Thanks for your input John.

I see the tipping as a very sensitive question for the newcomer I am. As I reckon, it seems to go pretty much like here in France (in a restaurant you may leave a 2 € coin for the waiter, nothing if it's a "duty meal" that you employer will refund - obviously they won't pay you back for the tips). As for hunting, I may will to leave a tip of an amount I can afford, say a couple hundred dollars, hoping it will be appreciated as the effort I can make and not seen as an insult if $1000 is the rule...

Will happily gather other points of view to help me make up my mind !