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 Australian High Commission currently advises that there is currently an epidemic of the mosquito-borne disease Dengue Fever in Tonga on the main island of Tongatapu. Anyone visiting Tonga is strongly advised to protect themselves from mosquito bites at all times.
You do not want to catch Dengue Fever – see Ingrid Style’s article in this e-newsletter about her Dengue Fever in Thailand.
A retired Florida schoolteacher who went to Iraq to serve as a “human shield” is facing hefty fines, which she is refusing to pay. The US Treasury said that Faith Fippinger, 62, broke the law by crossing the Iraqi border before the war. Her travel to Iraq violated U.S. sanctions that prohibited American citizens from engaging in “virtually all direct or indirect commercial, financial or trade transactions with Iraq.” The government also has asked Fippinger, 62, to detail her travels to Iraq and any financial transactions she made. In her response, Fippinger wrote that the only money she spent was on food and emergency supplies and that “if it comes to fines or imprisonment, “please be aware that I will not contribute money to the United States government to continue the build-up of its arsenal of weapons.” Since she won't pay, she said, “perhaps the alternative should be considered.”
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
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.
Are you a UK resident, going on holiday in October or November, but haven't decided where? Do you fancy letting us plan it for you?
If you want a holiday with a difference then call us on 023 80 712568 or email us at iwthol@granadamedia.com for an application form.
Police in Bangladesh have announced new measures to combat the organised gangs who are terrorising transport owners, workers and passengers into handing over money at many of the capital, Dhaka’s bus terminals. The Bangladesh Rifles have combined with a newly formed Rapid Action Team in an attempt to bring the practice to an end. 72 people have been arrested so far, accused of terrorising drivers and passengers into handing over money to criminal organisations.
There is huge relief among Asian airlines after the World Health Organization declared that the SARS virus has now been contained in all affected countries.
Taiwan was the last area to be removed from WHO’s warning list.
Taiwan's tourist authorities are also planning a USD$8.72 million publicity drive to tempt tourists back to the island.
In Singapore, a TV channel dedicated to SARS information will close. In all, SARS was responsible for more than 800 deaths worldwide and there were a total of 8,400 cases in 30 countries.
The SARS virus started in China’s Guangdong province, on February 21 this year, when an infected medical doctor from Guangdong checked into a Hong Kong hotel. Other guests were infected and spread the virus when they travelled to their next destinations.
1. Tokyo, Japan
2. Osaka, Japan
3. Oslo, Norway
4. Hong Kong
5. Libreville, Gabon
London came 7th in the list.
Source: http://www.aneki.com/lists.html
Are you UK based and planning to go on holiday in October or November, but haven't decided where? Do you fancy letting us plan it for you? If you want a holiday with a difference then call us on 023 80 712568 or email us at iwthol@granadamedia.com for an application form. (Please note, you have to pay for the holiday, but you get a fantastic itinerary and good prices.)
This is the second of three descriptions of the 24 sites of “outstanding universal value”, that have been designated world heritage sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
These are as follows:
· The Jewish Quarter and St Procopius' Basilica in Trebic, Czech Republic: A reminder of the co-existence of Jewish and Christian cultures in the Middle Ages to the 20th Century. The Jewish Quarter provides an insight into a community of a bygone era, while the St Procopius' Basilica, built in the 13th Century, is an example of the influence of Western European architecture on the region.
· James Island and related sites, Gambia: Significant for its relation to the beginning and abolition of the slave trade. An early gateway to the interior of Africa.
· Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka, India: Located in the foothills of the Vindhyan Mountains on the southern edge of the central Indian plateau. Contains five clusters of natural rock shelters, displaying paintings that appear to date from the Mesolithic period right through to the Historical period.
· Takht-e Soleyman, Iran: The archaeological site in north-western Iran includes the principal Zoroastrian sanctuary partly rebuilt in the Ilkhanid (Mongol) period (13th Century) as well as a temple of the Sasanian period (6th and 7th Centuries AD) dedicated to Anahita.
· Ashur (Qala'at at Sherqat), Iraq: The ancient city of Ashur dates back to the 3rd millennium BC. From the 14th to the 9th Centuries BC, it was the first capital of the Assyrian Empire. The city was destroyed by the Babylonians, but revived during the Parthian period in the 1st and 2nd century AD.
· The White City of Tel-Aviv – the Modern Movement, Israel: The White City was constructed from the early 1930s until 1948. The buildings were designed by European-trained architects, who created an outstanding architectural ensemble of the modern movement in a new cultural context.
· Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy, Italy: The nine Sacri Monti (Sacred Mountains) of northern Italy are groups of chapels and other architectural features created in the late 16th and 17th Centuries and dedicated to different aspects of the Christian faith.
· The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, Kazakhstan: The mausoleum, in the town of Yasi, now Turkestan, was built from 1389 to 1405. It is one of the largest and best-preserved constructions of the Timurid period (1370-1507 AD).
Source: BBC News
Here’s a little Beetle quiz based on airport codes. See how many you get right! Go on, have a guess!
Which cities are served by airports with the following codes:
For the answers, see at the end of the e-newsletter.
Los Angeles’ mayor, Jim Hahn has revealed plans to make LAX “the safest and most secure airport in America.” This involves knocking down three of the nine terminals and introducing radical transportation ideas.
If approved, the plan to rebuild the airport would be completed over 11 years and allow for an increase in passenger numbers of more than 20 million.
Amongst the proposals are a passenger check-in linked to the terminals by people mover trains.
Tanzania has a multi-ethnic and multi-racial population that practices a wide variety of traditions and customs. In Mikindani, the influence of Shirazi Arabs from Persia and traders from the Indian subcontinent combined with the movement and mixture of different ethnic African groups have complemented each other to form a rich cultural heritage. This is something that is not always evident as people go about their daily tasks with invidious alacrity, but on joyous or sorrowful occasions such as weddings and funerals one realises how deep and fascinating the culture here actually is.
One of the most significant differences to European culture is how the concept of extended families and kinship works to benefit the people of Mikindani. It is common to find people living with and depending upon distant relations (“this is my brother’s wife’s uncle etc.), and kin ties through ones parents or by marriage appear to define one's rights, obligations, and opportunities. For example, educated members of the extended family are frequently held responsible for the education and welfare of younger siblings. This concept is a source of strength for the people of Mikindani, and provides a sense of belonging and togetherness that is lacking in our own society.
It is often the case that, in the face of a limited presence of science and technology, an individual person in Africa cannot achieve much without enlisting the support and efforts of others. In most aspects of Mikindani life, the role of men and women is vastly different. There is a clear and ingrained streak of gender inequality, which has dampened the potential, but definitely not the spirits, of the younger women here. Despite this, women remain by far the more jovial and animated members of the community, going about things with a grace, good humour, vigour and vitality that says much about the way in which they share their tasks.
At home, the women work so smoothly and quietly that when you are around, you sometimes wonder how water had arrived, the fire was started, or how the food materialised. Regardless of religion, it is rare to see men and women walking together, and almost non-existent to see a couple holding hands or making displays of affection.
Walking around the dusty back streets of Mikindani, it is possible to see groups of old men playing bao, women plaiting each others hair and younger girls skipping with a piece of twine. It is, however, the talking, shouting and singing that catches my attention. A typical Swahili conversation begins with multiple greetings followed by general banter; often these discourses are held purely for enjoyment rather than purpose. Here, talk, as pure entertainment is the equivalent of the Western vices of television and games consoles.
In Swahili society, much of the knowledge is shared and passed down to descendants encoded in stories, poetry and songs. This is the literature, art, law and science of Mikindani; the libraries and museums are in peoples’ heads. The Swahili language has proven to be a unifying factor in Tanzania, uniting more than one hundred different ethnic groups and forging a common identity. There is, however, a second language spoken in Mikindani – the tribal dialect of Kimakonde. The Makonde people represent one of the five largest ethnic groups in Tanzania, with a population of around one million. The tribe originated in Northern Mozambique, from where people migrated to the higher lands of the Makonde plateau (120km inland from Mikindani).
Many people in Mikindani still use Makonde, and the Makonde culture remains an enormous influence upon the traditions, customs and lifestyles of much of the local population. It is, however, their excellent woodcarvings for which the Makonde are internationally renowned. The skill is passed through the generations from father to son and some carvings provide an insight into the culture of the artists. Inland, many Makonde still practice their traditional religion even though they have been in contact with Muslim traders for hundreds of years. Their religion centres around the veneration of their ancestors, which ties in with the family tree carvings that depict the older generation on the bottom symbolically supporting later generations.
Today, the culture of Mikindani is changing faster than ever. Western influences upon such things as fashion and music are increasingly obvious. In particular, many young men are frustrated, it seems, with the limitations of their grandparents’ culture. The poverty trap and the phenomenon of Americanisation have hit each other head on. Younger children whose parents can barely even afford to buy them a pair of flip-flops draw global brands such as the Nike tick on the walls and doors of houses. Despite this, there is still a strong bond between the people and their cultural heritage; hopefully, as living standards improve and development takes place, that will always remain the same
The UK charity Trade Aid was founded in 1996 by a group of people headed by Brian Currie, a Salisbury businessman. The aim of the charity it to create sustainable employment in a village called Mikindani, a deprived and desperately poor part of Tanzania. The first phase of the project is complete – the renovation of a badly decayed but very beautiful German fort, situated on the side of a hill and overlooking the spectacular Mikindani Lagoon. The Boma, as it is called is now open as a 6 bedroom, country-house hotel. All the staff are Tanzanian nationals and most are local people from Mikindani and Mtwara, the local town. All of the rooms have been lovingly decorated and fitted out by local craftsmen. It’s an easy flight down to the south of Tanzania from Dar es Salaam, and the Beetle can vouch for the hospitality and effort that has gone into creating and running the Boma.
For more information on the work carried out by Trade Aid in Tanzania, see their website www.mikindani.com
An American diver has been arrested for penetrating the Yongala, the wreck of a steamship. The Yongala is a popular wreck dive off Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It sank during a cyclone in 1911, resulting in the death of all on board. Despite being told twice that he was not allowed to go inside the wreck, our hapless diver ignored all warnings, was arrested and fined A$2000. If you dive wrecks, particularly where there has been a loss of life please be respectful of this, says the Beetle, and follow local guidelines.
Oh dear, oh dear, the airline we love to hate, Ryanair has just got itself into trouble in Germany, for saying that it flies to Dussledorf.
A court in Cologne said that it was deceptive advertising to use the description Niederheim (Dussledorf) as the airport is over 40 miles away from the city. (Is that all? Beetle). Ryanair accused Lufthansa and Dussledorf Airport of supporting the action brought against it by an Unfair Competition organisation. Lufthansa has denied the claim.
And still on the subject of court action, a French court has upheld complaints against low-fare carrier Ryanair and stopped the airline from accepting local subsidies (EUR560,000 (USD$644,000) a year from the local Chamber of Commerce) to publicise flights and build up passenger numbers on the London Stansted – Strasbourg route.
It is the first time a ruling has been made barring the airline from making financial deals with local tourist authorities or airports to boost its passenger traffic. Ryanair says it will appeal against the decision.
Meeting news from our branches around the world.
US citizens will be issued with “smart” passports carrying a digitally signed photograph by late 2004.
The new passports will include an embedded microchip that stores a compressed image of its owner's face. These microchips will be designed to prevent tampering and each digital image will be cryptographically signed to guarantee its authenticity.
Civil liberties groups fear that the introduction of such international identity schemes could permit governments to monitor the activities of citizens in unprecedented detail.
As a result of the item about place names, Tom from N. Carolina wrote in to add: in the US state of Georgia we have Cairo, Athens & Rome. There is also Moscow in the state of Idaho; Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Frankfort, Kentucky and Odessa, Texas. The state of Connecticut has a bunch of place names reminiscent of England – Norwich, Devon, Stratford, Manchester, Windsor Locks, New London, etc.
Crystal from California wrote in to say: “isn't the joke about Simpsons that they called the town Springfield because there's one in every state? That's the rumour, anyway. Anyone know if there is some truth about this?”
Kim from Massachusetts also spotted Moscow, Russia and Moscow, Idaho and Moscow, Vermont.
Doug from Maine e-mailed the Beetle to say that although he lived for 11 years in London, he and his family now live Maine, topmost on the east coast of the USA. Doug goes on to say that Maine residents came from all over the world over the last 3 centuries, primarily from Europe. Many of those first immigrants liked to name their new homes after their previous homes in the “Old Country.” (Many, many came from Britain and we have too many British town names to mention here.) Some of the more interesting names of Maine towns include:
Carthage Orient, China, Paris, Lebanon, Peru, Levant, Poland, Madrid, Rome, Mexico, Smyrna, Moscow, Sweden, Naples, Troy, Norway, Vienna.
Many thanks to all of those who wrote in.