¡Los expats no somos guías turísticas!

Como extranjeros viviendo en otro país, siempre recibimos mensajes de gente que quiere venir a nuestro lugar de residencia, pidiendo información sobre la ciudad, los planes, transportes, precios, hoteles, zonas, detalles y cualquier cosa que traigan en mente. Con los amigos uno hace un esfuerzo y ayuda, pero lo peor es cuando recibimos esos mensajes del amigo de un tío, de un sobrino que es primo segundo de un conocido que es amigo de la familia, de la hija del tío del amigo de tu papá de la primaria... OMG, estos no tienen ninguna vergüenza y menos cuando te piden quedarse en TU casa!

A una amiga le llegó este mail y yo lo publico para que POR FAVOR no repitan nunca lo mismo. Nosotros los expatriados, ¡NO SOMOS GUÍAS TURÍSTICAS! y si quieren planear sus viajes, TripAdvisor y LonelyPlanet son dos muy buenas guías con mucha información.


Está en inglés, pero vale la pena cada párrafo, así que saquen el traductor.



Hi Tania,


I wonder if you remember me...I'm a close friend of Pam; Jaime who you met at a campsite at Lee's Ferry where the Grand Canyon starts (Pariah and Glen Canyon end). I'm also an Antiochian like your dad. Anyway, remember me or not, I'm trying to find some info to make plans for an exploration visit.


I'll be in Buenos Aires Nov 14 to 20. I haven't much clue yet what I want to do but I do have an interest in spending some time appreciating the city-ness of the place and going away from the city some to experience nature. Pam suggested the Delta, which sounded like an interesting place in at least a few ways (as a transit-interested person, I liked the idea of a "bus" system by boat, like he says they have.


I'm trying to make connections through the couchsurfing.com community (possibly for a place to stay or just to connect with some people. I speak approximately no Spanish, though I did manage to get along alone traveling small towns of Venezuela for a couple weeks, and learned some Spanish then. (Three years ago! Other than that 6 week trip, I've never been to South America.)


Anyway, since you seem to live there, I thought you'd be a good person to connect with. Any chance you'd want to have a Skype conversation or email? I'll be in Chile for the two preceding weeks (Oct 27 to Nov 14).


My interests are:
-=-Political history and democratic movements
-=-Public art and street art culture
-=-Urban-nature connection and natural history (see my website http://thinkwalks.org)
-=-Bicycle as transportation (co-founded the first Critical Mass in SF and the SF bike coalition)
-=-low-budget tasty food (I'm an incessant cook)
-=-Canoeing and kayaking
-=-Stilt-walking (though I won't bring mine)
-=-Acoustic music-making and listening, singing (I play harmonica)


Thanks for any thoughts you have!
Juan