Travellers will save for years & pay thousands to see the popular region of Patagonia, while Susana Mendoza is lucky enough to get paid to work there day-in-and-day-out.
But what’s Patagonia really like behind the fantasy of fjords and frosty mountains?
We caught up with Australis Patagonia’s Expedition Leader, Susana Mendoza, who told us she never tires of exploring the region because it’s so “isolated and far from the loud and the stress of the world”.
Read on for more on how it’s the ideal place to connect with nature in our Meet the Crew chat with Susana:
What pulled you towards a career in expedition cruising?
Since I was a girl, I always dreamt of travelling and moving from one point to another one and to meet new people from different countries and with different cultural ideas.
Living in Patagonia I started to develop the idea to show and to teach people everything about this unexplored and unique place in the world. That was the real beginning of turning the travelling and exploring nature activities in my personal life into an important part of my professional life too.
What was your first job in cruising?
My first job on a cruise ship was as a shopkeeper in the onboard store and then as the onboard hotel manager assistant.
What steps did you take to eventually become an expedition guide?
First of all, I had to get qualified. I have a degree in Foreign Language Translation, and later I studied Administration and Tourism Services.
Once I started working with Australis, appropriate naturalist education and training were necessary in order to start a career as an expedition guide.
What’s the most interesting fact you’ve ever learned as an expedition guide?
For me, the most interesting thing has been to learn and teach people to understand how nature and how our ecosystem functions.
To teach guests to enjoy and to love each tiny detail of this amazing, southernmost part of the world, is a real privilege.
What’s the most amazing thing you’ve ever seen on your journeys?
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The miracle and the magic of nature’s life combined the marvellous cultures developed by human beings.
Which areas are your favourite to cruises & why?
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Patagonia of course and also Antarctica.
Simply because they are the most remote places on the planet, where you can really have an experience isolated and far from the loud and the stressed world, and be only connected with nature.
What advice would you give someone hoping to pursue a career in cruising?
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My advice is to develop skills to be able to connect with every traveller, no matter from which country they are, their beliefs or cultural ideas.
Languages and multicultural knowledge are indispensable to be successful in this kind of job. I would tell anybody who is thinking of choosing a job onboard a cruise, to enjoy the singular lifestyle!
Sailing makes you a really free soul and constantly meeting people from different countries will enrich your life forever.
Click here to read out chat with Australis Patagonia’s General Manager, Pedro Del Rio, or read more about the cruise line by clicking here.
