Himalayan Hike – 1 – Hiring a Guide

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Mark and Axel from Australia teamed up with Luis from Spain and Alex from France to hike to Malana in Himachal Pradesh. Gilles helped them negotiate the price and conditions of a guide over the mountain pass.

Gilles: You must be clear about where you go and when you go and how much you give and when you give(it).
Alex: Yeah yeah.
Gilles: You know what I mean? Then there is no trouble. You know? It must be very very clear. After if something is not on the way, (you will say) “It was not like this! It was not like this!”
Alex: Yeah.
Gilles: It is not good, no? It is (there will be) bad feeling.

(Hindi) (code-switching)

Gilles: Because for example you know he just told me now. You have to…He will go the second day, drop you in Malana. He will not stay in Malana. So you must be very clear. He wants to come back on the same day.
Mark: Mm.
Gilles: Otherwise he will spend three days.
Alex: Yeah.
Gilles: You know. If he has to stay in Malana… to sleep in Malana… He will not stay in Malana. So you must be very clear. He wants to come back on the same day. The second day he will not stay in Malana. So he must come back on the same day.
Mark: Yeah.
Gilles: He will arrive here at nine o’clock in the evening. You know? But it means the second day you have to start very early.
Mark: Yeah.
Gilles: Otherwise if you start at nine or ten o’clock, then he will reach Malana at two or three o’clock. Then he can’t come. He has to sleep and eat in Malana and to come back on the third day.
Mark: Yeah.
Gilles: Then it makes one day more.
Mark: Mm.
Gilles: You know what I mean? Otherwise he spends three days. You know? With food..If he has one thousand rupees, he pays the bus. He pays everything. OK. He pays the food. He pays to sleep. He has to pay something, you know?
Mark: Yeah.
Gilles: And out of one thousand rupees he has just four hundred rupees left, you know?
Mark: Yeah.
Gilles: He cannot be satisfied with this.
Mark: Yeah.
Gilles: Otherwise he will stay here and he will work here, you know? He will do something. You know what I mean? And if you want to walk in Malana also, it is better you walk with him.

(Hindi) (code switching to talk to others)

Gilles: So maybe it is better you keep him for two and a half days.
Mark: Mm.
Gilles: Because I know you will wake up at five o’clock. You will not rush. You don’t want this. You want to go slow.
Mark: Yeah.