence that they have studied and learned enough about a subject that they can talk about it and answer questions, they want to tell guests everything that they know. One of the most pervasive problems problems in tourism are guides who talk on and on and on about ab out a subject with no understanding of the relevance to their audience. au dience. Make sure you make the concept of efficient communication an important emphasis of your course, for the sake of all the many tourists who will be listening to your future guides! (See Chapter 6: “Thematic Interpretation”)

—2—

 

Chapter 2: What is a Guide? It is important to establish your vision of the role of a guide and all of the accompanying responsibilities, so that all participan participants ts have an understan understanding ding of their goals and responsibilities for the future. The role of a tour guide is far than most people think. The of spectrum of more skills complex and responsibilities, and the horizon opportunities, can be a great source of inspiration to the beginning guide if enthusiastically introduced. The following activity introduces some different types of guiding, and identifies some traits and roles of a good tour guide.

TEACHING TIP An instructor could simply write and distribute a list of characteristics characteristics of a good guide and be finished. fi nished. A far more effective technique is to ask your group to take turns t urns contributing ideas, ideas, writing them down on a whiteboard or flipchart, adding your own comments and clarifications, and allowing discussion until the list is exhausted. In this way you foster group interaction, and the group creates its own vision of the role of the tour guide. Use this technique whenever you have the time and opportunity to create a shared list with the group.

Activity 2-1. What is a Guide? Modality: Discussion Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will have an idea of the types of tourism and guiding that is available to them.

•

Guides will learn the important roles and characteristics of a good guide.

•

Guides will appreciate that the job of tour guide is complex and requires multiple skills.

Procedure:

Step 1: With a whiteboard or flipchart in front of the room, introduce the following questions about guides and tourism. Solicit ideas from the group and write them on the whiteboard, allowing comments, questions and discussion. discussio n. This is most importantly an opportunity for the entire group to get a feel for the job of tour guide through group discussion.

—3—

 

Step 2: Ask the group what kinds of different tourists and tour groups come to Nicaragua. On the top of your whiteboard, write “Who are the Tourists?” List the responses and discuss as you go along. Here are some examples:

Who are the Tourists? Ecotourists Religious Tourism Mass Tourism = Package Tours “Voluntourism”  Cruise Ships Socio-cultural Tourism Agrotourism Sponsors and NGOs  Backpackers Business travel add-ons  Scientic Groups (botanists, birdwatchers) Step 3: Ask the group to name some different types of guides and guiding situations. On the top of your whiteboard, write “Different Types of Guides and Guiding.” List the responses and discuss as you go along. Here are some examples:

 Different Types of Guides and Guiding Local Guide

Specialist Guide

National Guide

Adventure Guide

 Driver Guide

Interpretive Guide

Cruise Ship Guide

Nature Guide

Transfer Guide

Tour Escort

Site Guide (one archaeological site, nca, park, etc.) Outbound Guide (=Tour Leader)

—4—

 

Step 4: Ask the group to name some different traits of a good guide. On the top of your whiteboard, write  “A Good Guide is:” List the responses and discuss as you go along. Here are some examples:

A Good Guide is:  Passionate Punctual

Reliable Ethical

Honest Patient

Prepared  Dynamic

Self Condent Accommodating Organized Creative/Innovative Self-Evaluating A Good Communicator

Friendly Open-Minded Self-Condent Well-Groomed Resourceful Able to Focus 

Eloquent/Articulate Inspiring Respectful Proactive Positive

Enthusiastic A Leader Multi-lingual  Authentic Thematic

Step 5: Ask the group to name some different roles that a tour guide might have to assume. On the top of your whiteboard, write “A Tour Guide can be a (an):” List the responses and discuss as you go along. Here are some examples:

A Tour Guide can be Leader

Teacher

Encyclopedia

Psychologist

Regulator

Cheerleader

Host  Diplomat

Master of Ceremonies  An Ambassador

Entertainer Promoter Representative (of his or her company, community, culture, nation)

Problem-Solver and Trouble-Shooter Liaison Between Guests and the Tour Company 

Step 6: Either tell the group to copy down these lists, or write them out, copy and distribute. For a more advanced list of 20 things that make a good guide, see Appendix B.

—5—

 

Chapter 3: Know Your Your Audience

One could argue that the single most important aspect of tourism and guiding is knowing your audience. A good, dynamic guide can have knowledge and efficient communication, but if it is not relevant to the audience, the audience is exhausted from rigorous travel, or anxious with fears and insecurities, the guiding will be unsuccessful. It is extremely important for beginning guides to understand understand that the starting point for every tour or presentation is to understand their audience and adapt their content and delivery to engage that particular audience.

3-1. Being a Tourist  If a tour guide is going to understand their audience, it means that they first must understand what it is like to be a tourist. How does it feel when you don’t know where to meet the bus? How long is it until the t he next stop? What are you supposed to bring on an excursi excursion? on? How does it feel when you cannot hear or understand a guide, guide, when you have been standing in one place for too long, or they seem to be only talking t alking to one person in your group? What kinds of questions and anxieties anxieties does a tourist t ourist have? These are important things to understand, yet guides very seldom are put into the situation of being true tourists. And once a guide gets more experience, it is increasingly difficult to go on a tour as simply a relaxed sightseer. Take advantage of the rare opportunity to let guides feel what it is like to be a tourist by providing and analyzing analyzing the tourist experience early in your training course.

—6—

 

Activity 3-1. Developing Developing a Critical Eye: A Guided Site Visit Modality: Field Activity Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will understand understand what it feels like to be a tourist, and what issues and details they should be paying attention to as guides.

•

Guides will develop a critical eye for guiding techniques and tour quality.

Preparation: Organize a visit to a single site that provides a local guide, like an archeological site, a coffee or cigar factory, or a national park. Be sure it is a place that regularly provides guided tours, so that you have both good and bad elements to critique. Do not tell t ell the site guide the purpose of your visit, so that t hat they provide a normal tour for your group. Try to make sure that the site guide is not closely familiar with the members of your training group. Procedures:

Step 1: Before the site visit: •

Do not give too detailed a briefing to your group before before the visit, so that they have some unanswered questions questions and uncertainties when they depart for the tour.

•

Tell your group to take a notebook and make notes about their own questions, feelings, uncertainties, and highlights of the tour. Tell them to pay attention to their own abilities to hear and understand the guide, and their own interest and desire to continue with the tour or leave early.

•

This is a good activity to do after guides-in-training have some familiarization with the basic mechanics of guiding (voice projection, body position, eye contact; (See Chapter 4: “The Mechanics of Guiding”)

•

Tell your group that you will have a group discussion after the tour, but do not show them the specific questions on the handout “Developing a Critical Eye” (See below)

Step 2: During the Site Visit: •

Take your own notes as you join the tour, so that you can lead the post-tour discussion and introduce your observations.

•

Manage the guided group only as necessary to keep to your own schedules and purpose, but try to minimize your interference.

•

Don’t hesitate to ask “prompting” questions of the guide, guide, that might emphasize points that you want w ant to discuss with the group later.

Step 3: After the Site Visit: •

It is best if you allow the group some free time together together after the site visit, like a lunch break, so that they have time to discuss the tour amongst themselves.

•

Convene the group again and hand out your “Developing a Critical Eye” questionnaire, modified from the example below.

—7—

 

•

Ask guides to take some time to think through and write out their responses to the questions. It is important that each guide take the time to answer the questions for themselves.

•

Lead an open discussion about each of the questions, incorporating your own notes and observations.

•

While the exercise is ostensibly about developing a critical eye, make sure you conclude by reminding the group about the importance of recognizing their own feelings and observations during during the site visit, so that they always remember remember what it is like to be a tourist. t ourist.

Following is an example of a questionnaire for guides after a site visit. NOTE that this activity can and should be easily adapted to walking tours, boat tours, bus tours, and any other kind of guided visits.

DEVELOPING A CRITICAL EYE Questions to Consider after a Site Visit Was it interesting? How did you feel about various elements of the guiding: •

Group size?

• •

Voice projection? Body position?

•

Management and positioning of the group?

•

Pace of the tour?

•

Flow of the tour?

Do you think your group would need special preparation preparation for this visit? What did you think t hink about the introd introduction uction or welcome? What did you think about the t he length of the visit? What did you think about the t he content of the tour? What did you think about the t he delivery of the content? Did the guide give an effective conclusion? Do you have any other observations? Is this a place you would want to bring your group? Is it a place that you would bring your group if you could make some changes? changes? Do you think there are opportunities to develop a better tourism product here? How?

—8—

 

3-2. Specialized Interests  Part of knowing your audience is knowing what kind of a tour package or tour experience they have purchased. It is always a good idea for a guide to see the promotional material, so that the guide is aware of the group’s expectations. Good tour companies make sure that their guides are familiar with the promotional materials and any special interests of their groups, though unfortunately this is not always the case. Many people travel as part of groups that sell tour packages based on specific interests. Some examples of these might be botanical groups, birdwatchers, historical tours, photographers, conservation groups, hikers, and many, many more. We will address a few of the most important groups specifically in chapter 12: “Special  Interests for Everyone.”  Everyone.”  If  If a tour t our operator has sold a special interest, interest, the guide must be aware that the tourists – or at least the tour operator – have an expectation to emphasize that specific subject area. It is the guide’s responsibility responsi bility to adjust their tour content and delivery to this emphasis. It emphasis. It is very important important that beginning  guides understand that every every subject has different different importance to to different audiences. audiences. Some guides will become specialists like bird-watching guides, photographic guides, or botanical guides, but most guides will have to do their best to understand their audiences and adapt their communication as necessary.

—9—

 

Activity 3-2. Guiding from Photos Modality: Hands-on Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will show that they t hey can quickly communicate the important elements of a passing scene or subject.

•

Guides will show that they can adapt the commentary on a subject to different audiences.

Preparation: Take a selection of 20 - 30 diverse photos around the area of your training course, or anywhere else that is convenient for you. Try to take photos that are not too specific, or place subjects in a landscape context, so that a guide-in-training can talk about what they see. The most useful photos will be those that can be interpreted in different ways by different audiences, such as photos that include a nature component, a historical component, and a daily life component. As you get familiar with this activity, you will find it easier to identify photos that can be easily interpreted by different audiences. Arrange the photos in a Power Point Presentation or a Slide Show. Prepare a room where the guides can sit in a semicircle and all see the photos as they are presented. Procedures:

Step 1: Starting at one end of the semicircle, ask guides in turn to say a few sentences about the photo that they are shown, explaining what is important about the photo as if they were guiding. Change the photo for each guide in turn, so that every guide gets a different photo. Tell guides to imagine that they are guiding on a bus or walking tour and one of their guests points and asks “What’s that?” Their job is not only to tell what it is, but what is important about it.  it.  Step 2: After you have gone through all the photos and every guide guide has commented on at least one photo, tell the group that they will now do the same exercise, but their audience is a group on a cultural history tour. Start the next round with a randomly chosen guide, and skip occasional photographs so that guides can’t try to anticipate the upcoming photos. Step 3: For the next round, tell the guides that their audience is a group of nature conservation supporters. Other audiences can be birdwatchers, emergency room medical doctors touring safety and security, or photographers. Make sure the guides tailor their comments to the audience. NOTE that this is a very useful exercise for beginning guides, and can be adapted in many different ways. It is a good way to start a daily session, as it makes guides think quickly and speak clearly in front of others. Here are some ideas for photos that can have various interpretations: Central Park

Bridge over a river

Local market scenes

Church and churchyard

Truck on a rural road

Fire station

Gas station

Wall mural 

Public monument with landscape

School with playground

Bus stop

Farm scene

— 10 —

 

3-3. Cultural Differences  Some differences in group interests and expectations come simply from cultural differences. While cultural differences are of course a generalization, it is important to understand the different values and expectations of the most common cultures that guides will encounter. This is an essential part of understanding a guide’s audience. audien ce. As a trainer you cannot teach detail about every tourist culture; you can only make guides acutely aware of the importance of learning and understanding differences in tourism cultures from their own cultures. This will help guides anticipate what is of interest to tourists, and what tourists find to be exceptional exceptional or extraordinary.

Activity 3-3: Cultural Differences Modality: Discussion Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will know the importance of giving thought to their different audiences and their cultural backgrounds.

Procedure:

Step 1: Distribute the handout Give the handout “The Values North Americans Live By” as a homework reading assignment (See Appendix C).  C). 

Step 2: Discuss the reading with the group, and ask them if they have noticed or experienced any of the differences. You are trying to stimulate a discussion among the group on different cultural values and how they might manifest themselves in tourism. Step 3: Ask the group if any of them have experien experience ce with other ot her cultures that visit Nicaragua as tourists. What are some of the characteristics or tendencies of these cultural groups? What values do your guides think those tendencies stem from? Step 4: Prompt the group with stereotypes of different tourism cultures in Nicaragua, and ask the group if they have had any experiences to support or contradict the stereotypes. Ask them if they can think of any core values that these stereotypes might derive from. Some examples of tourism stereotypes: •

German tourists will not only arrive on time t ime for every excursion; excursion; they will be early.

•

German tourists like order and structure, but they will emphasize their own individuality and independence.

• •

Italian tourists make everything a party. Italian tourists are not as interested in learning as in having a good time with each other.

•

Spanish tourists are very social and can be rather loud and talkative.

•

Spanish tourists don’t pay attention att ention to set times or deadline deadlines. s.

•

Japanese tourists are courteous and orderly, but can seem aggressive in competition for space or place.

•

Japanese tourists follow the instructions of their guides.

•

Australian Australi an tourists will always find a way to have a good time. time.

•

Canadian tourists don’t want to be called “Americans.”

•

Costa Rican tourists think…?

Step 5: Reinforce the conclusion that the important thing is understanding cultural differences, and knowing the audiences that they are guiding.

— 11 —

 

Chapter 4: The Mechanics of Guiding This chapter is about the “nuts and bolts” of guiding, which should be second nature to you as a guide-training instructor. We often learn things over time or through difficult experiences, and forget that many guiding basics were not intuitive and had to be learned. Help your guides get a head start by taking the time to step through the mechanics of basic guiding, so that they develop good habits before they develop bad ones. Think about all the things you wish someone had told you when you were starting. The techniques covered in this chapter should be continually reinforced throughout the entire course, especially during all field activities and group guiding experiences. This chapter and chapter 6 “Communication of Knowledge and Information”  are  are chapters that take time and ongoing development; they should be taught simultaneously and intertwined throughout the course.

4-1. Physical Aspects of Guiding  These are the fundamental techniques of basic guiding that a company should assume from a guide that they hire. As an instructor, you must review these very early in the course and reinforce them throughout the entire course. Try to get the guides to look and critique these techniques in their peers, and any other guides or presenters they encounter. (See Activity 3-1: “Developing a Critical Eye”) Be sure to include: •

Posture

•

Eye Contact

•

Body Position

•

Group Position

•

Pace and Tone of Delivery

•

Annunciation

• •

Voice Projection Smile

•

Confidence and Authority

•

Personal Dress and Hygiene

Activity 4-1A. Self Presentatio Presentation n Modality: Hands-on Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will learn the proper physical techniques of guiding a group, such as posture, eye contact, voice projection, group positioning, and body position.

•

Guides will be able to witness their improvement improvement by looking back at their original presentation techniques.

— 12 —

 

Preparation: Arrange a video camera and a person to film. This activity should be done at the very outset of the course, when guides are first presenting themselves to each other. Procedures:

Step 1: Ask guides to come up to the front of the room one at a time and introduce themselves, giving their names, where they are from, and why they are participating in the course. Have someone film each guide’s presentation as a separate video file. Step 2: Early in the course, review the important physical elements of guiding technique. Step 3: During the field practical sections of the course, look for opportunities and teachable moments to constantly reinforce these guiding techniques, and encourage your guides to be critical of each other in commenting on guiding techniques. (See Activity 3-1: “Developing A Critical Eye”) Step 4: At the end of the course, have each guide give a short (3-5 minute) final presentation (See chapter 17-2: “Final Presentations”). Presentations”). This can be as simple as stating their name, where they are from, what they learned from the course, and what they hope to do with what they have learned. Tell them to be sure to use the presentati presentation on techniques that they have learned. Tell them to notice the techniques when others are giving their presentations. presentations. If possible, have these presentations filmed as well in separate video files. Step 5 (optional): Show the guides the video footage of their opening presentations, which you have on video files. Tell everyone to notice the improvements that they have made in their delivery presentation. Remind them that presentation techniques require continuing practice to keep in form.

Activity 4-1B. Voice Projection Modality: Hands-on. Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will develop good posture, good breathing techniques, strong voice projection, and engaging presentation presentati on techniques.

•

Guides will show confidence and authority when speaking to groups.

Preparation: If possible, have a voice instructor come in for an hour session to show guides parts of this activity, especially breathing techniques and speaking from the diaphragm. A voice instructor can give guides further exercises to practice throughout their guiding careers. Procedures:

Step 1: With the group in a large semicircle, tell the guides to stand up and relax. As the instructor, you are to stand up and participate with the group as well. Step 2: Posture. Tell the guides to look around at each other and notice elements of posture. Point out some of the basic problems of posture that you see around the room, like slumping, heads looking down, shoulder and neck misalignment, leaning on one leg, etc. Review elements of good posture, like keeping the head up, chin level, shoulders back but relaxed, body relaxed but not slumping, knees loose, and weight on the heels and soles of the feet. Tell guides to get in the habit of being aware of their posture throughout the day, and to be aware of the posture of any guides who is speaking during the course.

— 13 —

 

Step 3: Breathing. After everyone has established good posture, tell guides to start taking slow, deep, steady breaths. These should not be strained or exaggerated, but relaxed. Tell guides to try to pay attention to the muscles that are used in their breathing. Tell guides that the key to voice projection is the amount of air that passes from the lungs over the vocal chords, and the steadiness of that flow of air. Most people will breathe primarily from their chests, and most guides will feel that their chest muscles are the principal muscles in their deep breathing. Step 4: Breathing from the Diaphragm. Tell guides to put their hands on their bellies with their middle fingers touching at their navel. They are now holding their abdominal wall. Now tell guide guidess to breathe out slowly and deeply by contracting the muscles of their abdominal wall, which they are covering with their hands. These muscles will relax automatically while they are breathing in. Repeat. They should be able to feel the abdominal muscles contracting contractin g and relaxing. Repeat this until everyone can feel their abdominal muscles contracting contracting as they breathe out and relaxing as they breathe in. Tell guides that the abdominal muscles are squeezing and releasing their diaphragm under their lungs, which is the most efficient way to squeeze air over the vocal chords. Diaphragm. Now tell the guides that when you say “Go!” “G o!” they are to hold a Step 5: Holding a Note from the Diaphragm. constant strong note – something that is comfortable and not too high – focusing –  focusing all the time time on their contracting abdominal muscles. muscles. Tell them to notice how quickly and smoothly they inhale when they breathe correctly from contractions of the diaphragm. Tell them that these are muscles that they do not normally use, and will take a lot of practice and training before they become fit, but they are the key to good voice projection. NOTE that this will be a very loud activity with lots of laughing and potential distraction, so try to keep the group focused.

Step 6: Stretching the Mouth Muscles. Tell guides to mouth the five vowel sounds without singing them, exaggerating the mouth movements in order to stretch the mouth muscles. Tell them that they can practice singing each of the exaggerated vowel sounds when they practice their diaphragm exercises. Step 7: Annunciation. Hand out a list of tongue-twisters t ongue-twisters and ask the group to practice these tongue twisters with good breathing and vocal projection on their own at home, starting slowly and clearly, then increasing the pace while maintaining the clarity. Choose a future session to have guides take turns reading tongue-twisters to the class. Step 8: Eye Contact. Review the importance of making eye contact, or appearance of eye contact with an audience. •

Never wear sunglasses when talking to the group, especially when introducing oneself for the first time. Guests

•

must be able to see you eyes to t o establish trust and confidence. When speaking to a small group, try to look into the eyes of different guests as you speak. This will give them the sense that you are speaking to them individually. Avoid just speaking to one person.

•

When speaking to a larger group, pick a point just above the head of the people in the rear of the group. Speak to that point and everyone will feel that you are speaking to them.

Step 9: Vocal Hygiene. Emphasize to guides that their voice is a valuable tool, and if they have problems with their voice, they have problems with their job. When a guide loses their voice, they have to cancel their work. Explain the importance of keeping keeping the vocal chords well hydrated while guiding, guiding, always carrying a water bottle to lubricate the vocal chords. Also explain the importance of having fresh breath. This means brushing teeth regularly and carrying mouthwash. There is nothing worse than trying to listen to a guide with bad breath. Step 10: Smile. A warm smile is one of the most powerful techniques of engaging an audience. Smile as much as possible when you speak with your guests. A smile, accompanied by good posture, voice projection projection and eye contact, will also give the guide an air of confidence and authority that will make guests feel comfortable and secure.

— 14 —

 

4-2. Introductions and Briefings Introductions and briefings are two types of presentations presentati ons that give a guide the opportunity to set the tone for a tour t our or an upcoming activity,, and to clearly and confidently anticipate activity questions and insecurities. This will help a guide to establish confidence and leadership with their group. Introductions can refer to any time a guide is meeting a group for the first time, from an airport pick-up to a group arriving to the site they are guiding. Introductions can also refer to the beginning of an individual tour or excursion, where the guide may already know the guests, and put more emphasis on the upcoming event. A briefing is a presentation that prepares guests for an upcoming tour, excursion or event. It is assumed that the guide knows the group, and the emphasis in on the preparation.

Activity 4-2A. Introductions Modality: Discussion Learning Outcomes: • Guides will be know the important elements to consider consider so that they can confidently introduce themselves themselves to a given group. Procedures:

Step 1: Give some examples to the guides of different types of situations that they will introduce themselves. Step 2: Ask guides to give their ideas about important things to consider when giving an introduction to themselves or a tour, and discuss each with the group. Include things such as: •

Know Your Audience! Who are they, and where do they come from? What background information do they have? What kind of preconceptions preconceptions might they have? (It is okay to ask the group if they have seen or been told

•

certain things, but do this after your own introdu introduction). ction). Be confident and professional.

•

Remember your basic guiding techniques.

•

Remove your sunglasses.

•

Tell them your name, and a few words about your background that will give them confidence.

•

Smile!

•

Is your group small and intimate enough that you want them to introduce themselves?

•

Give them a brief overview of what they can expect in the upcoming event.

•

Check to see that everyone is prepared, and remind them about essentials such as water, safety, appropriate footwear, etc.

— 15 —

 

Activity 4-2B. Briefings Modality: Discussion Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will know how to prepar preparee briefings so that they anticipate the important questions that guests might have in preparation for an upcoming tour, excursion or event.

Procedures:

Step 1: Select a tour or event familiar to all of the guides, for which a guide might have to give a briefing. These might include a full day bus tour to Masaya National Park, a walking tour of Jinotega, a visit to a baseball game, etc. Step 2: Ask the guides to come up with questions that they think will have to be answered in order for guests to prepare for the tour. Some examples might include: •

How long will we be there?

•

What should we wear?

•

Will there be a lot of walking?

•

Are there bathrooms there?

•

Do we have to stay the whole time?

•

Is lunch included?

•

Why are we going there? 

Step 3: Ask the guides why they think this particular tour is important. What is special about this tour or event? Why would a tour operator include it in their program? Explain to guides that part of their job is to t o create interest and enthusiasm for the tour, and the world around them. Helping them to understand what distinguishes every site or event helps guests appreciate the special aspects of their visit to Nicaragua. A good thematic statement (See Chapter 6-3: “Thematic Interpretation”) is Interpretation”) is very helpful in emphasizing the uniqueness of any site or event. Step 4: Review a process of preparing a general briefing, reminding guides that every situation is different. 1. Begin with a personal introduction if necessary, though it usually will not not be. 2. Create a segue segue that acknowledges acknowledges the last or current current activity that the group group has done, done, and connects connects it with the upcoming tour that you are briefing. (i.e. “Now that we have all had fun exploring the wild side side of the Nicaraguan Nicara guan wilderness, wilderness, we’ll take a tamer look with a visit to …” or “I hope everyone is still spinning with the sound and color of Nicaraguan traditional dance. Tomorrow we’ll see another colorful aspect of Nicaraguan culture when we go to the baseball game in…“ 3. Explain why this is an important important site, site, and why it is something something special. special. Remember that guides are are trying to create interest and enthusiasm for the event. A good thematic statement and an open-ended question that creates a little bit of mystery will support this. 4. Give the preparatory part of the briefing, answering the questions that help help guests to prepare.

— 16 —

 

5. Ask if there are any questions, and remember those questions for future briefings.

Step 5: If you have the opportunity in your course, select groups of guides to prepare briefings whenever you need them for a course event like a tour or a site visit. You will have to work with the guide group group to give them some of the relevant information. If not, you can make up situations or use familiar situations, and let guides give mock briefings to the group. Ask the group to ask questions that the guide might not have answered.

L a  ag  g   u  un    a  n a   ?  ? 

?

Duk Han Kee

oc k   II I I  lo  t l  h i t  W W    n  h o J   .  M rs

Ursula

Charlie

Este ban

S e  e ñ  ño    r  o r   a  a  J  J u  ua    n  a    i  n it  t  a     E l  a le  e   n  na     H e  a e r  r r  r a  ad     u  d ur  r   a  a G o  o m  me  e   z  z 

Herr Sprudelmeister! 4-3. Learning Names

It is generally in a guide’s interest to learn the names of their guests, especially on a full day tour. On a circuit or multi-day tour, it is essential that guides try to learn the names of their guests as quickly as possible. It creates a more personal connection, and it also helps the guide take notice of individual characteristics and needs. Discuss the cultural differences that might exist regarding the use of formal or informal language, and using first or last names. Americans generally prefer to be on a first name basis. Germans, Spaniards and some other European cultures often assume a formal address. Remind guides that they should always feel comfortable asking a guest “May I call you Elizabeth” or “Shall I call you Herr Schmidt?” Most guests will appreciate that the guide is addressing them as individuals. Tell guides the benefit of keeping an extra list of guest names with them on tour, and making notes as they go along that help them to remember individuals. Use “free time” on the bus or at a coffee break to watch guests and note distinguishing characteristics, characteristics, and jot them down so they t hey can review later. They will find that just paying attention helps them to remember names.

4-4. Arrival for a New Tour Tour Any time a guide arrives for a new tour, they need to be prepared and well ahead of the group. Talk to guides about the importance of arriving early. Not only should they know their planned routes and their primary themes,, but they need to take a few minutes to check any vehicles they might be using to avoid surprises. themes surprises. If there are any tour escorts or leaders that might be accompanying the group, they will need some time to talk to them. They are the t he best source to find fi nd out a group’s interest interest and background, and what they have seen. • Meet the driver • Discuss the route with the driver • Test the microphone and equipment • Look at windows for cleanliness cleanliness • Is the bus clean?

— 17 —

 

• Does the air conditioning work? • Is there a first aid kit? Radio contact? • Look at yourself in the mirror. • How many guests are you supposed to have? • Is there a tour escort or group leader?

4-5. On and Off the Bus, Van, or Boat Any time a guide is with a group on a vehicle like a bus, van, or boat, they have a captive audience with amplification of their voice. This means that it is easier for guides to command the audience’s attention, as the audience cannot escape other than tuning out the guide. Any time the vehicle stops and the group gets off, they are no longer captive, and the guide must be more engaging to hold the attention of the group. Guests can leave the guided group for many reasons, such as photography, restlessness, shopping, or pursuing their own interests. Guides should not be offended when guests don’t go with them, but they should take note and ask themselves why. Most importantly, guides need to remember that there is a big advantage to giving certain information when the audience is still “captive” and the guide has their complete attention. Review the types of information that a guide needs to give to the group before getting off a vehicle for a stop. This is, in stop fact, with a briefing, and you can useEmphasize the Briefing guideline s from Activitywhenever 4-2B to discuss a a particular your group of guides. theActivity details guidelines of briefing information you have field opportunity, whether you or someone else is doing the guiding Some things to address before you stop: • What’s the plan? • What time does the group depart again? • Where do you depart from? • Where are the bathrooms bathrooms/toilets? /toilets? • If you are not following me, or joining the group…(acknowledge that it is okay for guests to go off on their own and pursue their own interests interests.) .) • Where do you go to sit down and rest (shade, drink) • Will there be “free time”? • “Can we leave things on the bus?” (Show support for the driver, and make sure the bus is locked!)

Now discuss with the group some of the important things to consider when getting ready to depart again. Remind the guides guides that 15 minutes lost waiting for a late guest are 15 minutes they will have to take from somewhere else in the tour. Getting back on the bus: • Encourage “relaxed punctuality,” but be clear about your departure time. • Remember to maintain respect for guests; you are not herding animals (no whistles!)

— 18 —

 

departure, e, watching for “strays” • Start observing guests 10 minutes prior to departur • Notice photographers, shoppers, drinkers, smokers and stragglers, who tend to be the people who can be consistently late. • Check the shopping situation, as often shoppers will wait too long and get stuck in payment lines. • Ask the driver to help with counting, so you know how many people you might be missing. • If one or two guests are noticeably late, there is no need to reprimand them as the group will remind them for you. If it becomes a consistent problem, you will have to speak with the guests. It is not fair for those who abide by the timetable.

Finally, discuss the elements of guiding when you are underway. Take advantage of any and all opportunities that you have to reinforce these in the field excursions, regardless of who is guiding. Back on the bus and underway: • “I hope you all enjoyed this visit to…“ • Segue to the next segment • Know your routes • Give guests an idea of the timing before the next stop. • Package Information (See Chapter 6-3 “Thematic Interpretation”; and Activity 8-1: “Planning a Route”) • Quiet Time is important, as is time to digest information between major themes. • Use any long stretches for some quiet time, where you can answer individual questions (not over the microphone!)

4-6. Guiding in a Market or Town Town with “Free Time” It is important to talk with guides about the modern modern day tourist’s increasing sense of independence. In a world of “on-demand” personal choices, travelers are more inclined than ever to leave a guide or a group if it is not interesting to them, and just go off to do their own thing. Or they might arrive with a very specific agenda that is not part of the group schedule. The accessibility and ease of digital photograp photography hy has also made everyone “one step away from a professional photographer,” and many travelers now will forego a guides’’ interpretation for their own opportunities to guides take photographs. (See chapter 12-2: “Special Interest Photography”) This increased independence means that many of the special considerations that a guide has always had to give to designated periods of “free time”—when guests are encouraged to explore their own interests without the direction of a guide—must be kept in mind on every stop of every tour. Gone are the days when everyone in a tour group blindly followed the guide on the entire route route until it was time to return to the bus.

— 19 —

 

Activity 4-6. “Free Time in the Market or Town” Modality: Discussion Learning Outcomes: Guides will know how to give guests the confidence and security to take time to explore their own interests in a market or town. Guides will be aware of the insecurities insecurities that guests have when left on their own. Guides will understand the importance of being clear about the meeting time and place. Procedures: Ideally it would be a place that the group could visit Step 1: Select a town or market that everyone is familiar with. Ideally beforehand, like the market in the location of your training program.

Step 2: Ask guides what they think are some things that guests might be worried about if left on their own? Some examples might be: •

Getting lost or not finding the meeting point.

•

Missing the meeting time.

•

Getting robbed or pick-pocketed pick-pocketed..

•

Not being able to speak to vendors.

•

Not knowing the exchange rate, or getting cheated by vendors.

•

Are they allowed to take photos of markets or people?

•

Finding a bathroom.

fi nd, that might not be in the Step 3: Ask guides what might be some things that guests would want or need to find, interest of the entire group? Some examples might be: •

Pharmacy?

•

Post Office?

•

Internet Café?

•

Camera store?

•

Place to buy clothes? (if missing luggage)

•

Place to buy toiletries? (if missing luggage)

•

Get an adaptor or voltage converter?

Step 4: Discuss the role of the guide during free time. Ask questions like: • Should the guide be the first one to leave the group and take their own free time?

— 20 —

 

•

What do you do if the meeting point is not the same place as the departure point?

•

What do you do if a guest needs individual attention, like finding a pharmacy?

•

Ask guides what kind of an orientation is important, and how they should determine if they should give a short guided orientation tour before letting the group go.

•

How can guests contact the guide in case of an emergency?

Step 5: Conclusion. Tell the guides that free time can be a good opportunity for them to take some time on their own, enjoy a coffee, make phone confirmations or catch up on their expenses or paperwork. But first they must make sure that the guests feel secure, oriented and comfortable, and have a way to contact them in case of emergency. Guides can then seat themselves in a strategic position where where they can watch the gathering point, so that t hat as the t he departure time approaches, guides can see when guests being to gather. This is another situation where binoculars can be very helpful to a guide!

TEACHING TIP As an instructor, you are teaching guides-in-training the very best techniques and behavior to learn and aspire to. It is also very important that they t hey are able to identify with you as a guide and a human being, realizing that you know what it is like to get tired, have a bad day, or need a little space. Make sure that you use your own personal experience to let guides know that you too have shared a lot of ups and downs, and relate to them on a personal level as well. They need to look up to you as an example – a hero – and part of that is knowing that you can relate to them.

4-7. Checking In and Out of Hotels A guide’s ability to confidently and seamlessly check a group into and out of a hotel makes them a lot more valuable to tour operators. Guides become much more versatile, and can take on roles as transfer guides to and from the airport, or tour escorts on circuits or multi-day tours. But hotel check-in and check-out is also a stress point, where problems arise and where guests can face anxiety or disappointment. A guide must develop good working relations with the hotel managers, be prepared to solve problems as they arise, and be diplomatic in keeping guests calm and satisfied.

Activity 4-7A. Checking into a Hotel Modality: Hands-on and Discussion Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will be able to prepare themselves themselves with the informa information tion that they t hey need to bring a group to a hotel for check-in.

•

Guides will know how to confidently prepare prepare guests for arrival and check-in at a hotel.

•

Guides will be prepared for the most common trouble-shooting scenarios associated with hotel check-in.

Preparation: It is ideal if your guide-training program actually involves a hotel overnight with check-in and checkout. If so, get copies of all of the information that you would normally have from the hotel, such as the guest list and room specifications (2 x twin beds, double bed, etc.) in advance. Make copies for your group. If you are unable

— 21 —

 

to build a hotel overnight into your training program, program, contact a hotel and try to plan a “mock arrival” so that guides can step through the procedures. If nothing else, arrange a role-playing “mock arrival” in the classroom. Procedures:

Step 1: Explain to guides that arrival to a hotel for check-in involves the same requirements requirements as any other briefing, but with some specific information that they need to confirm with the hotel. Remind guides that it is much easier easier to give a briefing when they have a captive audience (on the bus) than when the t he audience audience is in a place like a hotel parking lot, lobby, or reception area.

Step 2: Ask the guides to come up with questions that they think will have to be answered before getting off off the bus. Some examples might include: 1. Where and how do we get our keys? (Discuss various options of key distribution) 2. Where are the bathrooms? 3. Do we have to carry our own own luggage? luggage? 4. Are the rooms ready? 5. What is the the next next time that we have to meet somewhere? somewhere? 6. What time is dinner? 7. Will there be information or a timetable posted somewhere? 8. Where can we contact you? 9. When do we get information about tomorrow’s departure?

Step 3: Tell the guides that they will have to give some information information to the guests about the hotel where they are staying. They should emphasize the positive qualities, as this is probably a hotel that the tour operator organized. It is also important to manage guest expectations, expectations, so that guests are not immediately disappointed when they open the door to their room. Suggest to the guides that if they know there are obvious shortcomings of the hotel (i.e. the rooms are are dark; the hotel can be noisy) it might be best to warn guests in advance but tell them that they should counter the shortcomings with the advantages (i.e. it is a classic colonial hotel; the location could not be better) Step 4: Ask each of the guides to take a few minutes and prepare a briefing on an imaginary hotel check-in of their own design. Go around the room and have each guide present their hotel check-in briefing, including information about the next scheduled event for their group, while the rest of the group asks any outstanding questions. Step 5: Ask the guides what kinds of problems they might expect to have after they’ve given their briefing and the group gets off the bus. Use your own experience to lead a discussion about how to address each of these problems (See Activity 9-2: “Problem Situations and Troubleshooting”). Examples Troubleshooting”). Examples should include: •

Some rooms are not ready.

•

Two guests that should have twin beds have a room with only one queen-sized bed.

• •

A guest calls you or finds fi nds you in the lobby because they are very upset about their room. A guest comes back down to the hotel receptio reception n very angry because there is a cockroach in their bathroom.

— 22 —

 

•

A guest calls you after 30 minutes and says that their luggage hasn’t been delivered to their room.

•

Even though the hotel confirmed with you, they now say they are overbooked.

arrange a visit to a hotel for a mock-arrival with the group, so that you can step through the Step 6: If possible, arrange process of arriving with a bus, making contact with the reception area, managing the luggage, distributing the keys, and so on. You do not need to distribute the actual keys, but let the group know if it will be done on the bus, at the reception desk, at a separate area in the lobby, or handed out with everyone standing in a group in the lobby. Use your own experience to take advantage of the significant teachable moments.

Activity 4-7B. Checking Out of a Hotel Modality: Hands-on and Discussion Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will be able to communicate with the key people in a hotel to organize a check-out and departure.

•

Guides will know how to confidently prepare prepare guests for check-out and departure from a hotel.

•

Guides will be prepared for the most common trouble-shooting scenarios scenari os associated with hotel check-out.

Preparation: Prepar ation: See Activity 4-7A “Checking into a Hotel” Procedures:

Step 1: Explain to guides that departure from a hotel involves the same requirements as any other briefing, but with some specific information that they need to arrange in advance with the hotel. If they have not written the departure information information down on paper paper,, they will have to arrange a specific departure briefing where they can assemble all guests together as a captive audience. This can be done in conjunction with another group activity, or alternatively a guide can go around to dinner tables and repeat the information for each table. Regardless, it is wise for guides to write the basic timetable down on flipchart or whiteboard in the hotel lobby.

Step 2: Setting the Schedule for the Departure Briefing. Review and discuss the following steps in determining 1. What is the plan for for the next day? day? Start with the full plan, then then identify identify the first critical time time in the day that you MUST be at a place on time. We know we are going to the artisanal cooperative in the morning, and having lunch at 1300, therefore… 2. What time do we have have to leave tomorrow tomorrow (what time does does the bus/van have to leave the the hotel/lodge hotel/lodge to reach our first stop on time? t ime? 3. How will we get luggage luggage from the hotel/lodge hotel/lodge to the the bus/van? (Organize (Organize with hotel) hotel) 4. How will you know that you have all the guests’ luggage? luggage? 5. Will guests identify identify their luggage luggage before before it is loaded loaded on the the bus/van?

— 23 —

 

6. What time do do guests have to have their luggage ready? ready? (Organize (Organize with hotel) 7. What time is coffee in the morning? morning? What time time is breakfast? breakfast? 8. What do guests need need to pack for for the day? 9. When will be the next next time that guests guests have access to their luggage? luggage? 10. Do guests have to check out at the reception desk desk even if they have no charges? charges? 11. Are there any other details that guests need to know for checkout? (Ask the hotel manager) 12. What do guests do with their keys? 13. Write the schedule on a white board or flipchart.

Step 3: Give each guide a large piece of flipchart paper. Tell each guide to write a departure schedule for an imaginary hotel check-out of their design. Have each guide in turn come to the front of the room with their departure schedule and give a departure briefing for the rest of the group. Make sure they include some basic information on the imaginary plan for the following day, so guests know what to pack with them and how to prepare. The rest of the group can then ask outstanding questions from the guest perspective. Step 4: Ask the guides what kinds of problems they might run into during the hotel departure. Use your own experience to lead a discussion about how to address each of these problems. ( See Activity 9-2 “Problem Situations and Troubleshooting” ) Examples could include: •

Coffee or breakfast is not ready on time, and guests are nervous about making the departure on time.

•

You see that the departure time is approaching and the hotel staff has not collected the luggage.

•

Everyone is on the bus and the hotel manager tells you that three guests haven’t paid their mini-bar bills.

•

You are getting ready to depart, and the driver tells you that there are two people missing and their luggage is also not there.

•

A guest tells you that t hat they did not see their luggage get put on the bus.

•

You depart depart and after 45 minutes, a guest tells you that they left their passport in the safe in the room.

4-8. Airport Departure and Arrival Transfers Transfers Airport transfers are some of the most important activities in the world of tourism, as they represent a visitor’s first and last impressions of a country. They can also be some of the most demanding and anxiety-laden parts of travel, as the costs and hassles of air travel go up while the levels of customer service have go down. In short, many guests are not very happy about their air travel days. Airport transfers are one of the most important jobs a guide can have, because they provide the opportunity to give introductions and conclusions to a guest or group’s entire experience in the country. A guide who can handle the logistics and potential problems of airport transfers while being a friendly ambassador of their country is very valuable for any tour operator. The departure and arrival transfer experiences are very different, and will be presented here as two different activities that would ideally be combined with a visit to the international international airport for your group. Try to make contact with the airport management ahead of time to schedule someone to meet your group and give them a walking tour. Tell tour. Tell the airport management that you are training airport transfer guides.

— 24 —

 

Finally, ask the guides if they have ever been to the international airport. Remember that for someone who has never been, it can be an overwhelming experience. Also remember that things like flight codes, gate numbers, and security can be very confusing to unfamiliar guides.

Activity 4-8A. Airport Departure Transfer  Modality: Field Activity Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will know how to read and interpret departure information.

•

Guides will feel comfortable and confident taking a group to the airport for check-in and departure.

Preparation: Look up the Preparation: t he airline departures departures for the date and time that you will be able to take your group to the airport. This can usually be found on the airport website. If you cannot find your date, look at the days that are available and you will see consistent departure departure and arrival patterns. If you cannot find this, look up the flights for the common airlines, or pay a visit to the airport sometime to write down the departing flights. The airport information will usually have the flight schedules. Procedures: Step 1: Using the departure information make a mock group departure list for your group, assigning departing flights to your guides.

— 25 —

 

Departure List – Grupo La Riviera Nicaragua Guide-Training Course Group transfer to the airport:  You  You will depart BY BY BUS at 0630 am. Please have your luggage ready outside your room by 06:00 am. Please attach a RED RED luggage  luggage tag to your bag and write your name on the tag.

Managua (MGA) Depart 2:06 pm

to

Atlanta (ATL) Arrive 6:52 pm Terminal SOUTH

1,484 mi (2,388 km) Duration: 3hr46mn

Flight: DL370

1. Aura Elena Munguía Chavarría 2. Marlon Rafael Rivera Aldana

Managua (MGA) Depart 2:43 pm

to

Panama City (PTY) Arrive 5:18 pm

507 mi (816 km) Duration: 1hr35mn

Flight: CM105

1. Carlos Iván Sequeira Almendarez 2. Elin del Socorro Jiron Pineda 3. José Alfredo Lanzas Hernández 4. Marvin Uriel Perez Villareyna

Managua (MGA) Depart 5:30 pm

to

San Salvador (SAL) Arrive 6:20 pm

226 m (2,388 km) Duration: 0hr50mn

1. Ernesto Adolfo Ocampo Pérez 2. Francisco Javier Sobalvarro Rugama 3. Gema Yuneska Velásquez Valdivia 4. José Alfredo Lanzas Hernández 5. Migdalia Iveth Arauz Arauz 6. Moisés Ramiro Siles Hernández 7. Silvana Varynia Rivera Delgado

— 26 —

Flight: TA397

 

Step 2: The Departure List 1. Tell each guide to find their names and their departing flights. 2. Review all elements of the departure list, starting with the top of of the page and the luggage instructions. 3. Make sure that you talk about airport and airline codes, codes, and make sure guides get comfortable with the major airlines and airline codes that serve Managua. 4. How long do you need to arrive at the airport before your flight? 5.

Use your own experience and discuss the differences in the departure times.

6. Tell guides guides that departure lists can take many forms, forms, and often the tour operator will provide provide them with a list. However, it is always smart to confirm the list with your guests, to avoid last minute surprises! 7. What questions might the guides get from guests who are departing on much much later flights?

Step 3: Departing on the Bus. Besides all of the normal hotel checkout procedures ( See Chapter 7-7B Checking Out of the Hotel), Hotel), discuss any additional things that a guide should cover before departing. Especially important are: •

Does everyone have their passport?

• •

Did everyone check the safe in their t heir room to be sure they have everything? Has everyone seen that their luggage is on the bus?

•

Does everyone remember that only small amounts of liquids in a separate Ziploc bag may be carried in your hand-carried luggage on the plane, and no sharp objects are permitted.

Step 4: The bus ride to the airport for final departure is a very good time to leave guests with concluding messages and reinforce major themes. It is also a good time for tactful self-promotion. Discuss the communication opportunities that guides have on the drive to t o the airport (See Chapter 16-4: Conclusions and Self-Promotion). Self-Promotion). Step 5: When the day comes that you have the opportunity to visit the airport, remind guides of the information in steps 2 and 3. Tell them to remember their particular flight departure. When you approach the airport, discuss the briefing that you would give a group of guests before they get off the bus at the airport. •

Will they carry their t heir own luggage?

•

Will there be carts available?

•

Should they follow you?

•

Where are the check-in counters?

•

Where is the first security check?

•

When and where is the last time they will see you?

Step 6: Airport Orientation. When you get off the bus, walk through the airport step-by-step as if you were departing. If youand have been able to arrange an official guide from theto airport, to lookIntroduce at the the departure board find their departing flights and gates, and check see if tell theyyour havegroup any delays. airport guide to the group, and have someone in your group introduce the guides (See Activity 14-2 “Getting to Know the Hotel and Restaurant Managers”). Continue Managers”).  Continue with a guided walk-through of the departure area, using your

— 27 —

 

experience to explain as much as you can, or ask leading questions of the airport guide. Since you won’t be able to pass through the security zone, make sure someone explains the process of security and immigration. Make sure the guides have ample opportunity for questions. The purpose is for guides to get familiar and comfortable with the airport departure area and process.

Activity 4-8B. Airport Arrival Transfer  Modality: Field Activity Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will know how to read and interpret arrival information.

•

Guides will feel comfortable and confident picking up an arriving group at the airport.

Preparation: See Activity 4-8A.  4-8A.  Procedures:

Step 1: Using the arrival information, make a mock group arrival list for your group, assigning arriving flights to your guides.

Arrival List – Grupo La Riviera Nicaragua Guide-Training Course Make sure to confirm flight arrival times in advance.

TA 7717 TA TACA CA arr from (SAL) San Salvador 03:36 PM (1536pm) 1. Arelis Esmeralda Moreno Lopez 2. Aura Elena Munguía Chavarría 3. Iván Sequeira Almendarez 4. Elin del Socorro Jiron Pineda 5. Ernesto Adolfo Ocampo Pérez 6. Freddy Javier Parrales Gonzal Gonzalez ez 7. Gema Yuneska Vásquez Valdivia 8. José Alfredo Lanzas Hernández 9. José Francisco Gutiérrez Jarquín 10. José Gonzalo Hernández Cáceres 11. Karin Dayana Mayorga Olivas 12. Marvin Uriel Perez Villareyna 13. Migdalia Iveth Arauz Arauz

UA 7442 United Airlines arr from (MIA) Miami 05:03 PM (1703pm) 1. Moisés Ramiro Siles Hernández 2. Silvana Varynia Rivera Delgado

— 28 —

 

Step 2: The Arrival List 1. Tell each guide to find their names and their arriving flights. 2. Review all elements elements of the arrival list, noting noting the difference difference in arrival times. times. 3. Make sure that you talk about airport and airline codes, codes, and make sure guides get comfortable with the major airlines and airline codes that serve Managua. 4. How long before a flight arrival does a guide need to arrive at the airport? 5.

Use your own experience and discuss options for handling widely different departure times. Can you ask most of the group to wait for two hours for the others?

6. Tell guides that tour operators will provide them with arrival lists, which can take many forms. forms. 7. How can guides guides check the status of a flight arrival before they depart for the airport?

Step 3: Understanding the Arrival Experience. It is difficult to understand how disorienting the arrival experience can be if you haven’t experienced it yourself. Ask any of the guides to tell of their memories of the arrival process. Make sure to bring out the following points: •

Often many flights arrive at the same time of day, and the arrival area can be very hot and crowded.

•

Arriving visitors are often surprised when they are required to fill out an unfamiliar health form that asks a number of personal medical questions.

•

Arriving visitors are often surprised that they must pay US$10 in cash to the immigration immigration desk where they get their passports stamped. This is not communicated in advance, and they do not receive a receipt. This makes many guests uneasy or suspicious.

•

After guests receive their luggage and go through customs, they emerge into a dizzying sea of faces and signs, all looking and waving. It is incredibly disorienting. Discuss the importance of the transfer guide being wellpositioned positione d and clearly visible to t o arriving guests, and trying to make eye contact with anyone that might meet the profile of their guests. Tell guides to notice when guests start coming out that might be from the same flight, and learn to look at luggage tags.

•

Discuss theinstruction importance the guide having friendly area and unhurried greeting voice and smile, Be with a clear confident instructi on forofguests to move to aa waiting until all other guests h ave have arrived. careful notand to put down the sign while you are talking to guests! If your group is large, large, it is helpful to have a second person in a second position to direct guests.

•

Be prepared to point guests to the bathrooms and places to buy water or change money.

Step 4: The Face of the Country. It is very important for arrival transfer guides to remember that they are the face of their country, and the first real personal contact that a visitor has. This is a tremendous responsibility, and an opportunity to make visitors feel welcome, secure, and inspired about their visit. Remind guides to begin by “Knowing Their Audience” (Chapter 3), 3) , putting themselves in the frame of mind of the guests: •

Remember that they are probably very tired, and guides are seeing many of them at their worst after a difficult day of travel.

•

What are their preconceptions?

— 29 —

 

•

What are they afraid of? (robbery, drinking water, getting sick, biting insects, snakes)

•

Remember that at this point some guests are wondering what they have gotten themselves into, and the guide is at this moment the focus of their experience.

Advise your guides to remember all of their important techniques of introduction (See Chapter 4-2) in 4-2) in welcoming these guests to Nicaragua. Use your own experience to share some welcoming comments that give guests a sense of security and comfort (“Welcome to the safest country in Central America. The hardest part of your vacation is now behind you.”)

Step 5: Basic Orientation. Ask guides to contribute the information that they think is important for the first orientation to Nicaragua. Tell them to remember how to present numbers and statistics so that they are relevant to guests (See Activity 6-1: “Making Numbers and Statistics Meaningful”). A Meaningful”). A first introduction introduction is also the perfect place to introduce some of the strongest and most important themes about Nicaragua in a way that can be built upon later.. NOTE that this can be done on the bus returning from later from the airport if you have the t he opportunity to take the training group to the airport. Include: •

Geographic Orientation (= Where are we?)

•

Local time and time zone

•

Local Currency

•

Safety and Security

Step 6: When the day comes that you have the opportunity to visit the airport, remind guides of the information in step 2 (along with all of their departure information). Tell them to remember their particular flight arrival. When you finish the departur departuree orientation, continue to the arrival area. Review the important information information that guides would have to provide guests when they emerge from the arrival area (step 3) and discuss suitable places for standing with a sign and staging arriving guests with their luggage. guides, discuss a few common problems problems that they Step 7: Problems. While you are at the airport arrivals with the guides, might face with an arriving group: •

You have all guests except for two, and the others are getting restless. What do you do? How do you find out if they were on the flight?

•

One guest did not receive their luggage, and it seems to be taking a long time. What can you do, or who can you ask?

•

One of the flights will be delayed for one hour. The other guests are very tired. What do you do?

•

Somebody introduces themselves to you as part of the group, but they are not on your arrival list and you do not have them on your hotel list. What do you do?

— 30 —

 

4-9. Tour Administration and Paperw Paperwork ork Every tour company has a different format for their administrative reports and paperwork. Since most guides work free-lance, they have to become accustomed to different formats of tour information and reporting. In a guide-training program, it is worth reviewing the type of information that a guide might receive for 1) a day tour; and 2) a circuit, or multi-day tour. It is also the right time for a guide to learn the types of reporting that might be expected of them.

Activity 4-9. Making Sense of a Tour Packet Modality: Hands-on Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will become familiar with the types of information that they will receive from a tour operator, or that they will need to run a tour.

•

Guides will become familiar with the types of reporting that might be expected of them after guiding a tour for a tour operator.

Preparation: Procure a complete set of tour information for both a one-day tour and a circuit, or multiday tour. It is best if you can get these from a larger, more established company, or from a company that you know to be a good example. Let them know that you are using these for training purposes. Make a complete set of copies for each of your training guides. Procedures:

Step 1: Distribute the Tour Packet to your guides as you might receive it as a guide from a tour company. Give the guides ample time to look through the information and try to make sense of it. Step 2: Review each different form with the group for both the one day and the multi day tours. Reinforce the fact that different companies will use different formats, formats, and draw on your experie experience nce to emphasize things to look out for. Make sure you talk about: •

Guest Immigration manifest (Complete names with passport numbers)

•

Hotel Rooming Lists (including shared rooms, twins, doubles, etc.)

•

Medical Report (allergies, special medicine and medical situations)

•

Special Dietary Requests

•

Arrival Information

•

Departure Information

•

Emergency Contact Numbers for Guests?

•

Guest itinerary (any information information that guests were sent about their itinerary)

•

Tipping Guidelines Guidelines (information the guests have been given on tipping)

— 31 —

 

•

Guide Itinerary and Logistics Plan (what’s been arranged by the company)

•

Guide’s Contact List

•

Petty Cash and Expense Information (does a guide have expenses to pay on the tour?)

Step 3: Ask guides what type of reporting a company might require of them. Examples: •

An overall trip report, so the company knows if the trip went well, and can prepare for any guest feedback.

•

A supplier report, which requests the guide’s feedback on hotels and venues used on the tour.

•

A vehicle and driver report, requesting feedback for the transportation company.

•

An expense report.

•

have expenses to pay on the tour?)

4-10. Managing Tour Expenses Every tour company will have a different format or requirement for guides to account for the expenses that they pay out during a tour, and all companies are different in the amount of freedom they allow a guide for troubleshooting or “damage control.” The important thing for beginning guides to understand is that they are entrusted with  someone else’s money money to use for for payments during their tours, tours, and they are are expected to to account for it. More it. More important is that anything that they cannot account for, for, they will probably have to pay out of their pockets. It is in the guide’s personal interest, interest, as well as the interest of their reputation with tour t our companies, that they present their expenses in a clear and understandable format.

— 32 —

 

Activity 4-10. Tracking Your Expenses Modality: Discussion Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will be familiar with the categories of expenses that are common to guiding.

•

Guides will realize their own responsibilities in maintaining their expense reports.

Preparation: Procure a copy of a tour company’s expense report form and make copies for each guide in your training group. Procedure:

Step 1: Review the expense report step-by-step with the group, using your own experience to comment on various expenses.. Be sure to talk about the need for receipts, when they are necessary and what happens if you don’t have expenses one. Step 2: Discuss a few ways of keeping up on expenses, using your own experiences. Explain how hard it is to figure out expenses from a pocket full of balled up receipt and banknotes after a day or week. A forgotten expense is money out of the guide’s pocket. You can include: •

Keep a single envelope and put every receipt in the envelope, writing the amount and expense on the outside of the envelope. Review the outside of the envelope every night or morning when you re-organize your money, to make sure you’ve written down your expenses.

•

Keep a plastic folder page with separate pockets, and put expenses for different days in different pockets. If you don’t get a receipt, make sure you write on a piece of paper to put it in a pocket.

— 33 —

 

Chapter 5: Knowledge and Resources

One of the most important things a trainer can convey to beginning guides guides is that it is more important to learn to locate and utilize resources than it is to remember as much fact and information as possible. It is terrifying for most beginning guides to be in front of a group where they feel they are expected to know everything, and to be faced with questions for which they have no answer. It is your job as an instructor to make guides comfortable with the idea that they will always be learning more, and they will become adept at turning many guest questions into thought-provoking thought-provo king themes whether they know the actual answers or not. Make sure you take the time to discuss this subject with your guides-in-training. guides-in-training. Here are some key points to cover: •

One of the great joys of being a guide is that you learn so much about so many things. One of the great challenges is that it is never enough, and you will always be faced with questions that you don’t know.

•

One of the important keys to good guiding is to be prepared. Even experienced guides review their main themes and supporting information for any area that they will be guiding. As a guide gets more experienced, they usually broaden their geographic range of guiding, which means they are always learning and always keeping good notes.

•

We will remember our themes (See chapter 6: “Thematic Interpretation”), Interpretation”), but we will often have to review the facts and supporting information.

•

As guides gain experience, they will become more comfortable and adept at turning innocent tourist questions like “What tree is that?”; “How many tiles in that t hat roof?” or “Who built that Church?” into opportunities to communicate some of the important themes that guides want to communicate.

•

It is important for a guide to know what resources are available to them in different areas, and how to locate and use them.

— 34 —

 

Activity 5-1. Starting a Resource Notebook. Modality: Hands-on Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will become familiar with different resources that are available to them.

•

Guides will understand the vast expanse of subject matter that a guide must learn.

•

Guides will begin a basic resource notebook that categorizes the resources and contacts available to them.

Preparation: If possible, provide each of the guides with a simple 3-section notebook that they can use to begin collecting resources. resources. Have a list of some of your most useful resources in Nicaragua at hand, that you can share with the guides later. Procedures:

Step 1: Start with a discussion activity that asks the guides to come up with types and locations of possible resources. You can prompt them with different subjects and ask where they might look for information on various subjects. Try to get them to more creative than just “the internet,” remembering that books, documentaries, libraries, local experts, interpretive centers, universities, and NGOs are often valuable resources. Here is a list of some sample Nicaraguan subjects that you can use to ask guides for ideas for resources and more information:

Examples of Nicaraguan Subjects for Guide Research:  Geology: Central America Isthmus

Agriculture and cultivated plants 

Panama Canal (Nicaragua’s Role)

Geology: Volcanism

Plants Birdwatching

William Walker Rain Forest Ecology 

Nica economics

Nicaraguan Wildlife

Tropical Ecology

Nica cuisine and cooking

Colonial History Nicaraguan ag Local arts and handicrafts Waste Management Nicaraguan national symbols 

Indigenous Culture Architecture Nica government/politics  Nicaraguan statistics 

— 35 —

 

Step 2: Now that guides have ideas about the scope of knowledge and resources that they will be confronted with, hand out the sectioned notebooks and tell them to begin their t heir resource resource notebooks. •

They should make a section for Information and a separate section for contacts.

•

They can write down the list that you compile together at the beginning.

•

Encourage them to write down any valuable resources that they come across, and take the names and contact numbers of people that will be useful contacts to them for further learning or other aspects of the tourism business.

•

They will usually keep the notebook at home rather than carry it around, around, but it is a place that they t hey can transfer new contacts and resources as they find them. A computer or smart-phone can of course serve the same purpose.

Note that the goal here is not necessarily to establish a permane permanent nt notebook, but to emphasize to guides the importance of being aware of their resources and being able to locate them when they need them.

— 36 —

 

Chapter 6: Communication of Knowledge and Information People hire guides for the local knowledge and familiarity that visitors can’t easily access. Guides know the areas, the routes, the inside stories, and much, much more that can save a visitor a lot of time and hassle, and enhance the visitor experience. A knowledgeable and resourceful guide can be a valuable asset for a tour company, and for tourists. But having the knowledge is only half the story; the ability to effectively communicate communicate that knowledg knowledgee will ultimately determine the success of the guide. Communication skills are highly valued in many professions. Effective communication can be highly persuasive, demonstrate leadership and organization, and give clarity to complex issues. Many beginning guides guides think that t hat good communicators were born that way, or have a “gift” for it. The reality is that effective communication is a learned skill that requires significant preparation and practice. A guide must learn to engage their audience, so they don’t lose their attention. They must make their presentations relevant to their audience so that they care, or can relate, and they must be organized so that they can efficiently communicate in very limited increm increments ents of time. And if a guide can figure out the very most important things that they t hey want to say in advance, they can prepare powerful themes that will provoke thought thought and interest in their guests, and stay with them long after they go home.

 F 2 23/12/72    F 5 .838 c c  c ³  ³   9 1  1. . 4  4 6,442 m³/s 50,193 sq mi              

̊

Sep 15, 1821

2

 k m 130,373 k

$7,297,000,000.00

34.8  C

 4 %  7. 1

   

̊

6-1. Numbers, Statistics and Context While populations, areas in square miles and kilometers, historic dates, volumes of volcanic eruptions, and GDP (gross domestic product) are important numbers that ground facts in the confidence of science, numerical values on their own have little meaning for many people. How big is 130,000 square kilometers, which is the size of Nicaragua? It doesn’t mean much to most people. If you tell an American that it is about the same size as the state of Alabama, they suddenly have a very good idea because they can relate it to something they know. However, a European might not understand until you say that Nicaragua is about the same size as England, or Greece. An Asian may understand that Nicaragua is 1/3 the size of Japan, or 2/3 the size of Cambodia. Gross domestic domestic product (GDP) is an important economic economic statistic that gives the total market value of everything produced by all the residents of the country. It does not tell nearly as much about the standard of living as the per the per capita GDP, capita GDP, or the amount of GDP divided by the total population. Nicaragua’s per capita GDP is about US$3,000 per person, or about the same as Vietnam or Pakistan. We can relate to an individual’s annual earnings, earnings, so it gives us something to compare it to. Dates also need context. The first Spaniards founded Nicaraguan settlements in Leon and Granada in 1522. So what? But when you realize that this was only thirty t hirty years after Columbus’s discovery of the New World in 1492, you have context. William Walker tried to take t ake over Nicaragua Nicaragua in 1856. Knowing that Walker was trying to establishanmore United States slavery context. It states in It the years leading tolearn the US war gives Walker Walker’s endeavors understandable historical context. is conflict important that guides tocivil provide provide context context to ’s the numerical facts, statistics, and dates that they give. People will remember the context, but not the numbers.

— 37 —

 

Activity 6-1. Making Numbers and Statistics Meaningful Modality: Writing and Discussion Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will understand that statistics and numbers often don’t have much meaning to tourists.

•

Guides will be able to communi communicate cate some of the important facts about Nicara Nicaragua gua in a way that is relevant to visitors.

Procedures: This activity is best conducted as a homework assignment followed by classroom discussion or presentation.

Step 1: Make a list of important facts, statistics, and dates for Nicaragua. Include physical areas of land and major lakes, populations of major cities, heights of most popular volcanoes, annual export of coffee, tobacco and rum, important historical dates, dates, and any other statistics that you often communi communicate cate to guests on your tours. Step 2: Introduce the concept of context and give some examples (See ( See above). above). Step 3: Tell guides that they are to write down a comparison that puts each number into context for guests. This can be a direct comparison, an analogy, or an action example (i.e. “it would take a 19th century fisherman half a day to row across the entire lake”). Encourage guides to use the internet, atlases, or any other resources they can find. You may assign some of the guides different audiences, so that some guides are looking for relevance for Americans, some Europeans, and some Asians. You can also assign only a few facts to each guide, so that they will all share the cumulative list in the end.

Step 4: When the assignments are complete, review all of the comparison sentences with the entire group. Ask the group to comment on the sentences, remembering that they are for a non-Nicaraguan audience. Activity Follow-Up: Provide Provide the guides with the complete list that they t hey have compiled, and tell them that these will be valuable context sentences for them in their guiding career, career, because they pertain to statistics that they will use with almost every group that they guide in Nicaragua.

6-2. Saying What is Important In preparation for understanding the basics of thematic interpretation and developing strong themes for common topics, guides guides must begin to get used to selecting the most important things to say about their topic, considering their given audience and purpose. Guides put a lot of time and energy into learning as much as they can about many different topics, topics, and it can be tempting to try to tell t ell everything they know about a subject to their audience. audience. This is the wrong approach, and does not serve the t he visitors. Visitors will only rememberr well-organized, well delivered concepts that have relevance to their world and understan remembe understanding. ding. Guides will develop these concepts as specific themes t hemes in the next sections of this chapter, but they can begin by getting in the habit of looking for the truly important things to say about a topic or subject. When you know a lot, like an experienced tour guide, it is often much harder to decide what NOT to say. But guides will have to learn to be as efficient and effective as possible with their communication. communication.

— 38 —

 

Activity 6-2A. National Symbols Modality: Writing and Discussion Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will be able to communicate the importance and relevance of their national symbols to visitors.

• •

Guides will begin to hone their thinking th inking into the most important and relevant things to say about a subject. Guides will take the first step in understanding themes and thematic interpretation.

Procedures: Divide the guides up into groups of 3 – 5 people, so that you have a few different groups of guides working together.

TEACHING TIP Don’t let the group select themselves, as you will probably end up with unbalanced strong groups and weaker or less social groups. Group dynamics can be an important tool for shared learning and leadership. For rand random ometc. groups, either the more groupcontrol count off count 1,2,3, etc. andand then tell all 1sassign to be the a group, allyourself. 2s to be a group, If you wanthave to have over interaction leadership, groups

Step 1: Write down the names of the major national symbols of Nicaragua. For example:

National Bird = turquoise-browed mot mot (guardabarranco) National Flower = sacuanjoche (Frangiapani) National Tree = madroño (lancewood) National Poet = Rubén Darío National Dish = gallo pinto Step 2: Tell each group to write one complete sentence containing a subject and a verb – preferably an action verb and not the verb “to be” – that explains to a forei foreign gn visitor why each nationa nationall symbol is important or relevant for Nicaragua. Nicara gua. Explain that there t here are many things that you can say about each one, but they t hey need to pick one main idea. Explain the meaning of an action verb. Step 3: Give the groups time to work out their sentences, and walk around to check on their progress. It is important that individuals in the groups work together and discuss their ideas, as it will take time for many of them to come up with full sentences, active verbs, and meaningful ideas. Step 4: After each group has finished, ask the groups to come forward forward and write their sentences on a flipchart or whiteboard for all to discuss. Make sure that all are complete sentences. Watch for sentences that state facts, but do not have importance or relevance to the audience. For such weak sentences, such as “the mot mot is a beautiful bird” or “gallo pinto is made of rice and beans,” beans,” ask the group “So what?” to try to get them to think about why it might matter to Nicaraguans Nicaraguans or visitors. Point out that the verb “to be” does not say much about the subject other

— 39 —

 

than a quality, and the use of action verbs will give them much more meaning. “Our national dish of gallo pinto varies as much as the many cultures of Nicaragua, but its essence is always rice and beans.” “Our national poet Ruben Darío captured the attention of the entire Latin world by shining a literary light on Nicaragua.” Nicaragua.”

Step 5: Explain the difference between a topic and a theme, and tell guides that one of the most important things they can learn to do is to t o think about the most important things to say about a subject, and then take the time to develop good themes for each of them. (See Activity 6-6.) Activity Follow-Up: You can choose to ask guides to bring in photos or drawings of each of the national symbols, then develop a theme to write on each one and finally laminate them to have as handouts. (See Chapter 6-3 “Thematic Interpretation” and Activity 7-2 “Lamination”)

Activity 6-2B. National Currency Modality: Hands-on Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will become acutely aware of the symbols and images depicted on Nicaraguan currency.

•

Guides will continue to hone their thinking into the most important and relevant things to say about a subject.

•

Guides will take another step in understanding themes.

Preparation: Take digital photographs of each side of each Nicaraguan bill (billete), trying to get as much distance and magnification as possible so that you minimize the distortion of the bill. Make any electronic cropping and adjustments as necessary, and enlarge each image to a full page, making sure there is some room for margins. You should have two images for each bill; one for each side. the images printed, in color if you have individual in your group, with a few extras to use as the means and the Get budget. Then make enough copies for each backups. Also make sure you have color and black markers for the group to use. Procedures:

Step 1: Hand out all the copies of the bills to the guides. Explain that they are to examine each side of each bill, and develop a single thematic sentence for each bill face that tells something of importance about the image on that bill. They will have many different ideas to choose from, as their might be many different important themes that they can say about each one. But they must choose only one. Explain that they are developing developing a static display tool, or a tool that guests can look at and read without any further guiding guiding or narrative. narrative. Their tourists will be able to get a good look at Nicaraguan currency, and learn what the principal images are and why they are important. Step 2: Tell the guides to work on their thematic sentences sentences in a notebook and not on the bills, as they will certainly make changes and the themes will evolve. Make sure you let them know that you are available for questions, as they will have many. Check on the progress of the individuals. Allow a lot of time for this exercise, and it can even be done as a weekend homework assignment.

— 40 —

 

comfortable with their themati t hematicc sentences, they should write them clearly and legibly Step 3: When the guides are comfortable on the copy of the bill or in the margin. Make Make sure they know that guests will have to be able to read them, so they should select their colors and writing format carefully. Activity Follow-Up: Have the guides place the two sides of each bill back-to-back, and then laminate them (See Activity 7-2 “Lamination”). Each “Lamination”).  Each guide will then have a durable, laminated copy of each Nicaraguan bill, complete with a thematic statement on each side that tells something important about the image on each face. Guides can punch a hole in the corner of each laminate and put a ring through each to keep them together as a set. These will be excellent introductory props for guides to show their guests as they begin to learn about Nicaragua.

6-3. Thematic Interpretatio Interpretation n Thematic Interpretation is a way of thinking and communicating that takes preparation and practice, but which will reward the guide with efficient and effective communication skills in the field. Thematic Interpretation is a study unto itself, and guides should be encouraged to familiarize themselves with the approach described in Interpretation—Making in  Interpretation—Making a Difference Difference on Purpose by Sam Ham. This book can be obtained from www.fulcrumbooks.com or from various other booksellers such as www.amazon.com or www.barnesandnoble.com. This section will give an introduction to the fundamental principles of thematic interpretation, and teach guides how to construct and improve their themes.

Activity 6-3A. Thinking Thematically Modality: Video and Discussion Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will be able to put themselves in the place of their guests and will see how their guided activities can stimulate thinking.

•

Guides will recognize that the thoughts guests think during and after a guided activity might not be exactly the same as the ones the guide intended. But if the guide is satisfied or happy with the thoughts, the guide has done a good job.

•

Guides will recognize that a guides’ theme is the main idea or moral of the story the guide wants guests to take away and to think about after a guided activity. activity.

•

Guides will recognize that the thoughts guests think as a result of a good guided guided activity are also themes themes.. But we call these themes “personal themes.” In other words, a guide’s single theme can stimulate a guest to take away many personal themes.

Preparation: Access the award-winning video by Alonso Alvarez Barreda, La Historia de un Letrero at Letrero at http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=zyGEEamz7ZM youtube.co m/watch?v=zyGEEamz7ZM [Note: If this link doesn’t work, simply search for the video with Google or other search engine.] You will need to have internet access to show the video since YouTube videos cannot be legally copied and saved. For best viewing, use a data projector. For best sound, attach external speakers to your computer.. You will also need flipchart paper with markers and tape to attach the guides’ work to a wall for viewing. computer Procedures:

Step 1: Before showing the video, tell your guides, “This video features two signs that are aimed at the same result (the blind man wants to convince passersby to put money in his can). However, each of the signs takes a different approach and uses a different communication appeal. After you watch the video, answer the following questions

— 41 —

 

and discuss them in your group.” [Note you will need to divide the guides into groups if there are more than five of them.]

Step 2: Show the video, La video, La Historia de un Letrero. Letrero. Question 1: What appeal was used in the first sign? Note: The guides should eventually eventually see that th at the first sign told the people what to think (“Have compassion. I’m blind!”). The sign tried to gain the people’s sympathy.

Question 2: What appeal was used in the second sign? Note: The guides should eventually eventually see that th at the second sign didn’t tell the people what to t o think. Rather, it made them think their own thoughts. The thoughts they were provoked to think were probably, “Yes, it really is a beautiful day. day. And that’s right, the blind man wouldn’t be able to t o see it the way I am seeing and enjoying it.” Unlike the first sign which tried to gain the people’s sympathy, sympathy, the second sign tried to gain their empathy by getting them to put themselves in the blind man’s shoes. This required them to think their own thoughts about his reality. In this way way,, you can show your guides that the highest purpose of their own guided activities activities is not to “teach” guests facts or to tell them what to think. Rather, their highest highest purpose is to make their guests think their own thoughts. The more the guests are provoked to think, the deeper and more meaningful their experience will be—and the bigger their tips will be, too!

Question 3: Why do you think the second sign was more successful? Note: The guides should see that the second sign was more successful because it provoked the people to think.

Step 3: Now give the groups a sheet of flipchart paper and ask them to complete the exercise below. Before they start discussing the exercise, give them this introduction: “In professional professional guiding, when we talk about a “theme,” we are talking about a “thought.” When you plan and develop a guided tour, you always want to have a theme in mind because it will help you decide where to stop and what would be best to say there. there. It will also help you decid decidee what not to say or to leave completely out. That’s a theme will help you. Your theme is the main thing you hope your guests will be thinking once you have finished your guided activity. In other words, what do you want them to be thinking when you’re done, and what do you hope they will want to tell others?” “Remember that since a theme is a thought, the thoughts your guests think are also themes. If you present your guided activity very well, they t hey might be provoked to think many thoughts, thoughts, even though t hough you developed only one. These are their themes. You can think of them as ‘personal themes.’ Each personal theme is like the moral of the story they have taken away from your activity. That’s how a theme can help you.” Now ask the group to complete the following exercise: What messages has Alonso Alvarez Barreda communicated to you? Assume you are his main audience. What message(s) do you personally take away? That is, what morals of the story do you personally extract from La Historia de un Letrero? In other words, for you, what is the “personal theme” you take from Alonso’s video? Write each theme in a complete sentence as follows:

The main conclusion or moral of the story I personally took away from La Historia de un Letrero  is that ____________ _________________________ __________________________ __________________________ _________________________ ____________________. ________.

— 42 —

 

Discuss your sentences with other group members and decide as a group on five or fewer key sentences. Write your sentences on butcher’s paper and attach it to a wall or other vertical surface. surface.

Step 4: Give the guides about 10-15 minutes to discuss their personal themes and then ask them to select no more than five to write on the flipchart paper. Once they have written their personal themes on the paper, they should attach it to a wall so everyone can see it. Step 5: Now walk around to each group’s paper and discuss the personal themes they have extracted from the video. Look for common themes that are on almost all the groups’ papers. This is a good sign to Alonso. It tells him he is provoking his viewers viewers to think their own thoughts. But is he happy with those thoughts? Is he satisfied with the t he thoughts his video is stimulating the guides to think? Of course, the only way to know is to t o ask Alonso what was his theme theme.. What was the main idea or moral moral of story he was hoping to make people think about? The answer is: The main theme of La Historia de un Letrero is Letrero is that  if we could only be better at putting ourselves in each others’

shoes, the world would be a kinder place. Note: Many guides will have listed personal themes that have to do with communic communication. ation. And this is understan understandable dable because you are teaching them about communication in this exercise. exercise. So you can tell them t hem that Alonso would be very happy they are extracting personal theme s that willand help themabout be better some of your guides will also listthat personal themes that have to dothemes with empathy caring otherguides. humanBut beings beings. . You can tell them that Alonso would be smiling a very big smile when he sees these themes, because they are closer to what he was actually trying to say with his video. Finish by asking the guides to tell you what this exercise teaches them about being a good guide. guide. Do they see that each of their guided activities activities is just like Alonso’s video in that it has the potential to stimulate guests to think important thoughts? Do they see that thematic interpretation interpretation is not simply teaching guests facts about Nicaragua? Nicaragua? It is about making them think personal thoughts about Nicaragua Nicaragua that will last a lifetime.

Activity 6-3B. Seeing the Thematic World Around You Modality: Field Activity and Discussion Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will be able to notice thematic thematic statements used in public advertising.

•

Guides will begin to recognize the difference in impact and attraction of weak, adequate and strong themes.

Preparation: This activity is a good follow-up to a classroom introduction Preparation: introduction to thematic interpretation, interpretation, as it shows guides practical application of themes in the real world and allows them to feel for themselves the impact of thematic communication. Procedures:

Step 1: After discussing thematic statements, tell guides that one of the most effective uses of thematic communication is the advertising industry. Businesses must try to attract a person’s attention and deliver a strong message in very limited time and space, amidst a lot of distraction and fierce competition.

— 43 —

43

 

statements that they might see Step 2: Tell guides to keep a notebook with them and write down any thematic statements in public over a given time period (a weekend is good). Tell them to make notes if they thought the theme was effective and why, why, and why did they t hey think it got their attention.

Step 3: Review the guides’ observed statements with the whole group, and discuss whether others feel the statements are indeed themes, if they are effective, and why.

Activity 6-3C. Teaching Guides How to Write Their Own Themes Modality: Classroom Activity and Discussion Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will be able to write strong themes for their own guided activities.

•

Guides will be able to incorpor incorporate ate universal concepts into their themes.

Procedures:

Step 1: Give the following instructions to your guides: Alone or in a group, make a list of the most important topics you need to interpret for your guests. 󰀳 

For each topic, write at least one strong theme. Remember, a strong theme is a theme that matters to your guests. So you might start with a draft of each theme and then apply the principles outlined in the following pages to strengthen them.

󰀳 

Remember! As with all things in communication, themes are audience-dependent. As you draft your themes below,, try to envision the people you hope your theme will impact. below

󰀳 

Exchange themes with your fellow guides and help each other to make make them even stronger.

A REMINDER! To write a theme, guides should start by completing the following sentence: When it comes to this topic, I think it’s very, very, VERY important that my guests to be thinking that ___________ ______________________. (complete the sentence with your theme). HINT: A strong theme almost always results when you can connect it to one or more universal concepts (See some examples below). Here are a few examples of universal concepts you could incorporate into a theme. Anger

Birth

Conflict

Cruelty

Darkness

Dark side of people

Death

Defeat

Evil 

Fairness (social equity)

Fear

Fight

Good

Happiness Happine ss (elation)

Hate

— 44 —

 

Heroines and heroes

Hunger,, starvat Hunger starvation ion

Irony

Joy

Killing

Loneliness

Longing (missing someone)

Love

Loved ones (family, closest friends)

Morality

Mortality

Mystery

Pain

Patriotism

Power

Regret

Sadness (remorse)

Saving (someone/someth (someone/something) ing)

Sex

Spiritual, cosmic

Struggle

Suffering

Supernatural Supernatur al power

Survival 

Suspense

Tears

Tension

Thirst

Threats

Tyranny

Uncertainty

Victory

Add your own to this list

Activity 6-3D. Analyzing Strong Themes Modality: Classroom Activity and Discussion Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will be able to recognize strong themes.

•

Guides will be able to explain in their own words what makes a theme strong.

Preparation: You will need to hand out photo copies of the following list of themes or project it for group viewing. Procedures:

Step 1: Learning to recognize what a strong theme looks like, like, and being able to t o explain WHY it’s strong, is an important skill for every guide to master. Like a good story, strong themes sometimes draw on some sort of tension, conflict or dilemma that needs to be resolved. Other times, they invoke mystery, mystery, uncertainty or something that’s astounding or extraordinary to guests. Below are some themes that have proven successful with the audiences they were intended to impact. Present them to your trainees with the instructions below. Step 2: Give the following instructions to your guides: 󰀳 

As you analyze each of the following themes, assume you are the target audience:

󰀳 

Select two or three that you think are the stronge strongest. st.

󰀳 

Be prepared to explain why you like each favorite theme.

󰀳 

What do do you think the really key words are that give the theme theme its power? power?

󰀳 

Develop your own set of principles for writing strong themes. What are some other ways to make a theme strong for your guests?

45

 

Here are some themes for you to analyze: •

Scientists are looking for evidence of water on the moon and planets. There’s a good reason for for that.

•

Every animal is built to survive. But some make it, and some don’t.

•

One of nature’s most successful experiments was its creation of the clam.

•

Nowhere is the mystery of nature more apparent than in a forest.

•

There are no “good guys” and “bad guys” in the animal kingdom.

•

Forests are a kind of of life preserver for the human species. They hold answers to questions that science isn’t yet capable of even asking.

•

This valley wasn’t always the serene and peaceful place it seems today. Violence and upheaval were a necessary part of the beautiful creation.

•

The moose may be the most amazing animal on earth, simply because of the way it’s put together.

•

Losing a species, even a seemingly unimporta unimportant nt creature, is a tragedy tragedy..

•

The history of wildlif wildlifee conservation is a story about villains, heroes and the will of a people.

Step 3: Now go down the list theme-by-theme, and in each case ask the guides to raise their hands if they thought the theme was strong. Then ask each guide to explain why s/he thinks it’s it ’s strong. Once the guide has spoken, encourage others to express their opinions.

Activity 6-3E: Using Transitions Modality: Classroom Activity and Discussion Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will be able to explain why transitions are important in a guided tour.

•

Guides will be able to recognize different types of transitions.

Preparation: You will need to hand out photocopies the following exercise, exercise, or project it for group viewing. Procedures:

Step 1: Explain to guides that transitions are important in a guided activity because they make it easier for guests to follow the guide’s train of thought. For example, they tell guests when you are finished talking about one thing and will begin talking about a new things (“Now that we talked about A, let’s now look at B”). Transitions Transitions also signify to guests when it is time to move to a different place (“OK, if there are no more questions here, here, let’s walk to our next stop.”). But in addition, to these basic examples, there are others ways to use transitions that will help make a guided activity more interesting and more thought provoking for guests. These include foreshadowing, using mystery or suspense, and giving guests something to do:

46

 

Foreshadowing hints at what is to come next in a guided tour, but in a way that creates curiosity. Here’s an example: “If you think this is a beautiful flower, don’t don’t put your camera away yet. I’m saving the best for our last stop— which is about 20 minutes from now.”

Mystery/suspense involves giving guests a dilemma or some sort of uncertainty to resolve. Here’s an example: “Owls can’t easily digest bones and feathers, feathers, any more than a human could. So how do they deal with this problem after a night of successful hunting?” You’ll see for yourself at our next stop—and it’s probably not what you think.”

Giving guests something to do involves giving the audien audience ce something to do and think about between the stops of a guided tour. not just hinting at what’s to come (as foreshadowing does). When a guide uses this technique, s/  he asks the guests to engage in some sort of problem-solving activity—one that typically t ypically involves both observation and theme-related thinking. Here’s an example: “If there are no more questions, questions, let’s head up the trail. But while we’re walking, pay attention to the forest on your left. It’s going to change in three major ways. See if you can figure out what’s happening and we’ll talk about it when we reach our next stop.”

Step 2: Give your guides the following exercise and ask them to complete it. When they are done, go down the list on right and ask the guides which form of transition they think it is. is. Discuss  Discuss these and then tell the guides there are no right or wrong answers. The important outcome from this activity is simply for them to gain practice thinking about different types of transitions and they can use them in their own guided activities.

On the left are three types of transitions. Match each with one or more examples of its use on the right. HINT: Most of the examples on the right will correspond to more than one type of transition.

Giving the audience

Up to now, we’ve been looking at plants that make nice comfortable homes for insects. But at our next stop, we’re going to find a plant that does things a little differently. It’s designed to eat the insects it attracts, not shelter them.      V

something to do

Let’s head down the trail now to a place where we’ll find three types of flowers that t hat are still important in everyday medicine in rural communities.

Mystery/ Suspense

As we walk to our next stop, keep your eyes on the left side of the trail. Somewhere Somewhere between here and there we’ll encounter a tree that has somehow managed to survive despite picking the worst place in the world it could have found to grow. grow. Let me know when you think you’ve spotted this unlikely survivor. So we’ve seen how harsh the soil and climate are here. At our next stop, you’re going to find our first clue about how plants manage to thrive in such an inhospitable environment environment

Foreshadowing

OK, now that we all know about the ceiba tree, let’s see if you can find fi nd one of its relatives between here and our next stop. The two trees look a lot alike, but the big spines on the cousin will give it away.

— 47 —

 

Activity 6-3F. Putting it all Together in a Guided Thematic Tour  Modality: Field Activity and Discussion Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will develop their own tour routes and interpretive plans, and then guide them from the staging area through the planned route to the finishing point.

•

Guides will get firsthand feedback about their guiding techniques and their interpretive delivery from their colleagues, who they are guiding.

•

Guides will learn the realities of following a plan and adapting to unexpected surprises and circumstances.

Preparation: This is a culminating activity that is possibly the t he most important activity for guides in the course. It requires accomplished understanding of establishing themes (chapter ( chapter 6-3: Thematic Interpretation; Interpretation; and basic guiding and delivery skills chapter 4: “The Mechanics of Guiding” ) Guides should be in a place where they can plan a route and an interpretive strategy as a group, then guide it and have time for feedback. It is beneficial if you can define a finishing point and time that is different from the starting point, so that there is a real goal and deadline to meet. This will instill an important time-management time-management component component that guides need to learn. Procedures:

Step 1: Divide the guides into groups. This is an activity where you will want to select the group make-up on your own, so that you can balance the strengths and weaknesses of the guides between the groups. Try to make sure that each group has one strong “leader” that is definitely grasping the guiding concepts. If you have some guides who are more familiar with nature and some who are more familiar with city life, try to spread them out so that each group has the same balance of talent and resources. Try to balance the number of men and women in each group. The guides will remain in these groups for a number of guiding activities, so give some thought to the group selection. (See Teaching Tip)

TEACHING TIP Keep watch for those of your guides-in-training that are grasping concepts and advancing more quickly than the others. You can start to use advanced students as reporters or observers in their groups, giving them responsibilities of organizing or reporting. These guides can provide important assistance to you, and you will be doing them a favor by keeping them stimulated and more involved in the learning process. Just be careful not to create a feeling of “favoritism.”

Step 2: Give the groups an ending point for a 45-minute guided walking tour in the area of your training course. The ending point can be a place where everyone can get refreshments, or even beginning another event like a site visit to a restaura restaurant nt or café. They will select their starting point, or staging area, somewhere somewhere that a tourist group could easily find their guide and wait comfortably to start a tour tour,, like the gazebo in the central park, or the lobby of a hotel. Step 3: Tell the groups to go out and develop a 45-minute guided walking tour route that contains 5 defined stopping points or points of interest. If you choose, you can define some points for them, such as the cathedral,

48

 

the central park, the market, etc. Tell the groups that they will have to develop one overall theme for their guided walk, and themes for each of their defined points of interest. The themes for the points of interest should in some way support their overall theme of the walking tour. Tell guides to discuss with others in their group where the “unguided” stretches of walking and reflection might be, and what types of techniques they might use to introduce the transitions from one point of interest to the next (i.e. “as we walk toward the cathedral, think how a pilgrim would feel on these last 100 meters of his month-long journey”). Each group should write down their staging area, points of interest, themes, and transitions, and hand them in to you for review.

Step 4: Discuss any concerns you might have about their programs with the group. guided walk, select one member of each group Step 5: When you are satisfied that each group has prepared their guided as the guide for this exercise. The others in the group will be tourists. Their role as tourists is to give constructive comments to the guide during the tour. They should pay special attention to guiding techniques like voice projection, eye contact, posture, body positioning and positioning of the group. They should give their comments from the perspective of the tourist (i.e. “Excuse “Excuse me, but I can’t hear what you are saying”; “Do you think we could stand in the shade, or where it isn’t so noisy?”; “Would you mind taking off your glasses so I can see your eyes?”) The group can also ask questions as a tourist would, and guides should respond accordingly.

Step 6: Ask the guide for each of the groups to confirm their staging area and the time that they are telling their tourists to meet them. Tel Telll them to give thought to their introductions. Will they be introducing their themes in the introduction?  Confirm  Confirm the ending point and time with them, and tell them you will meet them at the ending point at the specified time. Remind them not to be late.

Step 7: While the groups are giving their tours, walk around and among them and make observations, but try to keep an objective distance so that the groups interact with each other. (See (See Teaching Tip) Tip) Make your own notes for the follow-up discussion with each group.

TEACHING TIP Sometimes it is better to keep your distance in the field as an instructor and let the guides Sometimes guides interact with each other. When the instructor is present, many guides will refrain from giving their comments to their peers, and defer to the instructor. Instructors can seem intimidating to students, even if they do not mean to be.

Step 8: Be at the ending point before the groups arrive. As the groups arrive, try to get a sense of the group dynamic, to see especially if the group seems to be working together and supporting each other. Or are they arguing and blaming each other? Step 9: The next time that you can gather all the groups together in a classroom setting, ask each group to name a spokesperson that was not the guide. Have them come up to the front of the room and write down that group’s theme for the guided walking tour. Now ask them to report to the others on their experience. •

How was the organizatio organization? n?

• •

Describe the introduction. Was the theme stated in the introduction, or did it emerge as the tour went on. Were they able to communicate their themes? Was the theme stated in the conclusion?

•

Did they run into any unexpected surprises?

— 49 —

 

•

How did the guide react to comments and questions?

•

How were the guiding techniques?

Then ask the guide from the group to come up and give their comments. Complete the procedure with each of the groups. Activity Follow-Up: Repeat this activity again and again in different environments, environments, so that t hat each person in each group has a chance to guide for their group. Pay close attention to group dynamics, trying to ensure that the members of the group support each other and do not get overly critical or defensive.

6-4. Developing your Lifelong Database of Important Themes Now that your guides have an idea of how to prepare their communication strategies for a given guided route or tour, you will have to prepare them for the realities of the guiding world. A guide can have all the best plans with the most organized thematic preparations, but you will always be faced with unexpected interruptions and questions that don’t fit the theme that you are developing. A guide is walking a group on a finca tour, knowing that they have to make it back to the main house in half an hour. A guest excitedly points at a group of big birds that the group has already seen a hundred times and asks “Wow, what are those big birds?” Or a guide on a tour bus is in the middle of a perfectly organized and delivered overview of the origins of the Sandinista Revolution, knowing that they are pressed for time to make it to their scheduled lunch appointment. Suddenly someone spots monkeys in a roadside tree! What now? These are only two of a thousand situations where a guide will be very relieved to have quick themes at their disposal – themes that they have developed in the past and emphasized every time they’ve seen a zopilote – so that they can quickly, calmly, calmly, and confidently answer the question with the very most important and relevant thematic statement about that subject, and then return the attention to their previous focus. With a little thought, a guide can name name the things on any given tour that will either attract guests’ attention or provoke questions of “What’s that?” Experienced guides come come to know the things that they must interpret for any tour, and which questions they will almost always be asked. Though it takes time, thinking and preparation, guides will make their own lives much easier and become much better guides if they prepare thematic statements statements for all of the t he subjects that they t hey will commonly address. address. Remember that you can always support a thematic statement with as much or as little supporting material as you need, but the thematic statement is the thing that guests will remember long after they’ve returned home. home.

— 50 —

 

Activity 6- 4. Themes for a Lifetime Modality: Field Activity Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will continue to improve their skills at developing strong themes.

•

Guides will develop themes for the subjects and objects they will most commonly address address on tours with guests.

Procedures: Divide the guides into groups of 3-5 guides each. Choose a general subject area that is representative of actual tours that guides might give. These might be a walk in a finca, common trees, common birds, tropical forest walk, dry forest walk, colonial city walk, etc. Send the groups out on a walk and tell each group to make a list of all the things that they think are important to talk about on a guide guided d tour, or that will gain the attention of guests so that they will be asked questions about the subject. If you have the opportunity, you can send different groups out with different subject focuses, so that one group focuses on trees, another on finca subjects, etc. When all the groups have finished, ask everyone to contribute their lists verbally verbally,, with one person in the group writing down the master list. Copy these lists for all guides, and tell them that it is in their interest as guides guides to develop good themes for all of the most common things that they know they will be talking about, or answering questions. (See Appendix D for some example lists of topics from Nicaragua.)

— 51 —

 

Chapter 7: Tools and Props

Guides must learn that good guiding requires preparation. Preparation means knowing their routes (See Chapter 8-1: “Knowing Your Routes”), Routes”), knowing the main themes (See chapter 6-3: “Thematic Interpretation”), Interpretation”), and by having an overall plan for delivery that can be adjusted and adapted as the tour goes on. Guides can enhance their ability to communicate, and help guests better understand concepts, by using tools and props that they prepare beforehand. Some tools such as duct tape or a pocket knife are important for safety and troubleshooting situations. Others like laminate diagrams diagrams or small models help a guest to visualize the details of something that is difficult to see or understand. Guides should know what tools and props they should consider for different types of guiding situations.

Activity 7-1. The Guide’s Backpack Modality: Discussion Learning Outcomes: Guides will know what tools are available to them, so that they can prepare materials materials that will enhance their ability to communicate to guests while on tour. Procedures: Compile a list of tools and props that might be useful to guides in different situations, taking time to discuss some specific uses of various items. If possible, have examples of some of the tools and props available for demonstration.

What are some Tools or Props that you might add to  your backpack in preparation for your guided walk?  Duct tape Pocket knife

First Aid kit Bug spray

Field guides  Digital camera 

Compass

Map

Hand Lens 

Flashlight

GPS

Laser Pointer

String/Rope

Phone or Radio

Binoculars 

Measuring Tape

Collecting jars

Spotting Scope

Zip-lock bags

Bird whistle

Resource/contact list

Laminated photos/handouts Cool apps (bird calls, stars)

Miniatures (wildlife, sh) Notebook Samples 

— 52 —

 

Activity 7-2. Lamination Modality: Hands-on Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will be able to use plastic lamination to create durable, durable, waterproof, illustrative materials materials that can be used as interpretive enhancement in the form of handouts or static displays.

Preparation: Acquire the lamination materials that are available to t o you. The least expensi expensive ve is plastic adhesive laminate, laminate, which can be bought in a large roll at most office supply stores. You cut two pieces of laminate to the desired size, peel off the backing, place the material in between, and press the adhesive laminate together. This is inexpensive and effective, though the laminate is thin and a little bit flimsy, and the process can be cumbersome. Much better, but more expensive, are professional laminate sheets that can be purchased in larger office supply stores that also sell equipment like copy machines and printers. These are thick, folded plastic pages. The material is inserted into the folder, and the folder is then run through a laminator. A laminator is a good investment for guides or schools, and costs about as much as a large pack of laminating paper. If a laminator is not available, laminating folderss can be sealed by ironing the laminating sheets, taking care to press out all air bubbles while ironing. If folder ironing, use a cloth or thin towel over the laminate, rather than ironing the laminate directly. Procedures:

Step 1: Ask guides to give suggestions for what kind of materials they think would be useful for a guide to have laminated, and compile a short list of examples with the group. Step 2: Ask each guide to bring some materials of their choice to the next session for lamination. Step 3: Instruct the guides to laminate their materials, reminding them to press out air bubbles and leave ample margins around the material so that the plastic will adhere. It is a good idea to leave some extra space at one end and/or edge so that you can use a hole-punch and put a ring in the corner or to enter into a ring-binder for storage. Try to have each guide try each of the two techniques if possible. guides to make a collection of laminates that they can carry into the field, and keep together in Step 4: Encourage an organized notebook.

Lamination is a good follow up for activities such as Local Banknotes  (Activity 6-2B: “National Currency” and  Activity 9-3: “Frequently Asked Questions”)

— 53 —

 

Activity 7-3. Using Binoculars Modality: Hands-on Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will know how to set and focus a pair of binoculars to their own eyes, and show others how to set and focus binoculars to their eyes.

•

Guides will be able to observe an object, then raise binoculars to their eyes to see the object through t hrough binoculars.

•

Guides will know how to clean binoculars.

•

Guides will know that binoculars are one of the best resources that they can have, and be inspired to save their money until they can invest in a pair.

Binoculars are one of the very best tools available to a guide guide,, because they enhance our most important sense: vision. Binoculars are not just used for bird-watching, but for identifying physical features, agricultural plants, architectural details, stars and constellations, anything at sea or across lakes, and much more. For a guide, they can also be essential in trying to find a lost person or locate a vehicle or emergency emergency aid. But it is not enough to have binoculars; guides must know how to use them. Preparation: Try to borrow as many pairs of binoculars as you can for this activity. Conservation and bird-watching organizations and individuals individuals are usually very supportive of binocular training, as long as they know that the binoculars will be cared for. for. Get the group together in an open area with ample space that has a few clearly identifiable things to focus on like signs or buildings.

TEACHING TIP If possible, have someone else who is experienced with binoculars give the demonstration, either from the group or an outside expert. This adds diversity to the teaching format, and gives you the opportunity to watch the guides, assist where necessary, and introduce prompting questions.

Procedures:

Step 1: Security Security.. Stress the importance of always putting the next strap around their necks. Binoculars are valuable precision instruments, and dropping them only one time can ruin the optics forever. Step 2: Cleaning. Instruct the guides to look at the lenses and the eyepieces, and check for dirt, dust or smudges. Go over the basics of cleaning lenses, lenses, especially blowing away sand or dirt rather than rubbing it into a lens with a cloth. Introduce proper cleaning cloths and technique and have guides clean the lenses. You are establishing the value and respect for binoculars as a tool. Step 3: Calibrating the binoculars. Show the guides the process of calibrating the binoculars for their eyes. •

Turn the central focus dial of the binoculars as far counterclockwise as possible.

— 54 —

 

•

Find the diopter ring on one of the eyepieces (usually the right). It will be marked with a – 0 + marking. Turn the diopter ring as far counterclockwise as possible.

•

Select an object like a sign with clear lettering that is about 10 meters away. Tell Tell guides to close the eye that is on the adjustable eyepiece (with the diopter ring, usually the right) and turn the center focus dial until the letters on the sign are sharply in focus through their one open eye.

•

Now using your other eye, look only through the adjustable eyepiece and turn the diopter ring until the letters are clearly in focus through this eye. The binoculars are now calibrated for that person’s eyes, and only the t he central focus ring should now be used for focusing.

Make sure guides guides know that they will have to recalibrate any pair of binoculars they use if they want optimum viewing. This is an important skill to know, that a guide will often share with guests. We have met many, many people in the world who have brought expensive binoculars binoculars for their travels, but have never learned to calibrate them properly. You will never forget their expressions when they finally see a sharp image through their expensive binoculars!

Step 4: Practicing focus. Tell the guides to look in a direction that has objects in the foreground, middle ground and distance. Tell them to focus on an object in the foreground, then quickly to refocus on something far away. Keep changing focus until they are comfortable and the central focus ring seems natural to them.  This eyes. is an Tell essential thatlooking requires requir esatpractice. practice . TellWithout the guides to select object that Step 5: Finding object. they can see withantheir unaided them skill to keep the object. taking theiran eyes off the object and without moving their heads, heads , guides should practice lifting the binoculars to their eyes, and focusing on the object. The key to this is that they do not take their eyes off the object while they t hey are lifting the binoculars binoculars to their eyes. With practice, this will become second nature, and they will always be able to quickly raise binoculars to their eyes and identify even a moving object.

Step 6: Reference points. Ask guides to tell you how to find what they are looking at. Discuss the importance of using clear reference points as starting points when telling someone where to look, and avoiding directions such as “next to the green tree,” “in the branch over there,” or “next to the lake.” Encourage guides to name reference points that are easily distinguishable. Review the clock system of reference with the guides. Step 7: Storing binoculars. b inoculars. Review the process of cleaning and storing binoculars with the guides, and having them readily accessible. Activity Follow-Up: Try to make a few pairs of binoculars available to guides to use and practice with at their leisure. Most beginning guides will not be able to afford binoculars, but some will quickly understand the value of binoculars,, and will want to take very opportunity to use them. Pay attention to the guides who practice binoculars practice with the t he available binoculars, and give them plenty of encouragement.

— 55 —

 

Activity 7-4. Using a Spotting Scope Modality: Hands-on Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will know that a spotting scope is an expensive tool that can take nature guides to a higher level of guiding and guest satisfaction.

•

Guides will get experience in the precision workings and set-up of a spotting scope.

A spotting scope is a very expensive tool that adds a dimension of experience and satisfaction to nature and wildlife tourism that justifies its investment. A spotting scope can turn a distant bird or animal spotting into an unforgettable highlight experience for an entire group. A spotting scope can enable a tour guide to show guests the moons of Jupiter, the rings of Saturn, mountains of the moon, and distant galaxies that guests never dreamed they would ever look at. These are sights that guests will never, ever forget. Preparation: If you have the opportunity to borrow a spotting scope for demonstration to your group of guides, make a point to schedule a demonstration. It will be especially worthwhile if you can show guides the use of a spotting scope for the night sky, or even daytime moon features. Select an open area with a level surface, where all guides can see the set up and can also watch while taking turns for viewing. viewing. Procedure: As in Activity 7-3 “Using Binoculars,” a spotting scope it best demonstrated and explained by someone who is accustomed to using and setting it up. This person should begin with the spotting scope in its carrying case, with the tripod and objective eyepiece separated. In this manner guides can see the entire set-up process, beginning with the mounting of the tripod. The purpose here is not for guides guides to become adept at setting up a spotting scope, but to see that it is a learned methodical process. Once the spotting scope is set up, the demonstrator should review the different levels, latches, and knobs to demonstrate the multiple adjustments that can and must be made. The demonstrator should then focus the spotting scope on an impressive, non-moving object, like a distant orchid or the moon, and invite guides to take turns looking through the spotting scope. The purpose here is for guides to realize the value of the spotting scope as a tool, and to see that the entire group can share a distant viewing experience. Once all guides have had a chance to look through t hrough the spotting scope, allow time for guides to adjust and experiment experim ent with the spotting scope on their own. It is best if you can keep the scope set up during some leisure leisure time where interested guides can take advantage of the opportunity to engage the spotting scope. For the aspiring nature guide, owning a spotting scope will become a priority.

— 56 —

 

Chapter 8: Planning and Executing the Itinerary Like learning to ride a bicycle or a horse, there comes a time when you have to take all the different parts and get a feel for how they all fit together together.. This can only come through actually doing the job. This chapter looks at the process of developing an itinerary and an interpretive plan, and executing it with all the adjustments and decisions that an experienced tour guide has to make as second nature. In the end, this can only be learned by practice and experience.

8-1. Know Your Route Many beginning guides think that once a smart guide knows a lot of information, they simply comment and tell stories about the world going by. They don’t realize that routes and communication are planned and practiced, and revised with experience. experience. Emphasize to guides that they will have to develop familiarity with their main routes, and develop a plan of delivery for that route. Thinking thematically thematically will be a useful skill in developing their delivery plans.

Activity 8-1. Planning Your Route Modality: Hands-on Learning Outcomes: • Guides will learn to prepare the routes which they will be guiding. •

Guides will understand the time limitations that they have for delivery of information.

•

Guides will begin to build a mental matrix for time segments segments of a tour and the themes that they want to communicate communi cate and support.

Preparation: This activity is especially useful in preparation Preparation: preparation of a tour that the group will actually be taking together, together, or at least a route that they will drive together. together. It can also be applied to walking and boat tours. t ours. Make sure sure that you know the driving or walking times between the points of interest before you start the exercise with the group. Procedures:

Step 1: Select a driving route with a starting point and an ending point. In this example we will use Estelí to Masaya. In our example the group will depart from Estelí in the morning to arrive for lunch at Masaya Market. Step 2: Ask the guides to list the important sites or points of interest along the way. These are sites that they will either want to talk about, or be forced to talk about because they are obvious to guests as they pass. In our example,, starting from Estelí that major points would be example •

Estelí

•

The crossroads market town of Sébaco

•

The statue of Rubén Darío at the turn-off to Ciuda Ciudad d Rubén Darío

•

Laguna Moyua

•

Hacienda San Jacinto with its statue of local hero Andrés Castro

•

The town of Tipitapa, which lies between Lake Managua and Lake Nicaragua

•

Masaya Market

— 57 —

 

There will Step 3: Ask the guides to tell you what the driving time is between each of the points on the route. There inevitably be some discussion and disagreement. Use this to emphasize the importance of knowing the accurate minimum driving time, as well as the likelihood of delays for traffic, construction, cattle, etc.

Estelí   45 min   Sébaco  15 min   Rubén Darío statue/turnoff 15 min   Laguna Moyua   40 min   Hacienda San Jacinto 20 min   Tipitapa   20 min   Masaya Market.       v

      v

      v

      v

      v

      v

      v

      v

      v

      v

 

      v

 

      v

Step 4: Ask the guides how much time they need for the entire drive with no stops (= 155 minutes or a little more than two and a half hours). Ask if the guides think that they would need to make a stop en route with a group of tourists, for bathroom, stretch, or other. What are the options for a bathroom break? How long would it take? Step 5: Ask the guides how much time it would take to make various stops or detours along the way. Do they think these would be worthwhile? Will W ill they be taking the same route back for the return, giving them the option of including includi ng a stop on the return. Will they need a bathroom or rest stop on the return? What time t ime do they have to be at lunch? What is the earliest reasonable time to depart from Estelí? Optional stops on the Estelí – Masaya Market route: roadside market. (15 min? Can it be combined with bathroom stop?) • Photo stop at the Sébaco roadside •

Driving detour to Ciudad Rubén Darío, to see the house and town where he was born? (20 min)

•

Stretching stop at Laguna Moyua, with an opportunity to look at wading birds like jacana? (15 min, no bathroom)

•

Visit to Hacienda San Jacinto House and Museum. (45 min, bathroom)

Make the point that the guide guidess will always have to balance the opportunities for sight sight visits and route detours with the available time. Time given to one place is taken from another, and every decision involves a compromise. Guide will have to get in the habit of thinking like this (See Chapter 8-2).

Step 6: (if you have not covered Chapter 6-3: “Thematic Interpretation,” Interpretation,” you can focus on the topics t opics and the most important thing about those topics for step 5, instead of themes) Ask guides to develop themes for each of the points of interest that they selected for the route. Remember Remember that they can make time to support their themes with subthemes or other supporting information, if they have the time to communicate to the group. Ask them to add a few general themes that they might want to communicate during this route (based on topics such as geological transition between the highlands and the Lake Nicaragua basin; rice production; the effects of Hurricane Mitch). Step 7: Tell the guides to examine the route timings and imagine at what point in the drive they might introduce their themes (before, during, or after passing the site), and how much time they might have to develop, deliver, and follow up on their themes. Then ask them to look at their route in reverse. Ask them to notice the changes in timings, and the difference in progression as they travel the route in a different direction. Remind guides to make sure that they are always thinking about the guest perspective perspective,, which might be very differen differentt coming from one direction than the other.

— 58 —

 

8-2. The Ever-Ticking Clock: Balancing Time and the Guest Experience Every experienced guide knows that they have their fixed times on a tour, and that they must maintain a constant eye on the clock and readjust their mental plan on a continuing basis. They must know when a tour is supposed to start and end, and they must know their fixed appointment times in between. They know the experiences and the points of interest they want to t o present to their guests, and they t hey know the approximate approxi mate distances and travel times between them. From these they put together a planned itinerary that they will follow, which anticipates how much time they can spend at each specific point of interest or rest stop. A guide almost almost always wants to do many more things than the time allows, and to spend more time in places than they are able. This relationship and constant readjustment between time, distances, and guest experience is an integral part of guiding, and must become second nature to a guide’s thinking. Unexpected delays or opportunities often arise, and with every delay or addition of a stop or activity, the time/distance/experience matrix must be readjusted. Time spent in one place must be taken from another, and a guide must constantly be recalibrating to decide how much time they can spend in one place, how long it will take to get to the next point, and if they can afford to allow time for the additional guest experience. Experienced guides calculate a very conservative time/distance/experience matrix, so that anywhere they gain time can be provided as an added bonus to guests, rather than facing the disappointment of falling short on a presented plan. Discuss this concept with Make the guides, guides , and ever-ticking clock that or is on constantly recalibrating recalibrating matrix throughout a tour. a point of emphasize noting thisthe whenever you are on tour a field excursion withthe guides,, so that they start to think in terms of the compromises that have to be made in using time. Tell them guides that experienced experienced guides can be difficult to live with, because they know that a half hour delay at breakf breakfast ast will affect their plans for the afternoon!

8-3. Making Split-Second Decisions Keeping in mind the relationship between time, distance, and experience from the previous section, guides guides realize that they t hey are faced with regular split-second decisions decisions that affect the schedule and the guest experience. Every delay, every detour, and every opportunity takes away valuable time, but it is important that guides do not only consider the time component. Guides must also maintain high value on the guest experience, and gauge the value of the guest experience against the consequence of losing time elsewhere. guests are already excited about seeing a strange new bird, maybe the guide should cut into their city walking tour time. The guide does not have much time to make this decision. A similar situation arises when guests express interest in something unexpected or unplanned, like a passing wedding. The guide must weigh the benefits against the cost of an experience elsewhere. These are only easy examples of a myriad of decisions that a guide will have to make on any given tour. tour. The point that t hat beginning guides need to understand, understand, is that t hat they will constantly be faced with such decisions, and have only seconds to make them. Reinforce this important reality of guiding at every opportunity you get.

8.4 Field Excursions Make no mistake about it: there is no better investment in guide-training than a full-day field excursi excursion on with the training guides. Field excursions are usually not included in guide-training programs because they take time and they cost money. It is worth the effort to search for contributions and in-kind support from the tour and transportation businesses, as well as restaurants and activity sites, which will benefit from the professional training of guides.

— 59 —

 

Field excursions give you the opportunity to apply classroom theory to field reality. They give guides the opportunity to understand an experience from both the guide and the guest perspective at the same time. And they give the instructor the opportunity to reinforce important guiding guiding concepts in the field, fi eld, from basic guiding techniques to managing managing the every-ticking clock. If you are lucky you will even have a troublesho troubleshooting oting opportunity like a breakdown that you can turn into a teachable moment! (See Teaching Tip). Tip). Try to make sure your full-day excursion allows plenty of bus time, which provides opportunity for discussion.

TEACHING TIP When you are out in the field with guides, remember that misfortunes, mistakes, and plans-gone-wrong are excellent “Teachable Moments.” Keep an eye out for opportunities to explain to guides the challenges they might face, and how they might handle them,

Activity 8.4 Full Day Field Excursion Mode: Field Activity Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will have a tourist t ourist experience experience through the tourist’s eyes.

•

Guides will exercise their critical eye for basic guiding skills.

•

Guides will learn the need to make continual splitsecond decisions that affect the schedule, the quality of the guest experience, and the way that a guide will organize and deliver their messages on a tour.

•

Guides will understand their role as a constant problem-solver.

•

Guides will understand their role in establishing and maintaining relationships with: the driver, local site or National Park guides, restaurant managers, site administrators, and hotel managers.

Preparation: Organize and arrange a full day field excursion for your group of training guides. Use your contacts, resources, and powers of persuasion to get support for transportation, a restaurant meal, and site entrances. It is best if your excursion excursion is guided by an experie experienced nced guide that you know well, but who is not involved in your training group. In this way they can be a good example, yet stage mistakes or prompt discussion of key principals. Procedures:

Step 1: Conduct activity 8-1 with your group in preparing for your excursion. Skip excursion. Skip step 5 and do not focus on themes or communication in the preparation. The main benefit of this full-day field excursion will be to focus on the logistics, actions and thinking of the guide. to bring notebook write down any questions or uncertainties that occur to them,their as in Step 2: Tell  Activity 3-1: guides “Developin “Developing g youra Critical Eyeand Eye.”  .”  Encourage  Encourage guides to ask questions of their guide, and express uncertainties uncertainti es (i.e. “Where do we meet?”; “What time do we have to be back on the bus?”).

— 60 —

 

Step 3: Give guides a thorough briefing about the day, so that they are properly prepared. Discuss the desired learning outcomes for the day with them (See above). above). Step 4: Tell your arranged tour guide for the excursion about the desired learning outcomes. Discuss any plans, tricks or strategies that you have h ave in mind. Step 5: During the excursion, sit in the front seat where you can easily communicate with the guide and driver, and where you can easily take the microphone to interject with a point. As an “outside voice” or 3 rd party narrator, look for opportunities to reinforce good guiding techniques, and encourage comments and questions. Reinforce the concepts of problem-solving, split-second decision making, and the constant recalibration of the time/distance/  experience matrix. mat rix. Tak Takee advantage of teachable moments (See Teaching Tip). Step 6: During the excursion, ask your excursion guide or one of your training guides to introduce the group to any site managers or restaurant managers that you encounter during the day (See Activity 14-2: “Getting to know the Hotel and Restaurant Managers”). Step 7: On the last leg of the excursion during the return bus ride, take advantage of the opportunity to have your professional guide answer questions and have an open discussion with your group. Step 8: The next time you have the group together, review and discuss the full day excursion as a group. Use the desired learning outcomes as a framework for discussion.

— 61 —

 

Chapter 9: Earning Your Pay; Problematic and Difficult Situations A good guide uses good basic guiding skills, knows their audience, prepares and practices their routes, and is prepared with the important themes for their routes. These techniques will suffice for the t he majority of the time. But a guide is the appointed group leader, and has the responsibility to solve unexpected problems and manage difficult situations, while representing the company they are working for. This is probably the hardest part of a guide’s wide set of responsibilities. From crisis management to inappropriate guest behavior to the delicate presentation of polarizing or misunderstood issues, a guide is expected to handle the most challenging of situations with unflappable professionalism, confidence and dignity. These are the situations that develop a guide’s true ambassadorial and leadership skills.

9-1. There Leadership are many, many courses on leadership, and many available books and internet documents that go into details about the traits of leadership. You can tap into these if you want to go into more detail with your guides on developing leadership skills. For our purposes, it is important for guides to understand that they begin as appointed  as appointed  leaders;  leaders; that is, leaders by designation of their job as a tour guide. If a guide exercises good basic guiding skills and effective and efficient communication skills, they will develop into recognized  field  leaders,  leaders, who are trusted and respected by their groups. There are three situations in particular that are important for the establishment and maintenance of a guides’ leadership:

1. Decision-making: As  As discussed in section 8-3, 8-3, a guide is constantly making split-second decisions decisions that affect the guest schedule and experience, and the guide’s thematic interpretation plan. Most of these decisions are not apparent to guests, who are not very aware of the timing parameters of a tour. However, sometimes a guide is faced with a public decision where guests are quite aware of the choices, and where the decision is clearly consequential to the guest experience. This is where a guide needs to exercise their leadership abilities by making a clear decision that they believe is in the interest of the overall experience. •

Tell guides that usually decisions are not black and white, and usually involve some compromise. That is why it takes leadership to make the decision.

•

Tell guides not to think of decisions as an either-or choice, and not to allow focus on “the right choice” versus “the wrong choice.” Instead, think of choices as a fork in the road, and once they have chosen one path they must continue down that path and make the best of it, without reflection on the path they did not choose.

•

If a choice involves a public explanation or clarification, guides must be sure to use their best guiding skills of good posture, voice projection, eye contact, and more to convey confidence and authority.

•

Smiles and light humor can be useful tools for difficult decisions, though it is important to gauge the emotion of any situation and recognize solemnity or respect when it is appropriate.

— 62 —

 

•

In order to convey confidence, guides must believe that they are making the decision in the interests of the overall experience.

•

DO NOT hold a group vote to make a decision about anything. It guarantees that the guide will end up with some disappointed people, and the guide will have completely ceded their leadership.

•

If a choice is challenged by a guest, a guide should acknowledge the input. If appropriate, acknowledge that the input was considered, but when all factors were considered, is it best to make the chosen decision. The guide “would be happy to discuss it further after this briefing.”

2. Problem Situations and Emergencies: People react in many different ways to problem and emergency situations. A problem situation might be anything from a bus breakdown or a hotel that does not have rooms, to a washed out bridge or a cancelled flight. Some people panic, some want to take charge, some become vocal critics, and some may even get delirious. There are very good books and articles available on crowd management in emergency situations, which is valuable leadership reading for a guide. Personal injury and medical emergencies are addressed in Safety and First Aid training courses. Discuss with the guides some of the basic problems that they might face in the tourism business, and review the principal steps in maintaining leadership: •

Confirm leadership. Since the guide is already the appointed leader, it is important for the guide to reaffirm their leadership quickly, before it is challenged. Do this by addressing the group with a steady calm voice and acknowledging the situation.

•

Maintain calm. Know that it is of the utmost importance to maintain a calm atmosphere, no matter how big or small the problem. Reassure the group if necessary.

•

Assess the situation. Think of the consequences of the situation, and whether the problem is an inconvenience, a real problem, or an emergency.

•

Identify and build your team. Look for the people who are in a position to help solve the problem. These might Identify be bus drivers, the bus company, hotel managers, airport managers, the guide’s office support, or police. Contact those people, especially the guide’s office support.

•

Advise the guests of the situation. Tell guides to do this as soon as possible, and to continue to keep guests apprised of the situation. One of the common mistakes that people in leadership situations make is to neglect informing the guests.

•

Be honest! The biggest mistake that a guide can make is to be dishonest with guests. They will eventually be discovered, and their leadership will be lost forever.

•

Be cautious when accepting assistance from a well-intention well-intentioned ed guest. Guests G uests may offer their assistance assistance,, which can be very helpful in the case of a doctor or a mechanic in your group that offers their help. But beware of getting guests involved when they only want to show their utility. Make sure they are needed and useful.

•

“Make lemonade out of lemons.” Look for opportunities to use the problem or time to advantage. If a guide has unexpected time on their hands waiting for a problem to be solved, it is far better to keep guests occupied than to let them sit and dwell on it. A good guide can turn the misfortune into an opportunity for teaching. And if possible, buy the group a treat, like a drink or an ice cream, to acknowledge their inconvenience. (Good tour companies will reimburse guides for out-of-pocket expenses in “damage control” situations. Check with office support.)

•

Remain present. present. Don’t forg forget et to keep the guests updated on the situation! Stay in contact with them, and resist the temptation to escape the discomfort of the situation and hide.

— 63 —

 

•

Maintain leadership of the group. Remember that a shared misfortune is an opportunity for a group bonding experience. The guide is the emotional leader, so keep a good attitude.

3. Angry or Inappropriate Guests: Whether it is the result of a problem situation, controversial subject matter, travel fatigue, or just plain grumpy people, the day will come when a guest inappropriately yells at the guide in front of the group, or makes grossly inappropriate comments. One of the greatest leadership challenges is to maintain poise and dignity in front of the group, and retain one’s elevated level of leadership. Use your own •

experiences to discuss appropriate response with your guides in the context of maintaining group leadership. Do not react emotionally! Do not get pulled into a personal conflict or discussio discussion n with an angry individual. individual. Stay above the anger.

•

Remember that other guests will recognize inappropriate inappropriate behavior, behavior, and will empathize with your position. The guide is their leader, doing their best for the guests.

•

Tell guides to acknowledge the complaint or the issue as professionally and as objectively as they are able. They can say things like “I’m sorry that you feel that way, but…,” “We can talk about this further in private if you’d like,” like ,” or “I share your frustration, but if I could control the weather (or airlines, or government) I’d have a different job.”

•

The guide should not take advantage of their position as guide and leader to demean or humiliate the angry person, even if they are trying to humiliate the guide. The guide has the power of the microphone, and public humiliation of a guest will bring the guide down to the level of the inappropriate guest.

•

Don’t take it personally, and accept some public humility if possible. The guide will most likely find that an inappropriate outburst brings other guests to the support of the guide. Some guests will make a point to show that they do not agree, or that they are having a great time despite the inappropriate behavior. In short, stay above it and let the group pass judgment.

Activity 9-1. Problematic and Difficult Situations Modality: Discussion Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will understand their role in problematic and difficult situations.

•

Guides will hear ideas on how to handle various problematic and difficult situations.

Preparation: This is a very good discussion activity to conduct in a relaxed and informal setting, perhaps sharing refreshments at the end of the day. You can have a lot of fun creating scenarios, and your training guides will have fun trying to put themselves in the situation of responsibility. Procedures: With the group distributed in a comfortable arrangement where everyone can see each other (a semicircle or circle), present a series of situations that can present either logistical problems, value dilemmas, or raise sensitive issues. Give guides the opportunity to give their thoughts on how they t hey might handle the situation, and to comment on others’ suggestions. Take advantage of the opportunities to reinforce the role of the guide as a leader, who is in the best position to make decisions. Emphasize a guide’s responsibility in acknowledging all perspectives on a sensitive issue. Reinforce the guide’s responsibility to the entire group, over the responsibility to an individual.

— 64 —

 

Try to begin with problematic situations that you have faced, so you can draw on your own experiences. Some other possible scenarios: •

Your entire group returned to the bus on time after a visit to Masaya market, with the exception of one couple. You have been looking for them for fifteen minutes now, and you know that you have to depart soon in order to have enough time at the t he highlight visit to Volcan Masaya. At Volcan Masaya, you want to visit the outstanding visitor’s center, and then have time to offer options on two different trail lengths. The group in the bus is getting restless. What do you do?

•

In the previous situation, you learn that the couple was robbed, and the woman was slightly injured when she was pushed to the ground and her purse was snatched. What do you do?

•

You experience a 6.5 earthquake while having a group lunch in a restaurant. There is no damage, but some guests are clearly shaken up. One guest screams something something about an aftershock, and goes running out of the restaurant. What do you do?

•

An hour after the previous earthquake, when the group is calm and you’ve got the situation under control, you and the guests hear a news report that the earthquake was due to a large and unexpected unexpected volcanic eruption that could close the airport for a few days. Your group tour lasts two more days, and most guests are flying out on the third day. What do you do?

•

Be sure to include common problem situations that you encounter in other areas of your course, like overbooked hotels, lost luggage, late guest arrivals, etc.

9-2. Addressing Sensitive or Controve Con troversial rsial Issues When a guide knows their audience and their subject matter, they can also anticipate issues that might be especially sensitive or controversial for some people, and even elicit hostile responses from individuals. You’ve heard the saying “Never discuss religion or politics at the dinner table.” Many people have deep-rooted beliefs about religion religion or politics politics,, and it can be difficult to remain objective or open-minded to a differing viewpoint. viewpoint. For Americans, abortion, climate change, and war have become very delicate subjects, and political views have become increasingly polarized and intransigent. Nicaragua also receives many church groups on aid missions, and religious tourism. Evolution is the foundation of many talks on tropical forest ecology and tropical diversity, yet evolution can be a very sensitive subject for these audiences. No matter theobjective situation, a guide recognizes a sensitive or controversial theyabsolutes, must make a point to what remain in when their presentation and discussion. discussi on. This means trying issue to avoid acknowledging that there are differing viewpoints, and trying to keep the guide’s own viewpoint removed from the discussion. A guide needs to place themselves above the issues, and take the role of a journalist or a teacher in presenting the issue. Give guides some examples of phrasing to delicately present majority views to a sensitive audience: •

“While the causes and outcomes of any war are always viewed differently, most Nicaraguans feel…”

•

“Most biologists use the theory of evolution to explain the mechanisms of tropical biodiversity…”

•

“Many people have different views about hunting, but when there is no food available…”

Another useful technique is to use printed material to present different viewpoints on sensitive or controver controversial sial issues. This removes the guide’s personal connection to one viewpoint or another.

— 65 —

 

Activity 9-2. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) A laminated set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) is a very effective tool for introducing sensitive subject matter, unpleasant issues, conservation concerns, and opportunities for philanthropic support (See chapter 163: “Travel Philanthropy and Fundraising”). Fundraising”) . The questions do not have to actually be asked frequently frequently by guests, but should be simple questions that introduce topics of frequent interest. A set of 10 FAQs can have some basic questions, controversial issues, misconceptions, conservation issues and some philanthropic opportunities, and serve as a very effective and interesting information source for guests. Modality: Hands-on Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will be able to construct single page laminates that address sensitive or controversial issues in an objective manner.

•

Guides will learn how to use static displays to deliver powerful themes.

•

Guides will become familiar with potentially sensitive issues to visitors to Nicaragua.

Procedure: Step 1: Tell guides to select an issue that they think might be sensitive to some visitors. Tell Tell guides to write down the issue in a full sentence.

Step 2: Tell guides to develop a thematic statement that they would like to communicate about this issue. Step 3: Tell the guides to come up with a very simple question that t hat a guest might ask, which will introduce the sensitive issue and give them an opportunity to present their theme. NOTE that the Frequently Asked Question does not have to be a question that is actually asked frequently by guests. It should be a simple question that introd introduces uces a topic of frequent interest. t he FAQ, which answers the Step 4: Develop the answer to the FAQ. In 90 words or less, less, write an answer to the questions includes your theme. Guides includes Guides will quickly realize that 90 words is not a lot, but it is important to stay below thisand limit. NOTE that the theme does not have to be precisely stated, as long as the idea is effectively communicated.

Step 5: Use photos, drawings, or clip art to illustrate the FAQ page if necessary. A photo caption can also be an important tool for supporting your theme. Step 6: If you are developing a set of laminated FAQs, place a number in one of the corners of the FAQ before you print it. Be consisten consistentt with the style, color and location of your FAQ numbers! Step 7: Print and laminate the FAQ (See activity 7-2: “Lamination”). Step 8: When you have printed a full laminated set of numbered FAQs, punch a hole in one corner of each and put a ring or wire through it to maintain them as a set. Tell guides guides to use these as a form of “static display” that are available to guests to read at their leisure on the bus, at a lodge or hotel, etc.

— 66 —

 

Chapter 10: Meals 10-1. The Role of Meals  It is important that guide guidess understand the disproportionate importance of food, beverage, and organized meals to the overall travel experience. When you ask people about their previous travels, they will often talk about a special meal or dish, or “the time we got the fresh fish straight from the fishing boat” as a defining experience. Trying local cuisine is an important part of the travel experience, Photos courtesy of www.vianica.com especially when dishes or drinks are made from fruits, vegetables, fish and meats that are not found in the traveler’s home country. Yet many travelers are not so adventurous, or have sensitive stomachs that are not accustomed to different climates. Tour operators and guides must be extremely aware of sanitation and food hygiene issues, especially when organizing group meals. It is important to use reliable restaurants with which a guide maintains a good working relationship (See chapter 14-2: “Working Relationships”), Relationships”), and when guests are looking to experience street food, a guide must make them aware of the risks for the “unaccustomed stomach.”

  10-2.Just The Aspect Meals as Social important to the of travel experienc experience e as the food itself is the social aspect of meals for both the group and the guides. For the group it is a time to relax, share views and questions about their experiences with other travelers, and get to know their fellow travelers a little bit better better.. The potential is the same for the guide, who must understand that it is an a n unequalled opportunity to get to know their guests on a more  personal level level,, and learn more about them and their interests. This will unquestionably make the guide’s relationship with the guests stronger, and it will also keep the guides more interested in their guests. Guides will understand the interesting backgrounds that many of their guests have, and guests will become much more than “tourists.” It is important that guides understand understand that joining guests for meals when possible is a great opportunity, and should not be viewed as a chance to hide or disappear from the group.

10-3. Meal Options  Guides-in-Training need to understand the options and consequences of different types of meals on a tour. Even though meal plans are generally made by a tour operator, the guide has a lot of influence in giving feedback to both the restaurant and the company, and must know the important elements to consider in planning a group meal.

Activity 10-3. Meal Options Modality: Discussion Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will be able to make decisions about which types of meal formats to use in different situations.

•

Guides will be able to work with meal providers to communicate information about meals and menus.

Procedures: Lead a participative group discussion based on the following questions:

— 67 —

 

Question 1: What logistical factors should be considered when planning a meal for a tour group? (disregarding cost and quality here) Be sure to include: •

The size of your group

•

The amount of time you have available, or want

•

The exclusivity of the room or restaurant (i.e. do you have a room to yourself?)

•

Amount of choice you’d like to offer

•

Amount of social interaction you want to encourage

•

Is it important that everyone start and/or finish at the same time?

Question 2: What are some different types of meal formats available to you? •

Order from a menu

•

Order from two or three pre-set choices

•

Set menu

•

Family style (large plates shared at the table)

•

Self service buffet

•

Box lunch to be eaten on a bus or tour stop

•

Organized picnic lunch

Question 3: What are the positive and negative elements of each of the question 2 possibilities, and what are the problemss that you might have to handle with each? problem Question 4: When might you choose each format? purposes and guest Question 5: How might you communicate to guests what they are eating, for both interpretive purposes food sensitivities and preferences? •

Food labels on buffet or family style plates

•

Written menu with descriptions at each table

•

Guide or host walks around tables and explains

•

Guide or host explains to entire group before the meal

Discussion Follow-up: After this activity, try to incorporate a few different types of meal formats into your course, so that guides can see and discuss their own experiences with each format.

— 68 —

 

10-4. Facilitating a Meal Conversation  As stated in 10-2 “The Social Aspect of Meals, Meals,”” one of the best things a guide can do is to make a point to sit down with guests for meals when possible. Suddenly many of those annoying tourists become very interesting people, who have done some very interesting things in their lives! But a guide only learns this by asking the right questions, and knowing how to manage a meal conversation. Unfortunately most guides fall into the trap of talking about themselves, and answering the same questions questions from every guest over and over again at every meal. That’s because for the tourist, the guide is someone of special interest, like a celebrity. They want to know about your life as a guide, how you got started, how you can maintain a relationship, and more personal information. And a guide will get very, very tired of answering the same questions and having the same conversation, until they finally avoid meals with guests so that they can have a little privacy. privacy. It is very easy and beneficial to the guide to turn the conversation around to focus on the guests. A guide sharing a meal at a table with guests should expect that the conversation will focus first on the guide. But the guide should start to ask questions of the guests at the table: Where are you from? Why did you decide to come to Nicaragua? What are you hoping to learn or see? Do you travel a lot? What do you do at home? How does Nicaragua compare with their home? You will find that everyone enjoys the meal and conversation much more when it is a rounded, inclusive conversation, and you as the guide will find that your guests are more interesting interestin g than you thought!

— 69 —

 

Chapter 11: Music and Dance Like food and beverage, music and dance are an important part of local culture and a potentially important part of the travel experience. However, personal taste in music especially subjective, and a guide must take care in the timing and presentation of both music and dance. When introduced with context, relevance and sensitivity, music and dance are a valuable enhancement to any travel experience.

is

11-1. Recorded Music  Many aspiring young guides are eager to take advantage of their captive audience on a long bus ride to play their favorite music, hopefully with some local or national relevance. But they will soon learn that people have very different interest and tolerance for music that is forced upon them, and it will be hard to find a happy medium in a group of 20 people. Discuss a few important guidelines about playing recorded music with your guides, to avoid awkward situations in their futures. •

Make sure the music that you choose to play is relevant to the culture or history.

•

Introduce the music that you will play, explaining why it is relevant.

•

Be sure to let guests know how long you will be playing music, and how many pieces. This will help guests stay focused on the music and avoid them thinking only “when will this end”?

•

Avoid playing music for too long at any stretch, especially on a bus when guests cannot escape. Five minutes is generally sufficient, ten minutes will be much too long for some people.

•

Be sensitive to the volume of music, erring on the gentler side.

  11-2.Live Live music music performances are generally much better received as part of the travel experience, especially if it is folk music or otherwise culturally relevant. Guides have more versatility in the incorporation of live music. The key to live music is that it must be somehow relevant relevant to the culture, history or location. Discuss a few important guidelines about presenting live music with your guides, to make the most of these opportunities when they arise. •

Make sure the music is relevant. (Mexican mariachi music in northern Nicaragua is not relevant.)

•

Introduce the music and musicians, and if there are instruments that might be unfamiliar to guests, be sure to introduce them as well.

•

Let guests know if this is a “performance,” “performance,” or if it is informal and they can get up and return to the buffet table, walk around if they are not interested, or take photographs. If it is a more formal performance, be sure to let guests know how long it will be.

•

When music is accompanying a meal, be careful to select the appropriate times for introducing and starting music. Generally people do not want to watch live music or dance while they are eating a main course. A

— 70 —

 

good time is to introduce music is when the main course is being cleared from the tables, so that the music or dance is performed during the dessert and coffee, and guests can leave at their leisure. •

It is the guide’s responsibility to mark the closing by publicly thanking the musicians. If there are things like CDs for sale, the guide should announce this to the group, rather than the group going around soliciting on their own. This can all be part of a closing briefing briefing that leads on to the next event.

11-3. Dance  Traditional dance often accompanies live music performance as part of a cultural entertainment event. Traditional dance is usually very colorful and photogenic. All of the guidelines for music performance in 11-2 apply to dance as well. In addition, discuss with guides: •

Folkdance usually requires more interpretation to guests, who are interested in the meaning or origin of the dance and style.

Traditional dance is usually done in traditional costume, which also requires explanation from the guide or one of the dance leaders.

Activity 11-3. Indigenous Dance Discussion Modality: Discussion Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will appreciate the complex balance between benefits and consequences in the tourism industry.

Procedure: It is often difficult to facilitate cultural interaction interaction when tourists visit indigenous cultures, cultures, and native dances are one of the most popular ways for indigenous people to express their cultures. However, there is often a great debate about the value and authentic authenticity ity of native dance for tourists. Some people say that t hat it is wrong for natives to “sell out” to tourism by making a show of themselves for money. On the other hand, it is often the tourist demand for native dance that keeps the dances and the culture alive with the younger generations, because they learn the costume and dances to make money from tourism. What do the guides think? 

— 71 —

 

Chapter 12: Special Interests for Everyone There are many, many types of special interest tourism, from religion and sport to ancestry and hobbies. Tour operators keep busy designing special itineraries at the request of a wide variety of special interest groups, and usually a guide who begins to work with a special interest group prepares as best they can and then learns as they go along until they become an “expert guide” for this special interest. However, there are a few types of special interests that deserve attention not just because of their popularity, but because the average guide will encounter many guests with these passionate interests in their normal groups. Even though a guide’s tour is not dedicated to a special interest, interest, it is important to know how to accommodate guests with these passions.

12-1. Birdwatching  Birdwatchers are a special breed that every guide should understand and appreciate. This is especially true for guides that work in nature or in the campo, but since birds are everywhere, it applies to all guides and guiding. Like any special interest, there are fanatics that do not want to look beyond their own focused interest to see the larger world around them. This can seem a great frustration to guides who are trying to inspire interest in so many different aspects of their homeland. Most of these “hardcore” birders, or “twitchers” in search of their life-birds, will travel with special birding groups and guides. But most birdwatchers are keenly observant travelers, very interested in the world around them. A guide can easily identify birdwatchers in their group because: 1.

They will be carrying binoculars binoculars..

2.

They will be carrying a field guide to birds.

3.

They want to be outside for sunrise and sunset.

4.

They are always, always looking at nature.

Most birdwatchers on a general tour are fairly self-sufficient, and accustomed to individual individ ual activity and research. Of course they will seek to use all resources in a new area, and their t heir tour guide is the easiest resource available. A good tour guide should definitely become familiar with the names and habits of the common birds that would be seen in the Nicaraguan landscape, and develop a strong theme for of with themthem, (See Activity Themes for birds a Lifetime). Lifetime) . A good tour also detailed carry their own or fieldeach guide to help 6-6: guests look up that they see in theguide field, should or to show photos drawings to other guests. Finally, a good tour guide should start to observe birds for themselves, because they will become much more observant of the world around them.

Activity 12-1. Why Pay Attention to Birds? Modality: Discussion Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will appreciate the special needs and desires of birdwatchers in their travel groups.

• •

Guides will develop an appreciation for the benefits of paying attention to birds around them. Guides will be inspired to start watching birds themselves.

— 72 —

 

Procedures: ures: With a whiteboard at the front of the group, ask the question: Proced “Why should we pay attention to birds?” Discuss the responses with the group. Here are some examples:

“Why should we pay attention to Birds?” •

Birds are cool: they can fly, which fascinates us and requires an amazing biological construction;

•

Birds are all around us, so there will always be questions about birds and attention to them;

•

Birds are the easiest form of wildlife to see and show to visitors;

•

Birds are closely connected to specific habitats and landscapes, landscapes, which makes it easy to use birds as introductions to broader themes;

•

Birds are good indicators of environmental health;

When you pay attention to birds, you notice more about the whole world around you! Encourage your guides to learn to use binoculars, and to take an interest in birds. (See Activity 7-3: Using Binoculars)

12-2. Photography  In the 21st century digital age, everybody is a photographer. Whether they use smart phones, tablets, pointand-shoot cameras, or advanced SLRs, photography is now a normal part of the travel experience. It is important that a guide becomes familiar with the fundamentals of digital photography and digital cameras, so that they can assist guests with their t heir basic questions questions and problems. Whether you like it or not, guests will first come to the guide with every problem and it is in the guide’s interest interest to resolve the issues. It is also important for a guide to be able to identify guests who are more than casual photographers, and want to make quality photography a priority of their travel experience. It can sometimes be frustrating for a guide to watch travelers who are more concerned with getting the photograp photograph h than actually having the experi experience, ence, but this is often a reality of today’s travel and tourism. Regardless R egardless,, it is very important for guides to understand photographers and be able to accommodate them when possible. •

Good photographers are all about light. To a photographer, the quality of light and the position of the sun are not something that they think about; they are second nature. It is important that a guide understands understands the effects of light as well, not only for the sake of photographers, but for general dramatic effect and appreciation. A roadside photo stop of any subject will be viewed as a disappointm disappointment ent by many guests if they have to look straightt into the sun, let alone try to photograph into it. straigh

•

The soft light of dawn and dusk is the most important time of day for photographers, when colors are richer, shadows softer, and skies more dramatic. For photographers, it is not so much the actual sunrise and sunset that are important; it is the “golden hour” before before and after sunrise and sunset that they seek.

— 73 —

 

•

Photographers will stray from the group! A photographer is after a different perspective from the mainstream, and will often go off on their own in search of their special shots.

•

Photographers will lag behind the group! Photographers often try to get photos of landmarks or highlights without any other tourists in the picture, which can require time and patience. Once the main group moves on, the photographers stake out the area in hopes for their opportunities. Guides must be aware of this, and always let people know where to catch up or meet them.

•

Guides need to be prepared to talk about “photographic etiquette.” Sometimes serious photographers forget that a big lens is not a ticket to the front row or a license to invade people’s privacy. A guide needs to keep an eye on the group and beware of dominance by photographers (or anyone for that matter). A guide also needs to talk about the etiquette of photographing people, especially locals in their home or religious environments. It is best to address the entire group early on about the courtesy of asking people if you can take their photo. What’s more, a smile and a little bit of conversation lead to a much more natural photographic portrait!

•

Guides need to know the locations of photo and electronics stores in their tour areas. They will inevitably be asked where to find extra camera batteries, SD cards, chargers, adapters and more. Guides should add these to their resource notebook (See Chapter 5-1: “Starting a Resource Notebook”)

Activity 12-2. Group Photo Modality: Field Activity Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will be able to anticipate the problems problems and confusion that can be associated with group photos.

•

Guides will be able to proactively and efficiently organize a group photo session.

Procedures:

Step 1: When you are with your group on a field activity, look for an appropriate time to spontaneously organize a “group photo.” Do not give your group any warning; simply announce announce that you will all now be taking a group photo. not to provideewhen provid too much leadership, group tryatogroup organize themselves. This is very often the themselves. Step 2: Try case in real-life guiding, suddenly a guest but callslet outthe “Let’s take photo!”

Step 3: Pay close attention to the activities and actions as your guides try to coordinate themselves into a group photo. t he guides to try to rememb remember er the details of this experie experience, nce, so that you can Step 4: Once you are finished, tell the discuss it later.

Step 5: At the next opportunity, have a debriefing discussion about the group photo experience. Try to identify some of the common problems associated with spontaneous group photos. If they did not occur, mention them to the group: •

Was it easy to choose a location? Did the group all agree on the location, or did it have to be changed?

•

Was there a designated photographer, and was that person in charge of the location or the group management?

•

Was everybody present present at the t he first shooting, or did you find that someone was “in the bathroom” or otherwise missing?

— 74 —

 

•

How was the lighting for the photo?

•

After the first shooting, how many others gave cameras to duplicate the shot?

•

In general, how was the experience and how long did it take?

Step 6: Discuss with the guides the inevitability of “the group photo,” which will often come up at the request of the guests. This is a good and valuable experience, as it indicates group bonding and enjoyment, but it can be logistically challenging and time consuming, especially if it arises spontaneously and if it is not properly managed. Step 7: Encourage guides to be prepared for a group photo opportunity by being aware of good locations and lighting. Review the importance of leadership and organization to the group photo process. When the “group photo” call suddenly comes spontaneously in the field at an inopportune time or lighting situation, the guide should be able to quickly interject by saying that you can make a better group photo at a later time. Step 8: Review some key elements of organizing a group photo. •

A designated time and place should be given in advance, so that everyone can plan to be there. Immediately before gathering for another event or activity is ideal.

•

Select a designated (experienced or enthusiastic) photographer who can plan the shot according to light and the available space, and whose camera will be used for the group photo. Ask that person to research the space and decide on the group position.

•

Find somebody who is not in the group that can meet at the designated time and place to actually take the photo, so that everyone in the group can be in it.

•

Let the group know that the photo will be taken with the only one camera, and copies can either be downloaded downloaded from the photo card or emailed to everyone. This will avoid the confusion of shooting with many cameras.

•

Let the group know that if someone is not there at the t he designated designated time, they will unfortunately not be in the photo.

Step 9: Select a time, place and designated photographer, and plan another group photo for your guide-training group. It should be a better experience experience and result in a better photo.

  tours are a big part of the specialty travel market, though 12-3.Botanical What’sgroups That and Plant? garden most of these groups hire “celebrity” gardeners to accompany and guide groups through the gardens. Most tour guides serve as escorts or logistical coordinators for such groups, whose primary focus is often cultivation and propagation of exotic plants. However, flowers and plants hold a huge interest for many travelers, and are one of the most exotic and fascinating elements of a visit to the tropics. Tropical plants, trees, forests, and agriculture are very different from what temperate travelers are familiar with, and demand a lot of attention and explanation. One of the biggest differences between the temperate and tropical plant world poses some of the biggest challenges for a guide in the tropics. In temperate climates, relatively few species of plants adapt to the harsher winter conditions, conditions, and those that do are able to proliferate in great numbers. It is not too difficult in temperate regions for a prepared guide to answer the question “What tree is that?” It is a different story in the tropics, where favorable conditions create multitudes of species in smaller numbers, engaged in intense biological competition. It is impossible for all but the most experienced professional tropical botanists to answer “What tree is that?” with a specific name for all but the most common commercial commercial species.

— 75 —

 

Guides need to be prepared for this in three ways: 1. Know the most common roadside plants and trees, especially those found found in parks or grown as shade trees. Also be sure to know the most common agricultural plants, preparing for the question of “What are they growing over there?” as you drive by field after field of the same crop. Develop a strong theme for each of the ones that you know you will regularly encounter. (See Activity 6-6: “Themes for a Lifetime”) 2. Know the most commercially or medicinally useful trees and plants that you might encounter, which will provide you with strong and interesting themes. 3. Prepare habitat and tropical ecology themes that you can introduce introduce when you are questioned about plants for which you don’t know the name. Since Since it is very difficult to know every tree or plant, use the opportunity to to explain tropical diversity, or to point out characteristics of the plant that give insight into tropical ecology. Examples: •

“The warm tropical conditions grow such a tangle of plant species that we look for the adaptations for survival, and leave the names to the t he botanists;”

•

“I can’t tell you the name, name, but the broad, leathery leaf with the pointed “drip-tips” tells us that this plant sheds the heavy rains of tropical forests.”

Remember that in the end, it is not the name or the facts that people will remember, but the strong themes that you deliver.

12-4. Cooking classes  Cooking classes are an increasingly increasingly popular tourism activity throughout the world, and an integral part of many tours in countries as diverse as Italy, Turkey, Vietnam and more. Travelers are interested in learning and trying the local cuisine, but in today’s t oday’s world of “personal growth,” where many people want to learn during their travels, cooking classes are more and more common. In Nicaragua this has hardly been developed, but the potential exists with the ingred ingredients ients and the local dishes. Following is an activity for a guide-training guide-training class that would demonstrate the potential of cooking classes as a tourism product. Note that it takes practice, trialand-error, and experienced refinement to find the best dishes and demonstrations for a cooking class.

Activity 12-4. Cooking Class Modality: Hands-on/Field Activity Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will understand the potential value of a cooking class as a tourism product.

•

Guides will appreciate the value of Nicaragua’s cuisine as a tourism interest.

•

Guides will know how to organize a cooking class for their own groups

Preparation: This activity requires substantial preparation, Preparation: preparation, but is worth it for the tourism potential it will demonstrate. First and foremost, it requires someone who can not only cook, but can demonstrate and teach a group how to cook. Second, it requires a kitchen with ample cooking space, and enough knives and cutting boards to allow group participation. Of course, the best place to look for a good cook and kitchen are at typical Nicaraguan open-air restauran restaurants thatindividuals. are accustomed to cooking for many people. people. In addition to the cook, you will need a few “assistants” to helpts the

— 76 —

 

Procedure:

Step 1: With the cook and restaurant, decide on the menu for the activity. The menu should feature characteristic Nicaraguan food and ingredients, especially those that are not so familiar to foreigners. Other things to consider when selecting the menu: •

Most of the dishes should be relatively easy to prepare, and not take too long to cook.

•

Part of the activity will be a visit to the market to select some of the ingredients, ingredients, so try to use dishes with some

•

unfamiliar ingredients (i.e. jocote, chayote, etc.) The cook will want to demonstrate some of the main dishes, and let the group prepare other dishes themselves. After demonstration, the group can be divided up with different tasks, so that some prepare appetizers, some main course, and some desserts. Keep this in mind when selecting the menu.

•

Hands-on participation is the most fun, so foods that require rolling, chopping, stuffing and stirring are best.

•

Remember that the cooking lesson will culminate with a good meal, hopefully eating the creations creations of the group!

•

If a potentially good dish requires too much cooking time (i.e. nacatamales) the cook can make them in advance so that they are ready for the group meal, but let the group prepare their own as an example. Alternatively, the group can make them to be cooked for later consumption.

•

It is important that the cooking class be a fun event, so be sure to include some traditional beverages. Pinol, arroz con piña, agua de coco, Nicaraguan cerveza, ron con guava, etc. are all good options.

•

Some dishes to consider are gallo pinto, vigorón, indio viejo, quesillo, sopa de mondongo, rosquillas, patacones, tres leches, cajeta de coco, etc. Nacatamales are great if you can eat them later and making tortillas is always fun.

Step 2: After you have selected the menu with the cook, ask them to prepare a few recipes for the most popular dishes. Recipes are a hugely popular souvenir, and can also be useful vehicles for advertising, web promotion, etc. Every cooking class should give out a few recipes of the dishes they’ve prepared. Step 3: On the day of the cooking class, begin with a tour of the local market to buy the ingredients. If the cook already has the ingredients or requires advanced preparation, take the market tour anyway to emphasize the different ingredients that you will be using. Encourage questions and interaction about the origins of the ingredients, how to tell if they are ripe, etc. site, have the cook welcome the group with a refres refreshment hment and an Step 4: Upon arrival at the restaurant/cooking site, introduction to the cooking class. This should give an overview of the dishes that you will prepare, and it is a good time to interject a few general words about Nicaraguan cuisine. The cook should also give a few demonstrations, as they set the tone and build their relationship with the group. You as instructor or one of the guides may need to translate and function as diplomatic intermediary. participate,, then break up into smaller groups for the assigned Step 5: Start with the dishes in which everyone can participate tasks for each dish. This will all depend on your menu, and be up to the coordination of the cook. You as the instructor will have to take a proactive role in the division and organization of the groups.

Step 6: Make sure that the cook and assistants are attending to the t he groups, and that everyone knows their tasks. Foster a fun and safe atmosphere. Step 7: During the cooking time you can either allow free time, serve prepared snacks and beverages, or organize a group dishwashing and clean-up event. Step 8: Present the meal and enjoy!

Step 9: Thank your hosts and distribute the recipes.

— 77 —

 

Words about First Aid and an d Emergency Response Chapter 13: A Few Words

First Aid and Emergency Response training is required for guide certification and licensing in most parts of the world. It is probably the most important responsibility responsibility that a guide can have. Unfortunately Unfortunately there are very few national tourism associations, private companies, or guide courses that offer certified first aid and emergency response training for tour guides in an organized manner. Training takes time, and usually the guide is expected to get the training and certification on their own from the local Red Cross, and keep their licenses updated. This is unfortunate because there are many situations and risks that are specific to guiding which could be very effectively addressed in group training, and many situation examples that could be part of a guides’ training. If it is at all possible, work with your local Red Cross and guide training sponsors to try to incorpor incorporate ate the First Aid and Emergency Response certification course into your own course. If it is not possible,  you must at least make guides aware of the ultimate importance of knowing how to respond in an emergenc emergency y situation. It situation. It is only a matter of time before a guide guide will have to use these skills in the field. If you are able to incorporate First Aid and Emergency Response into your own guide-training course: •

Build it into the early parts of your course, as the training also serves as a very effective group-bonding activity. activity. Guides are put in awkward or unfamiliar situations where they must role-play, touch each other, and trust each other. This shared uncertainty and anxiety will serve to form a strong group bond for the entire course.

•

Tell the First Aid organizers (Red Cross) that your group is specifically training for First Aid and Emergency Response as tour guides, so that the instructors can adapt the lessons and examples to situations that guides will face in the field.

•

Make sure that guides will receive full certification from the course that they take.

If you are not  able  able to incorporate First Aid and Emergency Response into your own guide-training course: •

Discuss the importance of this training and and certification with your group, emphasizing that it is not only to fulfill a requirement, but to be confident and capable to react when an emergency situation someday arises (and it will).

•

Tell the group a story or two about one of your own experiences, experiences, so that t hat they understand that it is real and they should expect to someday face an emergency situation.

•

Incorporate one or two emergency situations into your “Problematic and Difficult Situations” (See Activity 9-1), 9-1), so that guides can discuss reactions and responses.

•

Tell guides that they must always be aware of their communication and contact, in case there is an emergency, and they must be especially aware when they do not have radio or mobile phone contact.

•

Review the support people and mechanisms that guides have at their disposal (See chapter 14:“Working Relationships” and chapter 4-9: “Tou “Tourr Administration and Paperwork”)

— 78 —

 

Chapter 14: Working Relationships Even though a guide is constantly surrounded by people, a guide’s life is a very individual, independent, and often solitary life. Guides usually work alone, and it is not often that a guide shares much time with other guides. As groups of guests come and go, the consistent relationships that a guide develops are often the working relationships that they share with the service-providers service-providers at hotels, restaurants, restaurants, and visitor sites. These are people that t hat guides see repeatedly, and with who they share common goals and problem-solving experiences. Developing and maintaining strong working relationships will lead to more support in times of difficulty, a better atmosphere and environment for tourists, and more personal satisfaction as a guide.

14-1. Bus and Van Drivers  Any experienced tour guide knows that the relationship with a bus or van driver can make all the difference for the success and enjoyment of a tour. The drivers feel the same way. The guide and driver are partners, and must work together as a team. They must have constant and regular communication as a day’s schedule changes with unexpected surprises and opportunities. It is extrem extremely ely important that beginning guides understand understand the  job and role role of the driver driver,, and come to think of the drivers drivers as their working working partners. partners.

Activity14-1. The Driver’s View Modality: Discussion Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will understand the job and responsibilities of the driver.

•

Guides will understand the many potential roles that the driver can have on a tour.

•

Guides will know how to cultivate the working relationships with the drivers, for the good of the guest experience and personal reward.

Preparation: Organize a 1-2 hour discussion session for your group with a driver who has a lot of experience working with tour guides and groups. It is best if that driver can also be your driver on any field practical excursions that you are able to incorporate into your training program. Every time that you use transportation in your training program with any driver, be sure to introduce the driver to your group, and make the group aware of the communication communi cation that you have with the driver in planning and adjusting a tour t our.. Cultivate the t he idea that the driver and guide are partners. Procedures:

Step 1: In a session without the driver present , ask the guides to come up with a list of potential roles roles that a driver can have during a tour. This will expand their thinking about the role of the driver. Here is a list of some examples: •

Representing the bus or van as a comfortable and hospitable “coach”

•

A Spotter (especially for wildlife and birds, but anything else of interest)

•

A Navigator, knowing the routes

•

A courteous helping hand

— 79 —

 

•

Help guests on/off bus

•

Keep count of guests

•

Keep the bus clean

•

Check bus at end of trip for items left behind

•

Help sick or tired guests

•

Join a walk to escort the t he slow or tired guests, or a slower group return

•

Set up drinks/snacks when you return with the group.

•

Buy necessary items or surprises for guests while you are with the t he group.

•

Communication and contact resource

Step 2: In a relaxed group setting, have the driver talk to your group of guides. Remember that drivers are not usually accustomed to public speaking, so you must make sure the driver is comfortable. Be ready to prompt the driver with leading questions or observations until the driver seems comfortable. comfortable. Begin by asking the driver to tell the guides the details of a driver’s workday for a full day excursion. Make sure the driver includes things like picking up the bus in the morning, cleaning, fueling, learning about the day’s route, meeting the guide, as well as all of the responsibilities at the end of the day. In addition: •

Ask the driver to talk about their role with regards to the guests.

•

The driver has worked with a lot of tour guides. Ask the driver what qualities he or she looks for in a good working relationship with a guide. What do guides do that create the biggest problems for drivers?

•

Drivers listen to many different tour guides, and they see many different group reactions. Ask the driver what he or she thinks are the most effective guides and guiding techniques. techniques. How can they tell if the guests are enjoying the tour?

•

Make sure the guides have plenty of time to ask questions of their own. Make sure the driver has an opportunity to ask questions of the guides.

14-2. Restaurant and Hotel Managers Guides and the managers of hotels and restaurants have the same customer service goals and interests, yet they have different working parameters, priorities, and stress points. It is important that guides understand the needs and concerns of restaurants and hotels, and that guides appreciate the benefits of developing good working relationships with them. Sometimes it is worth compromising in order to assist a restaurant in a bind, as the day will certainly come when the guide needs to ask for help or understanding. Discuss some of the important ways to support relationships with hotel and restaurant managers. You might include things like: •

Taking some time to introduce yourself to the manager(s) with a smile, so that they remember you.

•

Looking for an opportunity to ask managers if there are things that you and your groups can do to make their

•

customer service efforts easier. After a group meal, or at a hotel departure, give a public thank you to the manager in front of your guests, to show them that their efforts are appreciated.

— 80 —

 

•

Recommend that guides call restaurants and hotels and let them know if they are going to be late for a meal appointment.

•

Discuss with guides how to handle a situation of overbooking overbooking (with a hotel).

•

Discuss with guides how to handle a situation where some hotel rooms are not ready for check-in at the designated time.

•

Discuss with guides the mechanism mechanismss and sensitivities in giving feedback and constructive criticism to restaurants and hotels.

Activity14-2. Activity14 -2. Getting to Know the Hotel and Restaurant Managers Managers Modality: Field Activity Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will understand the service priorities and constraints of hotels and restaurants.

•

Guides will develop confidence in introducing themselves and their groups to managers.

•

Guides to cultivate the working relationships with the hotel and restaurant managers, for the good ofwill theknow guesthow experience and personal reward.

Preparation: Anytime that you are able to incorporate a restaurant meal or a hotel visit into your guide-training program, contact the manager in advance to let them know you are coming with a group of training guides. Let them know that you would like the guides to learn the service perspectives of restaurants and hotels, and request that they spend a little bit of time talking with the group at some point during your visit. Procedure:

Step 1: When you arrive, designate one of your guides to be the group “leader,” and to find the manager and introduce the group to the manager. The introduction should include the type and purpose of the group, why they are here, and what they hope to gain from the experience. Pay attention to the guides’ choice of body position, location, and group positioning when introducing the group and the manager, so that you are sure the manager can have eye contact with the group and vice versa. Step 2: Choose a convenient time and place during the visit and ask the manager to say a few words to the group. Ask them to start with a short introduction introduction to the place and its philosophy, philosophy, and then to talk a little bit about their relationships with tour groups and guides. Make sure that the manager talks about the ways that guides can support a cooperative relationship. What are some of their biggest challenges that they would like guides to be aware of? Make sure the guides have ample time for questions. NOTE that if you feel confident enough in your guides, you can ask that day’s leader who introduced the group to also give a public thank you and farewell to the restaurant or hotel manager. This takes much more finesse than an initial introduction, and is a skill that is learned and polished over time.

— 81 —

 

14-3. Venue or Site Manager (i.e. Zip Line, River Boat, Coffee Tour) Site managers are also in the service industry, and many of the goals and constraints that they face are similar to those of restaurants and hotels. Hopefully customer satisfaction (including your customers) is a goal for them, though they definitely have different priorities and constraints than the guide. The guide represents the group and its interests in a safe and successful experience. Unlike hotels and restaurants, where there are usually a number of other choices that create healthy competition, a specific activity or site often does not have much competition that fits into a tour circuit in the same way. The guide has a responsibility to give feedback to try to improve necessary shortcomings, shortcomings, or to adapt the experience to the specific group needs or desires. To give feedback and constructive criticism that will improve an area over time requires establishing good working relations, relations, with the techniques discussed in 14-2.

Activity14-3. Giving Feedback to Site Managers and Venues Modality: Written Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will feel confident in providing balanced and constructive oral or written feedback to site managers and specific venues.

Procedure: After your training group visits a specific site like a coffee tour, boat tour, or zip-line, ask the group to: •

List the things that t hat they liked about the site, and why.

•

Next, list the things that they did not like.

•

Ask them for ideas on how to improve each of the things that they did not like.

•

Ask them if they can think of any ideas or resources on how to make such improvements.

•

Write (you, as the instructor) a constructive feedback letter to the t he venue on behalf of your entire group, incorporating the points that your group of guides presented. Show the letter to the group and read it together, emphasizing the structure of the letter. Point out the importance of starting with gratitude, presenting a balanced and constructive tone, and referring to positive qualities first. Note that your suggested improvements would be good for all visitors. Give helpful ideas and suggest resources wherever possible.

•

Have all guides sign the letter, and send it off.

•

Remind guides that a good working relationship and improved guest experiences are in their interests, and accomplish a lot more than complaining.

See Appendix E: “Feedback letter to Ecolodge” 

— 82 —

 

Chapter 15: Inspiration for Beginning Guides Think of your most memorable teachers. Chances are that something about their teaching style, their manner or their presentation of their subject inspired you to want to learn more on your own. That is all that a teacher t eacher can hope for: inspiring students students to pursue a subject further on their own. Inspiration is no less important for beginning guides, who must devote a lifetime to a high-energy job with a never-ending learning horizon. They must know that there are future rewards for the great efforts and investments that they will w ill make. They must believe that their role as a guide is far more influential than most people think. They must understand understand the potential that they have to be a part of their community’s future. future. And they must know that

 Iconic rock-carver Alberto Alberto Gutierrez inspires guides to use their creativity 

they will have to endure and overcome setbacks and uncomfortable situations as part of their path to success success.. Don’t forget how daunting the realities of guiding can be to an aspiring young guide. There are two areas of inspiration that we would encourage emphasis in a guide-training program: 1) The outlook for the future of tourism in your area; and 2) Personal experiences of established guides.

15-1. The Outlook for Nicaraguan Tourism  Make it a priority to get an outside speaker with established knowledge of the Nicaraguan tourism industry to talk to your group. It will be best if this is a person who has tourism experience from a business perspective, perspective, rather than just an academic view. Someone who has actually been involved in the business of tourism will relate better to the guides personally, and be more appreciative of the guides’ roles in the future of tourism. They will also be able to talk about potential niches of tourism growth, and areas of unattended demand. Make sure the speaker understands that part of their role is inspiring guides to be future ambassadors of their country.

15-2. Inspiration from Established Guides  One of the most important traits of both guiding and leadership leadership is confidence, and this is always difficult when starting any new pursuit. It can be very intimidating for a young, aspiring guide to be around a few veteran guides who have been through years of crisis management and seem to have the confidence that they can handle any situation. And of course those veterans must know everything about everything! An established guide is comfortable socializing with strangers, easily meets people, and seems to always have a joke or a story at hand. These are things that a beginning guide might not be able to imagine of themselves, not realizing that established guides have gone through years of challenges and learning. One of the best things you can do is have some veteran guides talk to your group, and share some of their own stories and tips about the lessons they’ve learned along the way.

— 83 —

 

Activity15-2. Stories from the Veterans Modality: Discussion Learning Outcomes: Guides will understand that even the best veteran guides were once beginners, and had to face many challenges to become established guides. Guides will develop confidence in their own career paths and futures. Guides will be inspired to learn and invest time and energy to become quality guides. Preparation: Choose an informal setting if possible, where guides can sit comfortably in a semicircle and see each other and the speaker. This is a good evening or after-dinner activity, enhanced with refreshments if available. Arrange for two or three experienced and established guides to join the group and share their experiences. Make sure they understand the purpose of the session. Procedure: Ask the veteran guides in turn to tell how they got started as guides and how their careers developed. Be ready to prompt with questions such as: •

What was the characteristic that gave you your first big break?

•

How important were languages to your guiding career?

•

Can you recount one of your most challenging situations?

•

How do you promote yourself as a free-lance guide?

•

What is one thing that you’d like to share with the guides, that you wish you’d been told earlier on?

And of course, encourage questions and interaction from the group.

— 84 —

 

Chapter 16: Using Guiding Skills to Make a Difference This manual has looked at many detailed aspects of guiding, laying the foundations for developing guides with refined communication, logistic, social and problem-solving skills. A guide who practices these skills and adequately prepares their guiding and communication plans will mature with experience into a strong and confident leader. They will be able to satisfy or exceed the expectations of tourists, and represent the companies for whom they are guiding with poise and professionalism. They should be able to confidently present themselves to tour operators for employment, employmen t, and establish strong reputations and networking in the field of tourism. But is it enough to be a successful tour guide? The skills and traits of a successful tour guide are applicable to many other fields. A tour guide’s social and networking skills, as well as their resourcefulness and perpetual motion, give them extraordinary exposure to many different people and interests and result in many opportunities. A guide’s skills enable them to take proactive leadership roles for the greater social or environmental good in fields like environmental education, nature conservation, and community development. It is important that beginning guides are aware of these fields, and encouraged to build the links early so that they progress and mature in their guiding careers, and remain open for creative opportunities. Inspire your beginning guides to greatness by ensuring them that the guiding skills they will practice and develop will serve them in many other professional professional fields, and open opportunities to their future!

16-1. Environmental Education  Every beginning tour guide should be involved with environmental education programs in their home community. Environmental education uses many of the same strong communication, logistical, and field leadership skills as guiding. Involvement with environme environmental ntal education organizations organizations allows the beginning guide to practice and hone their own skills, while learning valuable interactive and hands-on teaching methods and field activities. Working with children is especially rewarding for the beginning guide, for children ask an entire spectrum of unexpected questions that develop a guide’s reactions and group management skills. But the most important reason that beginning guides should get involved with environm environmental ental education organizations organizati ons is to establish their own environmental own environmental awareness and ethic, which they can then spread outward. A healthy environment environment is healthy for tourism. A tour guide is in a key position to champion healthy practices and policies, with the opportunity to communi practices communicate cate strong messages to visitors and locals alike. A tour guide is an ambassador for their country, and should be an ambassador for the environment as well. Encourage your guides-in-training to get involved with environmental education organizations after their  guide-training program. program. One  One of the most critical and difficult times for a beginning guide is when they’ve completed training and are inspired and ambitious, but do not yet have opportunities for work. Working with an environmental education organization as a volunteer or trainee will continue the guide’s growth and establish their environmental ethic. Give your guides the contact information for some of the better organizations in Nicaragua, like SONATI or Cuculmeca, so that they can add them to their resource notebooks and get involved. Encourage them to use their guiding skills to make a difference!

16-2. Nature Conservatio Conservation n  Tour guides, and especially nature tour guides, should also be ambassadors for nature conservation. We use conservation here to mean the preservation, protection, or restoration of the natural environment and the prevention of wasteful use of resources. Nature conservation is in the interest of the entire country of Nicaragua, especially the tourism business. Ecotourism remains a steadily growing market niche that fits

— 85 —

 

Nicaragua’s tourism profile, and guides should be well versed in conservation issues, if not directly involved with conservatio conservation n organizatio organizations. ns. For some tourists, nature conservation conservation can be a sensitive subject because it often limits the pace or profit of resource development, and can be seen as an obstacle to business and growth. Because of this, nature conservation conservati on should be handled with the sensitivities given to other sensitive or controversial issues (See Chapter 9-2), 9-2), but should by all means be part of any guides presentation. In a developing country like Nicaragua, the management natural resources is an integral theneed country’s story. A guide advocate nature conservation because of much of their work depends on it,part but of they to acknowledge the can opposing forces. Frequently Asked Questions, or FAQs, can be a helpful tool in presenting some of the more complex conservation conservati on issues (See Activity 9-2 and Appendix F)  F)   Tour guides should be aware of the leading conservation organizations in Nicaragua, and their work and issues. Guides can play an important role in raising awareness of issues and organizations in an educational manner. A good guide’s communication skills and use of thematic interpretation principles will enable them to make convincing presentations about resource management issues. Guides should also carry information on conservation conservati on organizations that are involved in any important issues that are relevant to their t heir tours. Encourage your guides to get involved with at least one conservation organization in Nicaragua. This Nicaragua. This will not only broaden their knowledge and understanding of important issues, but it will connect them with important potential links to future guiding as well. Many conservation organizations, organizations, national parks and reserves need guides who understand resource issues. And if a guide is involved with a conservation organization or a resource issue, they have a tremendous opportunity to increase awareness of the issue or even get support from visitors.

16-3. Travel Philanthropy and Fundraising Nicaragua is not generally considered a “mainstream” tourism destination, so many of the people who visit come from interesting backgrounds, and are interested in the detailed workings of the country. This can create valuable opportunities to get visitors involved in supporting local projects or causes with which they iden identify tify.. Nicaragua already has a significant number of tourists that come to volunteer or offer assistance as part of working travel groups. In 21st century travel, many travelers from wealthier, developed countries are very conscious conscio us of the t he differences in wealth and resour resources ces in less-develope less-developed d countries that they visit. Some people might feel guilty about this disparity, others realize that they have the resources to help somebody make a difference, and sometimes people come across a cause, an issue, or a person that simply connects with their personal values and inspires action. Travel philanthropy refers to the goodwill of travelers in supporting the welfare of humankind and the conservation of nature in their travel destinations. Traditionally in tourism, it has been difficult for an inspired traveler to get information or make an easy connection to support a local project or cause. It simply wasn’t a part of the tourism experience. Nowadays more and more organizations realize the importance of communicating clear and simple messages and needs to travelers, and making it easy for the traveler to get involved with charitable aid or donations. The experienced tour guide can play an instrumental role in facilitating travel philanthropy, by using their leadership and communication communi cation skills and their sensitivity to the tourist mindset to promo promote te selected projects or causes. A good guide works hard to earn the trust and confidence of their guests, and the guide must be careful not to abuse this trust and confidence. confidence. But if a guide truly believes in a project, cause or organization, people will recognize this and some people will want to get involved. As a popular fundraising saying goes, “People don’t give money to causes, they give money to people to people with causes.” Usually it will be a travel company that selects a specific non-governmental organization organization (NGO) and project

that they wish to support through strategic philanthropy. philanthropy. NGOs are better suited to manag managee projects and

— 86 —

 

receive funds than travel companies, and have responsibilities to report on the progress of projects. A travel company is usually better off supporting an existing project that is manag managed ed by an NGO, rather than starting their own project. If a guide or group of guides wants to encourage tourist support of a project through travel philanthropy, it philanthropy,  it is important that they discuss this with the companies that they represent. Travel philanthropy is a committed endeavor that usually requires institutional Travel institutional organization. For the purposes of a guide-training program, it is most important to make guides aware of their potential role in facilitating travel philanthropy, as this is an area where a guide can truly make a difference far beyond tourism. Many guides will first view travel philanthropy as “asking tourists for money,” and will be uncomfortable with the concept. As an instructor, you must explain their role as a facilitator who is helping travelers to learn about issues, inspiring them to care, and giving them the opportunity to act if they choose. Here are some key points in facilitating travel philanthropy: •

Select a clearly defined project or specific need to support.

•

Provide a clear and easy mechanism for support. It is best if there is an NGO involved, or some objective group that is very familiar with the project or community. community. NGOs that work in the area usually know a lot more about the needs and the socio-political issues involved in a project, and they are required to provide public reporting on projects.

•

Choose a project where the goals and the support mechanisms are straightforward and not too complicated.

•

Choose a project or cause that your visitors/clients can connect to, and have first hand contact with. If it is too abstract, or something they cannot see, see, they will not support. It is best if they can meet people who are involved and enthusiastic about the project.

•

You will need a strong message. Use the techniques for a good theme (connect to a universal value, use an attractive metaphor or analogy, make it personal and relevant).

•

Let people fall in love with a place first! don’t introd introduce uce crisis issues philanthropy or fundraising fundraising too early in the travel experience. Remember that most of your travelers are on vacation.

•

Foreshadow your message early on, with occasional references to the issue, or the solution.

•

Find the right moment. It can be after a powerful contact with the issue, organization or community, or it can be part of a conclusion. It’s best to allow a little litt le bit of time for people to discuss it with each other. other.

•

Don’t be afraid to “make a pitch.” If you believe in it, it will show. Written materials materials or handouts with information and contribution mechanisms are helpful.

•

People don’t give money to causes, they give money to people with causes. Make them believe in you!

•

Be clear about the goals, and where the money goes. People want to know that their money is really going to help something. They don’t want to fund organizations, and they are wary of getting their money lost in administration.

•

Make a “laundry list” of needs, with specific dollar values from small needs to big dreams.

• •

Cite success stories, so people know their contributions make a difference. Let people know how they can get more information, or follow-up on the project.

— 87 —

 

16-4. Conclusions and Promotion  Whether it is the end of a site visit tour, a full day tour, or an extended circuit tour, a strong conclusion is important in reinforcing principal themes and thanking guests for their support and interest. It is also an excellent opportunity for guides to promote their country, the company they are representing, and themselves. It is very important that guides recognize the value of pride in their work, and encouragement for their guests to tell others about their experience. experience. Even a simple closing comment like “Thank you all for your interest and support of my country, and please go home and tell all of your friends and family that Nicaragua isn’t a dangerous country and we don’t have any wars going on here,” reminds guests of the importance of spreading the word. Encourage guides to use their thematic communication skills to develop memorable concluding and departing statements statements to their guests. In the age of internet and social media, it is wise for a guide to print business cards or other take-home souvenirs (a recipe, a Ruben Darío poem translation) that have their contact information, information, and tell departing guests that they are always available if friends have any questions or interest in coming to Nicaragua. Nicaragua. This is how guides build their own networks, and it is important that a beginning guide understands the potential of tactful self-promotion. self-promotion. Remind guides that when they t hey are working for a company they have a responsibility to represent that company, but they are free to give out personal contact information if they choose. Finally, guides need to be aware of the sources that travelers use when researching and selecting a travel company, a tour, or a tour guide. In this way they can encourage guests to send their feedback to useful forums, like Trip Advisor or Lonely Planet.

Activity 16-4. Reviewing the Reviews Modality: Hands-on Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will be aware of the primary sources of tourism reviews and recommendations for Nicaragua.

•

Guides will know how to contact the guide books and reviewers to promote themselves or other Nicaraguan venues.

•

Guides will learn how to easily promote themselves themselves and their companies to guests.

Preparation: You will need to have current copies of the most popular guide books for Nicaragua, like Lonely Planet, Moon, and Footprint. You will also need to have a computer with internet access and preferably preferably a projector so that t hat you can work online with the class watching. Procedures:

Step 1: Discuss the process that an international traveler might go through when researching a trip to Nicaragua. What are the resources they might use? Even people who travel with group tours use internet resources and guide books to learn more about the places they are visiting and to seek special side trips or priority experiences. Step 2: Show the group the major guidebooks for Nicaragua, and discuss the importance they play for local businesses and guides. Choose a site that is familiar to the group, and read the site description from each of the guides. Pay attention to recommended tour operators, guides, hotels and restaurants, and point out the differences to illustrate subjectivity. subjectivity.

— 88 —

 

Step 3: Give the group the contact information for each of the three guidebooks, where feedback and updates are encouraged for the next edition. Let guides know that it is in their interest to contact the authors and make them aware of services or sites that are not included in the guidebook. They may even write to mention their own services.. There is no guarantee that they would be included in the book, but it is certainly worth the effort to make services contact. Step 4: Projecting the computer monitor onto a screen, go through some of the internet resources for Nicaragua. Use Google or another search engine to look up “Nicaragua Tours,” “Nicaragua Tour Guides” and “Nicaragua Travel Information” so that your guides see the search process and results. Show them the www.vianica.com website, and any other sources for Nicaragua information. Encourage them to spend time on their own searching for information on Nicaragua, so that they see how their country is presented and what the tourist expectations might be.

Step 5: Go to the Lonely Planet home page www.lonelyplanet.com to get to the Travel Forums. Show the group the travel forums for Nicaragua, how to look through the topics and how to reply. Let your guides know that participating in travel forums is a good way to help travelers and get an understanding of the visitors. Step 6: Go to the Trip Advisor website www.tripadvisor.com. Choose a site or venue that is familiar to the group, and begin by looking at the reviews for the site. Mention the importance of looking at the best and worst reviews, and the importance of recognizing differences of opinions and experiences. Point out any mention of tour guides and tour companies in the reviews, and emphasize the importance of these recommendations as a promotional tool.

Step 7: Still on tripadvisor.com, go through the process of registering and writing a review for the site you’ve been viewing. Emphasize that it is not allowed to write a Trip Advisor review for self-promotion. self-promotion. Use your themati t hematicc communication skills to write a strong thematic statement for the introductory line. Try to incorporate a relevant recommendation in your review. Step 8: It will take some days for the review to be confirmed and published. Tell the guides to be sure to go back to the website and look at the review in the next weeks. Step 9: Finish the activity by re-emphasizing the power of internet and social media recommendations. Tell guides that they should not hesitate to tell their guests in conclusion, “If you enjoyed your visit to Nicaragua and your experience with this company, be sure to tell your friends and family, and let the world know on TripAdvisor.com.”

— 89 —

 

Chapter 17: Course Conclusion Just as a conclusion is a critical part of any tour, your conclusion to your guide-training program is also important for reinforcement of major themes and inspiration for continued learning and development. It is important to prepare in advance for the course conclusion, letting the guides see for themselves the progress that they’ve made, and acknowledging their efforts and achievements. You are now sending them out into the professional world with only the hope that they have been inspire inspired d to do the extensive follow up work and preparation to continue their pursuit.

17-1. Monitoring Success of the Course  It is in your interest as an instructor, and in the interest of the guide-training program sponsors, that you can assess the successes and shortcomings shortcomings of the course in the short and long-term. This means that you have to begin the course by gathering some baseline data which you can use for later comparison. (See Chapter self-assessment ent questionnaire questionnaire at the 1-2 , Appendix A, and Activity 4-1A: “Self Presentation”) If Presentation”) If you used a self-assessm beginning of the course that is based on the course objectives, distribute the same questionnaire questionnaire again for the guides to fill out. As they fill it out, guides will recognize how much they have learned. learned. Note that a selfassessment is not an exam, but a self-evaluation of a guide’s confidence level in the various aspects of guiding that you have chosen to emphasize. You can compare their level of confidence for each question before and after the course, which will enable you to make statements about your guides’ confidence. If you want something more quantifiable, you can prepare an actual exam for the beginning and end of the course, though this can be rather intimidating for beginning guides, when it is expected that they don’t have much foundation before taking the course. Another way of showing guides their own progress is to film them during a final presentation or public speaking opportunity toward the end of the course, and compare this to the footage taken in their originall self-presentation in Activity 4-1A.When they see the original videos, they will immediately see the origina t he improvement in their public speaking abilities and confidence. Long term monitoring is equally as valuable. Make sure that you compile a contact list for your group, so that you can all keep in touch with each other ot her.. This enables them to strengthen bonds that were formed in the course, and provides the foundation of their own tourism networks. It enables you to go back to them at a later date with a questionnaire, or organize a reunion to hear how their careers are advancing. The most rewarding thing for an instructor is to hear of the students that made good use of their training two, five, or ten years down the road.

17-2. Final Presentations  It is important for guides to experience the organization and pressure of giving a final presentation in front of their peers. This also gives you and other observers an opportunity to assess the individuals’ individuals’ public speaking and communication abilities at the end of the course. Guides need to have time to prepare their final presentations, presentati ons, and it is valuable if they have an audien audience ce beyond just their peers. This is the first taste of the pressure that they will face every day when guiding in the public! Final presentations can be tailored to your own course goals. It is also beneficial to require final group presentations presentati ons that illustrate awareness of tourism concepts or problem-solving situations. situations. Following are two final presentations in activity form that you can adapt or improvise as necessary.

— 90 —

 

Activity 17-2A. Individual Final Presentation Modality: Hands-on Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will demonstrate the public communication skills that they have learned through the course.

Preparation: Distribute the assignment with ample time for guides to prepare and practice. If possible, arrange for the final presentations to be recorded on video for future reference. Procedures:

Step 1: Write out the assignment and distribute it with the gravity of a final exam. You do not have to grade or quantitatively evaluate the final presentations, presentations, but guides should know that it is the culmination of the things they’ve learned in the course. It is helpful if they know that there will be outside observers, like the course funders, people from the national tourism board, or tour operators. Step 2: Explain the assignment to the guides, and go through each question. Here is an example of an individual final presentation assignment: Give a 3-4 minute presentation in front of the group, using good speaking and presentation techniques and displaying a little “chispa.” Your presentation should answer the following questions: 1. Who am I? (Introduce yourself in a manner more exciting than “My name is…”) 2. Where am I from or where do I work? (Be descriptive and relevant about your home home or work, and capture interest from your audience) 3. What is important to me? (This is a topic of your choice, choice, relevant to your goals as a guide or leader, for which you develop a thought-provoking theme and supporting information). 4. How do I see my role and ability as a guide in furthering my personal goals from #3 in the next 5 – 10 years, and how has this course helped me? You are not allowed to use slides, power point, or white board for the presentation, but you can use any other visual aids that you choose. Use good guiding and communication techniques during the presentation, and feel free to move around the audience.

Step 3: Make sure that you are available to assist guides during the days that they are preparing their final presentations. presentati ons. Remember that most of them will be very nervous about this. Step 4: Presentation Day. Have fun, give encouragement, and be proud of your guides.

— 91 —

 

Activity 17-2B. Group Final Presentation Modality: Hands-on Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will demonstrate demonstrate their ability to work in a group to creatively illustrate a tourism problem.

•

Guides will demonstrate their overall knowledge of potential tourism problems and situations, and how to address them.

Preparation: Distribute the assignment with ample time for the groups to prepare and practice. If possible, arrange for the final presentations to be recorded on video for future reference. Procedures:

Step 1: Divide the guides up into groups of 4-5 persons each. You can either use a random method, or assign the groups yourself to balance stronger and weaker performers. Step 2: Decide if you want to create the scenarios for the final group presentations, or if you want the groups to do it themselves. Topics should either illustrate tourism problems or complex scenarios fundamental to tourism. Some ideas might be: •

Arriving with a group to an overbooked hotel.

•

An accident during a tour.

•

Meeting a new tour group with introduction and orientation.

•

Checking in and checking out of hotels.

•

Meeting an airport arrival group.

Step 3: Tell the groups that they are to put together a 3-5 minute skit that illustrates one of the assigned tourism scenarios or one that they select themselves. They should incorporate real-life problems or situations into their skits, and demonstrate that they understand the situations, potential problems, and potential responses. They can also incorporate bad guiding examples into the skit, if they are able to explain or illustrate the consequences of bad guiding.. Tell the group to have guiding h ave fun with this final presentation!

Step 4: Make sure that you are available to assist guides during the days that they are preparing their final presentations. Step 5: Presentation Day. Have fun, give encouragement, and be proud of your guides.

17-3. Awards and Prizes  Just like running a tour group, one of your goals as an instructor of a successful course is establishing a strong group bond. This encourages beginning guides to learn from each other and share their education and experiences, with hopes that they remain in contact in the future. The culmination of this at the end of the course is a group voting for different individual awards. This is a very important acknowledgement and bonding activity, and prizes should be incorporated into the original budget.

— 92 —

 

Activity 17-3. Guide Awards Modality: Hands-on Learning Outcomes: •

Guides will acknowledge their shared education and mutual support as a group of training guides.

•

Guides will acknowledge each other’s roles during the course.

•

Guides will recognize individual contributions and achievements.

Preparation: You will need to purchase or acquire through donation prizes in advance. Procedures:

Step 1: Acquire enough prizes for the individual categories that you wish to acknowledge. Useful and strategic prizes might include: •

Field guides and Nicaragua guide books, new or used.

•

Binoculars, new or used.

•

A profile on a national guide directory.

•

A gift certificate for business cards, cards, or to an office supply store store..

•

Donated “internship” tours, where guides can accompany an experienced tour guide and group on a full day tour as observers.

•

A training course in environmental education from a local NGO.

Note that you do not need to match the prize to the category, category, and can wait until the final results so that you match suitable prizes with w ith individual winners.

Step 2: Design and print a voting ballot with categories for individual awards. Some examples might be: Awards Ballot •

Who was the most inspirational person in the group?

•

Who is the most improved person from beginning to end?

•

Who was the hardest worker in the group?

•

Who asked the best questions?

•

Who was the biggest help to others in the course?

•

Who is the “MVP” (Most Valuable Person) of the course?

t he entire group, group, specifying that they can only vote for one person for each Step 3: Distribute the ballots to the category.

Step 4: Collect the ballots and tally them. Make a list of the winners and runners-up.

— 93 —

 

Step 5: Once you know the winners, designate the prizes to the individual categories, trying to match the prizes with the individuals who can make best use of them. Step 6: With ample fanfare, announce the individual award winners to the group, making sure to mention the runner-up in each category. Also announce the prizes for each individual winner. This award presentation can be conducted at the same closing ceremony with other acknowledgements, certificates, and closing statements.

17-4. Certificates and Acknowledgement 

Never lose sight of the effort and commitment that beginners put into a new and unfamiliar endeavor, and how much fear and inconvenience they must overcome. To survive a rigorous course in a new field is an achievement that merits public recognition. Just as the general public does not appreciate the necessary skills and responsibility of a tour guide, family members, friends, school teachers and employers might not fully understand the comprehensive requirements and education that your guides have just endured. It is important that you close the course with w ith a public ceremony where elegant certificates are awarded to each individual who completed the course. These certificates should reflect the pride with which guides are expected to represent their country and their communities, worthy of an ambassador. Any accreditation from INTUR or other licensing organizations should be noted on the certificate, and it should be signed by you the instructor and the course sponsor or certifier. If possible, make the distribution of certificates a part of a public closing ceremony, where sponsors and tourism officials are present. Finish with a farewell reception with refreshments and emotional congratulations and goodbyes!

— 94 —

 

APPENDIX A – Guide-Training Self Assessment Thinking about being a tour guide, please give us your opinion on the following. There are no right or wrong answers; please answer honestly honestly in terms of how you feel. Mark with an ‘X’ the box that best describes your opinion opinion of yourself. Choose from either “I am capable,” “I am somewhat capable” and “I am not capable.”

INTRODUCTION TO TOURISM AND ECOTOURISM AND ROLE OF THE TOUR GUIDE  

I am capable

I can explain the differen differences ces between tourism, nature-based tourism and ecotourism 

q

I can explain the importance of nature-based nature-based tourism in Nicaragua

q

I can describe the roles and responsibilities of a nature-based tour guide in Nicaragua

q

I am somewhat capable

 

q

 

q

 

q

I am not capable

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

VISITOR PROFILES AND EXPECTATIONS I can describe the characteristics of Nicaragua’s international visitors 

q

I know how and where to obtain and interpret visitor data

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

I can describe and identify different types of tourists

q

I can describe the different types of ecotourists in Nicaragua

q

I can explain the importance of knowing what tourists hope for in their guided tours

q

q

q

I can explain the meaning of authenticity and how to create it in guided tours

q 

q 

q

— 95 —

 

COMMUNICATION AND INTERPRETATION  

I am capable

I can explain the difference difference between interpretation interpretati on and teaching

q

I know ways to make my interpretive activities enjoyable

q

I know ways to make my interpretive activities relevant

q

I know how to make my interpretive activities personal

q

I know ways to make my interpretive activities meaningf meaningful ul

q

I know how to make my interpretive activities organized

q

I can write and develop a strong theme

q

I can explain what a personal style is

q

I know how to prepare and present thematic thematic talks and walks w alks for tourists

q

I know how to begin and end a walk or talk effectively

q

I can explain and apply the 2-3-1 rule

q

I am somewhat capable

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

I am not capable

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

CUSTOMER SERVICE

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

I can give an effective welcome & orientati orientation on

q

I can describe what is meant by ‘quality’ service

q

I can provide quality service

q

I can manage the complaints of visitors

q

— 96 —

 

LEADING A GUIDED TOUR  

I am capable

I am somewhat capable

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

I can list the traits t raits of a good leader

q

I can explain different leadership styles

q

I am able to match leadership style to a group

q

I can successfully apply leadership techniques

q

I am not capable

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

CROSS CULTURAL COMMUNICATION AND SPECIAL GROUPS I can explain what ‘culture’ is and what it consists of

q

I can describe the needs and desires of visitors from different cultures

q

I can provide a Nicaraguan cultural experience for visitors

q

I know how to avoid or manage cultural misunderstandings

q

I can attend well to t o people with special needs (such as blind people and people in wheelchairs)

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

GROUP MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

I know how to balance individual & group needs

q

I can explain the legal and moral responsibilities of a guide

q

I know how to create group moral and goodwill

q

I can deal with conflicts and difficulties in the group

q

— 97 —

 

MINIMIZING IMPACTS  

I am capable

I know how to plan environmentally responsible responsi ble activities

q

I can condu conduct ct activities with minimal impact

q

I know how to monitor the impacts of my activities

q

I know when and how to use a code of ethics

q

I am somewhat capable

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

I am not capable

 

q

 

q

 

q

 

q

— 98 —

 

Appendix B: 20 Things Good Guides Routinely Do A good guide: 1. Prepares in advance 2. Gets to know the group upon arrival  3. Immediately provides critical information related to safety, comfort & enjoyment 4. Speaks loudly and clearly 5. Uses plain and interesting language 6. Uses non-verbal communication communication with a purpose 7. Involves the audien audience ce (both verbally and physically) 8. Asks 2 or 3 thought-provoking questions questions per hour with a group 9. Uses silence strategically at least once during a guided tour 10. Uses objects on every tour 11. Has a strong theme for every commentary 12. Plans a structure for each commentary (intro, body, conclusion & transition) 13. Suggests a relevant conservation action when appropriate 14. Can readily identify and discuss local birds and other wildlife 15. Goes off the “script” with comfort and poise 16. Anticipates the unexpected interpretive opportunity (so-called “teachable “t eachable moments”) 17. Anticipates and handles difficult questions 18. Carries appropriate equipment (for safety, security and interpretation) 19. Evaluates every guided tour 20. Follows up with the visitors as appropriate List expanded by Sam H. Ham from the original by Jon Kohl, Cynthia Brown (Mayoral), and Matt Humke, http://www.jonkohl.com/publications/legacy-pubs/ngtp.htm

— 99 —

 

Appendix C: The Values North Americans Live By Most US and Canadian citizens would have a difficult time telling you, specifically, what values they live by by.. Their belief is that every individual individual is so unique that the same list of values could never be applied to all, or even most citizens. Despite this, the following list of common values describe most (but not all) Americans. Once you understand these 13 values deeplymay ingrained in Americans, you will be able or to unbelievable understand 95% of Americanhow and deeply Canadian actions. Theseare actions otherwise appear strange, confusing, when evaluated from the perspective of the foreigner’s own society and its values. North Americans see all of these values as positive ones. This list should help you understand North Americans Americans with whom you will be relating - from their own value system rather than from yours.

1.

Personal Control Over the Environment North Americans no longer believe in the power of fate, and they Personal have come to look at people who do as superstitious and lazy. In the United States it is normal and right that Man should control Nature, rather than the other way around. One’s problems largely come from one’s laziness in pursuing a better life. It is considered normal that anyone should look out for his or her own self interests first and foremost.

2

Change In the North American mind, change is seen to be good. Change is strongly linked to development, improvement, progress and growth, whereas more traditional cultures may consider change as disruptive.

3.

Time and its Control Time is, for the average North American, of utmost importance. Schedules, for the North American, are meant to be planned and then followed in the smallest detail. It is considered very rude to be late - even by 10 minutes - for an appointment with a North American.

4.

Equality/Egalitarianism Equality is, for North Americans, one of their most cherished values. They say people have been “created equal.” Most North Americans believe that God views all humans alike without regard to intelligence, physical condition or economic status. Therefore all people have equal opportunity to succeed in life. A foreigner should be prepared to be considered “just like everybody else” while in the country.

5.

Individualism and Privacy In the U.S., each individual individual person is seen as completely and marvelously unique, therefore precious. North Americans think that they are more individualistic in their thoughts and actions than, in fact, they really are. They may, and do, join groups - in fact many groups - but somehow believe that they are just a little differen different, t, from others in the group. Privacy is the ultimate result of individualism. The word “privacy” does not exist in many languages. If it does, it is likely to have a strong negative connotation, connotation, suggesting loneliness or isolation from the group. In the United States, privacy is not only seen as a very positive, but an essentia essential, l, condition. It is not uncommon for North Americans Americans to say such statements as “If I don’t have at least an hour a day to myself, I will go mad!”

6.

Self-Help Concept In the United States, a person can take credit for what they t hey have accomplished by themselves. North Americans pride themselves in having been born poor and, through hard work, climbed the ladder of success success to whatever level they have achieved - all by themselves themselves.. The “self-made man or woman” is still very much the ideal in 20th century America.

7.

Competition and Free Enterprise North Americans Americans believe that competition brings out the best in any individual. North Americans, valuing competition, have devised an economic system to go with it - free enterprise.. North Americans feel strongly that a highly competitive economy will bring out the best in people. enterprise

— 100 —

 

8.

Americans value the future so much that even if a person is happy at the present, Future Orientation North Americans they will be hopeful that the future would bring even greater happiness. Almost all energy is directed towards realizing a better future.

9.

Action/Work Orientation As North Americans schedule extremely active days, any relaxation must be planned Action/Work and limited, and aimed at “recreating” their ability to work harder and more productively once the recreation is over. When people who are addicted to their work go on vacation, it will be carefully planned.

10. Informality North Americans are one of the most informal people in the world. North American bosses urge their employees to call them by their first names and often feel uncomfortable if they are called by the title “Mr.” or Mrs.” Dress is also informal, which can be noticeable, perhaps even shocking. Informality is also apparent in North Americans’ greetings. The more formal “How are you?” has been replaced with the informal “Hi.” This can be said to one’s superior or a best friend. 11. Directness, Openness, and Honesty Many other countries have developed subtle ways of delivering unpleasant information. North Americans, however, are likely to be completely honest in delivering their negative evaluations. They consider anything other than the most direct approach to be dishonest and will quickly lose trust for anyone who hints at what is intended rather than saying it outright. 12. Practicality and Efficiency North Americans have a reputation of being an extremely realistic, practical and efficient people. people. Before they do anything they ask, “Will it make money?,” “Will it pay its own way?” w ay?” or “What can I gain from this activity?” North Americans try to avoid being too sentimental in making their decisions. The popular North American “trial-and-error” “trial-and-err or” approach to problem-solvin problem-solving g also reflects the practical. This approach suggest listing several solutions to any given problem, then trying them out, one-by-one, to see which is most effective.

13. Materialism/Acquisitiveness North Americans are materialistic. However, North Americans would like to think that their material objects are just the result of hard work. This means that they value and collect more material objects than most people. The modern North American family owns: •

one or more color television sets

•

an electric hair dryer

•

an electronic calculator

•

a tape recorder and record player

•

a clothes -washer and dryer

•

a vacuum cleaner

•

a powered lawn mower (for cutting grass)

•

a refrigerator, a stove and a dishwasher

•

one or more automobiles

•

and a telephone.

•

Many also own a personal computer.

— 101 —

 

Since North Americans value newness and innovation, they sell or throw away their possessions frequently and replace them with newer ones. A car may be kept for only two or three years, a house for five or six before trading it in for another one.

US Values

Some other Countries Values

personal control over environment

fate

change

tradition

time & its control

human interaction

equality

hierarchy/rank/status

individualism

group’s welfare

self-help

birthright inheritance

competition

cooperation

future orientation

past orientation

action/work action/w ork orientation

being orientation

informality

formality

directness/openness/honesty

indirectness/ritual/“face”

practicality/efficiently

idealism

materialism/acquisitiveness

spiritualism/detachment

Which list more nearly represents the values of your native country? By using this, you will soon begin to understand North Americans and their actions. And as you come to understand them, their behaviors will seem less “strange” “strange” than they did at first.

— 102 —

 

APPENDIX D: Topics that Need Themes for Everyday Guiding Guides should always be prepared with a theme (that is, a story with an important moral) related to as many of these topics as possible:

A Forest Walk: Epifítas

Bromelias

Orquídeas

Musgos

Helechos

Heliconias

Lianas

Líquenes

Hongos

Mata palo (ficus)

Trepadoras

Filladendro

Ventana claros del bosque

Soto bosque

árboles maderables

Plantas medicinales (Cuculmeca)

Zompopos

Hormigas guerreras

Simbiosis

Plantas frutales

Mimbre

Aves mas notables

Bambu

Pacaya

Tipos de palma

Vistas panorámicas

Raíces

Helechos arborecente

Arbol caído

Secropia (guarumo)

Guardabarranco

Quetzal

Macau

Perico

Oropéndola

Toucan (each species)

Trogon

Tanager (each species) – Tangara

Colibrí (General/specific)

Jays

-White magpie jay – Urraca copetona

-Brown jay – Urraca parda

Warbler – Reinita alidorada

Carpintero

Wren

Colchonera

Tityra

Zopilote

Kiskadee – Guis

Lechuza

Flycatcher – Mosqueros

Garza de Ganado

Garza blanca

Garza azul  

Jacana – gallinita de agua

Ani – Pijul

Grackle – Zanate

Martin pescador

Zenzontle

Birds:

— 103 —

 

A Farm: Ganado

Los cultivos (maíz, frijol, arroz, papas)

Producción de abono orgánico

Preparación de alimentos (recetas, tortill tortillas, as, molino)

Actividades cotidianas (hacer queso, ordeñar)

Plantas frutales, ornamentales, maderables

Historia de la finca, estructura de la familia Relación socio-ambienta socio-ambientall

Diversifi cación de una finca Diversificación Forma de vida de la familia

Relación entre hombre y naturaleza

Plantas y frutas con buenas historias

Uso correcto del suelo

Proceso del café

Conservación Conservació n de medio ambiente

Uso racional de las plantas

Manejo de agua

Avance de la frontera agrícola

Certificaciones Certific aciones

Ciclo productivo

Uso de excremento

Uso de la energía

Paisajes, vistas

Potencial de agroturismo

Comunicación y vías de acceso

Comercialización de sus productos y servicios

— 104 —

 

Appendix E – Feedback Letter to an Ecolodge  

November 23, 2011

Dear Maria AngelesOn behalf of our entire guide-training group, we would like to thank you for the two excellent days of our workshop at Ecolodge Superior last week. It was a perfect environment for our course, and a great example of sustainable agriculture and tourism for all of us. We especially enjoyed the outstanding service and attentiveness of the staff, as well as the tasteful design and layout of the lodging. You said that you would be interested in hearing our suggestions for improving the trails and interpretive displays at the Ecolodge Superior. We have discussed the walks and the opportunities and list them for you here. We think these are recommendations that would enhance the visitor experience and make the visit more meaningful to people. We hope that you will be able to engage your staff and students in developing some of these, and we would be happy to provide further advice or guidance if you would like. •

Label the principal plants and trees around the lodge with signs that indicate the names and some of the uses of the plants or trees.

•

Put out hummingbird feeders and racks for bananas and other fruit to attract forest birds where visitors can see them from the dining area or plataforma.

•

Put a few decorative examples of tropical nature around the plataforma.

•

Put a few posters of common birds on the wall of the plataforma, where guests can easily look up the common birds.

•

Make the Heliconia trail a circular trail to minimize impact and make it more interesting.

•

Establish a short self-guided trail, with defined stops that are either marked with interpretive signs or indicated indicated on a returnable pamphlet.

•

The longer hike needs more definition, like trail markers.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions Sincerely, Tom O’Brien Representante del Patas de Perros Grupo del Curso para Guías 2011.

— 105 —

 

Appendix F - Example Logistics Plan for a Traini Training ng Course

 

Training of Multipliers (TOM) Course Curriculum Plan and Logistical Needs Submitted to FHI360 Project # 4342 Nicaragua Sam H. Ham Tom O’Brien University of Idaho

Submitted to: Roberto Matus, Chief of Party FHI360 Nicaragua Conservation & Sustainable Tourism Program 

July 16, 2012

— 106 —

 

  e    h    t    l    f   a   o   u    h  e  n   a   c   d   M   a   i   e  u  g   n   y    i   p   G   n    f   i   o   t   c   a   r   r   a    1   d   T

  r   s   e   d    h    t   e   e    O    N

   V    A   m   o   &    t   s   o    d   r   n   s  e  e   s  m  e   a   i   p   N    l    C  u   q    E

   d   n   a   r   o  .    t   c   n   e  e    j   e   r   o   r   c    P  s

  s   r   n   e    i   o    i   p    t   o   c  ,   c  ,   r   s   e  .   r   f   o   a   r   s   n   o   e    t   e  n   o    t   s    t   n   c   r   c   o   e  e  .   s   i   c   c   j   r   a  p  o   k   s   p   o   e    i    i   r   a   o    f    t    i   p  p  e   d   c   d   u   c   n   o  p    W   a   t     l   s   a    A  a

   t   r  ,   r   t   e   n  ,   l  ,   a  e   e   p   r   p  a  e    h  n  a   a   r   r   c   a   t   t   t   v  ,   e   s   o   p    t   x    i  .    d   m  ,   s   1  p   t   r   l   r   e  c   e   m   n   p   a   f  ,   e  ,   u  p  e    k  ,    i   a   o  r   s   p  r   s   d  a  r   l   c   s   r   o   p    b  e  ,   e  r  ,   t   e  r   o   i   r   o   e   k   e   k   e  r   l   e  s   b   i   c    t    i   r   p  r   p  a  p  p   i   e   t   s   r    t    h  a  a  a  a   l   a  a  c   o  a   e   t    W  m  p  m  p  c   s   p  s   n  p

  e   n   o    N  ,   e   n    t  ,    i   e    k   s   a   o  e  x   e  e   h   e    h    t  .    h    b   h   e    d   T  s    t   y   e   t   t   e   e   a    l   e   n    f   r   w   l    d   i   a   l  .   l   e  e  r   y    l    l   e  a  e  p   u  s   a   p   e   y   v   m    t   s   h   t   s   h   o  u    t    t   d   r   d  w  a   e   w  o   d    t    l   a   t   o    t   s   l   y   f   e   k   r   x    t   e    e   u    I   e   m    i   n   e   o   g  u   r   o  a    f   r   o   g   a  o   –   t   c   f   o   h  g  m  u  p   w   i   a   b  a  e   d  n    h  n  e   h  g   n   f  ,    i   c   l    h   c   a  u  c   u   i  ,   t   v   c   n  v   n  n  o   r   y   x   d  o  u   r   u   d  e  u   h  e  a  e  n   h  o  a   e    L  a  v   l    t   s   d  n  a  c   w   t

 .    0    0    3    1   –    0    0    2    1    h   c   n   u    L

   d   n   a   r   e    t   a   w  .  ,   s   e   k   e  c    f    f   a   o  n    C  s

   l   o   o    h   i   c   l   s   e    /    l    t   e  s    t   o   E   n    H   i  .   n   o    i    t   c   u    d   o   r    t   n    i   e   s   r   u   o   c   s    ’    O   m   o    T

  o    C   C

  r   e    k   ”   a   ?   e   r   e    b   i    L    f   e   c   y   o   I   n   d   M   s   o    ’    i    t    t   n   a   a   c   s   h   u   t    d  n   W   o    “   r   a    t   p   t   y    i   n    I   c   i    i     v    f    l    t   r   i    t   e  a  c    S   P   A

     9  ,      2  .     n     t     o     c      O     M

  e    t   a    D   y   a   #

   f  ,   o   n    5   o    2  ,    h   ’    i   s  ,   1   c   c   l   a  m   a   t   a  s   e  a   t   e  n  r   r   y   H  p   i   e   e   t   p   r   b   p   o  m   e   a   c   a   t   m   n   A   h    1   S   I   c

  e   u   d   n  r  .   e  a   o   t   v   b   r   a   e   s   m    t    i    h   c   u  o    h   p   o   o  r   w   l    i    i   c   s    f   a  s   h   a   t    i    d   p   l   n   S  c   w  a

   2    1   :   0   s   2  ,    d   2   e   r   e   e    N   b    i  n   o    t    l   a  s   a   m   t   r   d   o  e   c   e   e    i   s   N    t   v   p   n   s   o   a    i   r    T    N   g  ,    l  s    L   o  y   a   a   e    d   d    M  s    i   n  r    &   d   a   F   g  e   e   n   N    i   g   m  –    d   o   u    l    9    L   u   2   c   r    i   e   r   r   b   e   s    d   o   u   u   t   n  e   e  e    C  c    V    N    1   O  ,    k   e   y   a   e   d    W  n    t   o   e   n   s   e   r    t    M   u   o  n

   l    t   e  ,   n   v    h   a   n  e   o   r   c    t   o  m    t    i   n  n  n  n    i    t   e  .   u   o   j   o   l   a   i   a  g  r   o   t   o  a    t   r   r   n    )  ,    t   e  n   e  c   u   o  v   o  a    l    f   a   i   g  a   p  r   c   e    i   r   u  g   z    i   a    t   s   a  o  r   n  s   p  g   d   r   n   d   R   l   u   o   i   a   o   a    d    E   r   a   c   o   r   o    i   r   n  o   r   n   t    V   t   o  g   n   N    T  a   f    S   (   a   i

 

 

  e    t    i   r   o   v   ?   a  y    f   r   h   u  w   o   d   y   n   s   a   a  r   e   w   h   o  c    h  a   e    t    W

  e    d    i   u    G    t    f   a   r    d   l   e  a    h    t   u    f   n   o  a   w   M   e  g    i   n   v   r   i   n   e   i   v   a   r    O   T

  s   o    t    t   c    )   a   a   c   =   F   t    i   n  o  s   g  n   a   t   e   i   n  a    i   v   v    k   n    V    i    (   i    t   a   l   e   o   c   e   o   t    M   e   c   n  u   j    d   R   a   d   b  n  s   z    O    i   r   o   c   r  .   a    t   o   t    l   n   a   s   n    i    i   o   i   o   t    t    S  n  u   g  a   t   a   r   a  a   r   S   r   i   e   a   g  e  c   p   s   d   v   i   n   o   i   n   a    R  g   N   I

   d   n   n   a   o   g    i    t    i   n   o   e   a   s   t   c    t   e   s   n    U   l   r    “   o   a   v   p   r   :    b   e    l   e    t    1   m  e   n   n   y   R    I   o   S   e   c   i    i    t    t   c   ”   c   l   u   t   a   u   a   s   n   e   o   d   m   d   r    i   o   o    t   e   r   a   t   r    t   e    h   t   n   I   n   n   N   I    T   i

   D

        0

        1

— 107 —

 

  c   n   o   e    i    t   o    t   w   s    l   r   e   h    t   n   a   i   a  o  n  w  o    b   o   a   i   c   t   o  o   h    t   c    i   o   e   f    l   c  .    i   a    h  p   d   z   s   u  r   n   t    i   a   l   r   o  s   u   a   t    l   p   a   r    f   e    t   s    d  o   r   h   t   m  a   s   a   c   i   c   u   n  n  g   n    i   q   c   n   a   o   i   a   r   e  e  r   e   a  o  e  v   n    t   r   e  m   c   d   h   n   i   c   u   i    t   t    i   o  o  m   o  o  n  o  e  o  n  c   e    C  v   c   h  e   t   d  v   a   t  .    1   y   a    d   s   a   e   m   a   S

  e   n   o    N  .    0    3    3    1   –    0    3    2    1    h   c   n   u    L

  e  .   v   e    i    t   r   s   y   c   e   u   e   f   o    K   f   :    E   C    I    I   n   g   r   a   i   e   f   n    t   n   p   o   i   a   a   t   s   r    h   n   T    C  e     e    M  m   d    i   e    T   l   u    G   E   G       0   ,       3     s   .     e      t     c       T     u      O

 

  s   c    i   n   r   a   e    h   t   c   p   e   a    M   h   e   C    h    t    M    h   T   c   G  .   a   (    1   e   g   t   n   r    T   i   o   d    i   a    t   u   p  ,   w   G   )   o   f    I    I    H  o   V

   d   n   a   r   e    t   a   w  .  ,   s   e   k   e    f    f   c   o  a   n    C  s

   l   a   s   c   o    d   o    L   :    h    t    d    t   s   e   n    i    l   m  a   a    i   n   c   t   g   i   o   n   t   e   o    i   p   r    h   c   o    S   t   e  .   c   j  .    t   c   t   a   n   e   o   s   u   r   o   o   r   a   e   t   c   p   i    t   r    /   u   s   t   a   e   g   s   c   n    G   i   n   i   c   i   n   i    f   :   e   o   h    i    l   o    0   c   v   p    0   i   m  c   r   m    1   o   e   a   o   a   e    1   v   d   t    f

  r   g   u   i   n   o   d    i    Y   u   w   G   o   “   n   :    K   e   s   :    i    V   r  .    I   c   r   e   x   ”   s   e   E    t   o   p  .    t   a   e   o    h   c   h    C   n   P   e   m    M   i    d    T   u   o   r    G   A   F

  s   e   c   n   e   r   e    f    f    i    D    l   a   r   u    t    l   u    C   :   e   s    i   c   r   e   x    E

   ”    ?    t   a   n   h   o    i    t    W   a   o    t   e    S   r    “   p   r   :   e   2    t  .   n   n   n    I   o    i   o   c    i    i    t    t   c   a   u   s   s   u   m   d   c   e   o   r    i   s    h   t   n    T   i    D

  e   e   r    h   :    t    1   t    h    i   y   r   w   a   r   e   t  .   e   t   s   u   n   o   e    i    t   r    I    R   e   n   a   t   n   a    I    f   g   g   n   n   i    i    t   o   s   n   c   t   n   l   e   i   n   a   e   o    l    P   S   p

         2

— 108 —

 

  r  ,   f   r    i   y   n   e  e    1   r   y    l   o  o   l    (   e  ,   l   m    l    l    t    b    f    l   a   s   a  o  a   r   l   n   e    t   a   s   a   c   s  .   s   t   r   g   u    f   u  a   o  s   c    t   c   e    t    l   a   h    i   o   e   d   e    i    b   k   o   d   c   a  r   h   e   i    i   o  p  a   n   u   s   o    l    t   r   s    l    i   c   c  .   a  a   t   a  r   u    I   e  v   e  o   )   w  u  .   o   n   o  o   2   )   s   t    t   r   r   i   w  m  o   o   o    d   t   m    d   e    h    f   o    t    d   c   a    l   c   h   u   e  n   x   e   e  e  e   t   s   i    t   n   b   h    t   a   t   p   t   y   d  o    i   o    f   f    i    i   s   s   e  a   g   d   e   u   r   r   e   s   m   a   r   c   c    i    i   o   e   u   n    l   r   n   t   i   n   w   n    b   u    i   r   o   u    i    t   n   t   d   u  e  a  u    i   p   s   e   t   o   h    t   t   a  e   e  a   e  a  r    t   p   r   c   a   g    i   g   a  e  a  u  a  u   h   u   v   i   n   i   o   v    W  r    h   g   (   b   t   a  w   b   h    W    t   p  v   f    t   a   l   a  a  o  c   h  .    1   y   a    d   s   a   e   m   a    S    0    0    1    1   m   o    0   r    f   0   s   3   u   1    B  –    0    0    4    1   –    0    0    3    1    h   c   n   u    L

   d   w  n   e  a    F   d    i   e    A   A  s   :   t   n    I    I   s   o   p    I   i   r    X   F  s   e   r   t   R   e  u    t   p  o  y   a   b  c    h   A  n   e    C  s   r   g    d   r   e    M    T  o  m    W    G    E     1  ,     3  .     d    t    e    c     W    O

   d   n   a   r   e    t   a   w  .  ,   s   e   k   e  c    f    f   a   o  n    C  s

  a   s    i    t   a    h    W   :    I    I    I   r   e    t   p   a    h    C   ?   e    d    M    i    T  u    G   G

  r   o    f   s   n   o    i    t   s   e   u    Q   y   r   o   t    t    i   a   s   r    i   a   V   p   e   e    i   r    t    P   S

  r   a   g    i    C   o    t    t    i   s    i    V   :    0    0    3    1   y   -   r   o    0   t    0   c    1   a    1   F

  r   a   y   g    i    b    C   d    t   e   u   w   o   o    b   l    l   a   f   o  ,   e   r   r    i  .   a   u   o   n   n   T   o   n    i   o   r   s    i    t   y   o   s   s   t   e   c   u   c   u   a   i   s    Q   F   d

  r   u   t   o   s    Y   s   e   r   w   t   o   e   n   n    K   I    l   :    i   a    V    I   c   r   e   p   e   S    t   p  .   a    h   e   c    C   n   e    M   i    d    T   u    G   A

   )   o   r    t   n    i    (   y   c   =   n   s   e   r   r   e   u    t   e    l    l    i    C    B   n   :   a   e   u   s   g    i   c   a   r   r   a   e   i   x   c    E   N

 

         3

— 109 —

 

 ,   c   m  e   s   s   r    i   o   r   u    f   o  a   d  .   e   o   h   t    0  e    t   s   c   n   a  a    i    6  v    l   s   n   v    d   t   a   e  e   ’    i   o   3   r   l   e   t    I   h   a    S   e  u  c    d    H   r   e   n   b  u    l   e   F   d   y   h    l   r   o   t    l    i   c   n    t   u    i    t    i   r   o   s   s   s   h  u  a   h   w   i   a  w   b   h    I   d  e   r   l    t   s  .    1   y   a    d   s   a   e   m   a    S

 .    0    3    3    1   –    0    3    2    1    h   c   n   u    L

   d   n   a   r   e    t   a   w  .  ,   s   e   k   e    f    f   c   o  a   n    C  s

  e   g    d   e    l   w   o   n    K   :    V   s   r   e   c   e   r    t   p   u   a   o    h   s    C  e    R    M   d    T   n    G  a       1   ,      u      v      o       h      N       T

  e   g    d   e    l   w   o   n    K    f   :   o    I    V  n  n   o   o   i   r   i    t   e   t    t   a   a   p   i   c   a  n  m   r    h  u   f   o    C  m  n    I    M  m    T  o   d   n    G   C  a

  y   c   =   n   s   e   r   e   r    t   u   e    l    l    i    C    B   n   :   a    )   e   u   s   s   g    i   e   a   c   r   r   a   m   e   i   e   x   c   h    E   N   t    (

  g   y   n   r    i   n   a   n   r   e   a   i   n    l    t    P   I   :    I   e    I    I    h    t    V   r   g   n   e   i    t   p   t   a   u    h   c   e    C  x    E    M   d    T   n    G  a

   f   s   o   t   e   n   g   e   a   m    t   n   o   a   M   v   e    d   l    A   b   a   g   h   n   c    i    k   a   a   e    T   T

  r   u   o   y    t   :   u   t    2   o   ?   y   b   s   e   r   r   a   e   a    l   r   a   t   e   i    i   n   n   c   f    i    t    I   e   o   s   n   p   s   a   o   t   n    i   g   s   o   n   ’    i   s   p   n   t   e   n   a   e   a   h   r    l    h    P   W   t

  s   n   o    i    t    i   s   n   a   r    T    d   n   a   g   n    i   g   a    t    S

 

        4

— 110 —

 

  e   r    h    t   a    l    d   r   a   i   e    t   o  e    f    I   m   v    d   i    t  .   a   e   h   s   a   a   e  r    f   g   n   e   e  o  p   o   h  v   i   n  o  o  .    t   n  r   n   c   u   a  a  n   h  e  e    l    l   s    i    t    i    h   i   e  e  p   o  p  s   u  n   o   c    t    t   r   o   w  s   h   r   r   p    t   d  a  s   c   c   r   e   e  a   a   r   u   n    i   u   u   o  o  o   u  m  p  x    W  c   f   r   G  m    f   e

 .   e   h   y   e   o    h    t   c   s    t   o  n    i    t   u    T   r   o   n   l   r    t   r   o   a   o   t   e    f   r    i    t    t    f   c   a   e  e   s    i   n   v   g  r   n  a  u  p   n  e   i    d  u   o   a   s   m  e   r   o   r   v   t   r   e   d    i   n  r   g    A   R  a  g   i

   t   g   a  n    l    h    E   t   i  .  .    t   m   e   s   e  w  o    i  .    t    l   o  c    (    d  n  e  e   r   n    l   n   e   u   k    b   t   o  m   o   f   r   l   a   o  o    l    h    h   d   l    i   e  o    )   s   s   a  w   h  n   r   0  e   r    3   e   r    t   e   i   e    t    5   f   n   f    W    M  w   i   r   a   1  e

     t   s    i  .  .   r   s   u  u   e   0   o   b   n   0    t   o   7   y   r    h   1   a  e   p  –   o    d   t   r   0    l    h    l   s    0   a    t    i    i   u  o   c   9    F  c   w  m    0   o    t   s    A   d    L  e   e   n   N    i  .    d   a   t  .   d   e   n    t   a  a  g  n   a   a  r   h  n   h   c   a    h  u   a  a  r   r   e   r   c   t   o   r   a   f   n  s   n   a   u  e   e  e    L   R   G    b   b

  a    L  :   a   o   h    t   n  c   a   o  r   n   ”    i    t   s   s   r   a   i   r   u   G    /   c   y   u   x   o    E  e   s   T    i   a    d    l    T   s   e   /    i   a   a    F   l   r   y   e   u   u   a  z   o    T    D  n   a  n    l    l    t   u  s    F   E   O    “       2   ,      v       i      r       N      o       F

 ,   a    h   c   a   n   r   a   )    G   5   a   2    L   $    (    f   e   o   d    i   s   r   u   g   u   l   o  a    t    d  c   o   e   l    d    i    h   u   t    i    G  w

  a    h   c   a   n   r   a    G   a    L    t   a    h   c   n   u    L

  a  e   r    L  v    d  e   n  s   a  e   r   y   l   e  a   s   c    i   o    T   l  .   o  m    t    t   o   r   n   n   f   o  a  e    i    t   h   c   c   m   u  a  e   g    d  n  a   o   r   n   r   a    t   a   n   G  m    I

 .    f   s   o  e    k   s   i   c   h    i   p  e   o  r   :   t   u   e  n   t   s   o  a    i   c   r   n   e  m  r   x   m  u   e  o  o   e  c   y   r    k    i   g   o    f   n    h   i    t   y   s   e    i   r   f    t   e   r   u   n    t   e   t   a   d  e   n    N   I   i

  r   o   d    d  n   a   a   r   s    i    M  n   o    l    i    E  s   s    t   u   a  c   s   p   i   o   D    t   s   t  .   n  n   o  a   r  .   o  u   w   n   r   t   a   i   e   e    t   s   v    f   e    A  r   e   r

 

        5

— 111 —

 

  r   o    t    f   a   y    k    d    l   a   a    t   e   a   r  ,   g   r   a   n   e    i   v   y    i

   S    E    T    O    N    1    K    E    E

  g    t   s    d   a   n    l   a   s   a    h    k   c   o   n   o   u    l   r    b   s   o    ’    f   g   m   a   n    S    i   n  .    i   o   d  m    j   o    t   e   r   m    f   a   i   r    h    f    t   n  e   g  o  g   a   n  c   k    i   r   e  c   u   b  a   g   p    i    f   o  r    t   e   s   t   u   t    b  g  p   a  ,   n   h   o   i    h   c   n   t    t   e   a   s   m   z   r   r    i    f   o   a    l   o  e  s    h  e    S   t    h   r   f   t   e  o   d   g  e  n   o   a    R  n    f   o   e   M   o   b   y    T    t    G   o   t    i    l    i    t    f    b  s   a   a   d  r  .    l    i    d  e   a  e   e   v   e  s   s   n   h    t   r   a   u   o   e   i    h    h   c    t    h    t   T  o  e  .   b   h    d   t    t   n  s   f   o   f   u   f   e   o   o  a  y   t   r   p   a  s   o  e   y   e  c   s   a   a  n   o    d   b    d  e  e    l   s    i   u  v   t    h    h  o  a   t    9   t    h   w   a    2   k   o  n    0   r   r    t    3   e   o   o   e   i   w   3   k    b   l    t   o   l   u    l    b    i    1   i    t   c   w   t    i   u   d   t   r    O  e  o   ’   e   s  ,    b    i   y   W  a   W    d              a          d   n   o

  n   t  .   o   s   s   s   i   e   s   s    l   r   a   u   l   o   d    h   u   o   n   c   a   e   s   s   u   r   u    i   v   e   o   c   g   ’   s    d    l   r   u   a   e   o   y   c   t    t   s   a   a    h   l    t   m    i    l   o   e   f   r    t   s   o    E  c   s   n   i    i   r   c   o   n    t   r   c   a   u   F   r    t   e   s   b   n   y    i   e   a    i   c    M  .   o   v   n   o    i    d   t   e   a    i    f    i   c    i    l    i   a   f    l   u   p   q   m   a   a   e    b   d   n    t   a   s   n   u   o    i   m    t   c   e   e   r   j   e   o    h   r    t    t   p   e   u   c    b   i  ,    l   y   o   v   c   a   i   c   s    i    f   a    i   c   b   e   h   p   c   s   a   e   o   n   c   o   d   y   n   n   a   a    h    0   f    3  o   c   a   r   w   t   e   e  o    b  n   t   o   k   o    t    t   w   c   ’   o    O  n   o   h  ,    d   n   y   I    i    d   a     s         e   u

  n    i   a   o   m    t   s   e    t    h   n   t   a   t   p   u    i    b   c    i  ,    t   r   r   a   e   p   h    d   o   n   e   t   w  a   o   e    l    l   a   s    t   o   o   a   h    h   c    t   r   r   o   u   )   o    t    i   a    d   s   e   n    d   e    i   u   c   a   g   l    P   a    f    (   o   y   r   o   e   t    l   p   c   a    f   m   a   e   x   m   e   a   n   s   a   e   s   t    h   a   t  .    l    l   a  s   e   r   t   e   w  u  u   o   i   n   y   r   t   e   m   v   e   0    t   m   a   6   u   s   o   –   e    d   h   e   t   5    4    k   r   o  r   o   o   d   f   w  r   t   r   e  s   a   a   t    h   l   e   y   i   e   d    t    d  n   s   l   a   a   u   d    l   o  e   y   r   c   i    d   o   e  u    t   c   W  g   a  .   e    f   e   b   r   y   a   e   t   g   l   s    1   i    3  c   a  u   c   m   r   e   i    t   i    t   e   t    i    h   r   t    b   c   o  o   a    t   a   t    h   c   t    t    i   p    O   i   s  ,   s   o   i    t   y   v   l   n   a  e   e   i    d   h   v   e   s   T   d  o   p     e   n    d         e

  n   o  a    i    t    t   l    h   a  a   c   c   u   t    i   o   d   e   l   o  w    b  a  r    t   n  .    d  y   i   n  o   k    l   u   b   o   e   o   d  n  r   n   e   w  e  a   t   e   w   e   f   e   p  w  v    h   o   l   o  a  a   t    t   s   l    f   o   h    h   e   f   o    t   o   t   s  ,   t   n   r    i   a  e  e   i   o    d    F   h    k    i   u  .   c    l    l   s   e  a   c   s   u    d   n   v    l   c   r   r   u  n   o   s   e  a  o  c   i   s   G    d   e   w  e   d    R   f   o  e   n   r   w   W   e  .   a   r   u  ,   g   u   o    t   t   h   i   n   p   a  a  c   i    k   a   c   n    N  s   u   h   r   e    l   a   r   u    l   r   o   a   e  e   t   e   f   u   i    f   e   d   n   z   v   a   n  g   A   m  .    i   a   t   o  e   t    t   s    t   s   s   e   n    E   e   h   e  o   m  e   y   d   m   e  g   s   n    h   c   s   s   a   l   y    i   r   e   a   b   r    T  r   c    f   a    h  e   l    d   e   g  r   o  e   r   u  p  e  w  r   o  e   t   o    h   l   o   f   r    l    h    b    )    t   e   f   o   a    d   d  ,   r   r   l   u  s   t   e  u   l   e    t   r   e   s   o  c   o   r   n   t   a   h   r   o  s   i   a   r    d   c   e  n   t   a   s   c    d  a   i   a   i   s   n   l   a    i   n  u   e   g  c   m  o   o   l   c    d   i   n  a  n   a   a   o    i   c   v   e   N   o   d   s   l   n   r

   1   r   e    b   m   e   v   o    N  e  ,   n   y   o   a   N      d   s         r   u    h

  u   c   a    t    f    S   a   n   h  .   i     x   A   o   a   e    d  e   y   e   e  n   i   y   h   c   z   s   a  a   i   o   T    d  r   n   n    l    l   a  a  m  e   g  r   o   h   u   G  r    f    f    t   o   a   t   o  e  e   n   o   v   (   o  n   b    d  o   r   r   e   o    d  s   o  n   l    t   e   d   a   e  u   o   e   r    R    2   i    h   h    i    k    t   r   l  ,   s   y   M   e   e   d   l   a   t   s   l    b   l   a    i    E   e   t    h   T   t   m  u   o   u   e   w  z   h  e   a   v    t    h   p   c   t   o   e  a   o   s   n    N   W   o   t   u   t    E   l   s     y  ,   a    d          i   r

   W    M

   T

   W

   T

   F

— 112 —

 

  r   s   e   d    h    t   e   e    O    N

   d   e   e   v    i   s   r    k   s   e  o    A    h   f   y   s    d  n   d   n   l   a   i   o  a   t   n  n   o   c   t   s   e   i    i    t   a    t   n   t   s   s   i   e  u   e   e  q   a  m    l   e    l    l    i   r   u    P   a     l    b   F   Q   s   n

  r   e

   t   t

 ,  ,   r

   i   e  ,   r   n   e    l   o    i   p   a  e   e   u   d    2    t   p  r    t   p   r   o   n    h   n   a   a  e   c   a   r   r    t  .   c   c    d   a   e  a  ,    1   n    t   e  s    t   t   s   v  ,   e    t   e  ,   r   o   p   v   r   s   n  .   x   o    i   r  .   n   o   a   m    d    d   r    l   p  ,    b   m   s   s    f    0   a   a   r   f   r   e  c   e  m  p   1    t   o   n   t   e   e   e   n   e   o   p   m    h   u   r   e   a    k   s  ,    t  ,   p  e   i  ,   s   :   2    i  u   N    t   n   o  s   e    l    i   c   o  .   c   o   c   s   a   o   t    t   n   c   c   j   r   o   r   d   r   p   e  r   a  r   c   s   s   i   p   p   e   o   h   i  ,  ,    b   o   i   o  r   r   s  ,   q    i  u  .    t   c   r   o    l   r   a   r   e   e   s    k   p   e   w   o   e   c    b    f   p   e    l   o   r   c   s   e    i   s    i    k    k    t   e   e   e   r    i   e   o   a    f    d   9    E   a   e   t   r   p  r   p  a  p  p   i   e   s   h   s   t    i    t   c   d    i   r    d    j   p    d   e   r   o    t    h   a   a   a   p   a   e    i   p   c   n   r   c    W  a  o  p  u   a   a   l    t   a  c   o  a   n    l   e   r   S  c   w  a    P  s     l    t   s   a    A  a    W  m  p  m  p  c   s   p  s   n  p   e   e    N   b    i  n   o    l   m   t   a  s   a   e    t   r   d   o  e   c   e    i   v   s   N  e    t   o   p   n   n   s   a    i   r   o    N    T    N   g  ,  ,   e   n    t  ,    i   e    k   s   a  .   y    l  s    L   o  a   o  e  x   e   h   e   e    0    h    t   s  .   a    h    h   e   t   e   d   T  a  e    3    t   y   e   t    d   e    b    l    d   d   n  e    3   n   w   l    d   a   l  .   l    i   r    i   r   e    l    l    f   p    1    M   a   e  e  y   s   u  s   a   e   p   e   y   n  r    &   d   v   m   a   r   –   s   h    h    d   o  u    t    t   t   w    t   r   a    d    t   s   e    d   e    t   o    k   x   a   F   g  e    t   o   w   a    0    l    t   s   e   I   e  u  m  u    l   y   e  -   e  r   e   a    3   n   N   t   n  o   g  o  r   o  a   i    f    f   e    2    i   w  .   –   r   g   o   a   –   c   u   m    1   o   h  g  ,   s   g   p  e  w   i    t   m    f   n    b   a   e    d    h  n  e   h  g   i    f  ,   a  c   d    h   n    k    5    h    l   e   u   o   c   a  u  c   v  ,   t    i   u  c   c   c   u    L    f    f   o   n   v    d   x   y   n    l   n   r   o   a   r   e  a  e  n   h  o  a   o   r   u   d  e  n   u   n   e   u   h   u  e    L  a  v   l    t   s   d  n  a  c   w   t    L    C  s   c    b    i    l   o  a   ?   r   o  u  o   r   m   e   s   h    l   u    d   c   g   e   u  e   n   e   /   s   a   n   c   e  e   l   a  r   v   a    C  o    V   N   t  e    B   o   M   n  =    2    H   i  ,    k  .   e   N   s   y    f   y    l   e   p    l   o   e   a   g    d   a   n  a    t    i   n   n    i   c   u   n  .    i   m    d   o   u   r   u    h    t    &   o   G   a    i   g  n    W  n    t   c    l   a   n   o   e   n   i   s   b   e   e   o   a   a  m    i    t    t    d  a   p   a   v    L   n    h   c   e    i   e    i   :    i   a    t   n    i   e   c   t   o   s   e   a   t    T   d   t    t    5    ’    i    i    f   t   e    h   s   m   c   r   t   e   a   r   e  .   n   r   o   g   e   r   o   c   a   e  p   o  a   v   r    t    M   u   n    t    k   r   n   p    L   e    i   r   o  n   r   r    D   e   o   p   o   r   s   n    i   g   i    C   C

  e    t   a    D   y   a

   0    N    3    9   n   o   r    0   o    t   s   n   –   e    M    i    0   t   e   m   m    0   l   a   a    i    9   l    0   B    S    S

 ,     5  .     n    v     o     o     M      N

   h   a   t   c   e   e   n   a   L   I   e   s   g    T   n   n    i   e   o   n    i   m  s   s   o   e   a   r    S   L   T

  s   x   e    t    l  .   u   l   a   )    d   i   c   g    A   t    i   n   c   d   w   a   a   o   r   p   e   r    H   (

   h    H    t    i   a  w  .    L   e   s   r   i    h  o   c   c   e   r    t   t   e   a  r   e  x    L  e    W

  e   o   t    h    f   n   t    i   e   s   n    l    l    t   c   e   i   a  o    i   s   t    h   s   c   c   e   r   a    d   e  m   e   i   e    h  u   x   h    T  g    E   t

   #      D         6

— 113 —

 

 .    1   y   a    d   s   a   e   m   a   S

  e   n   o    N  .    0    3    3    1   –    0    3    2    1    h   c   n   u    L

   d   n   a   r   e    t   a   w  .  ,   s   e   k   e    f    f   c   o  a   n    C  s

   t   c   c   t   r   u   u   u    d   d   o    t   o   o   r   r   a   p   p   r   r   n   u    i   e   s    t   o  p    6  e   r   s  .   g   e   a   e   v   k   m   o  c   p   e   e    N  a    h    d    t   m   p   -   l   e   s   a   e    i   e   e   i   c   :   h   l   r   t   s    t    t    t   u   p  e  e   -   i    t    T  a  c   e   l    S   N   m  u  n  u  -     m  e   d   o   O   a   h  r   -   M      S   T  p           ,       6      s   .      e      v      o       T      u      N

  a   r   h   u  c   o  a    t   c   e    i    t   t   o   a   t   m  s   e  p    h   e    t   t  .   a   S  e    d   :   g   t   n  c   i   u    i   n  u  g   n   d  w   a  o    l   r   e    P  p  n

 ,   e   s    i  .   c   r    d   n   e   s   e   x   a   n   e   g   o   p   o   i   c   n   s    i   e    t    d   r   a   i   u   t   s   m  g   i   e   e   r    T   i   v   u   o    t   s   t    i    l   c   u   a   a   q   h   i   c   o    i    i    t   r    t   r    C  w   c

  e    h    t   :    I    I    I   g   n    V   i   r    t   e   u   c    t   p   e   a   x    h   E    C   d   n    M  a    T   g   y    G   i   n   r   a    0   n   n   r   e    0   l   n    6   a   i    t    1   P   I

 

        7

— 114 —

 

   f   o  o   w   a   t   e    d  e  y    f   a   ?   n    d   n   a   a  p   o    t   s   o   a   i    t   c   e   r   s   r   a   r   a    f   g    l   o   t   s   g   n   u   e   f   c   i   n  w  o   w  o    t   o   o   s   r   r   c   t   n   i   r   m   n  o   a  a   i   p  o  e    C  p   b  s   b   d  .    1   y   a    d   s   a   e   m   a    S    t   r  .   d   r   h   a   e    t   a   o  r   n    i    f   a   o    t    l    d   s   w   e  u  s   e    b   e  s   a   )   g  n   t   o   I   a   i   c    t    i   e  u  o  s   i   o  y   e  e  o  e  a   n   b  c   u  n  .   s   r    h   p    h    l   n   a    l    b  c   s   e    i    t   r   b   e   p   e   o    d    f    l    i   u    t   t   v   s   s   e   l    t   r    l   w   i    l   e   h   d  a   l   u  c   o    h   o    f    t   o   c   u   c   g   e  r    i   u   r   n   i    f   m    i   v   n   a   e  n   e  o   f   u  m  a   O  m  o   o   (   r    W    t   g   b   i    t   e   s   p    t   a   s   s   v   a   n   a   t   h  o   h   a   r    l  .    d   I   o  m  e  .   t   p  c   s   a   e  r   a   y   z   u  e  m ,   i    i   p  s   e  a   o   i   c   o   n   t   u   o   c   c   a   n    t   n  s   g  e  e  a  s   m  a  a   r    M   r   k    t   b   t   o   h    l   m    t   a  u    f   o   r   o   f   o  a    h  o   d    h   t   c   t   l    f   c   s   h   r   r   n  r   u    t   n    i   o   u  a   u  u   e  a   y    L  p  w   l    b  w  p  e

 .   a   e    h    t    i    d   i   m    t   w   n   a   s   p   e   e   u   o   r    b   t    f   a   s   s   e   n   h   v    l   o   c   o   r   n   u   v   u   l   n   o   d   i    t    t   e   y   i   a   a   z    h    t   n    d   a    l    l   g   p   u   r   o    F   o   t   s

 ,     7  .     d    v    e    o     W    N

 .    0    3    3    1   –    0    3    2    1    h   c   n   u    L

   d   n   a   r   e    t   a   w  .  ,   s   e   k   e    f    f   c   o  a   n    C  s

  y   a    d   s    ’   y   a    d   s   e   n    d   e    W    f   o    f   e    i   r  .    b   r   e   u   o    D   t

  m   e    l    b   o   r    P   :   g    X    I    i   n   r   d    t   e  n  o    t   o   p  a   a  s   h   s    h  n   e   o   l    i    C   t    b   a    M  u  u    t   o    T   i   r    G   S   T

 ,     8    u    v    o     h    N     T

  g   a   g    i   n   n   s   e    i   s    U   k   u   :   a    M   )    d    I   n    V   o   o    t   r   a    X    t  ,   r   s   n    l   e   s    t    i    l    i   p   p   k   (   s   o   a   S   e   r   r   h   c   a   g   n    P   l  ,   u   C   i   e   n   r   s   c    d   e    l    M   i    f   o  o    f   n   T   u   i   o   i    T   b   G   G   D

   d   e    k   s    A   y    l    t   n   e   u   q   e   r  .    F   s   :   e   n   o   s   t    i    i   c   r   s   e   e   x   u    E   Q

 

 

        8

        9

— 115 —

 

 

  s   f   o   o    t    t   e   n   a   o  .    d   i   c    i    t   e   f    i   e  e   e   t   r   l   s   n   p  r   e    l    l    i   c   m  u   o   w  e  o   c   c   u   e  s   r   e   o   h   s   f    W    i    t

 

   l   a    t   g   a   n   n   e    i   e   m   s   k    U  a   n   :   o    I   r    i    V   M   o   v   n    X   t   r    l   s   E   e    l    t    i   –  .   p   k   e   n   a   S   c   o    h   g   n   i    C   i   e   t   n   r   a   e   c    M   d    i    f   u    T   u   f    i    d    G   G   D   E       9       i   ,      o      v      r       F       N

  y   p   n   g   a   i   o   o   r   n    t    i   e   a   h   s   k   v   t   r   n    U   a   e   a   :    M  s   l    i    I    h    V   o   n   P    X   t   o   s   r    l   s   C   ’   r   e   l    i   –   l    t   p   k   e   e   a   S   c   e   v    h   g   n   a   r    C   i   n   e   r    T    d   e    M   i    f    T   u   f    i    d   n    G   G   D  a

  -  .    f    l   s  ,   e   s   e   e    i   r    d   d   u   n   u   s   a   g   o   s   t   o    l   c   n   o   n   g   i   o   n   s   i    i   u   t   o    h   l   c   c   m   a   n   o   e   o   r    T   c   p

 .   s    d   n   e   e   s   o   o    l   p   u   g   n    i   y    T

 .    M    T    G   n   o    k   c   a    b    d   e   e    f    t   n   a   p    i   c    i    t   r   a    P

 

        0         1

— 116 —

 

   S    E    T    O    N    2    K    E    E

  e    l    b   a    l    i   a   v   a    t   n   e   r   e    f    f    i    d   n   g    i   w   o  .    h   s   s   e  ,    t   y    i   c    i   v   n  .   i    t   e   n  c   r   r   o  a   u   g  n   c   n   i   o    l    t   a   i   o   a   n   g   t   e   o    i   s   r    t    i   p   a   s   r   n   i    t    h  e   e   t   n    I    h   l   e    t   c    i    f    i   o   h   t    ”   w  a  .   t   e   s   l   y   m   e   e    h   a   c   e    i    T    f    l    f   l    i   r   m   e   o   b    “   f   o   t    h    0   i   r   n  r    6  e   i    3   o    I   t    h   s   f    H   f    t   n  r   y    F  o   a  a   p  s   o  n   i    t   c   s   o   i    t   e   e   i    t   r   s   a   a  c   o   i   n   p  e    l   c   m  g  n   s   l   n  s    i   a   i   a    t    t    i   e   e  y   a    h   e   d   e   t   s   m   u   t    h    i   r   s   a   i    t   c   a   h   e  w   e   s   t   n    b   o   v   t   n   e   i   s   r   a   u  r   n  a   c   e   s    i   e   t   c   v   s   m   a  r    d  n    S   a  .   e   x   o   i   e   o  p   n   c   g   i   o  e    t    i    t   t   a  r   a   h   a   e  p   i   n    b  s   e    5   d  a   m  g   a  n   r   l    l   a    t   r   e  u   r   r    b  o   t   a   f   o  a   m  w  s   s   l    i    l   e   l    d   l    l    i   v   o   w   o   o  e   w   t    h   c   m    N  r  ,   a  e   e  a   a   y   B     W     m    S      d   n                      o

 

   ”   r   u   r  .   o   u    t   o   g   t   n    i   y    k   a    l   a   d     w   l    l    “   u   a   f   s    h   ’    i    l   s   d   y   a    b   a   s    t   s   e   n   e   d   o   e    t   s   W    d   r   o   n   f   u   o   n   r   o   g   i    t   a   e   r   u   a   n   p   e   e   v   r   e   p    h   o    t    t    d   d   n   t   e   u   o   r   o   v   e   a   d    k    l   e   a   b   w   l    l   o   i    t   w   e   y    l   a    b   d   a   e   e   h    b   t    6   t   o   f   o   r    t   e   d   r    b  e   a   p   m  e   n   t   e   l   s    l   v   i   a   o    l    N  w  ,   e   e   y    h    d   a      T     s   W                 e

   t   u    f    k   o    l   o    t   o   s    i    f   u    h   e   o   f    t   v   s   I   r  .    k   r   a   u   i   p   o    h   o   t   r   w   o    t    t   y   t   a  a   n    t    d   o    I   e   a   c   a   r   n   b  .   g   o  a    t   e   e   m  g    k   n   r    b    i   m   a    d    d   o   u   m    l   u   c   l   o    t   c    l   s   i   n   a   w   o   f   c    t   o    I   m  o    l  .   e  e   a   s    h  g   s   p    t   a   a   u    f   t   r   o  n    h   o   g   a   c    t   e  v   u    i   n   d   s   o  a  ,   s   r   s   e   p   u   o   e   h    t   o    t   o   t   s   r    d  s   o    f   e    d  a   n    h    i   m   s   e   a   t    t    h   r   i    t   e   c   e  u   e   n    t   r   u   s   b    f   a  ,    d    l   p   e   p   o   i   c   t   r   u   r   y  .   t   a   r   o  a   n  n   o   g   g   s   d   i    i   u   a   s   g   n    b  a   g   e    i    t   s   a   d   o  .   s    i   s   d   a   r   a   a   c   o   u   d   y    t   t   e   i   a   n   o   s   d   s    d    t   l    i   a   a   l   u   g  e   a   i   s   M  c   l   o   m   n  e   n   i   n   d  o   o  p   a  .    t    d   n  s   a    l   s   c   e    t    l   u   a  u  y   r   t   s   c   a   a  o   o  o   r   s    t   s   O   m   a   M    V   o  c   r   u   a   o  c   u   t   s    i   a   h   t   o   p   t   e   t   r    h   i    t    i    t   r   y   t    h  a  a    t   w    h  e   e   a   n   r   r   e   d   g   t   e   i   r    h   a   e   n    t   l    h   l    l    i   u  a   u   t   r   i   o   f   a   n  e   y   u  m    d   n   e   t    i   e   a   o   v    t   f    l    d   t    h   d   r   t   s   a    7  y   t   u   i   a   l   o    f   a  n   o   o   r   d   o    d   e   i   c   t   c   b   e    b   l    l   m  e  s   s   d   d   e   i   u  a   w   b   e   m    f   r   l   e  a   I   u  w  ,   e   e  .   v   y   b   v   o  s   o   d  a   r   o   h   u   s   a    d   h    N  e  g   a   s    l  ,  ,   e  a   s   u   w   h   i   y   n  n   e  o   c   c   a    h  n  s    t   w   i    d  e  a   c   u  u   e   t   s   e     M  n   I    w   L     m   n   W    d                       e

  o    d    t    l   u    d   o   n   c   a  ,   e   s   w   e    f   u    i    t   s   s   a   e    i   e   r   v   g    i    t   e    i    b   s   n   e    d    l   s   u   s   o   s   w   e   r    t    I    d  .    d   s   a   e    d    t   o    i   u    l   g   o   o   o    t    t  .   a   e   y   s   s   u   a  a   e   d  s   p   e   t    h  e   o   c   r   a   n   s   t    i   o    f   g   t   m   n   s   l   a    i    t    t    j   u  .   o  ,   n   o   s   p   n   i   e   s   i    t    t   s   i    i   a    d   g  e   n   n   a  u   t   u   a   r   r   e   Q   o   a   p   d   p    l   e   o   p   u    k   c   c   s   s   o   o    A   i   n   g  y   c    i   p   n   l    b   i    t   r   o    t    t   n   h    h   o   c   p  e   t   a   s   u   n   e   q   l   a    t   e   i   a  r   o   d   F   h    t   w  a   n   f   p   o   d   o   s   e   n    h   r   a   a  s   e   l   s   u    t   u  e   d   a   r   c   h   e    t   e   s   o   n   t   n   i   e   n   o   b  c   n    f   u   i   o   m    d   t   e   o   o   a   s   r    d   i   v   r    t   o   a   i    8   t   n   r   r   e   p   e   s   o   n   e   k   w   t    b   i    l   e  e   o   c   m    k   e    d   f   i   e   l    l   a   v   u    d   c   o  o   w   l   u   o  u   d    N  w  r   o  ,   e   r   o   t   y   o  w  r   n    d   a   W      b   I     i   s   r                 u

 ,   n   o    i    t   a   c   u    d   e    l   a  .    t   n   y   e   n   m   m   o   n   e   o   r   r    i   v   e   n   c   e   g   n  ,    i   n   s   o   o    l    i    t   a   c   v    t   e   r   a   e   r   s   o   n    b   o   a   c    l   n   e    i   n   e   a   c    d   n   e   e   e   r   e    f    f   n   e   w    i    d   a    k   n   g    i   n    h    i    k    t    ’   a    t   m   n   o   o    d    t    l    I   o    h   o   g    t   u   a   o    h   s    t   a  ,   g   s   e   n    t    i   n   a    i   c    i   a    f    i   r    t    t   r   e   e    d   c    i   u   a   g    l   u    d   o    i    t   v    d    i    d   e    t    i   n   o   v   e   e   c    d   u   e    d   o    b   r    l  .    l    i   g   p   o   n   t   w   i   s    9   y   i    d   r   a  r   a   e    d    e   l   e    b   a   d   n    l    l   m   n  n    i   u   i   e   f    f   v   e   w   o    d   e    N   h  n     y  ,    T     a   W   a                 d    i

   W    M

  u    T

   h    T

   W

— 117 —

  r    F

 

 

  e    h    t   e   e    k    b   o    t   a    d    l   u   m   e    l    b   n   o   w   a   a    l    i   c    )  .   a   c    t   a   v   T   o   e   m  ,   s  .   e   e   t   c   c   p   e   r   a    t   u   t   o   n   r  .   e   s   o   e   m   e   c   h   O   r  ,   e   t   n   h   e   o   t   o   n   r   v   a   e    k   e   r    l    k   a    t   a   o   s   e    d   m  m    R   e   r   y    h   n   o   e    f   s   a   s   c   u   e   i   r    T   a   n   a   n   o  ,   y   e   a   n   r    i   v   v   l   o    t   a   i   g   S  e   s   c   a    d    f  ,   u   r   f   r  .   n   i   r    0   a   e   o   c   a   g    i   n   y   n   e   c   6    3    b   a   h  .    I    t    H    d   m  n   e  .    F   e   l    i    i    (   p   a   e   y   p    b   s   y   b   o   r   m    l    t    l   a   d   s   f   e   o   i    d   o   e   w  n   r   e    h   r   a   i   v   o   o   w  o   n   s   a   r   c   n   m   v   u   s   o    l    i    i    t   a   S  c   x   e   a   i   n   f    i   e   s    i   c   s   e   n   o   i    d   h   e   s   h   e   p   x   s   t    h   t   n   e   s    A  e   i    l   o   d   s   g   n   b   s   n   r   t    i    d   e   a   a   e   a   s   s   u   r   n   a   e   f    G  o   e   e   o    i   c    t   e   t   v   n   a   a   a   r   y   h    h    t    t   r   r   e    t   p   m   o   e   n   o    t   e   o   w   r   e    t   e    f   e   a   s    i   c   h    d   k   n   t   r   u   n   l    t   o   e   d    l   o    i  ,   c   c   r   u   n    f   o   o   e   e   p   a   w   i   x   h    t    t    d   e   a   e   n   a    i   c   d    l    i    h   W   n    d  .   u   u   a   s   e   o   n   e   m  w   d   a   u    d   m  e   l   v   i    l    i   u   o   c   n    S  g   c   W    i                  

— 119 —