Nagaland is a state located in the far northeast corner of India on the border with Burma. Born and raised in the neighbouring state of Meghalaya, I grew up hearing stories about the ethnic clashes, separatist and underground movements that plagued the state. But then there were also the tales of the valour, indomitable spirit and fiercely independent nature of the Naga tribes. In fact, they were the last to come under British rule in the late 1880s. To prevent rebellion from the unruly Nagas, the British had to devise an administrative system which retained and respected Naga law so that the villages continued to operate almost unaltered.
Nagaland today is a peaceful state and insurgency problems have stopped. With its return to normalcy, the state has opened up to tourism and hosts one of the most extravagant and colourful festivals in the region – the internationally acclaimed Hornbill Festival (held in the first week of December every year).
I had bronchitis a couple of weeks before I was due to travel to Sri Lanka.
I suddenly did not want to go. I felt really vulnerable and depressed,
but I also had faith that sunshine and a change of environment (I live
in London) would be good medicine for me. My first mistake was to
use the £10 voucher I was given by Sri Lankan airlines because of a
2 hour flight delay, to eat 3 oysters. Straight away I did not feel right..
but was it just nerves? I was not sick. I could not sleep on the plane
and arrived zonked … and nauseous. So I meekly allowed a taxi tout to
lead me to a taxi. I probably paid more than I should have but didn’t
care. I am someone who normally avoids taxis but I was that desperately
weary.
Coming lunchtime and just what I am looking for:- water running from a plastic
pipe but with a drinking cup left beside the fuente de beber close to a crude
table and bench. No need for signs attesting to the water quality, the locals –
gente local, obviously use this spring. I unpack my bread, Mahou, sausage and
cheese (pan, cerveza, chorizo y manchego) and catch a large draft of clear, cold
spring water.
What a feast. A warbler sings a few phrases in the brush, but gives up. It is
siesta time… I stretch out on the table and …
Unchartered territory around Lake Hashinge, Ethiopia By Sam McManus
The only lake of any size in the northern province of Tigray, Lake Hashinge feels like the Como of Ethiopia. It joins two large areas of lush flatland to the north and south where droves of cattle and other livestock are brought to graze and water. At a 2500m elevation the lake waters rest calmly, enclosed to the east and west by beautifully terraced foothills. A church flashed like an aquamarine stone on a hillside as the sunlight caught it, the rays then abruptly cut off by an angry cloud rolling in to the higher peaks. I walked west along the south side of the lake, enjoying the shading of the water created by the rippling breeze, greeted by shepherds herding huge-horned cattle coming the other way. My plan was to walk up into the mountains on the west side of the lake, head north for two days, come down into the small town of Maychew, then summit Mt. Tsibet. Situated to the northwest of the town at 3935m, it is the highest in mountain in Tigray. I had not heard of anyone doing the walk and didn’t bring a tent, assuming there would be plenty of mountain villages there upon whose hospitality I could rely.
The walk up into the foothills through grass-thatched villages was beautiful. The lake shimmered on my right hand side and everything was green.
My first long-distance travel experience was accepting a one-year studentship to work at Guanajuato University Library in Mexico in the mid-1980s. I extended my time in Mexico for another year by working for the British Council in Mexico City. I loved Mexico and living there gave me a wonderful insight into the Mexican way of life. I spent holidays and weekends exploring Mexico and even ventured on a student trip to Cuba one week. I still have good friends in Mexico from this time.
After 2 years I returned to the UK and joined the British Council. This gave me the opportunity to travel during my 22 years working for them. My first trip was to run a 2-week librarianship course up in the copper belt of Zambia. Needless to say I stayed on to take a short safari and visit Victoria Falls, stopping off in Egypt on the way home.
Comic book capers arriving in Sakaiminato on the Eastern DreamBy Pete Martin
It’s weird to be in Japan. It’s my first time and I really do feel like I’m on the other side of the world. Actually I am, after traveling across Russia on the Trans Siberia Railway and now across the Sea of Japan by ferry. A free shuttle bus takes me from the Eastern Dream into the centre of Sakaiminato. To my surprise, the bus drives on the right side of the road; by that, I mean the correct side, the left side, like in the UK.
As if to say a big konnichiwa (hello) and to my surprise there are colourful models of cartoon characters all over town. Every few metres along the main road, on rocks on the pavement cartoon caricatures have been placed. There are huge colourful comic posters on the walls of the buildings and the station too.
The drive up from the city had been both disorientating and familiar. It is strange to see in the same panorama both the turquoise ripples of the Mediterranean and mountains heavily laden with flashing snow, petering out to a light dusting of castor sugar lower down. Familiarity emanated from the solid traditional houses of creamy stone and orange roof brick, windswept Grecian trees with branches of smoke tendrils, green poplars. All the signs were in Arabic and the dust of the Middle East was in the air, yet it felt like Southern Europe. And Lebanon is in fact the perfect balance between these two worlds.
India has a reputation for transforming people. Since I returned just a week ago I have had 2 people ask me how I think it has changed me. I didn’t know how to answer. Well, this was my 4th visit, and also travels to other countries have had a huge impact on me… how was this different? I am older and more experienced than when I travelled to Israel and Turkey when I was 23 years old and up for adventure, change and expansion of my world view and I underwent tremendous personal growth. But maybe the countries themselves were not the main catalyst
Congratulations to Kay Grey who won a year’s membership of the Globetrotters Club in the Winter 2018 picture quiz by correctly naming the location in which this picture was taken.
The location in the photo is Song Kol in Kyrgyzstan. There were a few incorrect entries this time but the text gave enough clues to narrow it down…
Song Kol is the alpine lake that was mentioned. The traditional nomadic dwelling in the picture can be called a yurt or a ger as well as a few other names but the only national flag to depict the pinnacle of this construction set into a yellow sun on a red background is that of Kyrgyzstan.
Would you have got the answer right?
Why not have a go at the latest question?
Globe 2018 Spring Picture Quiz
Have a look at these pictures and read the clues to answer the question – where in the world is this?
One of the world’s oldest republics and also one of the world’s smallest independent nations, this landlocked mountainous microstate is said to have more vehicles than people!
The civil police are dressed in blue and yellow (below) and the national guard who are found outside public palaces (inset) are attired in a green and red uniform.
Pete Martin describes St Basil’s in Moscow, one of the many places around the world that has taken his breath away and he now calls his Transformational Moments.
I enter Red Square. It’s un- believable. I have that same feeling I got in Times Square, in Tiananmen Square, at the Grand Canyon and on the banks of the St. Lawrence River. I experienced a similar feeling at the Taj Mahal.
In these moments, I am lost for words, totally taken aback that I am here witnessing a sight that I did not think I ever would. I have a feeling of being alive and seeing some- thing I had previously only thing I had dreamed of.
‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina’ was resonating from loudspeakers throughout
the Sunday market in the San Telmo district of Buenos Aires, sounding even more wonderfully romantic sung in Spanish as ‘No Llores Por Mi Argentina’.
It was balm to my spirits, having just experienced one of the great scams inflicted on foreigners in that city. Heading to the market that morning I suddenly felt splodges fall on my head and shoulders from a balcony above.
A young woman immediately approached with a handkerchief, offering to wipe away the mess.‘Please remove your rucksack’, she said haltingly in English. No chance, I thought, having been told earlier that morning by a young Frenchman that he’d lost his passport, wallet, camera and all the pictures he’d taken in a year’s travelling in a similar scam just the day before. The scam was tried on me not once, but twice that same day without success, but thankfully did not diminish one jot my enjoyment of the city. Buenos Aires is a city of contrasts.
The city break is a phenomenon of our times, and the ability to jet off to a foreign city for two or three nights has broadened all our horizons. In recent years the “hot” destinations have gradually moved from Western European capitals to edgier cities further east or south; as each gets taken over by stag and hen parties in search of cheap booze the cognoscenti move on to the next big thing.
The popularity of a city for a short break is very dependent on the availability of a direct flight from the UK on a low cost airline; cities which may be fascinating to visit but which lack a direct connection thus tend to stay under the radar.
I visited such a city in May 2019 and want to urge you to go there before it is discovered; it has an oceanside location, wonderful baroque architecture, inexpensive hotels and restaurants, many museums and galleries and a stupendous opera and ballet theatre with tickets for less than a tenner. I’m talking about Odessa, on the Black Sea coast of southern Ukraine.
Globe is an info-packed newsletter with travelogues by members, book reviews, travel tips, bargains and news. There is a mutual aid section where you can exchange information; place advertisements and find travel companions.
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Remembering Doris Dunkerley
Ex-Pat – A novel by Chris Watts Chris sets the scene on a strange small Greek island in this intriguing extract
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Mardi Gras, America – Carol M. Highsmith’s America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.
From Mardi Gras and exploring the historic French Quarter to cocktail themed tours there is something for everyone in New Orleans, a place where centuries old architecture is the backdrop for all ventures. Here are 10 reasons why visitors should visit in 2017.
1) It is easier than ever to get there…
From 26th March, 2017 British Airways will launch a four times a week service from London Heathrow to New Orleans. The route will be operated by a three-class Boeing 787-8, with return fares starting from £599. This service marks the first direct flights from London to New Orleans since the early 1980s.
2) The city is a culinary adventure
In a city with more than 1,400 restaurants to choose from, New Orleans offers a variety of cuisines. From foodie festivals, street food, cooking schools and restaurants galore, there are endless options available that are sure to take taste buds on a culinary adventure. Local chefs and restaurants are constantly evolving, utilising local and seasonal ingredients that reflect the uniquely diverse culture of New Orleans.
Some of the best cuisine is showcased during the annual COOLinary New Orleans Restaurant Month each August, with restaurants offering special discounts.
3) New Orleans is one big stage
It is said that in New Orleans, music echoes from every corner. The city is the birthplace of jazz and a mecca for gospel, R&B and ultimately, the rock and pop many love today. Musical magic is alive on the streets and in the clubs of New Orleans. Witness an impromptu live performance on Royal Street, experience unbelievable live musical performances from intimate venues on Frenchmen Street to places like the Smoothie King Center.
4) Mardi Gras
For a few weeks in the early part of each year, dozens of brightly festooned, themed Mardi Gras floats carrying krewe royalty, celebrities, and masked members lead marching bands and riders on horseback, flambeaux carriers and others through the streets of New Orleans. They bestow beads, doubloons, and other prized trinkets to millions of revellers witnessing “the greatest show on Earth.”
Carnival season officially begins January 6 every year and continues through Fat Tuesday, which falls on the day before Ash Wednesday. This year’s parades will take place between January 6th and 28th February, 2017. Click here for the 2017 schedule.
5) A lot more reasons to party!
Celebration is at the core of the New Orleans’ experience, and to get a true taste of the city, every visitor should join in one of these unforgettable festivals. Whether it is music, food or the arts one loves (or all of the above), they’ll want to join in as New Orleans lets its hair down and declares, “laissez les bons temps rouler!” (let the good times roll). Visit this page for a calendar of events. Many of these are free – French Quarter Fest, Satchmo SummerFest, Po-Boy Preservation Festival, Wednesdays at the Square and, and of course, Mardi Gras.
6) Free things to do
New Orleans offers a plethora of free activities to choose from. Walk among the centuries-old oaks of City Park, picnic in the picturesque Audubon Park or enjoy views of the Mississippi River at Woldenberg Park. Stroll along Bourbon Street, Frenchmen Street and Fulton, where jazz pours out onto the street, or duck into a club for the full experience. Many clubs don’t even charge a cover. Explore New Orleans neighbourhoods and their connection to jazz with six self-guided Jazz History Walking Tours. Click here for a list of free things to do in New Orleans.
7) New Orleans will host NBA All-Star 2017
New Orleans has been selected to host NBA All-Star 2017. The 66th NBA All-Star Game will be played on Sunday 19th February, at Smoothie King Center – home of the New Orleans Pelicans. This will mark the third time New Orleans has been the site of the league’s annual midseason celebration, having previously hosted the event in 2008 and 2014.
8) Visit the River Road’s plantation homes
The River Road is an easy jaunt from New Orleans. This is where visitors will find several majestic plantations including Oak Alley, San Francisco, Laura, Destrehan, Houmas House and more. These homes will sweep visitors back in time with period furnishings, folk art and craft demonstrations, lush gardens, landscapes and more.
9) Cocktails and brews
In New Orleans, a great drink is just as important as a great meal. New Orleans’ signature drinks are almost as famous as the nightlife bars and hot spots that make them, check out this list for a list of New Orleans cocktails and where to enjoy a Sazerac, Hurricane or French 75. There are cocktail walking tours which tell you the history of the city whilst you taste some of these classics and you can even bring your drink from one bar to the next in a “cup to go”.
Beer enthusiasts should not miss the 8th annual NOLA on Tap Beer Fest. The one-day event, taking place in New Orleans City Park in September is the largest event of its kind in the region and allows beer aficionados to sample more than 400 local, regional and nationally homebrewed and microbrewery beers.
10) Museums
From food, culture to music, New Orleans has a museum for every scholar at every age. Learn about the cuisine of South East Louisiana at the Southern Food & Beverage Museum, celebrate fine arts at New Orleans Museum of Art, ride a hummer during the WWII Museum Victory Theatre’s 4D cinematic experience and discover where Mardi Gras is made at Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World, the largest float-building warehouse in the world.
For a comprehensive list of museums please visit this page.
11) Lagniappe (A little something extra)
New Orleans is the perfect gateway to the rest of Louisiana and the Deep South, where visitors can enjoy beautiful state parks, a plethora of historic sites, take airboats tours in the bayous, and get a closer taste of the Cajun culture, and so much more.
Visit this page for a 3 days itinerary of New Orleans.
For more information, please visit www.neworleanscvb.com, @NewOrleansCVB on Twitter, ‘like’ on Visit New Orleans Facebook and follow us on Instagram (VisitNewOrleans). Or visit www.louisianatravel.com, @louisianatravel on Twitter.
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Ah. Definitely don’t travel there, I heard everywhere. It is too dangerous. Drugs, mugging, highway robberies and kidnapping. You are crazy. I roll my eyes. Maybe I am. However, is the current situation in Europe really so peaceful that it is better to stay here and not to explore other places? Apart from horror media news, do not forget to add to your list that this Central American country (borders on Mexico, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador) lies in a seismically active region so earthquakes, volcano eruptions, floods and hurricanes are not rare either.
Guatemala was currently not in the viewfinder of my travel lens because I do region hopping and I considered Central America covered for some time after my recent visit to Costa Rica. It is a destination that found me. And got under my skin right when I first stepped on the Guatemalan land after crossing the Belize-Guatemala border on a boat. Same with my heart. Love at first sight. I remember it as if it was this morning. I am standing in a harbour, trying to hide from the scorching rays of the Guatemalan sun, our captain passing my backpacks to me and I immediately feel an incredible energy. Genius loci has spoken.
You can find here towns with fast food restaurants and conveniences of the modern world as well. However, I visited places where the time has stopped. Places where traditions and everyday life bring you back to pre-Columbian times. Places where laundry is done as in times of our grannies. Places where women in traditional clothes carry goods on their heads. Places where men in wellington boots, cowboy hats and machetes under their belts walk quietly through the villages or leave for work on coffee and corn fields on decks of pick-up trucks. Places that let you day dream.
It would never come to my mind that this country, somewhere in Central America, could be so liveable. Quite frankly, I could imagine settling down here. In a country of active volcanoes set between the Pacific and Caribbean coasts where you can meet Maya people (right, they have not disappeared anywhere). Country that is rightfully enlisted on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Country of archaeological treasures of Maya sites of world importance hidden in lush jungles and beauties of colonial era with cobblestone streets and buildings from the times of Spanish rule. Country of quiet fisherman’s villages on the bank of mirror lakes, with descendants of African slaves or located high in the range of Cordillera mountains. Country of colourful markets, delicious tastes and places which are still not on pages of guide books and will hopefully not be seen on tourist maps for a lot longer. Country that suffered in a civil war, which ended in late 90s, for 36 years. Country where Chapín(a)s (how Guatemalans call themselves) will, despite their difficult experience, infect you with friendliness, politeness, willingness to help and unhurried way of life. For me, Guatemala is a pearl in terms of variety, closeness to indigenous people and authenticity. It is so unique. Forget the pointless European stress, chasing a higher fence and greener grass. Let me take you to Guatemala
Guatemala Street, Leninka Modrooká
Guatemala, Leninka Modrooká
Guatemala, Leninka Modrooká
Guatemala, Leninka Modrooká
Guatemala Bus, Leninka Modrooká
Guatemala, Leninka Modrooká
Guatemala, Leninka Modrooká
Guatemala Sunset, Leninka Modrooká
Guatemala Street Art, Leninka Modrooká
Guatemala, Leninka Modrooká
Guatemala, Leninka Modrooká
Read more stories and see more pictures by Leninka Modrooká at:
Running Scared? A marathon in Afghanistan By Keith MacIntosh
It’s early morning to the west of Bamiyan in the highlands of central Afghanistan. There is fresh snow on the mountains, and a crowd is huddled together in the cold air. A couple of pickups are mounted with heavy machine guns, and uniformed men hover, clutching their rifles. We are waiting.
A whistle is blown, the pickups set off, and the crowd scatters. We all run.
Sometime around 2003, I received an invitation to visit Afghanistan – I’m still not sure how it reached me, but supposedly it was from the Minister of Tourism. I didn’t go, and over the subsequent years, I assumed it would never happen. Too far, too difficult, too dangerous. Always somewhere else to travel instead. But in late 2015, a few clicks on the internet led me to talk of a ‘Marathon of Afghanistan’ – the first ever attempt to stage such a thing in such a place…
Globe is an info-packed newsletter with travelogues by members, book reviews, travel tips, bargains and news. There is a mutual aid section where you can exchange information; place advertisements and find travel companions.
