When travelling, it’s hard enough to remember where you were yesterday, let alone the phone number of that fabulous girl you met in Hong Kong, or the postal address of your Uncle Bertie.
But now there’s no excuse for losing touch, with Planet Reunited a website with the ambitious aim of keeping travellers connected,. With as many as 4 out of 10 backpackers losing their address books or diaries while travelling, it’s the ultimate travel accessory to keep in touch with old and new friends.
With a shuddering sob Helen collapsed on the ridge and burst into tears.“I cannot take another step,” she sobbed. “Oh, I know it’s all vanity and pride!”
She was referring to the summit, looming in full infuriating view an hour’s slog above us. “You go on,” she said with quivering lip, “I’ll wait for you here”.
“Forget it, I’m not going up without you and frankly I’m not that bothered about the summit. And for goodness sake stop crying. You’ll need that energy for the descent”.
So that drew a line under our climb of Stok Kangri in Ladakh, surely one of the Himalayas most accessible 20,000 foot peaks. The error that day was to have taken the summit head on across the moraine from our advanced base camp, which was set up on the wrong side of the glacier. Had we crossed the glacier and pitched our tent on a platform below the start of the climb, and then headed off diagonally left across the moraine towards the ridge… who knows?
It doesn’t matter: I repeated the mantra to myself on the silent trek back to base camp and down the trail to Stok village at the road head, the last stop before picking up the jeep to Leh. Success, failure – every mountaineer knows these are mere words, devoid of significance. The summit is a trap cunningly laid by our ego, designed to keep us bound to the wheel of samsara.
What’s that, you failed to summit Stok Kangri? There it is, the very word of shame and humiliation, enslaving us to our egos. It’s all rubbish, of course, we reassure ourselves. What really matters is the camaraderie, the days spent with good companions in the inspiring environment of the high mountains. The summit is a bit of icing on the cake. It adds nothing to the experience apart from a false sense of prestige, derived from the Latin praestagium, meaning illusion. The summit, in fact, is a mere illusion.
Oh yes.
So it was that the following August found us starting off once more from advanced base, this time camp properly sited on the far side of the glacier, plodding manfully across the moraine straight towards the summit ridge.
Two hours into the climb and “Oh, God,” Helen moaned, collapsing once more on the ridge, in fact the very same spot as the previous year. “It’s such a long way…”
Not again, I thought with inner rage, an eye fixed on the beckoning summit.
“All right, have a little rest. Have a drink of water, catch your breath, count to ten – but we’ve got to carry on because the weather is looking pretty naff.” Bands of mist rolled up from the valley, intermittently obscuring the snow-capped summit. It was obvious we would have to move smartly if we were to enjoy any view at all from the top. Helen began rummaging in her day sack and what happened next left me gaping in stunned disbelief.
“What on earth do you think you’re doing with that?” “It’s all right,” she smiled. “It’ll boost my morale”. But – lipstick! We’re nearly twenty thousand feet up in the Himalayas and you… “There we are.” She zipped up her sack, smacking her brightly rouged lips. “Let’s go.”.
Helen is six feet tall and she is maddeningly unaffected by altitude. Once suitably made-up off she marched at a sprightly quip, unheeding of my protests about the importance of keeping a slow and steady pace. We negotiated the handful of slightly exposed spots on the ridge and three and a half hours after leaving out tents we found ourselves on the top of Stok Kangri, with just enough sunlight left for a couple of snapshots of K-2 on the horizon, before the mist billowed over the summit.
Jules Stewart is leading a Ladakh trek and ascent of Stok Kangri on 17th-31st July 2004. Details are available on 0207 2294774 or e-mail: Jjulesstewart@aol.com
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The Effects of Logging on the ‘Pygmies’ in the Congo Basin Congo Basin, presentations and launch of a major new photographic exhibition on the Ba’Aka ‘Pygmies’ of the Republic of Congo at The Royal Geographical Society.
Date: Wednesday 28th April 2004
Time: Doors open and reception 6.00pm
Address: The Royal Geographical Society, 1
Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR
Admission: £10.00
Tickets: Freephone: 0800 970 1014
Web: Rainforest
Foundation
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That night the local tribe was going to perform a ceremony that would involve singing and some sort of dancing, and Adam Baines and I were invited go along. The tribe held hands and formed itself into two circles, one inside the other, both facing inwards.
One circle moved to the left and the other moved in the opposite direction and at the same time started moaning. This singing or sort of moaning continued as the circles moved slowly in opposite directions. I started the tape, the moaning continued, the bullfrogs joined in, the jungle added its chorus, the circles turned.
Adam and I stood there bemused, as the minutes went by, with nothing more happening other than the continuous circling and moaning. I joined the tribe, held hands and moaned with everybody else, circled with everyone else and, I think just like everyone else, wondered what the hell was going to happen next.
I was beginning to think that this whole ceremony was being put on for our benefit, as a sort of show for these strangers from the outside world. I stepped out of the circle and stood back with Adam whilst continuing to watch this ritual. Adam asked me what the ceremony had done for me. I replied that I had always dreamt about holding hands with strangers, walking in circles, moaning out loud under the stars in the Amazon rainforest! Adam tried everything to stifle his laughter.
We both concluded that this show was being put on for our benefit and, deciding to call it a night, thanked our hosts and walked back to our hut, leaving the tribe still moaning under the full moon. As we reached our hut the moaning stopped and we smiled at each other as we went in, but the last laugh was to be on us. We slipped into our sleeping bags being careful not to let any mosquitoes under our nets and I fell gently asleep after such a busy day.
I awoke to my shoulder being shaken by one of my moaning friends who said it was Party Time, and that this hut was the party hut. We were to sleep in the next hut with others that did not want to dance the night away. I looked at Adam stumbling about when he was woken as I had been. We grabbed our belongings in our arms, everything falling out of everywhere, and moved huts in pitch darkness.
We staggered to the next hut, which was totally full off about fourteen hammocks, mostly containing a couple, to find the only place we could sleep was under someone’s hammock. The music started, not the moaning of a couple of hours before but the loud music called Forro, which was coming from a ghetto blaster running off a car battery and which was overlaid by the noise of dancing feet.
The Forro, a corruption of the English ‘For All’ came from the North East of Brazil,. As the British who built the railway there sometimes had parties for which the invitations were ‘For All’. It was now my turn to feel like moaning as the music blasted into the night from all of twenty yards away.
The Indian in the hammock above Adam started to do the horizontal samba with his woman and the swaying and groaning made me see the funny side of life. Or would have, if the mosquitoes hadn’t been eating me alive and something I’d rather not know about slithered over me. A hellish night, to end a near perfect day.
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Be warned – if you are planning on flying with Ghana Airways, be warned. Ghana Airways allegedly has something of a reputation for overbooking and not refunding money for seats that are not ultimately available.
Questions were asked in the Ghanaian Parliament about overbooking of seats on Ghana Airways. It was said that whereas overbooking is a normal practice in the airline business to allow for no shows, over sale was an illegal practice employed by travel agents to extract money from customers and inconvenience them in the process – and that there is a difference between over booking and deliberate over-sale of non existent seats
It was explained that in the case of overbooking, the ticket was usually not confirmed so the customer was aware that there were chances of him/her not getting a seat, but with over-sale the Travel Agent usually assured the customer of a seat without consulting the airline.
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The next Texas Globetrotters meeting will take place on Saturday March 13th when we look forward to a talk from Southwest Airlines.
The location for the March and April 2004 meetings will be changed, (tax season), so watch your e-mail for the updates.
For more information about the Texas Branch: please contact texas@globetrotters.co.uk or register for email updates at our website (click here) or call Christina at 830-620-5482
If anybody would like to enquire about meetings or help Christina, please contact her on: texas@globetrotters.co.uk
The UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) advises against all travel to Haiti, and all British nationals in Haiti are advised to leave the country if they can do so safely. A highly volatile security situation prevails throughout the country, and rebels have taken up positions outside the capital, Port-au-Prince. The threat from terrorism is low.
The FCO website says: Kidnapping of foreign nationals (for ransom money) is increasingly common. Random shootings of civilians have become more common, robbery usually being the motive. Crime is widespread and often violent. Pickpockets and theft of valuables are commonplace. You are advised not to leave property in vehicles; travel with doors locked and windows up. Armed hold-ups of vehicles take place, even in daylight, in busy parts of Port-au-Prince.
Some areas of Port-au-Prince should be avoided at all times. Wherever possible you should avoid going out after dark in the capital and do not travel outside the city during the hours of darkness.
The political situation in Haiti is in turmoil. The government and opposition groups are still at loggerheads since the flawed May 2000 election. The security situation is unpredictable, particularly in Port-au-Prince and in the country’s other major towns. There was significant civil unrest in the latter part of 2003, with several large anti-government demonstrations taking place in Port au Prince and elsewhere in the country. These intensified either side of Haiti’s bicentennial celebrations at the beginning of January 2004, and are continuing. Several attacks on government facilities have been reported. The worsening economic situation is further complicating the security situation.
Wherever possible travel with a reliable guide. Avoid using public transport. You should only use rented cars with a local driver from a reliable agency (Dynamic Car Rentals, Budget, etc). Internal flights between the capital and some major provincial towns are available.
Globetrotter Tracey asked the Beetle to pass on the following information about the change in visa/passport for travel to the USA. She says: “I’m sure most Globies will know this but a lot of folks have been asking me about it and are quite confused by what they’ve heard in the press. So thought this would be a good thing to put in the newsletter with the relevant websites”.
The increased awareness and perception in the US of the terrorist threat has led to new security rules – causing a flurry of recent press coverage. Potential problems for travellers will not arise until 26 October this year. From that date travellers with passports issued on or after the 26th October 2004 who were previously eligible to enter the USA under the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) will require a visa.
The exception WOULD be those individuals holding a Machine-Readable Passport (MRP) containing ‘biometric identification data’ but these will not become available until at least June 2005 in the UK.
It is therefore recommended that anyone who is likely to need a new passport in that period of time i.e. between this October and the middle to end of 2005 – should apply for a new passport before October this year. The UK authorities are willing to do this for anyone who has up to nine month’s validity on their existing passport. And, this would be less challenging than having to apply for a US Visa. ABTA is suggesting this course as being easier and cheaper than applying for a US visa. Full details about Visa requirements are contained on the US Embassy web site – US Visa Requirements
Visas are expensive; £65 and individuals have to apply in person, to either the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square, London or Belfast. You can make an appointment by writing in or phoning a premium phone line. The American Authorities are being particularly selective, as they have always been, about whom they accept. Anyone who has ever been arrested will not be accepted – without a letter from the Police explaining why, and for any reasons to then be considered acceptable.
1 France 75,500,000
2 United States 50,900,000
3 Spain 48,200,000
4 Italy 41,200,000
5 China 31,200,000
6 United Kingdom 25,200,000
7 Russia 21,200,000
8 Mexico 20,600,000
9 Canada 20,400,000
10 Germany 19,000,000
A man who shipped himself across America in an air cargo crate to avoid paying a passenger fare was fined USD$1,500 and sentenced to 120 days of house arrest. Last September the man, aged 25, filled out an air freight order that charged his New York computer company for the shipping costs, stuffed himself in a crate and sent his 5-foot-8-inch (173 cm) body in a box that was 42 inches (107 cm) high, 36 inches (91 cm) wide and 15 inches deep (38 cm). It was sent, without insurance, on a two-day journey from the New York area to his parents’ home in a Dallas suburb. He was discovered by a delivery man who thought there was a corpse in the crate when he saw eyes staring at him through slats in the box when he dropped it off at McKinley’s parents’ home.
When the crate started to rattle and the apparent corpse came to life, the delivery man called police, according to a police report.
The USD$1,500 fine is more expensive than some airlines charge a first class ticket from New York to Dallas.
Need to convert currency?
Take a look at The Globetrotters Currency Converter — get the exchange rates for 164 currencies The Globetrotters Currency Cheat Sheet — create and print a currency converter table for your next trip.
On arrival at Agrigento I thought I had dropped a bad clanger. I had not booked thinking February should not present too much by way of problems. However the very first thing I noticed in Agrigento were signs of an international carnival. It was indeed the end of a two-week international festival, ‘Mandolo in fiore’ [almond blossom] but I obtained a ground floor en-suite room at the very first place I tried – at a very reasonable price! This was Concordia in the Piazza San Francesco. Another plus mark for the Concordia is that its guests get a reduction at the good restaurant next door, La Forchetta.
I headed straight for the Valley of the Temples. This is about two and a half kilometres below the town and about half way is the purpose built archaeological museum. I headed for the eastern temples. I don’t know why the Greek settlers found it necessary or desirable to build so many Doric temples so close together – perhaps to avoid spite from jealous Gods? – but I am heartily glad they did.. On the eastern side there are three wonderful buildings, the Tempio de Ércole, the Tempio de Concordia and, furthest away, the Tempio de Giunone. The one in by far the best state of repair – or reconstruction in parts – is the middle one which apparently enjoyed a spell as a Christian church from about the sixth century. However I found the slightly wooded site of the nearest to the road, the Tempio di Ércole contributed to making this a pretty alluring place. All the way along the main path, there are empty tombs and other minor remains on the left side [opposite the temples] and there is much to make it apparent that the festival of almond blossom is perfectly timed.
The following morning the final procession of the festival took place. I took the chance of a quick wander around the town itself. A set of steps led from almost opposite my hotel up to the Via Atenea but the roads up on the other side were mainly unstepped, though very steep. Although Agrigento is statistically one of the poorest cities in Italy, Via Atenea itself gives no sign of this and some of the shops are quite elegant. Eventually the procession set out and very spectacular it was. Some of the costumes were glorious and many of the little children watching were most attractively arrayed. I followed behind to get a bus back down to the temples; no such luck – that’s where the procession was heading and the buses had accordingly stopped. I walked down, stopping at the museum en route.
This is a really excellent place. The British Museum in London is the only place where I have seen a collection of Greek vase to equal the ones there. There is a sort of indoor courtyard and towering up above the height of the first floor is a ‘telemone’ reassembled from pieces, a sort of column with a sculpture of a man holding something up. It is HUGE! Anyway I headed on down for the temple area and there, where the bus had stopped, immediately under the Tempio di Ércole, they were setting up a structure for each national delegation to perform in an outdoor concert. I went to see the western temples first. These are not anywhere near the same as the others, more ruined like a vast ancient historic demolition site but it was interesting after seeing the models in the museum, to imagine just how vast the Tempio di Giove would have been, had it ever been completed. There is another telamone here, lying unattended and possibly seeming even more majestic for this reason.
Later, tired and hungry I started the walk back up the hill. I was far from beating any speed records but I made it and settled down for a rest in my hotel before eating. I woke to the most fearsome bangs and realised that they were from the festival’s final firework display. I simply had to watch and there was a space just along from the hotel which gave the best view I have ever experienced of such a display which was lighting up the sky from far below near the temples. Wow.
I had noticed an interesting place to eat up a small alley on the other side of the Via Atenea. This was La Corte degli Sfizi in Cortile Contorni and I would recommend it to anybody; I must admit to a definite weakness for antipasti and the plate given here to help yourself to the buffet type spread meant that the first course was like a full meal. However the other courses were equally good. I was sorry to be leaving Agrigento but I knew I had seen its best and I never like to stay for an anti-climax. In the morning I took the bus west for Sciacca.
David was a keen walker, particularly on mountains before he developed serious heart problems in 1995. He has now adapted his holidays to what he is able to do and we are presenting his account of 12 days in Sicily over this and the coming months. Next episode – Sciacca, Caltabellotta and Selinunte
This is a new company recommended by Padmassana specialising in Ashtanga yoga for all levels for busy people who want to get away for long weekends in beautiful surroundings to recharge their batteries.
Our first retreat is Spring Rites: Awakening on the spring full moon: Friday 5th – Sun 7th March 2004. The theme of this retreat is to get your body moving after the winter blues.
The centre has heated wooden floors so that the yoga takes place in a warm inviting atmosphere. Mysore self practice as well as a beginner’s Ashtanga class held each day for different levels of experience. Hot tubs will be on throughout the weekend for your relaxation.
Sacred Journeys: Sally Griffyn & Gail Sixsmith.
Venue: Earth Spirit 17th century farm conversion, Glastonbury with heated wooden floors, hot tubs, beautiful countryside and a large banquet hall. Massage will be on offer.
Cost: £265 includes 3 sumptuous vegetarian meals a day, accommodation based on shared twin, yoga classes, intention workshop, hot tubs and open fires. For more information, contact:
www.sacredjourneys.co.uk
sally@sacredjourneys.co.uk
Sally Griffyn 07866385366
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:
For the answers, see at the end of the e-newsletter.
The Inca Trail is the most famous trek in South America and rated by many to be in the top 5 treks in the world. It is 26 miles (45km) long culminating at the lost city of the Incas, Machu Picchu. The trail is usually covered in four days, and you arrive at Machu Picchu at sunrise on the fourth day. Whilst you don’t have to be super fit to do the Inca Trail, it helps to be in good shape as the highest point of the trail is 4,200m. Most people hike the trail from April to October, when it is drier. The peak tourist months are July to August, so if you are planning your trip during this time, it may be advisable to make advance bookings of both trek and hotels.
Each year, the Inca Trail is closed for one month during February. This is in the middle of the rainy season, so would normally be very quiet anyway.
The number of people allowed on the Inca Trail at any one time is limited to 500. This figure includes trekkers, guides, assistant guides, cooks and porters. Out of the 500 people, it is estimated that around 220 people are trekkers. The maximum group size is 16 people. Groups of more than 10 require a guide and an assistant guide.
Contrary to popular belief it is still possible to undertake the Inca trail without the services of a tour operator. If you have a group of less than 8 people you can hire the services of a guide. The guide must be professionally qualified and must also accept responsibility for the group. The guide will have to purchase the Inca Trail trek permits in advance for the group. The downside of this is that if you hire a guide you will have to carry all your own equipment such as tents etc and you will have to cook for yourselves since you are not allowed to hire additional trekking staff such as cooks and porters. The guide must comply with all Inca trail regulations including carrying first aid equipment and emergency oxygen. In reality making such a contract with a guide is difficult since tour operators are not interested in hiring out their guides and the majority of the best guides are contracted to work for the tour operators.
The adult Inca Trail entrance fee is US$50 which also includes entry to the ruins of Machu Picchu. Students under the age of 26 years old in possession of a valid International Student Identity Card (ISIC) receive a US$25 discount. Youths under 16 years old also receive a US$25 discount. Children under the age of 12 years old are not charged an entrance fee.
http://www.incatrailperu.com says i f you are searching the web for information about the 4 day Inca Trail you’ll find hundreds of tour companies offering this popular trek amongst their services. Many of these companies are acting only as agents for the relatively few specialist trekking companies that actually operate the trek. Prices for the 4 day trek start at US$240 per person for a basic service (including entrance fees and return on train) and can climb anywhere up to $1000 depending on the service and comfort on offer.
A good and valuable resource for anyone thinking about doing the Inca Trail says that purchasing the trek directly with a local tour operator in Cusco can often be less than half the price of buying the trek in your own country through an agent. However, great care should be taken in choosing a tour company especially using the internet. The page “Choosing a Trekking Company” has been written to help you avoid many of the pitfalls. The Beetle reckons that this is a pretty good resource to check things out with.
Source: http://www.incatrailperu.com
UK travel companies have cut the prices of Spanish package holidays, Britain’s most popular package holiday choice by an average £150 as fewer British families book holidays in the country.
The price cuts are being seen as an attempt by travel giants to win back custom from low-cost airlines. There is also evidence that families are getting fed up with what they see as profiteering by Spanish hoteliers where they have increased prices by more than local inflation. In addition, the rise in the value of the euro against the pound means the cost of visiting Spain and mainland Europe will be higher this Summer.
One holiday firm said: “Customers see they will get better value in the Dominican Republic and Turkey. If they don’t take this into account, Spanish hoteliers will get their comeuppance.” John Welsh, editor of the industry newspaper Travel Trade Gazette, said many families were creating their own trips by booking a cheap flight and arranging their own hotels and car hire.
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
So, what was it like? Well here is ‘the tour’ of the good, the bad and the best.
The exhibition was on three floors, dominated by trade stands selling pretty much what you’d expect, like holidays, trips, equipment, and activities for hot places, cold places, anywhere you care to mention. “Have a Go’s” included scuba diving in a large paddling pool, but there was nothing to see except blue walls and the instructors legs, and they weren’t worth getting wet for. The glider simulator was popular as was the polystyrene ‘ice’ wall. You got to wear all the gear, ice boots, picks, helmet the lot. I saw quite a few nervous women being coaxed up by young and handsome instructors. I’m pretty sure the same women went back three or four times! Kids had their own climbing wall and were all over it like demented squirrels.
Good bits were free calendars from National Geographic and an excellent photo gallery. Poor bits were coffee at £1.60 a cup and no decent end of show bargains. There was a distinct lack of ‘chill out’ space. In fact the Globetrotters stand was the only place with table and chairs where I felt you could sit, relax and chat to fellow travellers, like Dick, Iona and Matt.
There were six talk rooms and a colossal 82 were scheduled over the weekend. I was truly spoilt for choice, but concurrent sessions meant hard choices. I managed 15 talks and that was going it some. Many were ”what to see“ and “where to go”, places like Peru, Japan and others were more about the journey on two or four wheels or on foot (or with a mule) and even longer RTW on a kite or a horse. The practical talks on photography, health, travel writing, survival, gap years and volunteering were standing room only.
Overall the talks were excellent but some stood out for other reasons. One speaker sat with his back square to the audience. I was tempted to usher out the audience – he would not have noticed. Timekeeping wasn’t special either. I made a mental note to write to the organisers and ask them to brief speakers on the basics, or better still pay me to give them a lesson.
Best in show? The talk titled ‘Near Death’ by Benedict Allen, the explorer. He sported a pale blue shirt and beige trousers, the ‘relaxed, crinkled’ look. Launching straight in, without notes, he recounted anecdotes from his many expeditions. Stunning images of people, animals, scenery, claustrophobic and desolate by turn, flicked upon the screen. We lived with him being shot at, learning jungle skills from children, taking part in rituals, struggling with stubborn camels and making difficult decisions. Like having to eat his dog to stay alive. ‘He was my friend’ He added quietly. I wondered how desperate I’d have to be to eat mine and couldn’t help a huge surge of sadness.
Scary, funny, sad shocking, exciting and much more. He, in his kind and easy manner, guided and supported us through a world of experience and emotion. At the end I couldn’t work out why my eyes felt peculiar, dry, sort of. Then I realized. I hadn’t blinked.
I came away brimming with ideas, copious notes and lots of inspiration. I couldn’t ask for more than that.
The first passenger train linking the Adelaide and Darwin in Australia made its debut at the beginning of February. The journey will stretches 1,420 kilometres (882 miles), and cuts through Australia’s outback. The 43 carriage train is called the “Ghan”. named after Afghan camel drivers who traditionally ran the route after European colonisation. The 400 or so people on board included invited guests, the media and regular passengers. Adult fares start at A$440 (US$334). The Ghan has been travelling between Adelaide and Alice Springs since 1929 and it was always the intention to extend the line to Darwin in the north.
How did you do at our little Beetle quiz based on capital cities. See how many you got right!
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?
