Cultural Co-operation are putting on free concerts featuring 300 musicians from 25 countries. The concerts are scheduled as follows:
For full details and a voucher to enter Kew Gdns for free on those days, you can either:
Thomas from Munich wrote in to say that he read the Beetle’s story about the confusion between Oman and Amman. The same thing happened to an African friend of his who went back to his home country with his family of 4 people. He booked a flight to Dakar in Senegal or so he thought, instead he received, five days before his departure, four tickets getting him to Dhaka, Bangladesh. Imagine the hassle to change the booking of four people 5 days before the intended departure. Madness!
Funded by the United Nations Development Programme, The Secretary General of the World Tourist Organisation, Francesco Frangialli, has signed agreements in North Korea, to help develop North Korea's tourism potential.
The World Tourist Organisation has been involved in projects with North Korea since 1989 – including giving the Communist state assistance in developing the Mount Kumgang, or Diamond Mountain, resort. Mt Kumgang is now open to foreign visitors, including tour cruises from neighbouring South Korea. New tourist sites, such as Mount Chilbo in the country's northeast, are likely to be earmarked this time. But the tourist organisation says its efforts will largely focus on capacity development and training.
Only about 200,000 tourists visited North Korea last year, although officials believe the country's tourism potential is huge – despite current problems with access, infrastructure, lack of training and its rigid centrally planned economy. Ecotourism and cultural tourism are two areas that experts believe could be developed, bringing the country much needed hard currency, as it opens its doors a little more to the outside world.
Voting has finished in Sierra Leone and political pundits believe that for the first time in 10 years, peace will ensue. Perhaps now, tourism will return to a country with a beautiful unspoilt coastline, mountains and national parks. Watch this space!
Ferry accidents are very common in Bangladesh, a country criss-crossed by hundreds of rivers. Two large rivers dissect Bangladesh in two, east and west, the River Meghna and the River Padma and there are hundreds of off shoots. In a country where travel by boat is a daily part of life, and the main means of getting about, another tragedy occurred on May 4th, when a passenger ferry travelling in stormy weather collided with another boat and capsized near the south eastern port of Chandpur. Officials say that the number of people on the ferry amounted to about 150, but survivors say that this was more like 300-400. No number has been placed on the number of fatalities, but it is thought to be in the 100s.
Apart from restricting the numbers of passengers, the tragedy could have been avoided if the nearest rescue boat had proper equipment. Most Bangladeshi ferries travelling on local routes do not keep passenger lists or issue tickets. Most accidents are blamed on overloading or on unskilled skippers, correspondents say. Nearly 200 people were killed when a ferry sank in the Meghna river early last year, and there have been many more smaller ferry disasters.
Under 24? 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!!
This web site provides links to a very wide range of information – everything you might need to plan a trip: links to the latest travel warnings for British, American, Australian and Canadian citizens, lists of travel agents in each of these countries and Pacific Asia, info on cruise lines around the world, national parks, internet cafes, embassies around the world, world time zones, restaurants, exchange rates – you name it!
Things to take on your Travels – Padmassana’s rules
As well as the usual Lonely Planet guide and phrasebook here are a few other essentials.
1. Half the luggage you originally put out to take!
2. A sense of humour for when you just miss that boat, plane or train.
3. A sixth sense to keep you safe.
4. A rucksack cover gives an extra level of security and stops straps being mangled on airport luggage conveyor belts.
5. Combination padlocks, saves carrying/losing keys.
6. A good compass and map, particularly for places (Japan, China etc) where you cannot read the local alphabet and where there are a definite lack of street names and building numbers.
7. A bite Zapper, tiny almost weightless electric pulse to relieve those nasty bites and stings, worth it’s weight in gold!
8. Little presents to repay good turns, like postcards of home.
9. And when it’s time to go home be a responsible tourist, leave nothing but footprints and take nothing but photographs.
Got any travel tips for the Beetle? Then e-mail them to: the Beetle!
Plans for the first new bus service in central London for over a decade have been unveiled. The route to be known as Riverside 1 (RVS1) will link together more than 40 arts and tourist attractions, five underground stations, three national rail stations and five river piers. It will go from the Tate Modern and the London Eye to the Tower of London and Covent Garden. The Beetle can vouch for the fact that this service has started.
Since December 2001 we have chosen to dedicate our overland bicycle expedition to help raising funds for the Gray Cancer Institute.
Many people know of someone who has been affected by cancer and there does not appear to be any discrimination. The Gray Cancer Institute is one of the leading centres for research applied to cancer treatment, working in close collaboration with clinicians at Mount Vernon Hospital. It was originally a radiobiology research unit with its focus on radiotherapy, but research in tumour physiology has led to new initiatives in cancer chemotherapy and it is introducing new ways of exploiting modern molecular biology.
We would like to raise £1 per mile cycled but at the moment we do not appear to be doing very well.
Our website is financially maintained solely by Kiwisonbikes and the generous donation of time by Mike Fisher. If you have been enjoying the website and to date we have had over 16,900 hits, please help us achieve our goal by donating some money to Gray Cancer Institute.
It's simple. All you have to do is send a cheque or money order to: Gray Cancer Institute PO Box 100 Mount Vernon Hospital Northwood Middlesex HA6 2JR United Kingdom
Please mark Kiwisonbikes clearly on the back of the payment.
Or if you would like to donate online then Gray Cancer Institute uses the Charity Card system. Please then email us or Grays to say the donation was on behalf of Kiwisonbikes.
£1, £5, $10 or even more. Please give today and help make a difference. kiwisonbikes.net
South African millionaire Mark Shuttleworth has landed safely back on Earth after a 10-day journey into space. The Russian Soyuz space capsule carrying the South African millionaire and two crewmembers touched down near Arkalyk in the steppes of Kazakhstan at 0351 GMT on Sunday 28th April. As he was carried away from the capsule, a grinning Mr Shuttleworth said: “Every second will be imprinted and will be with me for the rest of my life.” He had spent some of his time carrying out scientific work on the ISS, including experiments on the virus responsible for Aids, and examinations of ocean life. Mr Shuttleworth, a 28-year-old internet magnate, was rumoured to have paid $20m for his trip to the International Space Station (ISS). Mr Shuttleworth, who lives in London, is the world's second holidaymaker in space.
He follows in the footsteps of Dennis Tito, a US businessman and former American space agency (NASA) employee, who rode into orbit last year. The South African is reported to have bought the Soyuz capsule and his space suit as a souvenir of his trip. We hear Tom Cruise is queuing up for his chance to do something similar!
Source: bbc.co.uk
Ingredients: For four people
4 portions of Sea Bass, ½ Kilo diced tomato, 1 teaspoon of salt, 100 grams diced Parsley , 100g diced Coriander, 4 medium diced whole onions, 3 tablespoons of Olive Oil, ½ tablespoon of sweet Paprika
Preparation:
The fish is cleaned and put in a bowl with a little salt and the juice of one Lemon. Then leave to marinate for at least an hour. In a Ceramic Pot if a Panela de Barro is not available, with the Olive Oil at the bottom of the pot. Next add the Paprika and mix. The rest of the ingredients are then mixed and divided into two parts. One half of the mixture goes in the pot, then by a layer of fish, followed by the rest of the ingredients. The pot is put on a medium hob for 30-40 minutes. Gentle rocking of the pot from time to time. Do not add water. Serve with white rice: then, just enjoy.
GERMANY: A Berlin man claims that handling 10-euro banknotes has made him impotent. Mr Wolfang Fritz (55) spent hours last January counting money his girlfriend inherited after the couple withdrew it all in 10-euro notes. Mr Fritz says he hasn't had an erection since handling the money. He is demanding the German government supply him with the erectile disfunction-drug, Viagra.
“The euro notes made me sick. It just won't go up anymore,” he told Berlin tabloid BZ. Mr Fritz has engaged a lawyer to fight his case, blaming the impotence on the chemical Tributyl-Zinn found in the 10-euro notes.
Each note contains 740 mcg of the chemical that, in sufficient quantity, can affect the human hormone system. “The amount in euro notes cannot lead to acute hormonal disturbances,” said hormone specialist Prof Dietrich Klingmüller. © The Irish Times
Tokyo hotel's rules and regulations:
GUESTS ARE REQUESTED NOT TO SMOKE OR DO OTHER DISGUSTING BEHAVIOURS IN
BED.
On the menu of a Swiss restaurant:
OUR WINES LEAVE YOU NOTHING TO HOPE FOR.
In a Tokyo bar:
SPECIAL COCKTAILS FOR THE LADIES WITH NUTS.
In a Bangkok temple:
IT IS FORBIDDEN TO ENTER A WOMAN EVEN A FOREIGNER IF DRESSED AS A MAN.
Hotel room notice, Chiang-Mai, Thailand: PLEASE DO NOT BRING SOLICITORS INTO YOUR ROOM.
Write in and tell us your funny sign! Drop a line to the Beetle!
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
Can anyone help Jane? She is a retired college teacher with extensive international experience looking for a short-term volunteer opportunity in East Africa. (Her website is www.mystudybuddy.org) and she says she has no idea where to look, and would be grateful for your suggestions. If you can help, or have any suggestions, please contact Jane.
Can anyone help Mike, who has not heard from his friend for four months? His friend is sailing from the UK to Australia, and his last letter was from Fatu Hiva. He was looking for crew to sail to Fanning island. Can anyone suggest a web-site to help Mike find his friend? If you have any suggestions, please contact Mike Thorneloe:
Thomas from Munich offers up to date advice for anyone planning on going to Kazakhstan, as he has just returned. To contact Thomas, e-mail him
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
While I spent last week in the shadow of Kilimanjaro the thought occurred to me, “Is anywhere still truly remote?” Though we were in the middle of Maasailand and a five-mile walk from the nearest town, Britney Spears still wafted through the air as we worked to lay the foundation for a Maasai health clinic. Though we have ants here so big they are used to close wounds (let them bite it, then twist their heads off), we have also brought modern surgical staple guns. Though people in the neighbouring shamba (village) were trampled by elephants last month, I saw one Morani warrior who kept his ear hole open with an Estee Lauder lotion bottle and used a dismantled Bic lighter as part of his headdress. In short, Rombo, in the far south of Kenya, is very remote and yet shockingly global. Likewise are the other Global Citizens Network volunteers with whom I am helping to bend metal for the clinic’s framework.
Source: Building Clinic in Kenya Opened Volunteer's Eyes about 'Remoteness'by Sean Maurer / Global Citizens Network (via GoNomad.com)
Greetings!! When last I wrote carnival was in the offing and here it is a month later and it all seems so far away. Rio was excellent despite the weather that alternated between wet, humid and baking hot. I was staying at a fancy hotel (+++++) and the air-con. was a life saver. There was a real buzz about the place as carnival seemed to take off from the Friday onwards. The streets echoed to the samba drums and there always seemed to be someone (or some group) parading somewhere. Copacobana, Leblon, Ipanema, the Rua Branco all saw their fair share of parades and costumes, feathers and absent items of clothing. The transvestites were by far the most outrageously garbed but the theme everywhere was excess in all things – sequins, feathers, papier-mâché, bright colours and skimpiness. Sambadrome was the focus for the major samba schools to display their year’s work and the show was pretty spectacular. Music blared and repeated as each group took the maximum allowance of time to dance, sing, gyrate and party their way down the half mile long track.
It was a dazzling exhibition and went on from about 9pm to 6am on the Sunday and Monday nights of Carnival. I lasted til just after two am before I could not look at anymore glitter. There had been on and off rain all evening but that did not dim the party spirit or delight of the crowd and paraders. Some of my companions salvaged costume items on the night and I can only wonder whether (and how?) they will get them home. As we left the arena to try and find a taxi, huge piles of discarded costumes were on every corner awaiting collection by the garbage men. It seemed a little sad given that the whole thing takes a year to put together, 80 mins to show and about two mins to throw away.
The other highlights of Rio, for me, were the ´hippie market´ at Ipanema, the Cristo Redentor statue on Corcovado, catching up with Ana Amelia and having yummy Japanese food. And I saw ´Lord of the Rings´ one night too. There was much I did not get to see, or do, so I guess I will have to go back – but perhaps not for Carnival. It was great to have been there but there is so much more to Rio and when Carnival is on, everything else is shut. My only disappointment in Rio was not receiving mail I had hoped for. Only a card from Angela made it, so if any of you wrote to me at that mail drop, please understand that I did not get any letters so will not know to reply.
We bade farewell to Annie and Andy, and welcomed six new people into our group as we left Rio. This meant that our truck was filled to capacity and has 22 passengers. No more spare seats and extra room but it has not been a tough as expected either. And the new people are a nice mix of age, and interest (and a couple more Australians to boost our strength). From Rio we headed north to a town called Ouro Preto (Black Gold) that was really lovely. A colonial Portuguese town with a church on every hill, we spent the whole day there wandering around and taking gazillions of photos. A huge rainstorm obscured the views for about thirty minutes in the afternoon and showed up the many leaks in the tents some of us had bought from Martin. The other highlight of this part of the world was a visit to Conghonas – a town famous for its statues and churches, quite lovely and the connection with the Bom Jesus church in Braga (Portugal) was profound.
Back to the coast and time spent at lovely seaside places as we headed north to Salvador. My personal favourite was a tiny town called Caravellas-Barra. We stayed in a lovely guesthouse opposite the beach, with fresh coconuts served at the stall there, fish and chips to die for and long gentle sunsets. We went snorkelling one day at islands 50 kms off the coast and otherwise just enjoyed the relaxed pace of life there. Salvador was good fun. It is a vibrant and colourful city with strong influences from the slaves that were sent here centuries ago. Dark skins, white clothes, pastel houses, spicy food, and underlying it all the drum beats of their distinctive percussion music. I went to a concert one night and the atmosphere was electric. Very powerful!
Since then we have been heading west to get to here – Bonito. As the name implies, it is a very pretty place on the edge of the Pantanal, and not far from the Paraguay and Bolivian borders. It is also the action centre for the region, with ecotourism at its heart but plenty of thrills for the seekers of such things. We snorkelled to three hours down a river on Saturday. The water was so clear and the fish so plentiful pretty and unafraid, that three hours could easily have been ten minutes. It was great fun and we all looked a picture in our ill-fitting wet suits and goggles. There are birds a plenty here too and everything is green. It is near the end of the wet season so all is lush and hot and very humid. It is hard to keep up with the clothes washing as it takes only minutes for them to get sweaty and need another wash. I have also started sleeping in my hammock – outside! At first it was just a chance to check out how comfortable it would be for the river boat trip up the Amazon but with the hot weather, and being in dorms at the moment, I ended up sleeping there all night. It’s excellent and so much cooler than the dorm. Today was a visit to a Blue Grotto cave, very pretty and unusual, not to mention slippery getting in and out.
So that brings you up to date. Next we are headed north to Manaus (and hopefully some snail mail at the poste restante) and our jungle expedition, then further north and into Venezuela. I am not sure where my next update will come from but …. watch this space. It’s so hard to believe that I have been out here for five months already.
Thanks Jacqui and keep us posted! If anyone would like to contact Jacqui, her e-mail is: jacquitrotter@yahoo.com
What have you seen on your travels? Drop a line to the Beetle! the Beetle
The Beetle’s second favourite museum in London is the National portrait Gallery. At the moment, this is a terribly fashionable place to be seen as it currently hosting a Mario Testino exhibition, attracting the likes of supermodels and Madonna. It costs £6 per ticket, (like gold dust) which can only be booked through the booking agency, Ticketmaster. When the Beetle manages to get tickets, she will report back on it! That aside, the rest of the NPG is absolutely free. The beauty of the NPG is that it combines art with a wonderful pictorial history of the UK, through portraits of kings, queens, courtiers and leading figures through British history. A visit here can easily take up an entire day looking around – so, if you plan it right, you could spend a couple of half days, combined with visits to nearby St Martins in the Field, the theatres in nearby St Martin’s Lane, a visit to Trafalgar Square, a walk along the Mall or down to Embankment. The closest tubes to the NPG are Leicester Square and Charing Cross. Weekends are the busiest time since the admission fee has been scrapped, so try and visit during the week, if you can. Details are as follows: NPG Website
This is the first of a series of seven looks at the seven wonders of the world. The list was started in the second century BC and the wonders we know today were finalized in the Middle Ages. Only one still in existence, after some 4,500 years, and visible today is the great pyramid of Khufu at Giza in Egypt. It is 756 feet long on each side, 450 high and comprises 2,300,000 blocks of stone, each averaging 2 1/2 tons in weight.
Despite not having the scientifically accurate instruments of today, no side is more than 8 inches different in length than another, and the whole structure is perfectly oriented to the points of the compass. It seems likely that the pyramid was a tomb for a Pharaoh. Even in ancient times, thieves, breaking into the sacred burial places, were a major problem and Egyptian architects became adept at designing passageways that could be plugged with impassable granite blocks, creating secret, hidden rooms and making decoy chambers. No matter how clever the designers became, though, robbers seemed to be smarter and with almost no exceptions each of the great tombs of the Egyptian Kings were plundered.
Until the 19th century, the pyramid of Khufu was the tallest building in the world. A Greek traveller called Herodotus of Halicanassus visited Egypt around 450 BC and included a description of the Great Pyramid in a history book he wrote. Herodotus was told by his Egyptian guides that it took 100,000 slaves twenty-years to build the pyramid.
The site was first prepared, and blocks of stone were transported and placed. An outer casing (which has disappeared over the years) was then used to smooth the surface. Although it is not known how the blocks were put in place, several theories have been proposed. One theory involves the construction of a straight or spiral ramp that was raised as the construction proceeded. This ramp, coated with mud and water, eased the displacement of the blocks that were pushed (or pulled) into place. A second theory suggests that the blocks were placed using long levers with a short angled foot. Stones were lifted into position by the use of immense machines. The purpose of the structure, according to Herodotus's sources, was as a tomb for the Pharaoh Khufu (whom the Greeks referred to as Cheops). Scientists have since calculated that fewer men and less years were needed than Herodotus suggests.
Next month: the Lighthouse at Alexandria