All posts by The Beetle

Daktari – A Unique Initiative For People With Disabilities by Ian

When we were younger, there was a TV program called Daktari. It was about a family in Africa, who looked after and raised many different types of orphaned wild animals. As kids we loved it and I remember getting deeply emotionally attached to the different animals.

Subsequently, having grown up in the bush in Africa and through my work as a ranger, I have taken care of many orphaned animals, all the way from small bush babies, giraffes, elephants and lions – even injured birds that had flown into power lines or windows.

My wife, Michèle also used to watch Daktari in France where she grew up. Already then she vowed to live in Africa one day and to look after animals herself. Her dream came true when we met on a game reserve, and she was able to assist in hand-raising a baby zebra which had been attacked by lions, an orphaned wildebeest, and two small orphaned warthogs whose mother had been killed by lions. Since then, there have been many more…

A very good friend is a quadriplegic. The joy he had (and us!) when we spent time together and he was able to help in raising these animals inspired an idea. We learnt, through our friend, that there is always a way to ‘make a plan’ so that he could assist in much of the day to day work needed to look after the animals. We rose to the challenge and modified or altered tools so that he could assist the animals nevertheless! Thus ‘making a plan’ is central to what Daktari is about.

The idea took shape and eventually we decided to set up a charity where people from all walks of life, underprivileged, handicapped or simply in need of a break or an adventure could have the opportunity of caring for animals in need and learn about nature. At Daktari they will all work together as one team – we will not segregate by race, religion, ideology or physical condition.

We have set ourselves a great challenge: our aim is to give people a chance to make themselves useful, to show them that they are needed, encourage them to take responsibility and let them be proud of their work and contribution to conservation. At the same time we want to offer animals a chance to survive in a world where nature has to retreat more and more in the face of human development. Hence, ‘doing good’ to people and animals is equally important to us. If every person on this planet has these two simple tenets, perhaps the world will be a better place to live in?

Daktari is not run by amateurs – it is run by experienced people who, if they do not know what to do, know whom to ask! It is run by people who have a common dream – and have the love and dedication to do it. For us, Daktari is a chance to share our world and some of the magical experiences that we have had in the bush over the years with others and it is thus immensely rewarding. It is a great character building experience for anyone that joins us and we hope that many more projects like this are started in the rest of the world and that our visitors share the knowledge and experiences they have gained!

Daktari is situated near the Kruger Park in South Africa, on a private reserve of 700 hectares, containing numerous plains game, but none of the “big five”. The closest town is Hoedspruit in the Limpopo Province. In the area there are many attractions, game drives in big five reserves, hot air ballooning, white water rafting, tours to the Kruger Park, reptile park, rehab centres, cheetah breeding project, Blyde River Canyon and many more!

We would be more than happy to tell you more about the project, and our accommodation (Daktari no longer rent out accommodation.) – just email or call. If you would like to get involved in the project – any help is greatly appreciated! Contact details are on our web page: http://africanorphanage.com

London Palaces: Kensington Palace

Kensington Palace stands at the western end of Kensington Gardens. It was originally a private country house called Nottingham House but was acquired in 1689 by William III and Mary II (1689) because the King’s asthma improved there during the winters. Sir Christopher Wren was engaged to design improvements to the house and the Clock Court and the South Front, including the 96-foot Long Gallery were added. After William III’s death in 1702, the palace became the residence of Queen Anne. Wren designed the Orangery for her and a 30-acre garden was laid out by Henry Wise. Further extensive alterations were carried out for George I and William Kent painted the elaborate trompe l’oeil ceilings and staircases. The last monarch to live at Kensington Palace was George II, whose consort, Caroline of Ansbach helped develop Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens and the Serpentine, Basin and Grand Vista and the Broad Walk were created for her. The sudden death of George II in 1760 marked the end of an era. Kensington Palace was never again to serve a reigning monarch.

Queen Victoria spent her childhood at Kensington Palace and it was here in June 1837 that she learned of her accession to the throne and moved to Buckingham Palace. The palace was most famously the London home of Diana, Princess of Wales and is still home to several other hanger-on members of the Royal Family.

Kensington Palace first opened to the public in 1912 with a display of relics and objects relating to the City of London. It attracted 13,000 visitors in just one day. The museum pieces now form part of the collection at the Museum of London. Visitors today can see the State Apartments, the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection that includes outfits from the eighteenth-century to the present day, the Orangery and sunken gardens.

Kensington Palace opens daily. 10:00-17:00 (Nov-Feb) 10:00-18:00 (Mar-Oct). Closed 24-26 Dec. Tube: Queensway, Notting Hill Gate or High Street Kensington. Enquiries: 020 7937 9561. Entrance: Adults £10.80, Students and Snr Citizens £8.20, Child: £7.00 Under 5s: FREE.

Avoid Somali Coast

If you are sailing around the world, you’d be advised to avoid Somalian water. Somali pirates have hijacked (another) ship with 10 crew on its way to the Somali port of El-Maan. The MV Torgelow was carrying fuel and food to a UN-chartered vessel freed last week by gunmen who had held it and its cargo of food aid for three months. The International Maritime Board says there have been at least 20 attacks on ships in Somali waters since March. It urges ships in the area to stay as far away as possible from the shore.

London Transport Fares to Rise

Tube and bus fares in London paid for with cash are set to increase January 1st 2006. A single Tube journey in zone one will cost £3 instead of £2 while a single bus journey will rise from £1.20 to £1.50, said Mayor Ken Livingstone. Fares will fall for holders of the Oyster pre-pay smartcards. With Oyster, a zone one Tube ride will be cut from £1.70 to £1.50 – half the cash fare. Mr Livingstone said the aim was for fewer people to pay with cash. Mr Livingstone said the increased fares to be introduced from January would raise about £80m but conceded the new single Tube fare of £3 would probably be the most expensive in the world.

NEW FARES FOR 2006

  • Tube zone 1: £3 cash (£2 currently)
  • Tube zone 1: £1.50 Oyster (£1.70)
  • Tube zones 2-6: £3 cash (£2.10)
  • Tube zones 2-6: £1 Oyster (£1.80)
  • Bus (all zones): £1.50 cash (£1.20)
  • Bus (all zones): 80p Oyster (£1)

The motto is – either don’t visit London or buy an Oyster card to use London’s public transport.

Iranian Hairstyle Row

A recent ruling by Iran’s football federation banning players from sporting “unusual” and “foreign” styles is sparking debate in Iran’s football community. The Federation also said professional players should refrain from curling their hair or wearing ponytails, and from sporting necklaces, earrings, or rings and that players should not wear tight clothes, grow strange-looking beards, or copy foreign styles.

The ruling has upset football players like Ali Mansourian who shaves all his hair off, while some of his fellow athletes on Iran’s Esteqlal team have grown their hair long. “In my opinion, the appearance of a player is his own business,” Mansourian says. “If you look at Islam, for example, the Prophet Mohammad’s hair was long. He was very handsome.”

Great White Journey

A tagged great white shark (called Nicole, by researchers – after shark loving actress Nicole Kidman) crossed the Indian Ocean from South Africa to Australia and back again in just nine months. The act of tagging a great white is something of an achievement; several people need to hold the creature still while the satellite tracker is attached.

The conservationists were investigating how far great whites swim, to see what protection measures might be needed to save them from extinction. Great whites were once thought to keep to coastal regions, but this was a trek across a vast expanse of open ocean. The journey was very direct, not some aimless wandering and the stay near Australia was only brief.

The researchers say the fact that they saw a shark make the journey at all – after observing only about 20 animals – suggests it is common behaviour. Their concern is that such migrations make the great whites vulnerable to long-line fishing. It is already known that lesser sharks do get captured and killed this way.

Robot Fish in London Aquarium

Spotted by webmaster Paul: three robot fish, created by robotics experts from Essex University can be found at London Aquarium. They move around the tank like real fish, and have sensor-based controls, so they can move around the tank, avoiding objects and other fish, and reacting to their environment as a real fish would. Professor Huosheng Hu, of the university’s computer science department, said the aim of creating the fish and having them on display in a public place was to increase awareness about robots’ capabilities. He said the robotic fish, which took three years to create, could also be used in the ocean such as including seabed exploration, detecting leaks in oil pipelines, mine countermeasures, and improving the performance of underwater vehicles.

New Gun Laws in Florida

Visitors to Florida are being warned that they could be at risk due to a new state law that allows gun owners to shoot anyone they believe threatens their safety. A spokeswoman for The Brady Campaign to Control Gun Violence, said “tourists should be wary of getting into an “aggressive argument” during their stay”. The law which is now in force says that people in their house or vehicle do not have to become victims before shooting an attacker. Previously, they could only use their weapons if they had first attempted to withdraw and avoid a confrontation.

A spokeswoman for Visit Florida in the UK accused the Brady Campaign of employing scare tactics and claimed the new law would not have any impact on tourism to the state. “There are 28 other states that do not require people to retreat if they are being attacked, so it is just bringing Florida into line,” she said. “I don’t think many UK holidaymakers are going to attack someone in their car or their house, so they have nothing to worry about. It is not a real issue. According to the state’s annual crime report, Florida’s crime rate is at a 34-year low.” Florida is the most popular US destination for Britons, attracting 1.5 million people from the UK each year.

Prince of Wales to Visit US

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall will travel to the US next month on their first official overseas royal tour. The tour will include engagements in New York, Washington DC, and San Francisco. The couple will meet UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and have a lunch and a dinner with President George W Bush and his wife at the White House. The BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt said the visit to a country where Diana, Princess of Wales is still held in high esteem – was a “bold move”, representing the latest stage in the development of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall as a senior royal.

Potatoes Traced to Peru

US scientists have found that all modern varieties of potatoes can be traced back to a single source – a potato grown in Peru over 7,000 years ago. The team, led by Dr David Spooner of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who spends two months a year collecting wild potatoes on treks in South America’s mountainous regions analysed the DNA of about 360 potatoes, both wild and cultivated. Dr Spooner said archaeological finds had shown potatoes were being grown in Peru by farmers “more than 7,000 years ago”. Potatoes were brought back to Spain by the conquistadors around 1570, and spread throughout Europe. They were later introduced in North America by British colonists.

Mutual Aid

Need help? Want a travelling buddy or advice about a place or country – want to share something with us – why not visit our Mutual Aid section of the Website: Mutual Aid

Travel Facts

Travel Facts

One in three adults aged 15-49 are infected with HIV/AIDS in Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Swaziland.

If you thought Antarctica was inhospitable, think again – its land area is only 98% ice. Reassuringly, the other 2% is categorised as ‘barren rock’.

The Mall in Washington, D.C. is 1.4 times larger than Vatican City.

Moldova has one of the lowest rates of movie-going of any nation, and the highest rate of death by powered lawnmower. Coincidence? Surely not.

In 2002, every 1000 Swedes made a bus.

· Looking for geniuses? Head straight to Iceland. There are more than 3.5 Nobel Prize Winners for every million Icelanders.

· People might eat oats when they’re hungry, but people from Hungary don’t eat oats.

· Japan’s water has a very high dissolved oxygen concentration – but not enough to prevent drowning in the bath.

· The four largest nations are Russia, China, USA, and Canada.

Source:

Fears of a Terrorist Attack in NYC

American soldiers in Iraq claim they uncovered evidence of a terrorist bomb plot targeting the US. People in New York City are warned to remain on alert amid fears of a terrorist attack on the New York subway system. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has ordered increased security on the subway system and warned that the threat – which includes the use of explosives packed in baby strollers – suggested New York’s underground train network and its 4.5 million daily passengers could be attacked within days.

Tanzania Travel Alert

Travellers are advised to review any plans to visit Zanzibar during late October and early November 2005. Tanzania will hold a general election on October 30, 2005. Previous elections generally have been peaceful on the Tanzanian mainland, but following the 2000 elections, violent demonstrations occurred on Zanzibar (and Unguja and Pemba) and many people were killed. The demonstrations were not directed at tourists and no foreign visitors were hurt.

Tensions are already rising in Zanzibar during the run up to the October 2005 elections. Opposition party leaders have threatened to stage massive demonstrations if their conditions for a free and fair election are not met. The opposition is calling for peaceful demonstrations, but things can turn violent with little or no warning. If demonstrations do occur, they are not expected to target foreign tourists, however, they could disrupt transportation and communication systems.

Meeting News from Ontario

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 down town Toronto at 8.00pm.

Meeting News from London by Padmassana

This months meeting took place at another new venue, The Dragon Hall in Stukeley Street. Despite the change of venue the meeting was well attended, with one member (Padmassana) flying in from Rome just in the nick of time to attend.

Our first speaker of the afternoon was Neil Taylor who talked to us about “Estonia, Tallinn and the Baltic Capitals”. Neil told us how these countries have come a long way in a short time from being part of the old Soviet Union to independent countries now served by low cost airlines. The countries do not have much in the way of natural countryside to attract the visitor, it’s their towns and cities that are worth the look. Tallinn in Estonia is the best known, though often full of Finns seeking cheap alcohol, but also has an old own full of charm. Nowadays there are many bars, restaurants and hotels to cater for tourists in the Baltic States and the days of surly waiters, demanding hefty tips in US $ for even condescending to serve you a drink have been consigned to history. Neil has written the Bradt guide to Estonia – see www.bradtguides.com

After the break Stevie Smith gave us a thoroughly entertaining talk on the Expedition 360 – see www.expedition360.com Steve along with Jason Lewis set out in 1994 to circumnavigate the Globe using manpower only. They built a boat, called Moksha, a Sanskrit word meaning freedom, which is powered by pedal power to cross the seas and oceans. The UK boat show allowed them to promote their trip, but there was a slight hitch with the publicity leaflets; they dictated to the printer that they would be living on “dehydrated rations”, but this was printed as “dehydrated Russians”. They left Greenwich in 1994 expecting the journey to take a couple of years, but it’s now 2005, and they still have a way to go. They initially cycled to Portugal and then spent 111 days crossing the Atlantic to Florida. Jason then roller skated across the US, before being hit by a geriatric, blind car driver and spent 8 months off the road. Their boat took them across to Hawaii, which you can read about in Steve’s book “Pedalling to Hawaii”, www.p2hi.com. They have crossed the Pacific and Jason is now making his way up through S.E. Asia towards Singapore.

Saturday 5th November

This meeting will be at our regular venue, The Church of Scotland, Crown Court, behind the Fortune Theatre in Covent Garden and will start at 2.30pm, Doors open at 2.15 pm.

Tom Fremantle will be talking about “A Journey down the River Niger” by dugout canoe and donkey cart. Tom follows the trail blazing Scottish explorer Mungo Park, taking in mangrove swamps, Tuareg camps and the legendary city of Timbuktu. [Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Nigeria] www.mini-mule.co.uk

After the tea and coffee break, Amar Grover will be talking about “The Ethnic Minorities in China.” China has 55 Minorities living in the countries most beautiful and interesting corners. http://www.travelintelligence.com

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 Admission Members £2.50 Non-members £5