Speaking this month we have:

1. Jeanie Copland – on to Ho Chi Min (Trans Siberian Part 2).

   Having travelled the Trans Siberian railway from Moscow, via Mongolia, to Beijing; now continue on China’s railways to Nanning, crossing into Vietnam to connect with their reunification rail network – “adventuring en route!!”.

2. Russell Maddicks – Ecuador: Where to Visit After April’s Earthquake

   Ecuador is one of the most interesting and rewarding countries to visit in the Americas. A small country blessed with a hugely varied geography – encompassing Andean peaks, Amazon rainforest, Pacific beaches, and the wildlife-wonderland of the Galapagos Islands – it has been described as a microcosm of South America. On 16 April a 7.8 magnitude earthquake devastated communities along the northern Pacific coast and a massive relief effort is still underway. Meanwhile, the rest of the country is operating normally and more than ever needs tourism revenue to help fund the rebuilding on the coast.

   Russell Maddicks, the author of the “Culture Smart! Guide to Ecuador” will give an illustrated presentation explaining the current situation on the ground, why you should visit now, and a taste of the country’s main tourism highlights.

3. Olie Hunter Smart – Kayaking the Amazon.

   Olie has a passion for travel, culture, adventure and photography, stemming from a trip to Belize in 2002. Since then he has continued to explore the world, spending two months in a village on a remote island in Indonesia, as well as travelling through parts of Northern African and Europe. In 2013 he took a break from the advertising world, backpacking his way overland through 16 countries across four continents, exploring and photographing different environments, cultures and landscapes along the way.

   In 2015, Olie and travel companion Tarran Kent-Hume completed an expedition to walk and kayak the length of the Amazon River, from its most distant source high up in the Peruvian Andes to where it enters the Atlantic Ocean in Brazil. The pair travelled over 4,000 miles fully unsupported, carrying all their own gear, food and supplies for the four and a half month journey.

   Find out more at www.oliehuntersmart.com or @oliehs

   

   

   

   

London branch meetings are held at The Church of Scotland, Crown Court, behind the Fortune Theatre in Covent Garden the first Saturday of each month, unless there is a UK public holiday that weekend.

Admission costs, £3 for Members and £6.00 Non-members. You do not need to be a member to attend, and we do not sell advanced tickets, please just come on the day, the doors open at 2:15pm and the program starts around 2:30pm with each talk lasting approximately 40 minutes.

There is no London meeting in August, but we start afresh each September.

If you would like to keep up to date with what’s happening at the Globetrotters London meetings and to be sent email reminders prior to the meeting, please sign up here.