What’s the most interesting thing I’ve done as a Local Guide?
Hi! My name is Vlad,
I am from Moscow, Russia and I am local guide level 6. I joined this program just last year and it means a lot to me now.
We created this post with my darling wife.
We love to travel to another cities, another countries and leave there our trail and also we want to leave some tips for those who decided to visit my city.
Google Local Guide helps me to share my experience in the different cultures and to help other people to start their adventure in unknown new city. At first I thought that it is just one more review service for places, but after joining it I realized that it is more like community or family with people who is ready to help each other and I am proud to be the part of it.
Writing this article, I feel like an old and experienced alchemist, who mix ingredients to get the formula of a perfect adventure. Sometimes it works, sometimes not, but I am trying my best.
So here is the formula (you can mix your own ingredients. At least it is my formula, not yours):
- One spoon of sleep grass. Every adventure begins from the shelter (or respawn, hehe) where you can meet interesting people and recreate from a long day in the city. I prefer to stay in hostels because this is the best place to share the experience if you are in the end and to find new routes if you are in the beginning of your travel. Choose the place from where you can easily reach the most interesting places. And don’t forget to check reviews on Google maps and leave your own!
- 25 grams of paper map. The next step after finding a shelter should be a purchasing the paper map. Map is some kind of a talisman of the city I’ve been to. It helps you to better navigate in town and leave memorable marks on it. Once I was walking around Oslo by feet for 3 days, collected many pen marks on my map and a hundred of kilometers of distance. When I realized that I’ve lost my map in the park in 2 kilometers from there last days I felt into depression. Despite the terrible tiredness I’d come back and found it on the bench. It was the happiest day of that travel.
- No internet. This is not the ingredient, actually. This is the warning for you not to use the wrong spice. Internet for your travel is like a salt into your morning coffee. It distracts your attention and spoils the live communication. You can play it safe and download offline map (in case you are going to repeat my mistakes and lose your precious paper map).
- One pint of society root. The street culture is the most interesting part of the modern history of cities. My opinion is that live people, hostels, cafes and bars can tell you more about the city and its life than museums (please don’t refuse to visit museums at all, that part of adventure is also very interesting and can be a cherry on the top of your adventure cake). First of all, I search the most popular places on Google maps and start my way there until I find something special. Don’t be afraid to get lost in the endless streets and to turn from the popular routes (only if you didn’t forget the second ingredient. Internet is your adventure’s worst enemy, remember it). Maybe it is your chance to find your special place.
- The museum as a cherry top. As I said before, don’t refuse to pay a respect to museums. The best adventure is the versatile adventure. In this case Google maps also can be your faithful paladin and lead your feet to the right place.
- The souvenir extract. This ingredient is the most insidious and you should be careful not to put the useless stuff your family and friends will re-present to somebody else or to the trash can (when it happens I cry like a baby). For example, me and my darling wife are collecting bottle opener magnets from the cities. And be aware of the popular places and airports! The merchants there are tricky and can sell you overpriced stuff!
Wow, 6 ingredients! I didn’t realize that when I started this article. Please feel free to use them in your formula and don’t hesistate to add your own into the comments below!
Thank you for your attention and have a nice day!
Keep yourself safe and happy!
P.S. As I said before, I want to see as many visitors in my city as possible. So please find a video about my most favorite place in Moscow (sure it is not the most magnificent, crowded or best rated, but it is my special place (remember the ingredient number four) and maybe it can become a special to you).
