What is the most interesting thing I’ve done as a local guide?
It would definitely have to be when was put in a scenario where I ended up being a not-so-local guide. Let’s set the scene: I live in Canada. It was July 2019; my brother was getting married and the wedding was set to be on the island of São Miguel in the Azores.
As it turned out, I was the only one in our group of 19 friends that had previously traveled to the island (6 years prior, at the ripe old age of 16). As a result, I was tasked with finding things for us to do over the week that we would spend on the island. Think, Valentin, think. What did you do 6 years ago? You were 16. You weren’t exactly paying attention to the scenery. You were on your phone, weren’t you? Oh god this is going to be a disaster.
I decided to turn to Google Maps to search for everything to do on the island and see if anything would jog my memory. It was a daunting task, but I managed to take the gang to some of the best places São Miguel had to offer - including but not limited to:
An abandoned hotel for an exciting urban exploring experience
An unforgettable whale-watching experience
Exhilarating coastal drives lined with beautiful hydrangeas
Finally, excellent hikes with breathtaking vistas.
Nevertheless, our weeklong trip turned into a week none of us will ever forget. We all still frequently talk about how much we miss it – 6 months later! Looks like my not-quite-local guide experience was a success and it was all thanks to Google Maps 