Win a Frommer’s guidebook on the USA 2003. See www.frommers.com for info on Frommer’s guidebooks.
The winner of last month’s Frommer’s guide to Los Angeles is Nancy Haggarty.
Some people have said the quiz is difficult, we say do some research; try google.com or Ask Jeeves, if you need help with the answers.
Former Globetrotters Committee member Stuart was recently based in Cambodia whilst working for Voluntary Services Overseas. In this article, he gives us the benefit of his experience and tells us his top tips.
Transport
Tuk tuk (seats 2) – $8 a day (sunrise to sunset) for the central temples (Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm), $15 to go to Banteay Srei, they may want and extra $1 to go to Neak Pean but this is a bit cheeky.
I recommend Kinal as a driver – very gentle person, speaks a bit of English, drives slowly and carefully, has a nice new tuk-tuk. Tel: 012 909 730.
Alternative is to go by moto for about $5-8.
There are 2 boat options – new Japanese boat or old boat. The new one has just started and they had a promo deal on for July and Aug of $30 o/w but the normal price is $55, which is comparable to flying. It’s about the same time as the old boat. Guesthouses in Siem Reap can arrange tickets. It has an air-con downstairs with nice seats, free meal and drinks, normal volume films and a covered deck with chairs. They also pick you up and take you to/from the boat at both ends. Additional perks include life jackets and lifeboats, which are not to be found on the old boats.
The old boats are normally $25 o/w but they dropped their prices to $10-15 in the face of competition from the new one but they may well go back up again once the promo period is over. Old boats all seem to be quite similar – “bullet boats” or “express boats” or “rambo boats”. Basically a metal cylinder with cramped air-conned interior and VERY loud videos (Khmer comedy or kung fu – bring ear plugs). Trick is to get a seat away from a speaker and not too close to the back (engine noise and industrial strength aircon). Probably not for claustrophobics as the only 2 doors are small and what would happen in the event of an accident doesn’t bear thinking about.
Alternatively, sit on the roof – take plenty of sun cream, water and a scarf (2-3000 riel for a kroma – checked Khmer scarf, from any market) to cover body parts that will get roasted/soaked regardless. Once the thing gets going it is very fast and exposed. There is no barrier at the outside edge of the boat, only a ledge to walk along and a rail at shoulder height to hold onto, so if you need to go to the loo (inside) during the 5-6 hour trip (cf. drinking lots of water tip above) then don’t fall in on the way as they probably won’t stop to pick you up. Put valuables in plastic bags to avoid them being drenched.
However, if you want to take photos then the roof is the place to be. There is a Vietnamese floating village just at the Siem Reap boat boarding place which is very photogenic. Once in the lake itself the scenery is not great as the banks are far away. The stretch from Kompong Chhnang to PP is scenic as the banks are close and there are lots of other boats fishing etc.
Food & Accom
I haven’t tried too many places but can recommend Soup Dragon (run by an ex-VSO) and Blue Pumpkin (also does good bakery things). Watch the restaurants near the temples – they’re much more expensive than elsewhere (as are the drinks stands – buy in Siem Reap and leave them in the tuk-tuk). I’m not sure but I think some places have 2 menus – one for foreigners and the other for locals. The alternative is to stock up on picnic things in Siem Reap.
Top tip: you can swim in the very nice pool at the Angkor Village Hotel for free – just be discrete about it.
There are loads of places to stay in all price ranges. We stayed at the Green Garden Home guest house, which is a little out of the centre i.e. a 5-10 min walk to the market. Quiet garden setting with rooms from $10-25.
Shopping
Don’t bother buying souvenirs here as they’re much cheaper and better quality/selection in Phnom Penh. One thing you might want to get is the Angkor guide book by Dawn Rooney which gives you the detailed low down on each temple. $2-5 for a photocopied version, available everywhere. There are also 2 little visitors’ guides available in guesthouses which have up-to-date maps and listings.
Temples
This year the Government has introduced photo passes – you get taken into a little room and have your picture taken (free – or you can take a photo along if you prefer/have one to hand) for putting on your pass. $20 for 1 day; $40 for 2-3; $60 for 4-7. 3 days is nice and not rushed at all, you probably need 2 minimum if you want to get to Banteay Srei/not hang around; it probably is possible to cover most of the main sights in a day if you happen to be Japanese. Reserve one of your days for a sunrise/set visit – recommended.
There are loads of temples to see and they’re spread over a huge area but recommendations are:
We didn’t make it to the Roulos group (the earliest temples), Phnom Kulen, the river of 1000 lingkas (apparently very good once there’s been enough rain to cover the carvings) or any of the other minor places.
Film
Film is available cheaply in Siem Reap. Not so sure about quality of processing but can recommend a place in PP which is cheap, quick and good.
If you go for a sunrise/set visit to the temples and you’ve got an SLR then underexpose to get nice silhouette shots.
Take at least 400ASA film for the temples as some of them can be surprisingly dark, especially if it is raining/cloudy – you may find yourself needing a flash at times.
For more information, visit Stuart’s website:http://uk.geocities.com/stuartincambodia
Ratu Filimoni Wawabaluva, a chief from Navosa, on the Fijian island of Viti Levu, has announced that a traditional apology ceremony is to be held to apologise 136 years after their ancestors killed and ate a British missionary.
Fiji were once known as “Cannibal Isles”. At the time, it is said that one local boasted after scoffing the Rev Thomas Baker, from Playden, East Sussex, in 1867: “We ate everything but his boots.” The Rev. Baker’s descendants were invited to the ceremony. Some residents of Navosa believe they have been cursed with bad luck since their ancestors ate the Rev Thomas Baker. Accounts differ on how he came to be eaten, with one version being that he broke a taboo by touching a chief’s hair to take out a comb.
An archivist at London’s School of Oriental and African Studies said that the story could be a myth saying: “It seems Baker got caught up in some sort of inter-tribal feuding relating to his right to travel across the island.”
A spokesman for the London Missionary Society, which sent dozens of missionaries to the South Pacific, said Baker’s was “not an unusual story”. Another missionary made a “similar cultural error” in Papua New Guinea around the same time and was also eaten.
Mtwara (pop:approx.100,000) is the nearest town to Mikindani, in South eastern Tanzania. It is the administrative centre of the region, was the southern ‘capital’ in Colonial times and serves as the springboard for travel south into Mozambique. It can be reached by air from Dar es Salaam to Mtwara’s own airport, by sea from Dar es Salaam on the MV Santorini or by road from north, south and west. The approach to Mtwara from Mikindani undulates along a stretch of rural country that eventually goes up a long gradual hill. Along the metalled road are the saltpans, and behind them on the right hand side is a large coconut plantation. Just before the hill begins is the turning off to the right, which takes you to the airport, and the road to the Ruvuma River & Mozambique border.
As the road goes up the hill towards Mtwara it runs along an escarpment – great view over the countryside from there – and comes to a roundabout with a monument to the Mwenge or National Torch. If you turn left you approach Ligula Hospital, built with British money in the early 1960s – turn right and it takes you to the market area (more of that later). Straight on and on the right you pass a large open area called the Showground, which seems to be both the local militia training ground and the HGV driving school site. Both activities have been seen there – the militia several times per week. A rag taggle lot of men, women and some no more that children but given a panga each, they would probably not be good to meet! I think that basic training started at about two months ago and they have progressed to the slow march – they seem to spend a lot of time on that activity. The whole platoon was seen setting off to jog down the main road towards Mikindani – some had dropped out by the time they reached the roundabout! At this point the road goes down a long straight dusty hill with acacia trees either side plus an occasional mango tree, and occasional office buildings such as the Tanzanian Revenue Authority, the local government departments, the Air Tanzania local office and Tanesco offices. 2 storeys seems to be the maximum here so nothing too big.
If you continue to the end you come to a T-junction. Opposite is the Catholic church we went to for Joyce’s wedding, turn right and it takes you to the Port from where the MV Santorini departs to Dar es Salaam – turn left and you get to Shangani – the up market part of the town where the wealthy residents live and many of the NGO’s have their offices there too. Shangani also boasts a good swimming beach. But before you get that far there are several streets on either side – none of which have good surfaces. Immediately any expected notion of being in a regional capital is dashed. One is supposed to be a metal road but the surface is dreadful, and there are 3 of the most vicious ‘sleeping policemen’ you could ever imagine. The rest are just mud/sand/dust road surfaces (depending on the season). Driving along the main shopping street feels more like being at sea it is so undulating both backwards and forwards and side to side! Nothing at all is spent on roads. Mtwara is in 2 parts really – the older part being around the tiny Aga Khan Park, mostly built in the 1950’s & 60’s.
The main shopping street in the Aga Khan Park area is mostly Indian shops – with strings of (very old and dry) mango leaves strung across the door for good luck. There is the ‘off licence’, the shop where all the Landrover spares come from that also sells hardware and bottled gas, there is another shop that sells all sorts of imported food Cornflakes, Alpen, Heinz tomato ketchup etc.
A little further on, in the Chiko Ngola area, is the market and the Bus station. Just before you turn into the main street that leads to the market there is a crossroads. On one corner there is a huge Coca Cola bottle, which marks a drinks kiosk! On the opposite corner there is a patch of open ground in front of the Mtwara football ground. On this patch of ground the cashew nut co-operative hangs out – waiting for buyers to approach them. The nuts are sold in 1 kg or ½ kg packs. It is worth pulling up the Landrover on the corner just to see the sight of the most competitive co-operative saleswomen – they are really aggressive and rush over thrusting packs of nuts into the window of the vehicle and pushing each other out of the way! So much for being a co-operative!
Another feature of Mtwara, in common with many towns and villages throughout Tanzania, is the imaginative use of old shipping containers. These are converted into shops, offices, hairdressing salons and bars. They are fitted out with electricity and some are painted with a brick effect design on the front. Mtwara reminds me a little of an American West town, sort of neglected, dusty and rather chaotic. The fuel station that we use is on one of the worst roads – and each time I have been there I have to wait for herds of cattle to be driven along the road before I can leave! It looks just like an American cattle drive! On one occasion there was also a flock of Guinea fowl wandering along the road. You are likely to find very free ranging chickens, goats and cattle wandering around all the streets – with no apparent ownership. It has been known to meet any of these in the Bank car park.
One of the guide books refers to an ‘endearingly time-warped atmosphere’. This Mtwara certainly has despite it trying to portray an air of activity and modern commercialism. There is something very appealing about it!
For more information on the work carried out by Trade Aid in Tanzania, see their websitewww.mikindani.com
Karrimor are pleased to announce to all Globetrotters Club members (please note, club members only and not Including sale goods) a 25% discount through their factory shop. They offer a mail order service and all products can be found on their website www.karrimor.com
Further details are avalible in Globe or our online members area
Travel with a Challenge Web Magazine is richly illustrated travel information website showcasing feature articles and fast-breaking travel news on ecological, educational, cultural and volunteer vacations around the world.
Visit http://www.travelwithachallenge.com to find out more.
When you sit on that plane and feel for the sick bag, think again. Online auctioneer eBay has a section for unused sick bags from almost ever airline around the world, described as being in “mint and very fine conditions.” There are dedicated Web sites, including the Air SicknessBag Virtual Museum, which has bags from airlines, trains and ships — and even some from outer space. American Steven Silberberg, who runs airsicknessbags.com says: “I don't use them for their intended purpose, I just leave them at home in binders… most expensive bag I've ever seen sold was for $220. It was a Court Line Aviation bag, a company that folded in 1973,” he told CNN. Scandinavian bags are highly prized for the artistic impression on the bags where US airlines have plain bags.
Michael Rakower, an attorney in New York with long-standing wanderlust gave a talk on November 1st about his latest trip in which he and his wife (also a lawyer) left the comfortable confines of law jobs in exchange for a one-way ticket to Cape Town in March 2002. They bought a car, some camping equipment and drove around, over and through South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Rwanda. Along the way, they encountered fascinating people, went on several safaris, worked for three months in the Prosecutor’s Office of the United Nation’s International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and even learned a little about auto mechanics. After a year-long journey, Michael and his wife returned to New York with newfound inspiration and a lifetime of memories. Michael’s latest passion is working with the American Friends for the Kigali Public Library to build Rwanda’s first-ever public library. Michael is also a regular contributor to our very own Globetrotters e-newsletter.
For details of forthcoming meetings email newyork@globetrotters.co.uk or register for email updates, click here at our website.
New York meetings are held at The Wings Theatre, 154 Christopher Street (btw Greenwich St and Washington St ), to the right of Crunch Fitness, in the Archive on the first Saturday of each month at 4 pm .
The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office has just issued a travel warning about the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago.
There has been no recent history of terrorism in Trinidad and Tobago, although an Islamic group, the Jamaat Al Muslimeen, attempted to overthrow the government by force in 1990.
We believe Trinidad and Tobago to be one of a number of countries where there may be an increased terrorist threat. British nationals should exercise vigilance, particularly in public such as hotels, restaurants and shopping malls.
Whether you’re looking for – independent travel, small-group expeditions, adventure sports, ideas or simply inspiration – from classic walks, treks and safaris to the thrill of adventure sports plus all the latest equipment will be at Manchester 1st and 2nd November at G-Mex and 16th to 18th January 2004 at Olympia. The Ticket Hotline is: 0870 060 019 or visit: Adventure Show
For information on Ontario meetings, please contact Svatka Hermanek: shermanek@schulich.yorku.ca or Bruce Weber: tel. 416-203-0911 or Paul Webb: tel. 416-694-8259.
Meetings are held on the third Friday of January, March, May, September and November. Usually at the Woodsworth Co-op, Penthouse, 133, Wilton Street in downtown Toronto at 8.00 p.m.
Where? A small island group in the South China Sea claimed in their entirety by China and Vietnam and in part by Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia – because of potential oil and gas reserves.
Recent reports state that Vietnam is considering its first-ever tours to the disputed Spratly Islands. China and the Philippines said that they welcomed efforts to explore and develop the Spratlys jointly.
An official in Vietnam’s central Khanh Hoa province, which incorporates the Spratlys as one of its districts, said there had been no tours to the remote islands so far. The official did not anticipate a rush for tickets. “They are too far away, it takes two days to travel so nobody wants to travel there,” she said.
Malaysian Airlines are currently embroiled in a row over saying “customers prefer to be served by young, demure and pretty stewardesses, especially Asian ladies”, and has placed age limits on its female cabin crews. The flight attendants union has launched a campaign against an MAS policy which grounds female cabin crew aged over 40. Those holding supervisory jobs are allowed to continue until 45. Imagine if this ruling applied to other airlines – no names mentioned.
British Airways are to resume direct flights between London Heathrow and Islamabad after halting services two years ago after the terrorist attacks of September 11 in the United States.
Singapore Airlines has confirmed that it is now carrying air marshals on some of its flights as part of increased security measures. They will also have surveillance cameras in place which will allow cockpit crews to check what is going on in the aircraft’s cabin.
JetBlue, the New York-based low fare airline, is to start service from Boston Logan Airport early next year. The service includes flights from Boston to Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Tampa and Denver by January 16 2004. They will be offering leather seats complete with free television, free on-board snacks and more leg room than its competitors.
Air France has announced that it intends to sign a final merger deal with Dutch airline KLM on Thursday in Amsterdam, creating Europe’s largest airline. The deal, which is scheduled to be completed in April 2004, would create a European leader and the world’s third-largest airline behind American Airlines and Delta.
UK airport update: As at 16th October, nationals of Angola, Bangladesh, Cameroon, India, Lebanon and Pakistan will need visas to travel through the UK. Previously, people from these countries have required visas to visit the UK, but have been able pass through the UK on their way to a third country without one.
Globetrotters meeting on Saturday November 8th.
If you like independent, adventuresome, fun, daring, exciting, “off the beaten path” travel, this club is for you. Our meeting begins at 2 P.M. Come early so you won’t be late! Enjoy handouts, travel talk time, and door prizes!
Date of future meetings: Saturday January 10th 2004
Mark your calendars.
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
US firm Far & Wide (www.farandwide.com), a holding company for 21 well-known tour operators, went bankrupt and shut down several of its subsidiaries. They blame their closure on the TwinTowers, then two wars, the SARS crisis, and a national economy that has been throwing more and more people out of work.
A recent World Values Survey on the levels of happiness in more than 65 countries shows Nigeria has the highest percentage of happy people followed by Mexico, Venezuela, El Salvador and Puerto Rico.
Russia, Armenia and Romania have the fewest. “New Zealand ranked 15 for overall satisfaction, the U.S. 16th, Australia 20th and Britain 24th — though Australia beats the other three for day-to-day happiness,” said New Scientist magazine, which published the results.
New Scientist says that factors that make people happy vary: personal success, self-expression, pride, and a high sense of self-esteem are important in the United States. In Japan, on the other hand, happiness comes from fulfilling the expectations of your family, meeting your social responsibilities, self-discipline, cooperation and friendliness.
Busby tells us some brief travel facts about Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Cambodia in general from her recent trip there. She says: “Phnom Penh is not a very safe place after the sunset. The staple diet of rice, chicken and the greens is a bit of a joke. The ‘green bits’ are often boiled marihuana leaves – not over potent, but they have a noticeable effect in hot temperatures.
“There is a game of ‘saving a turtle’. In front of King Sihanouk’s palace by the river, there are women with kids selling turtles. For $1 you buy a turtle and set it free wherever you want. Of course the women and children caught the turtles and sold them again. Not great, but I didn’t think there was any harm done to the turtles in the process.
“The major thing that bothered me in Siam Reap was the licences to the Angkor area. Not a cent goes to preservation of the area, rather, it is used to pay the Malaysian Government for their supply of oil. Not quite right is it?”
Have you visited Cambodia recently? Would you like to share your travel experiences with the Beetle? We’d like to hear from you.
Any Globetrotters reading this e-newsletter is entitled to a 20% discount staying at the Jaipur Inn, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. To claim your discount, contact: jaipurin@sancharnet.in
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.