Gringo Soup by John Aspinall

Gringo Soup

John Aspinall

Planning a coach tour of Mexico? Read this and you may want to think again. I loved the way that each chapter is narrated by a different member of the tour group, starting with Lisa, the 'rep'. The passengers' impressions of each other and the daily rivalries and frustrations of their holiday experiences are often hilarious. But there are also human tragedies lurking beneath which are gradually revealed as the travellers tell their stories.

Extract
Even if I swallow the fact that tourism is a frivolous luxury I still have to admit that mine isn't serious work. When I started I felt like Hannibal or Vasco da Gama with the fate of a whole expedition in my hands but pretty soon I realised I was a zero.... My job is PR and social, like a Butlins redcoat or a Thomson courier - answering complaints or passing them on translated into Spanish - helping the punters feel they're being cherished and having a happy-clappy time.
Parallels
  • Neither Here Nor There by Bill Bryson
  • Rule No 5 No Sex on the Bus by Brian Thacker