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Make sure your guide is licensed. 1
Guiding principles.
1
Guiding policy.
1
Continuous learning.
1
Seeing more than listening. 1
Tourist liberty.
1
Religious attitude.
2
Explanations of sites.
2
Group size.
2
Local Agent
2
Fees. 3
Testimonials.
3
My license
No. 2795
Always
make sure that the guide you use is licensed by the Israel Ministry of Tourism. Ask him or her to show you their license.
It's illegal to employ an unlicensed guide.
In the
course of all the many years I’ve been guiding I’ve come to notice that I follow a consistent pattern. Here I set out the principles I tend to follow in my guiding.
Guiding policy
Continuous learning.[top]
I believe
in the need to continually learn and to find better ways to describe sites to tourists. This is my main goal in life.
Everything
I describe and explain is associated with a site we are visiting.
Although
I think I know quite a bit about the history and religion of all the sites in Israel I'm selective in the information
I give tourists. I don't believe they're interested to learn everything about a site and it's not my job to impress them with
my knowledge. They want information but not to be professors at university and I stick to their level.
I want
to give people the opportunity to see, that's why they have come here, and to listen, if they wish.
I have
a reputation for not being at all dictatorial. I'm considered to be rather laid back.
I leave
my tourists to choose whether to listen to my explanations or not, although I insist on punctuality and being together when
we arrive at a site and when we leave it.
I always
keep my explanations brief and to the point so that people have enough time at each site to do a little exploration of their
own.
I love
questions but don't wait for these before giving explanations. Most people are very interested to learn but don't necessarily
know which questions to ask.
I like
taking Jews to Christian sites and vice versa and to Moslem sites because the 3 religions are inseparably intertwined.
There
is no question of suggesting in any way that one religion is better than the other. I'm not a preacher. I love the customs
of all the religions although I personally don't strictly follow any of them.
I love
religions in the way a botanist loves flowers and I love showing the different customs of each but usually I speak about the
history more than the beliefs. I leave beliefs to the priests.
I've
put in writing most of the explanations I give to tourists about the various sites we visit.
Most
of these can be found on my website under site descriptions. If there is any site which hasn’t been covered I’d
appreciate having it pointed out to me so that I can add an explanation.
Although
most of the details about the various sites remain the same forever new information can change the descriptions. This happens
when I acquire further knowledge about the different religions associated with the various tourist sites or when new discoveries
are made.
Where
sites are repeated in several itineraries I don’t repeat descriptions or explanations. One can go to a page with the
explanation or browse through the itineraries for explanations.
Naturally
I think it's best to have one or two tourists. That is the ideal but it's fun for the people to be part of a bigger group.
Although
I have a loudspeaker and many guides with big groups have transmitters and receivers to overcome the problem of everyone hearing
what is said, these detract from the personal contact and I prefer not to use them.
There
are plenty of places where I can get a big group together in a quiet place, a room or amongst some ancient ruins to speak
to everyone together.
I don't
think it’s necessary to have the group together all the time unless it's only between 1 and 10 people. More than that
I'll only talk to all of them together at selected places and in the bus. In such a case I can handle up to 50 people but
even 20 would limit the number of times that I talk to all together.
I never
give long winded lectures.
Although
I guide for many companies, when I'm asked to make hotel and bus reservations I ask an agent to do this for me. They have
the set up for it and that is their business.
There
are two levels of fees, as I have explained on the page, Prices and Itineraries:
a)
Spontaneous tour; i.e. no prior reservation, call the day before or on the day you want to tour, if I’m
available okay, if not try another day: No minimum number of participants, tour last 3 hours, anyone can join: $40 or IS120
per person.
b)
Pre reserved tour. Price per group, no minimum, no maximum, custom made tour, private. Price $200 half day $300 full day.
Dear
Leon
Just
a short note to thank you so much for our walk together last Wednesday. I want to say again how much I enjoyed your company,
your comments and observations, and the further insight you gave to me concerning Jerusalem
and the myriad aspects associated with it. Also, thank you so much for caring for my physical needs: I so much enjoyed our
lunch stop.
I haven't
the time now to explore your web site but over the next days, I shall do so.
I don't
know when I shall again visit our supplier in Israel,
but if you are agreeable, I should like to contact you when I do, and take another walk with you.
With
thanks and best regards.
Andrew
Dickenson
to say:
Thank you ever-so-much for the tour yesterday, Leon!
I hope
you could tell I so enjoyed chatting with you, and listening to your stories.
I had
an ABSOLUTE blast, and would love to come back and spend more time with you, just to absorb. Perhaps even bring the
family.
You made
my trip/visit to Jerusalem a sincere treat!
Thank
you, and stay safe always. T.J.Creamer
Sunday
18th May 8:45 AM
Brent
Voris turned in his seat in the lobby of the Montefiore Hotel in Shatz Str. Jerusalem. He and his family jumped up, Rachel,
Danake, Nathaniel and Caleb, full of enthusiasm and went running after Leon.
"Were they ready?" "What a question" You've never seen a more ready to go group of tourists. Leon realized he has some real tough tourists here, they mean to take it all in.
"Today
will be a long day"
"are
you ready?" Sure thing the 4 smiling Vorises chimed after Dad Brent.
Off to
the Galillee; round the walls of the Old City,
up Mt. Scopus, through the tunnel and suddenly face
to face with the Judean Desert.
Questions
came thick and fast: Is this the way Jesus walked into Jerusalem?
What is the West Bank? What is Red Hill? How do they grow all the dates, melons, onions and
grapes in the desert?
Where
do I come from?
The answers
were more slow in coming; they took the next 4 full days of touring to answer and still Brent and his family are going home
with plenty of questions
Hi Leon,
2-3 years
ago Alan and I hiked with you for one day in Jerusalem.
It was a memorable day for us... We LOVED it. You were great!
I am
writing to you now wanting your help. We plan to visit Israel
this January. Alan will join me this year, however, he refuses to spend all of his time in Israel in my Kibbutz (Kfar
Blum)with my family...He may agree to come if I find him a trip that he can do while there. He wants to do a hiking
trip so I was thinking of one of the desert trips but I really have no idea if anyone leads a group trip (he does not want
to do it on his own)for English speakers, that is geared towards people who love to see through their feet.
Do you
have any suggestions/recommendations?
Thanks
you so much for any advice!
Blessings
Hallo
Leon
Ondertussen
zijn we weer terug in Nederland.
We hebben
genoten van Israel en zeker ook van de
dag met jou als gids.
Dank
en wie weet tot de volgende keer.
Hartelijke groet
,Dear
Leon
We really
wonder about the tourists you have been guiding some time ago according to your last "no news" letter! I think you should
mention next time the view on the Quneitra border and the associated problems.
Also
the "boat" from the Kennereth Lake 2000 years old, is worth mentioning! What a treasure!
It as
nice to be remembered in this way, and we hope it will encourage others to take similar trips.
Thank
you for having paid such attention to our six questions all along the trip!
We are
still reminding them in our conversations with friends and family.
Kindest
regards from the old "trekkers":
Opa and
Oma
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