Some insights into the people on stage 2
Hi
You are no doubt aware that some of the people travelling with me on this trip left in Santiago and others joined. If you aren´t aware of this you haven´t really been paying attention! As with the first stage this is a very heavily censored e-mail with information on the people that joined. So you can keep track Anne-Marie, Jo, Caroline, Helen, Sam, Nicky, Doug, Mike, Chris, Paul, Alex and Moi stayed on. In addition to insights I thought I would also add some updates on the people that stayed.
People Updates
Me - I ran the bar on the second leg but have decided to get fit for rugby (joke!) and may not do it for the next leg (give someone else a chance!). Didn't really do anything stupid this leg (well not anything I'm going to own up to) although I did get propsitioned on Copacobana beach.
Anne-Marie and Chris decided to troll over a glacier without crampons, ice axe, rope or any equipment. Anne-Marie managed to stay calm when Chris fell into a cravasse (it was only a little one!)
Nicky is still in love although I am wondering whether everything is OK as she has taken over as number one in the wine drinking states and Doug seems to have hit the beer a lot. On the plus side we never see them as they are always off somewhere, probably canoodling!
Paul and Alex have got over the loss of Andy and seem to have teemed up with Caroline and Helen. They haven´t really got upto much that I can report in an email suffice it to say that Alex is drinking more and stayed out with Helen until 6 in the morning the other night.
Nick is still the trip leader but doesn´t seem to know where we are going on the final stage! Also, following some interesting woman trouble (sorry discretion prevents me from spreading idle gossip) he now has a badge ´No woman, no cry´ make what you will of that.
As followers of my travelogue will realise the first leg of this trip was very full-on but the second stage has been more sedate and geared towards the outdoors. Nico was, if you recall, extremely gung-ho at the beginning of our trip but has showed us he has an (in)sensitive side - ask no more!
Jo is still very sensible
Sam is still organising
I forgot to mention Mike in my last insights email. I do do now just so you can appreciate the difficulties experienced when the new Mike (called new Mike) joined. Other than using what look like army surplus equipment and always seeming to wear green Mike seems to get into trouble quietly. On the first leg he tried to get into a canoe and ended up in the water (he had no need to get into the canoe!) On this leg he quietly got mangled in Ushuia and suffered accordingly. His camera has also suffered. It got a soaking when Mike fell out if the canoe he didn´t get into and it had water running out of two days later after our visit to Iguazu.
New People in no particular order.
Carolyne - Is very similar to Caroline in that she is blonde, is a teacher and has a thing for Nick. Other than not drinking (well, not so you would notice), being allergic to eggs, not eating pork (I don´t think she´s jewish) and having a thing for Nick she´s OK
Rebecca (Becky) - Quietly (well not really) intellectual.
Suzanne - Good looking package with red hair which form a halo (she´s no saint!) around her head. Is coupled up with Simon and is the sensible (and good looking) one of the pair.
Jenny - Danish blonde bird currently experiencing Nico´s sensitive side
Jo - Yes, this is another Jo! Jo answers to Jo B in the bar tab list and is a doctor. As you can imagine after my escapade in Cusco, Nick and Nico´s dallyance with the ladies, Alex not remembering where he has been that having someone to dispense anti-biotics, hangover cures and propholactics is very useful. Jo´s a lovely lady, quite quiet but a laugh all the same as with old Jo (not that she´s old, just that she was here first) she´s the sensible type. Suppose that´s because she´s a doctor.
Mike - AKA New Mike. A 67 year old ex-army chap who if I can do what he can when I´m 67 I´ll be happy. I wouldn´t say Mike has a drinking problem as he only ever has one, sometimes two, beakers of wine from the truck bar this is usually in addition to a bottle which he´s bought. I suspect that being a teacher may have something to do with this.
Simon - Simon is Welsh!!
Gary - Has much in common with Sam. In that he is an accountant (say no more!)
Anyway you will find out more about these people when I get back or if you talk to Claire as she seems to know most of the gossip as everyone on the trip is using her as an agony aunt. Must sign off now - Bye
Hope everyone is still jealous
Thinking of you always (NOT!)
Matt somewhere in South America !!!
Telephone: switched off