Baby steps

It's been an interesting week.

I had my first client on Monday/Tuesday - the lovely Angie Warlo, a friend of Frank Thormann (my Central America party buddy). I had a blast taking her to the Point and around the winelands, and although the tours ended up costing me money, it was good practice. But I gotta get the badge man, it's just too fucking expensive without it - you have to pay everywhere!

The rest of the week was spent graduating the tourism course, spending time with the folks, buying my Quantum (wrote out a cheque for R265,000... now THAT hurt) and trying to get things going.

My first proper foray into marketing territory, yesterday, was shortlived. The dude at the Long Street travel agency cynically destroyed my initial value offering. I need to learn how to develop a thicker skin for this. Also the van registration is going to take ages - as I was warned - and I seem to have a helluva time trying to obtain all the proper insurances.

An idea on how to get the PGTOPS name out was borne out of drunken party planning last night, though. My friends Mark and Sally are always looking for ways to use our awesome place for a sweet party, and it looks like New Years might be it. Details to be discussed this week, but it might be a strong way to get some publicity going...

We'll see. In the meantime, tomorrow will be a shitty day spent in admin at police stations and governmental institutions, before facing my fears and running the backpacker gauntlet again. Wish me luck!

P