Michael must be a lurker here, he replied this morning, our day with him is coming along nicely!

Michael is worth putting up with a bit (even a lot) of email-shyness. I had a fantastic day with him in which he fitted in all the places of interest I mentioned and others based on what I said I liked to see. Frankly, he was very very reasonable in his charges for a private guide and some private guides charge more for 2 hours than he did for 6 or 7 hours, even allowing for the cost of coffee breaks and lunch - for which I was happy to pay for such pleasant company. He is busy because he is good and he is great value in all respects and that is why he cannot afford a secretary - the costs would go through the roof. He is worth giving a lot of slack and as someone mentioned, once he confirms, unless something very serious occurs,, illness etc, he has booked you in and you can rely on him. Also keep in mind that he does not require you to secure your booking by a credit card or advance payment so he is risking a lot in booking you.