All posts by The Beetle

Being Careful: Togo

The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office advise against all travel to the west African country of Togo. They say: following the death of President Eyadema on 5 February 2005, the internal situation in Togo is very uncertain. The capital city, Lome is calm but tense in most areas. Demonstrations in the central south of the city have led to clashes between the opposition and police, and resulted in some fatalities. Further demonstrations are possible. The situation could flare up without warning. Borders have now reopened but restrictions at entry and exit points could be re-imposed without warning. We advise against all travel to Togo until the situation clarifies.

The sea front area in Lome, particularly around the Hotel Sarakawa is dangerous and you should avoid this area as far as possible. Walking is not advisable in this area. Pick-pocketing and theft are common, especially along the beach and in the market areas of Lome. Some taxis are poorly maintained, and you should take particular care when seeking to use one. Attacks on pedestrians happen in broad daylight as well as at night. You should enter and exit public places such as restaurants in groups rather than individually.

Be prepared for checks of passport/identity papers and possible vehicle checks by the local Police and Military. There have been reports of people being killed when attempting to resist car-jackings. It is generally better not to resist armed attack.

If it is necessary to travel by car at night you should do so in a convoy of at least two cars. You should stop at all control points on request, turn on interior vehicle lights and only continue when permission has been given to do so.


World Airport News March 2005

The 2005 World Airport Awards have voted for the 5th consecutive year Hong Kong International Airport as the world's Best Airport, in the largest customer survey of airport standards. Singapore's Changi Airport takes the Silver Award as runner-up, in what proved to be a close finish to the Survey. The two airports achieved more than 130,000 votes each, with the final margin between 1st and 2nd position being less than 500 votes.

The World's Top 10 Airports are as follows (2005)

  1. Hong Kong International Airport
  2. Singapore Changi Airport
  3. Seoul Incheon Airport
  4. Munich Airport
  5. Kansai International Airport
  6. Dubai International Airport
  7. KLIA Kuala Lumpur
  8. Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
  9. Copenhagen Airport
  10. Sydney Airport

Lighters Banned in Hand Luggage in US

Congress passed a bill last year adding lighters to the list of items prohibited in the cabin. The ban started mid April 2005. Lighters haven't been permitted in checked bags for at least 30 years because they might start fires in cargo holds. The reason for the ban was the failed shoe bomber, Richard Reid, who tried unsuccessfully to light explosives hidden in his shoes on a trans-Atlantic flight in 2001. He used matches.


TV Appeal for People Moved Overseas

Marc writes from a TV production company called Ricochet. He says: we are currently producing the fifth series of No Going Back and I am looking for people who are selling up in the UK and moving abroad to start a new business venture. I would love to hear from anyone who is doing something along these lines. Please contact him on marc.lewis@ricochet.co.uk


New Travel Magazine Launched

Readers of the Globetrotter e-newsletter may be interested in a new English language bi-monthly magazine aimed at the enquiring traveller. hidden Europe was launched on 1 March 2005. The first issue sets the tone for a magazine which we think fills a distinct niche in the market. We take our readers beyond the usual tourist trails. Our brief is Europe wide, and we criss-cross the continent to publish the very best of what's new, what's old, what's odd and what's fun. We promise a zany look at the quirkier aspects of European people and places. A good read, always authoritative and packed with useful information. hidden Europe evokes the spirit of Europe's diverse landscapes, conjures up a sense of place and probes the curiosities of our continent's varied cultures.

Launching a new travel magazine may seem like folly at a time when we all suffer from information overload. But we think there's still a place for the quieter, more reflective, style of writing which we hope will become our hallmark. So in our first issue, you will find articles on slow food and slow trains – plus one that extols the merits of the slow boat. Join us on a journey that in this first number will lead us from rural Russia to the Scottish Hebrides, from Poland to Piedmont, and from Lithuania to Albania. Look for articles on Spanish Galicia, the Faeroe Islands and northern Portugal in hidden Europe 2 (in May 2005).

hidden Europe appears in A4 format and each issue is 48 pages. Single copies are £4.50 and an annual subscription, including postage anywhere in Europe, is £27.00. hidden Europe is produced by Gardner & Kries GbR, a small Berlin based publisher, run by Susanne Kries and Nicky Gardner, two women who have travelled more miles than most, and both experts on aspects of European cultures, languages, peoples and places. Visiting every inhabited Harridan island and crossing 33 borders in a couple of days are just two of the mad things we've done in the spirit of hidden Europe. Check out full details of the magazine, and register for our free electronic newsletter, at our website on www.hiddeneurope.co.uk


Malaria Information website

We have developed a malaria information website (www.preventing-malaria.info) and also have a pharmacy website (www.stratford-pharmacy.co.uk) where people can browse and order medication if they require it. Customers can order from us safe in the knowledge that we are a UK registered pharmacy which is both regulated by and subject to inspection by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. Orders are placed over the internet via our Pharmacy website or when internet access is not available, we can take telephone orders. Our website is very user-friendly, and clearly states whether the medication being ordered requires a prescription or not. Our credentials can be checked at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, and we would be happy to discuss any matter of concern at any time.


Meeting News from London by Padmassana

February 2005 London meeting

Gerry Brennan was our first speaker and gave us an insight into life in Botswana. Gerry went there to teach Art & Design. She began with slides showing some of her pupil's work. The children are expert at making sculptures from wire. Gerry showed us some of Chobe National Park's 11,000 square kilometres, home to elephants, lion and buffalo, some of which get extremely close. Gerry also explained some of the local superstitions, my favourite being her picture of a house surrounded by green fields, however the area around the house had no grass, as the locals believe that snakes live in the grass and they are scared of them!

Our second speakers were duo Shally and Richard Hunt, whose talk entitled “No ordinary walk” was their 2300 mile, 40 week walk from Cape Wraith to Nice. Though they did the first part in reverse walking from Dover to the north of Scotland before hopping over the Channel and walking in the summer heat through Belgium, Luxembourg and France. They crossed both the Jura and Vosges Mountains, sleeping in refuges and camping. After 40 weeks they finally made it to Nice in the rain.

5th March 2005 London meeting

Our first speaker was Matthew Leeming who gave Globies a fascinating talk on Afghanistan. Matthew began in the city of Herat, where he visited the beautiful Friday mosque with its wonderful blue tiles. We saw the tile factory where the tiles are still made by hand today. From Shibagan he showed us the solid gold jewellery which had escaped melting down by the Taliban by being hidden in a bank vault.

In Balkh we saw the worlds oldest mosque dating from 950AD, the mosque of the 9 domes, which is housed under a roof now to protect it from the elements. And the views of the spectacular mountains in the east of Afghanistan finished off a great talk.

Our second speaker was long time Globie Phil Koniotes whose slides took us to Svalbard and Greenland. The Svalbard part was actually the honeymoon of Phil and fellow Globie Lindy, who met at Globetrotters, all together, aaaaaaaahhhhhh! Their trip took them to see the wildlife of Svalbard where they saw Arctic Fox and all kinds of bird life, as well as enjoying Russian hospitality including BBQ's on board their ship. In Greenland Phil showed us the old whaling stations which are dotted around. Phil's fabulous icebergs photos showed the deep blue colours of the oldest chunks of ice. He was also lucky enough to spot a Polar bear and to see a hump back whale feeding frenzy.

By Padmassana

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


Axum Obelisk

The Axumite kingdom in northern Ethiopia was established between 200 and 100 BC and was once one of the four kingdoms of the world. The legendary Queen of Sheba reigned in the region eight or nine centuries later. The region is home to some of the world's obelisks carved with 'doors' and 'windows' and are thought, like Stonehenge, to have some solar or astronomical measuring role. One of the obelisks was looted from Axum by Mussolini in 1937 and in 1947, Italy signed a pledge to the UN to give back the obelisk – but has not followed through until now. The obelisk – the only one on two continents weighing over 100 tonnes – was situated in a square in Rome in front of what was once the 'Ministry for Italian Africa' (now the FAO building). The obelisk has been cut into three sections, and has been awaiting its return in a warehouse near Rome airport. The top piece of the obelisk is now scheduled to leave Rome on a cargo plane in April but this has been postponed because the Italian culture ministry says Axum airport does not have radar, so the pilots must wait for good weather.


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

Monique is looking for people to share a jeep from beginning September to middle September for a trip down the Rift Valley lakes and into the southwest tribal areas. Cost is 120 USD per day, no matter how many people to the jeep – I will arrive in Addis on Sept 2nd and would prefer to leave the 3rd or 4th of September for a 15-18 days trip (flexible because of market days and so on). Monique can be contacted by e-mail: moniquejansen66@hotmail.com or monique.jansen@chello.be. She says that she is a freelance photographer, so her main goal is: people, villages, markets, less wildlife, birds. If this interests you, why not drop Monique a line.

Here's a little Beetle quiz based on capital cities. See how many you get right! Go on, have a guess!

What is the capital city of the following countries:

  1. Senegal
  2. Singapore
  3. Sierra Leone
  4. San Marino
  5. Suriname

For the answers, see at the end of the e-newsletter.


Have you got a tale to tell?

If you have a travellers tale that your aching to tell. Then why not visit the “Travel Sized Bites” section of the Website and share it with the world. Travel Sized Bites


Globetrotters Travel Award

A member of Globetrotters Club? Interested in a £1,000 travel award?

Know someone who is? We have £1,000 to award each year for five years for the best submitted independent travel plan. Interested?

Then see our legacy page on our Website, where you can apply with your plans for a totally independent travel trip and we'll take a look at it. Get those plans in!!


Qantas Man in Camel Suit

A baggage handler wearing a camel suit taken from a passenger's luggage has lead to Qantas Airways installing cameras in the baggage handling areas.

Passenger David Cox complained after he saw a baggage handler driving across the Sydney airport tarmac on Wednesday wearing the camel suit that had been packed into the baggage he had checked in only minutes earlier. Mr Cox, a marketing manager, had checked the camel suit and a crocodile costume onto Qantas flight 425 from Sydney to Melbourne in a large bag marked saying it was carrying animal costumes.

He said he was standing near his boarding gate and at first thought nothing when a child said “there's a guy with a moose head”. But then he looked up and saw his camel costume. Mr Cox later told ABC radio: “I obviously was flabbergasted.


Yahoo! And AOL Travel Searches

Travel industry researchers estimate that demand for independently booked travel is set to rise by 80% in the next five years. Both Yahoo! and AOL recently announced that they were improving their travel offerings and setting up as online travel agents. Both companies are developing specialised travel search engines (due to go live in early 2005) that will allow users to compare prices from a range of different travel agents, airlines, hotel groups, resorts and hire car companies. The difference between these offerings and sites such as Lastminute.com or Travelocity is that the Yahoo and AOL travel site will include fares offered by budget airlines. At the moment, other companies do not include listings of many of the budget airlines as most refuse to pay a commission to list their services.

Answers to: So You Think You’re Well Travelled?

Answers to: So You Think You’re Well Travelled?

  1. Congo – Brazzaville
  2. Madagascar – Antananarivo
  3. Oman – Muscat
  4. Azerbaijan – Baku
  5. Bangladesh – Dhaka

0 out of 5 – you need to get out more!

1-3 – not bad

4 – very good! You are a Globetrotter!

5 – are you sure you didn’t sneak a look?


Have you got a tale to tell?

If you have a travellers tale that your aching to tell. Then why not visit the “Travel Sized Bites” section of the Website and share it with the world. Travel Sized Bites

Fave Websites

Recommended by Globetrotter Steve, a great web site that helps travellers with how to pack, pre trip preparations, where to go, pictures, recommended guide books – all sorts, a great resource! Take a look at: Travel Independent

Another website for package tour holiday makers as opposed to independent travellers is:

www.wherewillwego.com It contains 120 activities world-wide from over 2,500 tour operators.

FAST Changi Check In

Singapore's Changi Airport has introduced immigration kiosks that read fingerprints and facial features and double as automated check-in counters, in a bid to cut flight check-in times. The project, known as Fully Automated Seamless Travel or FAST, cuts the time needed for passengers to register for flights and check passports on arrival to from 15 minutes or longer, two minutes.

The system, which began trials in November 2004 at Changi, Asia's sixth-busiest airport, requires users to lodge facial details and thumb prints as biometric data on an identification card the size of a credit card. Passengers insert a card into a kiosk and then look into a camera and press their thumb onto a plate to check their details.