Thom Hogan held hostage in Chile

No points for guessing which ones tend to be less respectful, complain a lot more and generally wish they could import the location to their home country!

Unless tipping's a part of the local culture!

The way it looks to me is that Thom probably caters to an older crowd.

Actually, photographic workshops tend to be a largely older crowd, older than diving, especially when they are expensive and out of the country. They tend to be "different", too. Experienced divers are also more likely to have spent more time traveling to more remote parts of the world than the pure camera crowd.

Again, I know Thom. I've spent hours backpacking and talking with him. I found his article a bit out of character. Towards the end, when he begins with, "So now we get to the political part", I was expecting something totally different. Other than to correct some misplaced characterizations of Thom, I haven't settled on a real opinion of the matter, other than it being a bit hyperbolic in tone. I imagined a situation much worse when I began reading the article, more in line with recent activity in Greece. I can't say he is wrong, but I'm not sure I agree with him.

I've got to believe a lot has to do with the responsibility of the welfare for the group, both fiscally and from a safety standpoint. Think of it this way, a road block in the U.S. doesn't seem life threatening, until you are on the other side of it waiting for the ambulance to get through. Once you decide to lead a group, you become much more risk averse and much less accepting of "events".

Looks like some spots for Patagonia in 2012 just opened up. Who's in?

That's interesting you say that George. I would think topside photography trips were much more exotic in destinations. I do think you are right that the stress of being the group leader was the largest portion of his frustrations at the situation as it unfolded. Hyperbole aside, his first draft of the blog was very unkind to the Chileans, and his subsequent justifications of his blog just compounded the the fact his blog wasn't even editorial but written in PTSD with a bit of victimization thrown in.

As for Patagonia, I'd rather hit the East side @ Valdez. Torres is nice but only worth one visit.

I've got to believe a lot has to do with the responsibility of the welfare for the group, both fiscally and from a safety standpoint.

To be totally fair, I can understand this - having been on a trip where the charter ship hit a rock off South Georgia I watched the REAL financial ramifications hit the organiser very hard and there was immense subsequent financial wriggling by insurers and all before this was resolved (fortunately in this case the problems were only financial, but could have been a great deal worse). It really is all TOO easy though to comment on the web whilst still in the heat of anger.