Armed dolphins, trained by the US military to shoot terrorists and pinpoint spies underwater, may be missing in the Gulf of Mexico.

Experts who have studied the US navy's cetacean training exercises claim the 36 mammals could be carrying 'toxic dart' guns. Divers and surfers could be at risk from attack. The US navy admits it has been training dolphins for military purposes, but has refused to confirm that any are missing.

Leo Sheridan, 72, a respected accident investigator who has worked for government and industry, said he had received intelligence from sources close to the US government's marine fisheries service confirming dolphins had escaped.

'My concern is that they have learnt to shoot at divers in wetsuits who have simulated terrorists in exercises. If divers or windsurfers are mistaken for a spy or suicide bomber and if equipped with special harnesses carrying toxic darts, they could fire,' he said. 'The darts are designed to put the target to sleep so they can be interrogated later, but what happens if the victim is not found for hours?'

Usually dolphins were controlled via signals transmitted through a neck harness. 'The question is, were these dolphins made secure before Katrina struck?' said Sheridan.

The mystery surfaced when a separate group of dolphins was washed from a commercial oceanarium on the Mississippi coast during Katrina. Eight were found with the navy's help, but the dolphins were not returned until US navy scientists had examined them.

Sheridan is convinced the scientists were keen to ensure the dolphins were not the navy's, understood to be kept in training ponds in a sound in Louisiana, close to Lake Pontchartrain, whose waters devastated New Orleans.

The navy launched the classified Cetacean Intelligence Mission in San Diego in 1989, where dolphins, fitted with harnesses and small electrodes planted under their skin, were taught to patrol and protect Trident submarines in harbour and stationary warships at sea.

Criticism from animal rights groups ensured the use of dolphins became more secretive. But the project gained impetus after the Yemen terror attack on the USS Cole in 2000. Dolphins have also been used to detect mines near an Iraqi port.

China's mainland will become the world's biggest supplier of tourists by 2020, according to a recently released report by CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets.

As many as 115 million Chinese mainland citizens are expected to travel overseas in 2010, higher than the World Tourism Organization's estimate of 100 million, the report said. Outbound travellers from the mainland surged 43 percent in 2004 to 29 million.

Rising personal incomes and the government's easing travel restrictions on individuals will contribute to the increase, according to the report.

In 2004, only 4 percent of China's urban population travelled overseas, leaving huge growth potential, the report said.

As 70 percent of mainland outbound travellers visit Macau or Hong Kong, their holiday spending will bolster stocks of Hong Kong retailers, European luxury goods firms and Macau gaming companies, the report said.

As many as 500 million people are expected to be allowed to travel individually to Hong Kong and Macau next year, up from 200 million this year, the report said.

The World’s Largest Islands

Soure: http://www.xist.org/charts/nat_island.php

The Hampton Court Estate dates back to before the 15th Century. The estate was originally formed by merging of the manors of Hampton Richard and Hampton Mappenor. It was granted by Henry IV to Sir Rowland Lenthall at the time of his marriage to Margaret Fitzalan, daughter of the Earl of Arundel and a cousin of the King. Lenthall built the original quadrangular manor house in 1427, twelve years after his knighthood at the battle of Agincourt. In 1434 he was granted a licence to crenellate the house by Henry IV. Sir Rowland was succeeded by his daughter who married the Baron of Burford and it was their grandson who sold Hampton to Sir Humphrey Coningsby in 1510. Cardinal Wolsey bought and transformed Hampton Court into a sumptuous Palace in the 1520s, but it was annexed by Henry VIII as the Cardinal fell out of favour (the official story is it was given as a gift).

Henry VIII rebuilt Hampton Court after his own tastes and entertained all six wives here, some making a brief visit, en route for the scaffold. A succession of later Kings and Queens transformed the Palace according to their tastes too, which accounts for the diverse styles. James I used Hampton Court for its excellent hunting in the park. Charles II used it for lodging his mistress(es).

After the 'Glorious Revolution' in 1689 which saw the rights of Catholics much curtailed, William III and Mary II commissioned Sir Christopher Wren to rebuild Hampton Court. Fortunately the work was not completed as they planned to demolish all of Henry VIII's additions. They did, however, build the sumptuous Kings and Queen's Apartments which are added on the back of Henry's buildings. King William Apartments are said to be amongst the finest and most important set of Baroque state apartments in the world and are still furnished with the original furniture and tapestries from 1700 when they were completed for the King. Henry's Great Hall and the Chapel Royal exist in their original form, as well as the Tudor Kitchens, which are beautifully laid out as if a feast was being prepared using all the food and utensils that would have been used in the 16th century. The Palace was eventually handed over to the Public by Queen Victoria.

Also worth seeing: the collection of renaissance paintings, including Mantegna's Triumphs of Caesar, Henry VIII's Astronomical Clock the 60 acres of gardens, including the famous Maze.

Open Summer 10:00-18:00, winter 10:00 -16:30. Full tickets, £10.50. Tel: 01568 797 777 for details or visit the website: www.hrp.org.uk )

Ryanair has defended its policy on disabled passengers after it was criticised for ejecting nine blind and partially sighted passengers from one of its flights. The passengers, all from the UK were escorted from the aircraft minutes before take-off from London's Stansted Airport as the airline's safety rules limit the number of “disabled/mobility-impaired” passengers to four per flight. It was reported that some of the passengers, who were on their way to Italy had to wait for six hours for another flight, while others spent the night sleeping on the airport floor. One passenger said, “It was dreadful. You felt like a criminal. We were all devastated.”

Ryanair defended their decision as they say it is their policy to ensure that crew could attend to disabled passengers individually in the case of emergency evacuations. Ryanair also said that the nine passengers were asked to take a later flight because they did not, as required, notify Ryanair of their disability at the time of booking and there were already three disabled passengers on board. An official statement issued by Ryanair said, “It would have been unsafe to allow a total of 12 disabled/reduced-mobility passengers to travel on board the flight… Ryanair's number one priority at all times is the safety of its passengers and crew.” The passengers rejected Ryanair's argument saying that they could walk, had partially sighted or fully sighted guides and would be able to leave an aircraft in an emergency as quickly as anyone else.

As a result of the above case, Ryanair says it will change its policy on carrying blind and partially-sighted passengers. Any vision-impaired passenger accompanied by a sighted companion would now no longer be required to inform the airline in advance, the Irish carrier announced in what it called a “common sense change.” However, passengers travelling alone would remain part of its limit on four reduced-mobility passengers per flight.

And still on the theme of visually impaired passengers, the Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB) says that Ryanair appears to be offering disabled passengers a lower standard of service when they book over its website. The RNIB is investigating a complaint that blind passengers are not entitled to the same low fares as others when they book online. The RNIB cited an example of a blind man who tried to book online. The website's booking process states:

“Passengers with special needs requirements must pre-book their requirement through Ryanair Direct on the same day as your original booking”. It lists the telephone numbers of reservation centres and warns: “Failure to advise Ryanair of your requirements on the day of booking will result in the service being unavailable on your arrival to the airport and you being refused carriage.” The man called the number to make a booking, only to learn that he would not qualify for the discounts or special offers available online. This is likely to amount to discrimination, says the RNIB, because Ryanair's online booking system may be subject to the Disability Discrimination Act.

We are sorry to say that Mac is not very well, but he is still e-mailing strong and recently sent the Beetle a collection of travel reminiscences.

Scotland. Inch is Gallic for island. Firth is a mouth of a river. Brae is a hill. Haggis is in a shape of a ball but you don't kick it you eat it. It is sheep's intestines and oatmeal wrapped in a sheep's bladder. After you eat it you wish you had kicked it. It was so clear when I was in Edinburgh that I could see to Fife from the Firth of Forth or maybe it was Forth I saw from the Fife of Firth. A Firth is like a fjord only not as far. Anyway it was a clear day.

Many years ago I gave a Scottish lady some tea bags I was carrying in my backpack. The lady had been used to brewing tea in bulk and said Oh how clever they have measured out a spoonful in a container. She then ripped open tea bag and dropped the contents into the pot. (I am sure they probably have tea bags now!)

And let's move on to Irish toasts. An Irish guide toasted us with, “Here's to the best years of my life, spent in the arms of another man's wife, my Mother”. The guide in Dublin Castle told us of a hanging judge. The judge would fall asleep while hearing a case and then all of a sudden wake up, bang his gravel and shout, “Hang the Dog.” A priest at mass in Dublin one morning told this story. He said he was giving a sermon on death and remarked that everyone in the Parish would die some day. One guy had a big smile on his face and when asked why he was smiling replied, “I am not from this parish!”

One of the residents here in the Soldier's home is going to Scotland and England for a month this Fall and another friend of mine here at the home (Saigon) is interested in things Scottish so I am copying stuff down from an interesting article I found in the Travel Section Washington Times. The title of the article is The Enchanting Highlands by Corina Lothar. “Mr Owens arrives in 18th century attire and explains the history of the Scottish Kilt which dates back about 1,000 years and is related to the Roman toga and Indian Sari. He demonstrates how to pleat the eight yards of fabric and tells us that the white cockade in the cap is the symbol of Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites in the 18th century Battle of Calddean. The sporran, the curious pouch hanging in the front of the kilt originally was used to carry oatmeal (I never knew that) still a staple of Scottish kitchens.

Women too wore long kilts. The warring clansmen carried a targe (shield) with spikes and a dagger in the left hand and a basket-hilted broadsword in the right. Expressions such as “going off half-cocked” and “a flash in the pan” and “sideburns” all come from clan warfare, reflecting the dangers of incorrectly cocked musket and the facial hair worn to protect the cheek from powder burns (so that is where term sideburns comes from. I never knew that. There is so much I don't know!

Kilt pins are a Victorian addition. Queen Victoria who was never easily amused, reviewed one of her Highland regiments on a windy day. Pins were soon ordered to keep the slits in the kilts closed. All of which brings us to this very old joke. A soldier wearing a kilt is asked by a young lass what is worn under the kilt. The soldier replies. “Nothing is worn. Everything is in fine shape.”

There is a Victorian mansion in Scotland built by Jardine Matheson of Hong Kong. Owner of “go-downs” as the Chinese workers first called the warehouses in that formerly British Colony (as in “Go down to collect a bale of hemp.) This is me talking now. When I was in Hong Kong I was told that the expression cumshaw (meaning asking for a tip) came from the Chinese who used to go out and meet the U.S. military ships with small boats to take the sailors ashore in their small boats away from the huge ships that could not get in any closer. They learned to say Come Shore and they would get tips for hauling them ashore. It finally got to sounding like Comshaw or whatever the expression is asking for money.

Ten percent of the whisky lost (in processing) through evaporation is called “the angels share”. Distilleries are open to the public from April through October. “The Royal Scotsman (tourist train) speeds through the wild Scottish countryside on iron, not brine through deep green forests of pine moors that turn purple in August and September when the heather is in bloom.

If you would like to contact Mac, he can be e-mailed on: macsan400@yahoo.com

Trip duration: 56 days
Trip miles to date: 5,632
Miles since last update: 472

Having completed over 5,600 miles in the previous 5 weeks, these past two weeks have been frustratingly static as I've waited for the Beemer to complete its rest and recuperation courtesy of the BMW dealership in Santiago. Having sampled a lot of wine, I've visited probably every museum in Santiago and spent a long lazy weekend in Valparaìso I'm definitely ready to get moving again.

I'm also sad to report that shortly after I left the Torres del Paine national park an intense forest fire broke out which has now been burning for 3 weeks. Over 14,000 acres have been destroyed and wildlife has fled from the area and the entire park closed in what was peak season.

The fire was started by a Czech tourist who knocked over his stove whilst illegally camping outside the official boundaries, trails and designated camping areas – after a fine of US$200 he was allowed to leave the country. Significant attempts to teach visitors the perils of fire were plastered all around the park when I was there and the stupidity of the Czech made national news.

Ruta 5 up from Temuco was a 2 lane, blissfully smooth, tarmac road all the way to Santiago. In fact Ruta 5 is the major artery that runs the length of Chile from the tip of Chiloe in the south to Arica, on the border with Peru in the north – a distance of some 1,600 miles and is probably better known as the Panamerica highway.

Although this is not highway in the English sense of the word. Even for the stretch leading to Santiago, you should think less M25 and more like a medium size A-road. The speed limit is 120 kph (75mph) although most vehicles seem to interpret this as “as-fast-as-this-vehicle-will-allow” and speed differentials vary greatly.

Another notable feature is the volume and bravery of pedestrians. The entire length seems to harbour life like a coral reef as towns and villages straddle the road. Locals seem to appear from all directions and fearlessly cross the road in the face of onrushing traffic. Strangely I saw a woman, carrying 2 small children, struggle over the raised central reservation (rather than use the raised pedestrian walkway installed not more than 50 metres away).

My initial view of Santiago was breathtaking and surprising. Having spent many weeks in the wilderness of Tierra del Fuego and Pategonia the mere sight of a huge, sprawling city containing millions of citizens was surprising. My initial impressions of Santiago were of a warm, friendly and generally happy capital. In fact I felt more comfortable than Buenos Aires – I'm not sure if this is a reflection of the comparable characteristics of the 2 cities, or the fact that I'm more conditioned to South America after nearly 2 months.

One first task was to collect a package sent from Touratech – being a replacement lid to the pannier box and various other parts. Rather than deliver them to the hotel, DHL left me a note requesting I pick up the package from the airport (thanks!) as the goods exceeded the US$500 limit on imported packages. After I pointed out that the only reason it exceeded US$500 was because they had forgotten to omit the US$400 freight costs they conceded I could collect the package after I paid a further US$200 import taxes.

I struggled to keep my temper after I pointed out that US$200 taxes on goods worth no more than US$150 could not be right. It frustratingly took me 4 hours to persuade DHL and custom officers (including opening up the package) that taxes were not due and I could leave the airport with the parts. As a piece of luggage, the price is comparable to anything Louis Vitton ever put out but it has bought me piece of mind and will make life easier.

The ride up took me through the prime wine-growing real estate of Chile. After depositing the Beemer with the (only) BMW garage in Chile I rented a pick-up and headed back down the road to tour the area and sample some of the produce. The quality of the wine belies its price and the Carmenère grape (unique to Chile) has become a favourite.

After 3 of the 4 days had passed I quickly appreciated that they would need at least another week (waiting for parts) so I hired a car and drove to Valparaìso, the historic port town about 60 miles to the west.

Rather ungainfully tacked onto the side of Valparaìso is Vinà del Mar. Whilst Valparaìso is a busy commercial port full of historical buildings, busy market places and rickety old carriages that ascend the surrounding hills to the residential areas Vinà del Mar is full of bars, restaurants, modern shopping malls and beach side holiday apartments for wealthy Chileans.

After 4 days of wandering around the raised walkways and picturesque alleyways of Valparaìso and 1 day sitting on the beach in Vinà del Mar I returned to Santiago to check on progress of the Beemer. Good news and bad news awaited me.

The bike was still 3 days away from being finished but they had discovered a holed radiator (explaining an overheating issue on the road into Santiago) and a burnt-out wiring loom where the heated grips had shorted following the crash in Argentina. The fork seals had arrived and were being fitted as I visited and as I write this I expect to pick up the bike this afternoon – after depositing an unfeasibly huge amount of money with the garage.

These past 2 weeks have moved incredibly slowly, the bike (and I) are back in good shape to tackle the demands of the Atacama desert and onwards to Bolivia and the Salar de Uluni.

If you want to know more about Greg's travels, visit his website at: http://www.unbeatentrack.com/

Scotland has been a favourite holiday destination for many years and now it has a growing reputation as a favourite destination for couples from around the world to tie the knot. Here are the eleven main reasons:-

1 There are no residency requirements. Couples from anywhere in the world can get married in Scotland. You don't have to live here. You don't need UK citizenship. All you have to do is complete the necessary legal formalities and you can marry within 24 hours of arriving here.

2 You can get married anywhere – absolutely anywhere – in the country. On a beach, in a castle, up a mountain, in a hotel, by a loch… your choices are limitless.

3 You can opt for a civil or a religious ceremony. The civil ceremony is more restrictive as regards your choice of venue because they have to be licensed by the local authority. But there are now so many venues licensed for civil ceremonies that, in practice, you will always find somewhere to match your dream.

4 A religious ceremony, conducted by a minister can be held anywhere. I have known them to be held on boats, in lighthouses and even on cliff-tops! Obliging and occasionally daring ministers can always be found.

5 Ceremonies can even be conducted by non-religious celebrants, including certain officers of the Humanist Society.

6 The choice of venues is staggering. From sophisticated Glasgow to traditional Edinburgh; from the rugged, breathtaking beauty of the Highlands to the Ayrshire coast; from imposing castle to pretty little village church, Scotland has it all.

7 You can fly into Glasgow, Prestwick, Edinburgh, Aberdeen or Inverness airports and be close to your wedding venue from the start.

8 So many people around the world have Scottish ancestry and love to search out their roots.

9 What better clothes to wear at your ceremony than the kilt, made especially for you in your own tartan.

10 And what better accompaniment as the bride enters the wedding venue than a Highland wedding tune played on bagpipes!

11 And after the ceremony, what better way to toast the health of the bride and groom than with a single malt whisky from a Scottish quaich in the country where it is made!

The truth is, there are lots of reasons for you to hold your wedding ceremony in Scotland. If you are in love, Scotland is the place for you. If you believe in romance, Scotland is the place for you. If you long for the mystery of the lochs, the glens, the castles and the mountains, Scotland is the place for you.

Charlie Taylor is one of the founders of Highland Country Weddings Ltd, a Scottish weddings agency with an international dimension. For more information, please visit

Bassano sits in a stunning location by the River Brenta with Monte Grappa in the background. It is about 35 kilometres north east of Vicenza. The town's symbols are said to be the Palladian bridge, white asparagus, ceramics and the Grappa liqueur. I visited the town for the day in February 2005. I really liked the location, the fresh air, the fast flowing river and the picturesque bridge. If you like to be slightly off the tourist track and would prefer a more rural setting for short break or as a base for a touring holiday, Bassano is ideal.

How to get there

The nearest airports are Treviso, used by Ryanair as its airport for Venice and Venice Marco Polo. You could hire a car from the airport. It is possible to reach Bassano by train on the Vicenzia – Trento or Padova – Bassano lines.

History

It is often assumed that the city takes its name from the well known liqueur Grappa. This is not the case; it is named after Monte Grappa. The mountain's name is said to originate from crapp or greep, meaning crag in an ancient pre-Latin language. The liqueur Grappa's name stems from grappolo, meaning a cluster of grapes.

Grappa liqueur has been produced in Bassano since 1779 when Bortolo Nardini bought a Grapperia on the Brenta River bank. Grappa is made from the by-products of wine making, the seeds, stems and skins. The company is still run by members of the Nardini family, accounting for around one quarter of annual grappa production.

Ponte Vecchia has become synonymous with Bassano. The bridge is first mentioned in the 11th century. The bridge has been rebuilt several times due to flooding or destruction during wars. It is still the original design by Palladio from 1569. The bridge is built of wood, making it more resilient to the fast flowing River Brenta.

There is a record of the city on St Mary's Hill from the 10th century. From the 14th to 18th century the city was under Venetian rule. It became well known for the manufacture of ceramics, wool, silk, iron and copper. The Remondini family ran one of the most up to date printing houses in Europe from the17th to the 19th century.

The Town Hall was first constructed in1405. Bartolomeo Ferranci installed the present clock mechanism in 1743. The interior walls are adorned by frescoes of 120 coats of arms.

White asparagus was first produced in the 16th century after Bassano experienced a hailstorm which destroyed the asparagus crop. The farmers dug up the part of the plant below the earth and discovered that it was so tender and delicious that they started to grow it underground permanently.

Parolini, a local nobleman, designed the Giardini Parolini in the early 19th century. In 1829 Parolini catalogued 3000 plant species in the garden.

During the First World War the Italians took a last stand against the Austrians in Monte Grappa where they entrenched themselves in tunnels and bunkers to repel the Austrian attackers. Over 12,000 Italian and 10,000 Austrian soldiers lost their lives in the numerous battles.

During the Second World War Italian partisans hid in Monte Grappa, organising raids on the main supply route from Germany to the German troops stationed in Italy. In 1944 the Germans took revenge by marching up the mountain behind women, children and elderly local inhabitants. Any partisans discovered or civilians suspected of assisting partisans were killed. There were public hangings and shootings with families forced to watch.

In 1946 the Italian prime minister awarded Basssano the gold medal for military valour. Every year the city commemorates these events during September.

The Museo degli Alpini was established in 1948 in memory of the Italian Alpine Troops It is located on the eastern side of the Ponte Vecchio. You have to enter it through a cafe. I found this rather confusing but the museum is down stairs to the left when you enter the cafe. Originally the collection was very small but has grown as more war relics have been gathered together. There are many original photos, uniforms and armoury.

Museo della Cermica is near the eastern side of the Ponte Vecchio. The building was constructed as the residence of Ferrari family, owners of a local silk factory. The entrance hall is adorned with a fresco by Giorgio Anseli. There are pieces of engraved ceramics from medieval times, Mainardi majolica pieces from the 17th and 18th century, along with modern pieces.

The Civic Musuem is one of the oldest in the Veneto region. It was built in1828 on the site of the convent of St Francis. It houses a collection of paintings by the Da Ponti family, Guariento and Magnasco, a collection of prints by the Remondini family. There is also an archaeological section and pieces by Antonio Canova.

Bassano boasts several churches. San Donato was built in 1208. It is claimed that St Francis of Assisi and St Anthony of Padua both stayed here during the third decade of the 13th century. The church was a hospital, run by Benedictine nuns in the 14th century, then a Fransican monastery during the 15th century. The church was restored in 1900, including work being done on the cell which was used by the two saints.

The Church of San Francesco was started in the mid 12th century, after the return of Ezzelino 11, the Stutterer, from the Holy Land. The Church of St John the Baptist was originally built in 1308 but reconstructed in the 18th century by local architect Giovanni Miazzi. Giambattista Piazzetti made the altarpiece of John the Baptist and Orzio Marinali created the statues of angels and the bas-reliefs.

The Cathedral of Holy Mary was a 10th century parish church in the original high part of the town. The present cathedral dates from the 17th century. The high altar piece and the painting of St Stephen are the work of Leandro di Ponte, and the sculptures are by Mainali. Di Giacomo Dacci made the organ and the three ceiling paintings are by Volpata.

Day trips

Marostica

Marostica is a 14th century medieval town where the original town wall stands intact. It is best known as the “town of chess”. Every second year a match, with people dressed in elaborate costumes to portray the pieces, is played on the giant chessboard below the castle. This takes place on the second Friday, Saturday and Sunday every second year, when the year ends in an even number. This commemorates the chess match played in 1454 when the victor was to win the hand in marriage of Lianora, the daughter of the Lord of the Castle of Marostica. Two suitors, Rinaldo d'Angarano and Vieti da Vallonara, had fallen in love with Lianora and were to fight a duel to see how would marry Lianora. The Lord forbade the duel and order decreed that the victor of the chess match would marry Lianora. However all was not lost for the defeated suitor, as he would marry Lianora's younger sister, Oldrata. The period costumes are permanently displayed in the Lower Castle.

Marostica holds a Cherry Festival every year during May and June. There are kiosks in the streets selling a variety of cherries including morello, roame, marostagne and sander. There is an annual exhibition of comic cartoons in the town. Every July and August local craftsmen display their work the exhibition hall of the Lower Caste. There are some lovely walks through the surrounding hills.

Asola

Asola is a charming hilltop town, with a castle, a cathedral with a altar piece by Lorenzo Lotto and the 15th century Palazzo della Ragione. It was called the “city of one thousand horizons” by Giosue Carducci, because of all the fantastic views. It was much favoured by the Venetian nobility. Caterina Corona, the former Queen of Cyprus, lived here in the late 15th century. Robert Browning, the English poet, bought a house ere in the mid 17th century. Eleanora Duse, credited with being the greatest actress of the Italian stage was also a resident. The travel writer Freya Stark was brought up in Asolo and spent a lot of time here between her various expeditions. There is an antiques market every second weekend of the month, except during July and August.

Karen Bryan is an independent travel consultant and writer, specialising in less well known destinations in Europe. Her websites are: www.europealacarte.co.uk, www.europe-culture-activity-tours

On October 8th, an earthquake around 7.6 on the Richter scale hit close to Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Over 80,000 people have died, at least 80,000 injured and 3.3 million people are homeless and trying to survive in icy conditions. Why is it that the world has been so slow to respond with aid?

The tsunami disaster of 26th December received not only much greater media attention but considerably more funds and aid from overseas donors.

If you want to try and remedy this in your own way, why not make a contribution, there are hundreds of organisations coordinating relief efforts.

Here is a small selection:

• Save the Children
• International Rescue Committee
• Concern

• Oxfam

• American Red Cross
• Grameen Foundation US

The Jenolan Caves are around 164 kilometres from Sydney, in the Blue Mountains. They are set in a valley on the far side of the Great Dividing Range and 793 metres above sea level. I drove to the Jenolan caves from Mt Victoria. The drive took far longer than I anticipated because the road becomes increasingly windy, with single lanes and passing places perilously close to sheer drops. The drive ends with a huge rock arch which you drive through, up a hill and park up a hill the other side.

The Jenolan Caves were known to the local Aboriginal population for many thousands of years as Binoomea, meaning “Dark places”. History has it that the first European to discover the caves was the bushranger and escaped convict James McKeown. A report in the Australian Argus newspaper sometime between 1838 and 1841 says: “James McKeown was an escaped convict…whose presence on the main western road was for years excessively irritating to the settlers, on whose stores he laid an oppressive toll. Local pastor James Whalan set out to track McKeown and followed him up hill and down dale for miles. After they had covered about 20 miles the bushranger suddenly disappeared…The tracks led up to a wild cavern and into it…and burst again into open day, and the route lay along a rugged gorge for some three miles. Here the bushranger again disappeared…All about were evidences of careful cultivation, the bushranger having laid out quite a nice little farm. Satisfied that he had run down his bird, Whalan retraced his steps…When he returned home he told his brother Charles of the strange country he had wandered into. 'I have been through the Devil's Coachhouse,' he said. Next day a party was made up, and with the aid of troopers McKeown was captured. His hiding place was a huge hole in the mountain-side, known now as McKeown's Hole…McKeown lived to return from a long term of exile on Norfolk Island and to re-visit the scene of his former exploits.”

There are 22 major caves in the Jenolan system. Of these, nine are open for guided tours: the Imperial, Chifley, Jubilee, Lucas, Pool of Cerberus, River, Orient, Temple of Baal and Ribbon. The caves have strange features with odd names like 'Gem of the West', 'Gabriel's Wing', 'Lot's Wife' and the 'Bishop and Three Sisters.' You can also stay at the caves, though out of the Beetle's price range, at the Caves House, a really pretty looking building with cosy log fires.

In 1866 the caves were controlled by the Australian government. In 1867, Jeremiah Wilson was appointed as “Keeper” of the 'Binda', or 'Fish River' Caves. The Aboriginal word Jenolan (“high mountain”) was not used until 1884. During the early years, visitors were allowed to break formations and take souvenirs from the caves and some of the evidence of this vandalism can still be seen today. It was not until 1872 that taking souvenirs became illegal. In the 1880's Jenolan began to emerge as a tourist destination. Jeremiah Wilson, a keen caver explored the end of the Elder Cave and in 1879 descended a shaft and rockpile to discover the Imperial Cave. This was soon followed by the discovery of the “Left Imperial” in 1880 (renamed the Chifley Cave in 1952 after Prime Minister J.B Chifley). Development within the caves of pathways and the protection of formations along with electric lighting started in 1887. Even more caves were discovered in 1903, despite exploration being made only by candlelight. Today, over 250,000 visitors make tours of the Jenolan caves.

The Beetle visited the Orient cave. Times of all tours to the nine caves are on a large notice board opposite the ticket office. Allow plenty of time to get to the caves, and plenty of petrol in your car too, for between certain times of the day, you cannot return the way you came, you have to make a big loop.

London Open House day back in September was lovely and sunny. The Beetle was not in the country to accompany Padmasana as she usually does, to various places around central London to look around buildings opened to the public for one or two days only, culminating in a good fry up at the 24hr greasy spoon café in Smithfield. Next year, maybe!

Got the bus down to Liverpool Street, walked past the Gherkin (unsurprisingly not open this year, after the various states of security alerts London has had in recent months) and got in the queue for the Lloyd's Building. There was a long line of people, but it moved surprisingly quickly, and took 45 minutes to get to the front, where there was a stringent security check before being allowed up the escalator into “The Room”.

It's certainly impressive, a wonderful building and very modern. Saw the Lutine Bell and they also let you look through the “Losses” book: no sinkings that week, but there was one the week before, still entered in the massive book with a quill pen. Then you get a go in the fantastic “outside” lifts, up to the top, stunning views of the city, saw the dining room, lots of silver stuff, but the carpet was a little old and threadbare! It was a well organised tour and all too soon came to the end, so a speedy ride back in the outside lift down the outside of the building, which deposits you in a coffee/gift shop. It was well worth the queuing.

I then walked along Fenchurch Street to number 60, where there were no lines at the Vitro building, so was able to go straight up in the lift to the 11th floor to see great views of the Tower of London, the Gherkin and I could even see the London Eye.

Then headed towards the Guildhall, went past the Bank of England, humongous queues this year, people waited up to 3 hours, glad we did that one last year, soon found the “Touch London” exhibit. This is a scale model of the city, with all the buildings done to scale. Then saw there were no queues for the Guildhall itself, so I went in; it was fascinating seeing all the stained glass windows with all the different occupations. I liked the “Fletchers” window best of all, with its arrows.

Quick pit stop in Tesco's on Cheapside then on to the Royal Exchange to do the “City alleyways” walk with the London Guide. There were way too many people and the guide was barely audible above the traffic, but once we got going it was a fascinating 2 hours. I saw the door to the shop (now an optician) where Harry Potter went to buy his wand! Leadenhall market was interesting, this used to be a chicken market. Allegedly, a stroppy chicken refused to take its final journey and ended up being a pet to the people who worked there and when it eventually croaked, it had a state funeral! Eventually ended up near The Tower of London via St Dunstans. It was a really lovely interesting walk, though would have been better if they had done more of them to spread the crowds out a bit though!

Open House Londonis the Capital's biggest architectural event where London is turned into a living exhibition, giving thousands of Londoners the chance to experience buildings, and explore, debate and better understand architecture, engineering and design. All access is free of charge. Open House weekend is usually the third weekend in September visit the Open House website for more information http://www.openhouselondon.org.uk/important/general.html

For information on Ontario meetings, please contact Svatka Hermanek: shermanek@schulich.yorku.ca or Bruce Weber: tel. 416-203-0911 or Paul Webb: tel. 416-694-8259.

Meetings are held on the third Friday of January, March, May, September and November. Usually at the Woodsworth Co-op, Penthouse, 133, Wilton Street in downtown Toronto at 8.00 p.m.

We used to have meetings in New York City and New Braunfels, Texas. Regrettably, after having done a superb job, neither organisers are able to give their time to Globetrotter meetings. If you are based in New York or New Braunfels and have the time to commit to pick up where our previous organisers left off, we'd love to hear from you – please see our FAQ or contact our the Branch Liaison Officer via our Website at Meeting FAQ. If you are based elsewhere and are interested in starting a branch of the Globetrotters, please feel free to contact us.

The November meeting took place back at The Church of Scotland, now that most of the building work has been completed.

Our first speaker was Tom Fremantle who endeavoured to follow in the footsteps of Scottish explorer Mungo Park down the Niger river. Tom's excellent talk took in some of the sights of Senegal, Mali, Niger and Nigeria including amazing African markets complete with Fetish stalls selling monkey skulls. We also saw the mud mosque at Djenne, which unfortunately non muslims are no longer allowed to visit the inside of. Tom was there while the African Nations cup was taking place, in small villages he would find hundreds of people crowded around a TV set, often cheering not for a particular team, but just because a goal had been scored! From Niger he showed us the Arbredu Tenere, a tree in the middle of nowhere that was once shown on the Michelin map, it has been replaced by a metal one after a driver managed to hit it. Tom crossed into Nigeria with some trepidation as the country has a reputation for lawlessness, bribery and corruption. Few tourists visit Nigeria, when Tom had collected his visa from the Embassy, he was told he would be the only tourist in Nigeria! He probably was, despite having to give the odd “present” he had a great trip.

After the break it was Amar Grover who gave an interesting talk with great photos of the Minorities in China. Amar explained that there are around 60 recognised minority groups in China and he began with the one known best in the west, the Tibetans. We saw Lhasa with the wonderful Jokang Temple, to which Tibetans travel for hundreds of miles to visit. We also saw the Stupas and Potala Palace. Amar explained that the Chinese are trying to change the make up of the populations in minority areas with more chinese, giving them tax breaks and other incentives to move to these regions. We saw Kazakhs and Uigars who are certainly more central asian than chinese, not only in looks, dress and customs but also in religion. Many still live a nomadic existence using Yurts. Amar showed us Uigar markets at places like Kashgar where old customs prevail. China now recognises many of its minority peoples, but cynics will say it has more to do with the income they generate from western visitors.

By Padmassana

3rd December, Terry Richardson will be talking about “The St.Paul's Trail, following St.Paul's footsteps through Turkey's Taurus Mountains. Visit peaks, canyons, lakes and ancient sites linked by a newly way-marked 500km trail.

co-author of Lycian Way and St. Paul Trail guides and Rough Guide to Turkey. See : http://www.stpaultrail.com/StPaulContent/aboutthewalk.html

After the break, Jonny Bealby will be giving a talk about Northern Pakistan. See: http://www.wildfrontiers.co.uk

London meetings are held at The Church of Scotland, Crown Court, behind the Fortune Theatre in Covent Garden at 2.30pm the first Saturday of each month. There is no London meeting in August, but we will be back in September. For more information, you can contact the Globetrotters Info line on +44 (0) 20 8674 6229, or visit the website: www.globetrotters.co.uk