All posts by The Beetle

Hair Cuts in Rio

If you have beautiful flowing locks and are travelling around Rio de Janeiro, then be careful as recently, scissor-wielding thieves cut off the waist long dark brown hair of a 22-year-old Brazilian woman as she rode in a city bus. “We got on at the same stop and they sat behind me,” sales assistant Mirna Marchetti said. “Then all of a sudden I felt someone pulling my hair. My friend tried to help me but they just cut it off, right at the base.” The culprits also stole her handbag and her mobile phone before escaping. Police suspect the thieves hope to sell the hair to a hairdresser.


Help Your Friends Out

People you care about can benefit from the wealth of information about travel available on the Internet. Help them learn how to do it by forwarding them this issue of the Globetrotters eNewsletter!


Meeting News from London by Padmassana

December 2006 London Meeting

The last meeting of 2006 was kicked off by Helena Drysdale, whose talk was called Strangerland – a family at war. It was really a snapshot of Helena’s own family history, the tale of her great great grandfather’s governorship of 19th century New Zealand. He was a governor in India before being posted to New Zealand. His time there included the turmoil of the wars between the local Maoris and the European settlers. Helena’s research into her family included hours studying records and documents, eventually she even found a record of the ship that delivered her great great grandmother to new Zealand. Helena’s book Strangerland – a family at war is published by Picador.

After the break it was off to the Sahara desert with John Pilkington. John’s journey began on the river Niger in Mali to the fabled city of Timbuktu. John’s aim was to head into the desert following the camel caravan route to the salt mines of Tal Deni. First he had to find himself some camels and a guide. The camel market provided both and after a couple of days of buying essentials, tea, sugar, rice it was off into the desert for the 450 mile trip. The salt mines are open pits, the purest salt is well below the surface. John showed us the giant blocks which are marked with the individual miners name before being loaded onto camels for the return trip. The blocks are all sold, except one block which is delivered to the miners’ family for them to sell.

By Padmassana

Coming Next:

Saturday 6 January 2007

4 Mini Talks and our New Year Party – Our January meeting gives four speakers to present 20 minute talks, an opportunity to introduce subjects within a tighter format. We hope that talks may include topics that couldn’t be sustained over a normal 40 minute talk or offer a launch for new speakers. By tradition we follow this meeting with a New Year Party post-meeting – everyone is invited to bring food and drink and participate !

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. For more information, you can contact the Globetrotters Info line on +44 (0) 20 8674 6229, or visit the website: www.globetrotters.co.uk


Overseas Meetings

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.


Meeting News from Ontario

For information on Ontario meetings, please contact Svatka Hermanek: shermane@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 Old York Tower, 85 Esplanade (It is at the south-east corner of Church & Esplanade – 2 blocks east from the Hummingbird Centre at 8.00 p.m. 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.


Backpacker – The Ultimate Travel Game Competition

backpacker-gameBackpacker – The Ultimate Travel Game is a card game in which you experience all the fun and unpredictability of travelling the world as you try to outwit your opponents to be the player who has returned home with the most photos. In Backpacker you visit different countries and continents, enjoy beaches, trekking, wildlife and culture, meet other travellers and get good and bad advice, whilst trying to avoid getting sick or missing your plane. You may even have to change your plans or seek assistance to cope with problems and delays, some of which may be caused by your fellow players. You need planning, good timing, patience and a bit of luck to win and with so many scenarios, no two games are ever the same. Just like travelling, it’s fun, exciting, fast-changing and very addictive.

Play at home, on your next holiday and beyond. This game is essential for anyone who loves foreign travel.

We have a number of card games to give away, just email us at quiz@globetrotters.co.ukto enter our prize draw with the name or location of the iconic bridge which is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2007. We will contact the lucky winners for postal addresses etc.

In the shops “Backpacker – The Ultimate Travel Game” costs £9.99 You can find further details on the web at http://www.backpackercardgame.com or e-mail: info@backpackercardgame.com<


Padmassana Visits Tokyo and Does Some Geocaching on the Way

Finally back in Tokyo. Flights all on time, landed early at 7.30am on a Friday; only problem was that Customs decided to search everything, don’t know why this knackered looking tourist got pulled. Mind you, he was a very nice Customs official and carefully repacked my rucksack. They could teach Saudi Customs a thing or two, you have to chase your underwear up the moving carousel as they chuck it on!

Eventually got the train into Tokyo, though I fell asleep at some point and only woke up when it was just departing for its return trip to the airport! Using my faithful GPS, more of this later, I soon found my Ryokan, a very nice place, complete with tatami mat with nice futon and kettle with tea just 15 mins walk away from Ueno Station. I dumped my bag and followed the sound of drums to the Nezu temple, just in time for Taiko drumming and a big parade – well that kept me awake and the jet-lag at bay!

Had a wander in the park and found a supermarket so I won’t starve. It’s over 80 degrees and sunny now, early May. I met up with my Japanese friend Hanae one evening, and we had a wander round Ueno market. She showed me stuff I wouldn’t have had a clue about, such as whole legs of octopus for example. We went to a local coffee shop for a long chat and catch up. My friend’s husband is a travel writer, and was not able to join us because he was in PNG!

Then I took the train to Kamakura, a very nice place, though by 2pm, jet-lag was catching up on me. Kamakura is on a peninsula south of Tokyo and Yokohama.

Bamboo templeIn Kamakura, I visited the Bamboo temple that my Tokyo friend told me about, set in a grove of bamboo, with monks chanting and green tea served in the garden. After this, I visited the giant Buddha, which used to be in a building until a tsunami removed them.

tea at the a bamboo templeFrom Kamakura, I went to Enoshima island which is near Kamakura. It takes about an hour on the train from Tokyo. Enoshima was fun and tried to do a geocache, but there were too many people about and too much rubbish around as well, so went back to Tokyo.

For my next trip, I took the train from Tokyo to Yamagata which takes about 3 hours including train hopping at Fukushima. To do this, I took the Shinkansen (Bullet train), super quick up to Fukushima where the train split in half. Needless to say, I was in the wrong half that was heading for Sendai so I had to get off and leg it onto the half continuing on to Yamadera, phew!!!

Yamadera is a lovely place, very friendly and the ryokan was only 4400 yen/night (about £20.). Went for wander to the castle and had a picnic in the park, found some of my favourite “Pea crips” in Daiei (Giant department store with good food place underneath) yum. I love looking round the “100 Yen shop”, they have all kinds of stuff in them. I went round a supermarket and saw “Wanko noodles” – I gave them a miss.

YamaderaAnother trip I made was taking the bus to Mt Zao, which despite being only 10 miles away took 90 mins to get to, thanks to the winding mountain roads and switchback hairpins. It was worth the ride to see Okama, a massive volcanic lake, fantastic place, you get to it via a chair lift. Loads of snow still, which you have to slip and slide through. Then walked up to Mt Kattadate over 5,000ft, spectacular views. Bought a mini bell for my rucksack. The Japanese all have them, they are to scare off bears!

Then went to Yamadera to visit Basho, a place with little temples up a hill, it looks lovely in the guidebook. Yamadera is very touristy and should be known as Basho theme park. There are lovely temples up a mountain, over 1000 steps to the top, but what a view. Went to the Basho museum which has some of his calligraphy, quite interesting, but little in English.

Went to Tendo, a place is famous for making Shogi pieces for Japanese chess, quite an interesting museum and they gave me a nice book with it all in English.

Then visited Sendai primarily to visit Matsushima. Matsushima itself far too expensive to stay in, but with my rail pass an easy hit for daytrips from Sendai, also hope to do geocache in Sendai. I booked all of my accommodation on my trip on the internet as I went along.

Arrived in Sendai with a stinking cold and started looking for Ryokan Iwai, but got a bit lost in the vicinity when a little old lady asked me what I was looking for, luckily she used to work there and literally lead me by the hand and pointed it out across the street and insisted I wait for the green man at the crossing!

Went out to explore Sendai, a very big busy place that has a kfc! Tried to do a geocache in the suburbs, found a huge black snake on the path, but thanks to my Bear scaring bell it went away.

I had a major experience at the Sumitomo bank to change some Yen travellers cheques, what a palaver. The teller eventually gave me a form in Japanese for me to fill in, um yeah, right! So she then pointed at each square and wrote on a bit of paper what I had to write in each box! Why she couldn’t just fill it in and get me to sign it?

Matsushima BridgeEventually got the train to Hon Shiogama, this was in order to take the scenic boat trip to Matsushima (1400Yen). Nice 50 min ride through all the little islands, though absolutely freezing there and very windy.

Eventually got to Matsushima and explored the big temple, but not fun in the driving rain. Then decided to head north to Morioka after talking to a Kiwi couple. Sado-ga Island would have been nice to visit, but with only local trains crossing Honshu this would mean 2 days of travelling, I get better value for my rail pass to go to Morioka, and from there I can go to Miyako on the coast and Kakunodate Samurai houses from there.

Most of my Ryokan arrivals have both been done via my knowledge of numbers 1 to 5 in Japanese and sleep mime signs! They bring out calculator and show me the price. Apart from a Kiwi couple, I have not seen a non Japanese person, unlike Tokyo, where there are lots of foreigners. That said, everyone without exception is helpful and friendly, things may take time like the bank, but I get there in the end.

This trip I have tried to move less, i.e. pick places where I can stay but can get to other places, such as Yamagata which was great for Zao and Yamadera as well as Yamagata itself. Sendai was perfect for Matsushima and from Morioka I can hit Miyako, Kokonodate, Mt Iwata and then back to Tokyo. I really want to see Mt Fuji this time, just got to pray for a clear day.

The sun shone the day I made it to Morioka from Sendai to Morioka on the bullet train. They go so fast you can’t read station names of places you pass and it’s too fast for GPS as well, I tried it! They are very quiet though.

I love travelling alone, you get to talk to more people even if it is through sign language. However just had a nice chat in English with Tourist office, think the girl enjoyed using her English. She told me to visit Miyako on the coast and Hirazumi for its temples. However Mt Iwata volcano still has 5 metres of snow so that one is out, she reckons the walking paths up there will not be open until end June or July.

When I left my Morioka Ryokan, all the people came to say goodbye and bowed as I left (I’m not worthy!) and gave me a little towel as a present for staying. Those are the things I li ke a bout Japan its efficiency and its friendliness.

Japanese geocaches either have proper Japanese translation underneath or the Japanese written in English letters. When you look at the logs for the caches some are in Japanese and some in English.


Hill Tribes in Thailand

Northern Thailand is home to many interesting and colourful ethnic minorities, collectively referred to as the hill tribes. Most of the hill tribes have migrated into the region during the past 100 years from Burma and whilst some try to preserve their traditional ways and can do so with little outside interference, others have become a tourist freak show. Wherever you visit in Thailand’s north, whether trekking or on day trips out of Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai to some of the small villages you may find yourself visiting some of the hill tribes.

Hill Tribes in ThailandEthnologists state that there are six broad hill tribe groupings: Karen, Lahu, Hmong, Lisu, Akha and Mien. Within these categories, there are sub-categories and clans that further divide the groups. Each hill tribe has its own customs, language, dress and spiritual beliefs and this is sometimes true even of the numerous sub-categories within one hill tribe. For example, the Green Hmong and White Hmong are said to speak in different and distinct dialects and dress differently.

Today the majority of the hill tribes living in the remote upland areas practice subsistence farming. Formerly, opium cultivation was a major source of income for many of the hill tribes and the government worked encouraged the eradication of opium production by substituting it with other cash crops, such as cabbages and fruits. The hill tribes lived in relative isolation until the 1950s, when, as a result of the increase in their numbers, extreme poverty and statelessness, the Thai government established the National Committee for the Hill Tribes.

Today there are still concerns with regard to issues with citizenship, conforming to mainstream Thai society and the loss of indigenous customs and languages.

Many Padaung escaped from the Kaya State in Burma to Thailand in the mid to late 1900’s and are refugees from Burma. They belong to the Karenni sub-group of the Karen People, who are still fighting for their independence in Burma. The Karen-Padaung occupied central Burma before the Burmese arrived from the North and they, together with the ancient Mon, farmed the Irrawaddy and Salween Valleys. There are pockets of Paduang around Mae Hong Son in Thailand. Hill Tribes in Thailand

Hill Tribes in ThailandThe main reason tourists come to visit the Paduang is because of the long-necked women. When the Beetle was in Thailand, she was told that the women in this tribe wore huge coils of metal around their necks to protect them from tigers. She asked if this tradition still held true and was assured that it did. What a load of nonsense! The women who wear these huge coils around their neck do so as a means of income generation from fees from tourists taking their photos and buying handicrafts presented at their stores. It came across, sadly, as something of a human freak show.

It might seem that the neck is elongated, but in actuality, the collarbone is displaced rather than the stretching and weakening of the neck leading to a decompression of the spine and fused vertebrae and discs. This neck ring adornment is started when the girls are 5 or 6 years old. Some women and children also wear rings on the arms and the legs which are not quite as prominent as those on the neck because the neck rings are so pronounced. The rings on the arms are worn on the forearm from the wrist to the elbow. Those on the legs are worn from the ankles to the knees, and cloth coverings are kept over most of these rings, from the shins Hill Tribes in Thailanddown to the ankles. Hill Tribes in Thailand

Here is a question: if the so called long necked women were cultivating opium, which they do not, then the Thai government would be amongst the first if they could get there before the NGOs and denounce this as a terrible practice. Is there a huge difference between growing opium and following an inhumane practice for money? So why not follow what has gone before and show people how to make a living in another way that does not involve this practice? Money: the long neck hill tribe women will continue to do this and inflict the practice on their female children as long as tourists go and visit and pay money to see them. This seems a difficult situation to know what is ‘right or wrong’. One wonders how many of the long neck villages in Thailand are managed by the Padaung people themselves and would they choose to do this themselves – or is the best form of income they can generate? How do the women feel about being photographed and gawped at whilst presumably being in pain through wearing the weight of the rings? Is it right to initiate or perpetuate the practice through the young girl children? How much of the entrance fee actually goes to the women in these villages? If these tourist shows are managed by someone else, and it seems likely that this is the case, are the women treated fairly?

What do you think? E-mail the Beetle and we will incorporate your comments in the next edition of the e-newsletter.


Top Ten Organized Religions of the World

Statistics of the world’s religions are only very rough approximations. Aside from Christianity, few religions, if any, attempt to keep statistical records; and even Protestants and Catholics employ different methods of counting members. The table that follows may not therefore be completely accurate, but this is what infoplease.com says about the world’s most numerous organised religions.

Religion Members Percentage
Christianity 2.1 billion 33.0%
Islam 1.3 billion 20.1
Hinduism 851 million 13.3
Buddhism 375 million 5.9
Sikhism 25 million 0.4
Judaism 15 million 0.2%
Baha’ism 7.5 million 0.1
Confucianism 6.4 million 0.1
Jainism 4.5 million 0.1
Shintoism 2.8 million 0.0

NOTES: As of mid-2004. This list includes only organized religions and excludes more loosely defined groups such as Chinese or African traditional religions.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, taken from: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0904108.html


Essaouira Briefly Visited

EssaouiraEssaouira is a charming seaside resort situated on the Atlantic Sea in Morocco. It has been a fishing village for centuries, but recently it has become a thriving tourism destination for those seeking a rest by the sea that is not Agadir, Morocco’s better busy and more commercialised known seaside resort.Essaouira Essaouira is well connected by good roads – Marrakech is 175 km east, Safi 130 km north and Agadir 185 km to the south. Casablanca is 350 km north-east. It is a beautiful town with a mixture of Portuguese, French, and Berber architecture.

Historically, Essaouira has been an important international trading seaport, linking Morocco and its Saharan hinterland with Europe and the rest of the world. During the Middle Ages, a Muslim saint named Sidi Mogdoul was buried in Essaouira; Essaouira was originally known as “Mogador” by the Portuguese. In 1506, the king of Portugal ordered a fortress to be built there which was called “Castelo Real de Mogador.” In the 18th century, Mohammed III, instructed European architects to build a modern fortress which was originally called “Souira”, meaning “the small fortress”, the name then became “Es-Saouira”, “the beautifully designed”.

According to the UNESCO website, which cites the Medina of Essaouira as a UNESCO World Heritage Listed city, Essaouira is an exceptional example of a late-18th-century fortified town, built according to the principles of contemporary European military architecture in a North African context. Since its foundation.

EssaouiraEssaouiraEssaouira

What is there to see and do? It is a small town, and easy to get around by foot. You will see lots of photogenic white washed houses with blue shutters, colourful fishing boats moored in the harbour. Seafood is good, in the restaurants. There are the ramparts of the fort to walk along, complete with cannons, art galleries, wood workshops, market stalls – enough to satisfy anyone wishing to visit for a few days. There are also clean sandy beaches and dunes and you can make camel trips on the beach and in the desert in the interior.

Essaouira is also known for its windsurfing, with the powerful north-eastern trade wind blowing almost constantly onto the protected, almost wave less, bay. It is possible to rent surf boards.

To get to Essaouira, the cheapest way is by public bus from Marrakech or Casablanca bus station. There are two companies that run air conditioned buses – Supratours and CTM. There are several other companies that run non air conditioned buses. A Supratours bus, leaves from the Marrakech bus station next to the train station. More bus services are available from a different terminal at Bab Doukkala which is where you can also find a shared taxi to Essaouira. The bus fare from Marrakech is about 65 dirham and the cost of a taxi to yourself is around 800 dirham per car. The journey from Marrakech takes about 3-4 hours, and from Casablanca 6-7 hours. It is also possible to rent a Grand Taxi to get from/to Casablanca and Marrakech. If there are four or more of you, it will probably end up about the same price as an air con’d bus.


Mac's Travel Reminiscences

MacMac has not been very well but is still e-mailing strong. Here are some of Mac’s tales of travel to high altitudes and also an update on Stanley, one of Mac’s fellow residents of the Old Soldier’s home in Washington. Stanley belongs to an organisation that distributes eye glasses to those in less developed countries.

You will be sorry you asked me if I ever visited Bolivia. The altitude is very high there. In La Paz the rich people live where you think the poor people would live and the poor people live where you would think the rich people would live in other countries. Where rich people would ordinarily live at high elevation and the poor at lower it is just the opposite so rich can breathe better than the poor.

When I was in Bolivia, the altitude got to me and I went to the airline and said I have to get out of here. They sent me to a pharmacy to get medicine for altitude sickness and it did the trick. I had an address of a budget place to stay but when I went to it, there was a fountain and stairs and nice yard in front with a nice facade of what looked like a resort hotel. I thought I had made a mistake but when I opened the door inside was a run down hotel with stuff coming out of seats and it was like the front outside wall was for a movie set and inside you faced reality. Ha!

By this time I had met and made friends with a couple from Canada. He was originally from Germany (a soccer star) and she was from Austria and she had gone to Canada as an au pair and they met and married. She arrived in Canada with no English and first day when she went down town she and a girl friend forgot the address where they worked. They went up to a policeman and said, “I love you,” the only words they knew. He laughed and guessed the situation and found out somehow where they were employed.

We kept meeting in different countries in South America and went to the airport together to depart for Chile. We were waiting for our plane to arrive, to board and were passed through to the departure lounge and went out to our plane. There was someone in our seats so we took other seats. I then discovered from my new seatmate that this plane was departing for Miami and had arrived late. I hollered at my travelling companions, “ We are on the wrong plane.” The other passengers said ,“No you are on right plane, this plane goes to Miami.” I shouted, “we don’t want to go to Miami but Chile,” and we dashed off the plane.

In that day and age I never thought one could get on wrong plane that way. Ha! I guess they never looked at our tickets closely. Just another travel experience. Someone said, “Mac it seems like everything happens to you.” Stay alert is the motto.

Because of the high altitude, I did not enjoy Bolivia as much as I should have. I am built somehow with a high diaphragm or something so don’t get as much oxygen as some. When young and in the armed forces, this did not bother me although whenever X rays are taken they often ordered more to see whatever they were seeing in my makeup. Later in life I had to be on oxygen for a year. I tire easily possibly because I don’t get as much oxygen as some. Or maybe I am just lazy. There are many countries I would like to return to, but would not go back to Nepal, Bolivia and some of the high countries again.

In Peru the airline gives you a drink that has some kind of drug for air altitude sickness when arriving at Cuzco. My room mate Hunt from the Old Soldier’s home woke me up in middle of night and said, “ Mac get oxygen.” I ran to desk and hollered “oxygen” and they ran with a tank and applied a mask to Hunt. Later I said to him that if he had died I did not know how I was going to get him down off the mountain and back to the Old Soldiers Home so I was going to tell the authorities that his dying wish was that he wanted to be buried up there with the Indians. Hunt and I went to Russia together so he has gotten used to me and my weird humour.

Stanley Sagara has returned from his Ethiopian eyeglass mission. They went by bus for fourteen hours out into the boon docks and I don’t want to put words in Stanley’s mouth but what they saw Stanley says was almost having him to have nightmares. The way the people were living or not living. So many had eyesight so far gone that glasses would not help. They could only help about 30 percent of those asking for help and I think some thought the Americans could put some kind of magic drops in their eyes and they could see and they couldn’t. Stanley has been all over the world and witnessed all kinds of injustices in his life but I think this experience saddened him. This is my interpretation and I often get things wrong.

And finally… I am reminded of something a friend here at the Old Soldier’s Home said to me recently. Frank, my friend had gotten the Medal of Honour for rescuing and pulling GIs from a burning plane on a runway in England. Clark Gable arrived at their unit. The GIs were told to not bother Mr Gable but they all stood around watching his arrival. Gable saw them and walked over to them and said, “Would one of you guys loan me a sixpence for a tea (or something like that.) It was his way of breaking the ice and saying hello. Every GI there was reaching into his pocket as they wanted to say they had loaned Clark Gable a sixpence or whatever it was. He visited with them and they appreciated this. If I ever get to be famous I too will be gracious, (if I have time.)

If you would like to get in touch with Mac, he is happy to correspond by e-mail when he is well. His e-mail address is: macsan400@yahoo.com


Our Friends Ryanair

Following the recent UK publication of the Stern report on the effects of climate change, Ryanair has dismissed calls for green taxes on aviation as the “usual horseshit” and warned that extra levies on airlines will not put people off flying.

Michael O’Leary, chief executive of the low-cost carrier, also ruled out joining the EU carbon emissions trading scheme, seen by some airlines as their best hope of avoiding punitive taxes as governments consider curbing the industry’s contribution to the greenhouse effect.

“It’s the usual horseshit that we hear,” he said. “There is a fundamental misunderstanding about aviation and environmental taxes at the moment. No one knows what they are talking about.”

Mr O’Leary said aviation accounted for a “Mickey Mouse” 3% of carbon emissions across the EU, compared with nearly 25% from road transport, which he said had not been affected by petrol levies and other charges. He added that Ryanair’s growth will not be affected by further taxes because its ticket prices will remain more competitive than its rivals’.

“Taxing aviation will not affect the growth of Ryanair one iota,” he said. “We will continue to grow like gangbusters because the price differential between Ryanair and easyJet and British Airways will not change.” Recent economic studies contradict Ryanair, pointing to evidence that a price increase of 1.5% is enough to put some people off flying.

Speaking at the launch of an in-flight gaming service in London yesterday, Mr O’Leary said the government should focus on British Airways, which he said operates a “gas-guzzling” fleet of older aircraft. “If people are serious about tackling the minuscule contribution of aviation, what they ought to be tackling are the operators of the old gas-guzzling aircraft like BA or those who run two flights to get you to your destination, unlike low-fares airlines.” A spokesperson for BA said the claims were “just not true” because the airline’s 280-strong fleet has an average age of 10 years and it has started replacing its oldest long-haul aircraft.

Mr O’Leary also dismissed Sir Richard Branson’s pledge to invest $3bn (£1.6bn) in renewable energy over the next decade as a “PR stunt” because the billionaire expects to fund the promise from the profits of his transport interests, which include the Virgin Atlantic airline and Virgin Trains. “I doubt if the profit will get to $3bn over the next 100 years, let alone the next 10,” he said.

Ryanair recently announced that it had formed a gaming partnership with Internet bingo group Jackpotjoy, adding another new revenue stream as it seeks to boost cash flow from areas other than ticket sales. Ryanair said in a statement the deal would allow passengers to play bingo while booking their flights, car hire, and hotels on its web site.

Ryanair recently announced that it has been forced to postpone the introduction of new flights between European and Moroccan destinations because of EU regulation delays. It said that flights from Marseille and Frankfurt to Fez, Marrakech and Oujda would not now start until December 1, though services from Luton, near London, to Fez and Marrakech, would begin as planned next month.”

And still on the theme of low cost airlines, Easyjet said that while it was clear that airlines ‘still have their part to play in safeguarding the environment’ it was important to note the European Commission’s own calculations, which state that aviation accounts for just 3% of CO2 emissions in Europe.

‘Calling for greater taxation on air travel is sloppy thinking and risks damaging the European economy as a whole,’ it said in a statement.


The Times presents Destinations: The Holiday & Travel Show

Discover the world in a day at Destinations: The Holiday& Travel Show, the essential event for travel inspiration.

Get tips from the travel experts while experiencing Destinations Sensations, demonstrations of global culture, culinary delights and live entertainment on the World Entertainment Stage.

Meet the Expert Theatres feature inspirational talks to fuel your imagination, experts include John Simpson – BBC World Affairs Editor (London Show), Jake Meyer, the youngest Briton to climb Everest and Nick Middleton, presenter and writer of ‘Extremes Along the Silk Road’. Plus, participate in interactive sessions on topics from Travel Writing and Photography to Argentina: Beyond Buenos Aires.

    Destinations 2007 takes place at:

    • Earls Court, London 1-4 February 2007
    • NEC, Birmingham 2-4 March 2007

    eNewsletter readers to www.DestinationsShow.com or to call the box office on 08701 66 04 34* quoting ‘Globetrotters’ to obtain their complimentary tickets (*calls charged at national rate, booking fee applies).


Being Careful: Fiji

The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office advise against all but essential travel to the Fijian capital Suva because of tensions in the relationship between the Government of Fiji and the Republic of Fiji Military Forces. The Fiji Military Commander has issued an ultimatum demanding that the Government resigns during November. On 1 November, the Prime Minister made it clear he would not resign. The Fiji Military Commander is now in Suva following his return from an overseas tour. The security situation in Suva could therefore deteriorate at short notice.

You should also exercise caution if travelling to the rest of Fiji, particularly in urban areas. You should avoid all military or political rallies and large gatherings of people and keep yourself informed of developments. The British High Commission in Fiji is monitoring events closely.

The security situation in Fiji, although currently calm, could worsen at short notice. Britons should exercise caution, particularly in urban areas, and stay clear from military and political rallies as well as large crowds, it added. The FCO advice follows warnings given to Australians and New Zealanders by their respective governments.


New Thai Visa Rules

Thailand has changed its immigration rules to deter foreigners from 41 countries, including the UK, from working illegally on tourist visas. The old arrangement allowed visa-free tourist entry for 30 days. Many tourists were taking advantage of this by leaving Thailand every 30 days to a neighbouring country and then returning. Under new regulations it will only be possible to do this for a total of 90 days, after which the visitor must leave the Kingdom for 90 days before returning.


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!!


Indian Airways Hostesses Sacked for Being Too Fat

Eleven employees at Indian Airways have recently been grounded for putting on too much weight. The airline which is being taken to court over the legality of firing its air hostesses for being too fat, claim that they should be able to select the ‘best ambassadors’ to represent the national airline, and the country as a whole, and will also claim that thinner employees are more agile and better equipped to tackle terrorist incidents and other emergencies.

An internal memo earlier this year warned cabin staff they would be banned from flying if random weight checks found them to be over a fixed weight, set out in a company chart. Although weight guidelines have always been in place, previously they were not rigorously enforced.

Lawyers for the cabin crew unions say that around 130 members of staff have been temporarily suspended without pay for putting on too much weight, although most are now back at work. ‘They want to discard the heavier women and bring in newer, thinner models,’ said Sheela Joshi, an air hostess who was grounded after a spot weigh-in found she was 1.9kg over the prescribed limit for her height.

So, how thin should you be to be a brand ambassador for modern India? If Kate Moss can win model of the year after her recent antics, and be a brand icon, then surely, Indian Airways can cope with some overweight air hostesses as long as they are good at their job?


Japanese Weddings

Although Japanese Christians make up only 1% of the country’s population, about 90% of weddings in Japan are in the Christian style, complete with the words, “you may now kiss the bride” and the big white dress. There appears to be something of a roaring trade for Europeans to act as fake priests presiding at Western-style weddings to give a performance and add to the atmosphere. These are not legal ceremonies – the couples also have to make a trip to the local registrar.


Tsunami Warning System

The first of a planned series of tsunami early warning buoys is being put down in the Indian Ocean. The buoy, provided by the US, (who already operate a similar system in the Pacific Ocean) is being placed between Thailand and Sri Lanka, two of the countries worst-hit by the 2004 tsunami which killed more than 200,000 people. The buoy can detect sudden increases in pressure deep under the sea and send signals to a buoy floating on the surface. Using satellite communication the buoy passes the gathered information to tsunami warning centres around the Indian Ocean to give coastal communities early warning of a tsunami.

The plan is to create a network of 24 buoys that will extend to Indonesia and Australia, along the deep and unstable fault-line that caused the 2004 earthquake.

The BBC’s South-East Asia correspondent said that system will only be effective if proper warning sirens are installed in coastal communities – so far only a few have them.