Is there something holding you back in your personal life or your career? Is a lack of knowledge or skill causing you embarrassment at work or at home? Do you lack the confidence and expertise to pass an important test or examination? Meridian Television is looking for people who need expert help to overcome their problems and are willing to do it on television.
If you would like an application form please email emma.thomas@granadamedia.com or call her on 023 80 712568.
Win a Trailblazer Handbook on Trekking in Corsica by David Abram who was a wonderful speaker at the London February Globetrotter meeting. See http://www.trailblazer-guides.com for info on Trailblazer guidebooks. They are an excellent series.
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.
The winner of last month's Moon guide of Guadalajara is Mark Gregor, so please let us have your postal address, Mark.
The next meeting will take place on February 1st: Bhutan: The Hidden Kingdom. Experience the exquisite beauty of Bhutan through images of indigenous people, Himalayan landscapes, remote monasteries, colourful markets, and lively festivals. Presented by Kenneth Axen, PhD, research scientist, graphic artist, and serious amateur photographer. For details of forthcoming meetings email newyork@globetrotters.co.uk or register for email updates at at our website. (click here)
New York meetings are held at The Wings Theater, 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 Beetle received an e-mail from a lady in the US who asked about good spots to learn to dive during a week’s vacation, close to the US. Below are some suggestions:
The Cayman Islands Cayman has fabulous blue water and good walls and healthy corals. So you will get excellent visibility, easy diving, good corals and some good fish life but you won't see anything “big” here. The diving is mostly walls with the odd wreck thrown in for diversity. If you learn here, you'll be spoilt for other places as Cayman really is the No 1 spot to dive in the Caribbean and the water is warm. The downside is that it is not cheap, and even more expensive are Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. North American tour operators can usually get you better deals than trying to book this independently. A good idea is to buy a copy of Sports Diver or similar magazine to look at ads for Cayman Island dive operators. Another disadvantage is that the dive boats tend to be something like cattle trucks, crammed with divers. This is not a nice way to dive. Small groups of divers are best, as you will find out!! Other things to do – well, actually, there's not really an awful lot to do apart from play golf, sit on the magnificent Seven Mile Beach, snorkel, swim and drink expensive cocktails. But it's all very pretty and safe for children.
Cozumel – cheaper than Cayman, and the best way to get to Cozumel is probably by buying a hotel and flight package. Cozumel, in Mexico, is an island close to Cancun and is primarily known for drift diving. Don't let this put you off, there are still plenty of good dives that are not scary. If you go to Cozumel on a package, it is easy to book diving separately once you have arrived. Here, normally smaller groups of divers are taken out in dive boats than in the Cayman Islands, although the majority of divers will be from the US. Other things to do – well, you can take a day trip across to the mainland to some of the Mayan ruins such as Chichen Itza, although it is a very long day. There are also golf courses and I believe you can windsurf. Probably the second best place to dive in the Caribbean.
The Florida Keys – there are some excellent dives around the Keys with just as good fish life as in Cayman! Aquanuts and Kelly on the key in Key Largo both come highly recommended. A downside is that the dive boats can resemble cattle trucks, so ask about numbers on the boat. By going to the Keys, you can do some shopping too, in Miami! Surprisingly decent diving – be careful that you go with a good dive operator; warmish water but lots of topside attractions with car hire. But be warned, Key Largo is a good 1 1/2-2 hr slow drive from Miami.
Puerto Rico – the diving here is not that great, but if you are going to learn, this is still not a bad place to learn as the other places that you go to will have better diving, so this is not a bad place to start off. An advantage is that it is relatively cheap. To get around Puerto Rico you must hire a car (the roads can be pretty bad in places, be warned.) There are plenty of things of interest to see and good day trips, including some good night life, good bars and restaurants, forts, shopping, parks, waterfalls etc.
Bermuda – not cheap, but perfectly manicured, very green and chocolate box pretty. The diving is probably the easiest of all of these destinations as you are unlikely to be able to get below 10 metres. As it is easy diving, it is a nice, safe and steady place to learn to dive. The main attraction here is the wrecks, all in shallow water and most decomposed and in various stages of almost unrecognisable to pretty good anchors and cannons etc. Bermuda also scores high on topside attractions, but you must hire a scooter (tourists are not allowed to hire cars) and explore the island. The water is not as warm as the Caribbean and it is expensive, although, if you live on the east coast of the US, Bermuda is only a short hop away.
Bay Islands Honduras – if you are feeling adventurous, there is some pretty good diving to be had in the Bay Islands off Honduras. Any of the dive magazines have ads for the Bay Islands so it is best to buy a package. There are three main islands: Roatan is a party island and the most touristy, but not massively so, Utila is the backpacker’s island and Guanaja is still fairly quiet. I would recommend diving off Utila or Guanaja. The Posada del Sol has good write ups and usually has good deals – look them up on the web! Good diving, although not as good as Cayman, still pretty decent and considerably cheaper. There is not masses to do topside, but you'll find enough, it's a different sort of place. English is spoken in the Bay Islands is, and all of the islands are much less touristy than say Cozumel so you will meet a wider mix of people in the Bay Islands.
If you live in the UK or Europe and are looking for a cheap dive estimation to learn to dive in one week, then I recommend the Red Sea. It is cheap (around £300 or $500 – £450 or $750) for one week's hotel and flights from London) and has good diving and also extremely good and safe good dive training. The dive specialists have some extremely good deals in the Red Sea right now, but obviously this location may not be the best place to go, depending on the political situation.
Meeting news from our branches around the world.
Writing this sat at my university desk I can’t help frequently glancing up at the picture painted in Mikindani and the various photos of my gap year experience.
Having gone over the whole experience with true friend back home, I can’t say that I was overly enthused about the prospect of having to talk through the whole ‘year out’ thing to several strangers in fake bids to find new friendships. But even after thinking over what the visits to Mikindani have done for me, it wasn’t until I chatted about everyone else’s gap years that I realised just how valuable they were. Past volunteers will have all contemplated the commercial organisations and weighed up what volunteers are gaining but I’d like everyone to think about these again.
When I talked to people about my gap year, it was hard to sum up just how much I went through with George and Emily. The work we partook covered everything from teaching in the primary schools, running a tree nursery and planting program, teaching sports to the locals, improving vocational training in the hotel, and researching and writing for a guide book. Our cultural experiences were, for me, highlights of the stay; the learning of a new language, staying with a host family, going through Ramadan, Christmas abroad. The learning of a Swahili is something, which is pushed at Trade Aid, and rightly so, it is after all a key in developing our work and provides a great deal more scope in possibilities for volunteer input. But the thing that stuck out the most was purely being a little part of the village. In such a scale a project as this, your input is very direct and results or improvements are clear and achievable. At the end of the six month stay I could regard many locals as friends, not just people who had provided me with an experience. With huge mountains, natural wonders of the world, and exotic islands ahead, it was hell having to say goodbye to these people I had spent so much of every day with for some time. Not one person here at university has seemed to show as much sorrow as our group did when leaving and they all are impressed at how personal my experience seemed. It has sparked a true interest in Africa and the situation in developing countries, I would now definitely consider it as an option when working in healthcare once my physiotherapy degree allows me to.
Others tales tended to take two main routes. First were the ‘round the world’ people. An air ticket bought several thousand miles and covered a path generally following China, Australia, New Zealand, Los Angeles, and home again. All very well for getting lots of stamps in your passport but I often question how much these people got to know a place. In addition to getting off the plane, completing a quick tourist tour, and maybe eating a local dish, I heard little else of what they gained. Any past volunteer will know exactly how much of an opportunity is granted to get involved and mix with Mikindani’s people. The second lot arranged experiences through commercial companies, set up to provide students with trips and work in developing countries. Much of their work and goals were similar to those I aimed towards with Trade Aid and the satisfaction of doing something active to help others out was obvious in most. The contrast seemed to be in the socialising once the working day had finished. Those in bigger groups told of many nights together and parties in foreign beauty spots, fun but not on the same level as sitting on Bomani street joking and chatting to the locals during the evening hours, and not going down to Doa’s bar on a moonlight night with the Boma staff.
Of course although my opinion on things has been favoured towards what I found, having only experienced a year with Trade Aid, I realise also that every single person has had a ‘time of their life’ and each and every one is much the wiser because of it. Since returning home to study I have kept very much in touch with the charity and look forwards to revisiting in December to carry on with some work and maintain my interest.
For more information about Trade Aid, volunteers and their work, please visit their website www.mikindani.com or e-mail Sherie on tradeaid@netcomuk.co.uk
Under 30? 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!!
Globetrotters meeting Saturday 7th December 2002 By Padmassana
This afternoon our first speaker was Damian Welch, Royal Geographical Society (RGS) winner of a “Journey of a Lifetime “ Award, who took us to Tokelau, a group of remote Polynesian islands located north of New Zealand. His talk and slides demonstrating to us the effect that the 21st Century has had on the islanders way of life. Tokelau’s population of 1,500 souls crowd onto just three islands. Damian's graphic photos demonstrated just how dependant the islanders are on the imported barrels of oil, petrol and diesel, which arrive like everything else by ship. The islanders life revolves around the ship’s comings and goings. The islanders share everything, from the oil, to the work and the food that sustains them. Though this system is rapidly being overtaken by the introduction of money, people are asking how much?, before doing tasks they would previously have just done. Fishing is one area where the old way carries on, the fish are caught and shared equally among the people when the catch is landed. Tokelau’s women folk prepare the food and then play noisy games of dominoes. Afternoons on Tokelau are often spent playing volleyball under the scorching sun. Unfortunately the once healthy Tokelau diet of fish and coconut is being replaced by imported corned beef, beer and vast amounts of sugar, resulting in the 21st century diseases of obesity and diabetes. Damian’s idyllic photos of the islands peeping out of the blue sea and thought provoking talk on daily life made for a very interesting and educational 40 minutes.
Our second speaker was Robert Twigger, whose talk was entitled “Putting the adventure back into travel”.
Robert’s wanderlust was instilled in him by his Grandfather, who had returned from his own travels with Naga spears, which Robert has inherited, just as well as I don’t think you would be very successful at bringing them through Heathrow airport in the current climate.
Roberts’s plan was to try and replicate the epic 1793 journey of Alexander MacKenzie, who crossed Canada from east to west. Robert particularly wanted to repeat the last section down the Athabasca river in a birch-bark canoe. First though Robert and his friend Ben had to get the canoe to their starting point. They achieved this by delivering a van 3500 miles across Canada in three days, before being dropped off in the middle of nowhere to begin their journey. They set off paddling often against quite strong currents, seeing nobody else for days on end. Though they did see a lot of bears, which were not intimidated or scared off by the bear horn they carried with them. The locals all carry a gun for this job! Robert and Ben camped by the river and we saw some beautiful sunset photos, however this didn’t tell the whole story, as wherever they stopped they were set upon by millions of mosquitoes. Unfortunately Robert’s trip was limited by time and they have had to leave the canoe in storage having completed 600 miles until next year when he hopes to complete the trip all the way to the Pacific.
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, but we will be back in September. For more information, you can contact the Globetrotter Info line on +44 (0) 20 8674 6229, or visit the website: www.globetrotters.co.uk
When going to places like South Africa, Singapore, etc. you might want to consider getting multi-entry visas if a visa is required. Although they usually cost a little extra, it is worth the hassle of having to queue up, complete the paperwork, provide photos etc.
From South Africa I went to Zimbabwe by bus to Bulawayo and then by train to Victoria Falls, walked over bridge to Zambia and then took train back through Botswana and then to South Africa. Also one might want to make a side trip to Namibia. (I met a South African soldier in South Africa that delighted to tell me he had been stationed in Nam. I thought he meant Vietnam and then he smiled and said Namibia.) From Singapore using it as headquarters, I made side trips to Bali and back, India and back, Malaysia and Thailand and back.
While you might be able to get new visas getting a multiple entry might save you some time. From Johannesburg I also took a bus trip to the township where they then allowed gambling and had a small Las Vegas. The township and I cant think of its name began with b long name and they had distinctive stamps for sale. A small diversion if you have the time. Happy Travelling Mac.
If you would like to contact Mac, a 78 year old retired military, and extremely well travelled, he is happy to answer any questions even if his information may be out of date. Mac can be e-mail him on: macsan400@yahoo.com
Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina has a population of around 3 million, (metropolitan area of 13 million) and there is a 12,000 strong Greek community. Emigration from Greece to Buenos Aires peaked between WWI and WWII. Today, the Greek community of Buenos Aires is the largest and wealthiest of its type in Latin America. Many are successful businessmen, ship owners, scholars and writers.
Buenos Aires’ most famous Greek immigrant is Aristotle Onassis, a refugee from Smyrna, who arrived in Buenos Aires on September 21st, 1923. Onassis was involved with tobacco manufacturing, before buying his first merchant ship in the early 1930s. In 1932, Onassis was appointed Honorary Deputy Consul of Greece to Buenos Aires. He later became one of the world's wealthiest men.
Our guest speaker at our december meeting was Amy Gissen, who gave a great slide show and lecture about Myanmar, truly one of Asia's jewels.
For details of forthcoming meetings email newyork@globetrotters.co.uk or register for email updates at click here at our website.
New York meetings are held at The Wings Theater, 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.
Novodevichiy Convent (Nunnery) is one of the most beautiful Moscow convents. By studying its history we discover many facts about the history of the State, which is extremely interesting.
It was founded in the early 16th century. Its main cathedral was consecrated in honour of the Smolenskaya Icon of the Mother of God Hodigitria. According to the legend, St. Luke himself painted the icon, and it is closely linked with the convent’s foundation.
So Great Prince Vassily 3 founded the Novodevichy Convent in 1524 in honour of the seizure of Smolensk. The Convent stood on the road leading to southwest, in the direction of Smolensk, a small town 300 km away from Moscow.
The convent is like a miniature Kremlin. Its cathedral church was built with the Kremlin Cathedral of the Assumption as a model, perhaps by the Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin, and in 1525 the copy of the Smolenskaya Icon was placed in it. The convent’s fortified, toothed walls and the towers were added at the end of the 16th century in the reign of Boris Godunov, and their design was also based on the Kremlin. In the 17th century the towers were decorated with splendid tracery crowns.
It was the richest convent in Moscow. Noblewomen of the time became noviciates in it- wives and widows of the tsars and boyars, their daughters and sisters – and on taking the veil they handed over their jewels, pearls, gold and silver. Women were secluded into this convent for several causes: either if they couldn’t get a divorce, which was impossible at those times, or if they became widows, also if they were to be devoid of their political rights, like it was the case with the sister of Peter the Great. It was here in 1689 that Peter the Great confined the intelligent and power-loving Sofia, who did not wish to concede the throne to her brother after he had attained adulthood.
The same fate was in store for Yevdokia Lopukhina, the first wife of Peter the Great and mother of Tsarevich Aleksei. In 1727 she was brought here from the Shlisselburg Fortress in St. Petersburg after Peter’s death, and not long before her own. Both of Peter’s relatives are buried in the convent’s Smolensk cathedral.
It was here, in the Novodevichy Convent, that Boris Godunov was «summoned to kingdom» in 1568. In the fire of 1812 the convent was nearly ruined. At the beginning of September numerous French soldiers were billeted here and later on Napoleon himself visited the place on horseback. Without dismounting he looked round at the convent and gave orders for the Church of John the Baptist to be blown up, then he departed. On the night of 8 October the French troops were getting ready to retreat. Before leaving they stuck lighted candles on the wooden iconostases and threw them on to the floor where they had scattered straw everywhere. In the cellar of Smolensky Cathedral the nuns discovered open barrels of powder with smouldering fuses. With only seconds before a terrible explosion, the nuns managed to put out the fuses and prevent a fire in the convent.
A picturesque pond with ducks just near the convent makes it a wonderful place.
Novodevichy Convent has been witness to many historical events in its time, but it managed to go through it, endure it and not only preserve but also multiply spiritual heritage with centuries.
After the revolution the convent was secularised, then it housed a branch of the State History Museum. Today it’s a convent with 2 museums but it has been given back to the church.
An economist has warned that global efforts to combat malaria are on the verge of collapse as scarce international donor funds were being used to fight AIDS instead. Malaria is estimated to kill more than 1-million people each year, most of whom are children in sub-Saharan Africa. Mr Sachs, speaking to journalists during an international teleconference said that international donors were not living up to their promises to help combat malaria. To make matters worse, he said, AIDS took the lion's share of donor funding. For example, the UN Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, had committed only 22m for malaria programmes during its first round of funding (out of a total of 616m committed). Sachs also lashed out at the World Bank for failing to meet its commitment to raise $500m to help eradicate malaria. “The situation is paradoxical. Knowing what to do insecticide coated bed nets alone could save millions of lives and we even have new organisational funds, but the pieces have not come together to produce results,” said Sachs. Sachs said that malaria cost the African economy more than $12bn a year, and that the disease could be controlled for $2-3bn annually.
Source: Massive Effort
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.
Whether it’s a Bank holiday or any other weekend, Layer Marney is the perfect place to take the family for a fun-packed day out. Situated down a quiet, single-track lane, well signposted from the historic town of Colchester, it is hard to believe that anything so beautiful could exist in the heart of the Essex countryside – that is until you reach the gates leading to the estate.
Seeped in history, the tower is the tallest, most elaborate Tudor gatehouse in England and an initial glimpse of the striking building will take your breath away. Constructed in the Italian design, popular in the period in which it was built and made from terracotta bricks, the gatehouse is a vibrant red colour and very eye-catching.
The house spans either side of the tower itself and is currently occupied and so not open for public viewing. Beautifully designed gardens surround the building and a signpost to the left of the tower indicates the presence of the church of St Mary The Virgin, where regular Sunday worship is still practised.
Lying to the South of the main gatehouse is the very long and very narrow, Long Hall. Features include a wrought iron fireplace on the right hand wall and black iron chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The room itself is panelled with black wood and is the ideal venue to re-enact a Tudor banquet, where the staff will dress for the period and provide appropriate entertainment in the form of fire-eaters, jugglers or jesters.
On departing the hall you find yourself in a large courtyard, consisting of the Corsellis room (currently split into two housing the gift shop and the tearoom), and the barn that contains a collection of rare breed animals, many of which can be fed. There are also two farm walks, starting from the barn and varying in length, which include the chance to see the red deer that roam the grounds.
Entrance to the tower itself is via wooden double doors, passing a marbled jaguar cat on either side, into a small entrance room with archways to the left and right. All windows are arched and those in the entrance hall span the length of the wall. Dark curtains hang to the ground either side of the window and deer heads hang over each arch.
Those interested in Layer Marney’s history are advised to visit the History room – a large room thought to be the place where Queen Elizabeth I stayed on a visit to the tower in 1579 – which houses a model replica of the estate and also contains historical information. This room is found between the stairwells on the right and left of the tower and is reached via a well-maintained, spiral, wooden staircase. 95 steps lead to the top, where breathtaking views of the estate and surrounding countryside can be observed.
The estate is of interest to all ages and many events are held here, including craft fairs where there are activities and goods on offer for both young and old. It is also a popular venue for both civil ceremonies and wedding receptions and corporate events are often held here, where activities on offer include clay pigeon shooting, archery and jousting.
The tower has a colourful history and has seen many occupants over the years. It was built by Henry, the first Lord Marney, who wanted a home that would reflect his position as an important member of the royal court and it was originally intended to be a rival to Hampton Court Palace. By his death in 1515 only one side of the tower had been completed, however, the work was continued by his son until his death in 1525.
Though many others have lived at Layer Marney, the major restoration of the house was carried out by Sir Walter Zoete, who owned it from 1904. Following his death, ownership of the house passed to the Carrington family, descendants of whom currently occupy the property.
The history of Layer Marney Tower has led to it becoming a place of interest to those interested in paranormal activity. The voice of the first Lord Marney can often be heard echoing throughout the church that adjoins the tower and he may also be seen sliding down the banisters of the tower staircase as he attempts to scare those who interrupt his descent of the stairs.
All in all, if you’re ever in Essex with nothing to do, do pay Layer Marney Tower a visit. It’s a beautiful building set in beautiful countryside and is a little piece of history that should not be missed.
Layer Marney is open to the public daily from 1st April till 5th October 2003 and admission costs are £3 per adult or £2.50 per child. Further information can be gained from the website www.layermarneytower.co.uk
Clare is 27 years old and has a BSc in Anatomy and MSc in Forensic Science. She used to work at New Scotland Yard until she fell ill in December 2000 with ME. Clare is a first time mum to 8 month old Lauren and wife to Andrew. She writes freelance in any spare time and hope to begin writing a crime novel later this year (Beetle: PD James, watch out!) She is currently writing a children’s fairy story and various articles for mother and baby magazines.
Scientists are set to explore the world’s highest fresh water lake 4 miles up in the Licancabur volcano near Antofogasta in Chile.
Their aim is to find out how the organisms that live there can survive in such a hostile environment. They will do this by taking samples and diving to the bottom of the lake.
Although the lake at Licancabur volcano is covered with almost two feet of ice during much of the year, the expedition will take place in the southern hemisphere's spring, when the lake is not completely frozen.
The information they hope to gather will help astrobiologists devise strategies and technologies to search for life on planets like Mars during future missions.
Festive food and fellowship was shared at the December Texas branch meeting. The scheduled slide show of Portugal was postponed to the January meeting. In addition to the slide show we will share our 2003 travel goals during the January meeting. Hope to see you – same time, same place!
New Braunfels Public Library 700 E. Common Street, New Braunfels, Texas 830-620-5482, at 2pm, January 11th 2003
As the year 2002 comes to an end, the Texas Branch of the Globetrotters Club continues to flourish. If you have not yet joined the Globetrotters Club, now is the time to do so.
Go to http://www.globetrotters.co.uk/join/ and today! If it is time to renew your membership, do that today! Make sure you welcome 2003 as a member in good standing with the Globetrotters Club.
Dates of future meetings: January 11th, February 8th
The Globetrotters Club is encouraging anyone interested in writing articles
Learn more about Globetrotters at www.globetrotters.co.uk.
For more information about the Texas Branch: please Contact texas@globetrotters.co.uk or call Christina at 830-620-5482
Meetings are held at 2pm at the New Braunfels Public Library, 700 E. Common Street in New Braunfels, Texas. The meeting ends at 5 p.m. If you would like to continue travel talk on a more informal basis, we plan to adjourn to the Hoity-Toit, a local New Braunfels establishment. If anybody would like to enquire about meetings or help Christina, please contact her on: texas@globetrotters.co.uk
Edinburgh is making big efforts to entertain shoppers in the weeks before Christmas. It also plans to lay on what it claims to be the world's biggest Hogmanay party to welcome in the New Year. The Christmas illuminations will be switched on from Nov. 28, and there will be a German Christmas Market with more than 20 traders from Frankfurt, in Princes Street Gardens, which will also be the site of the Edinburgh Wheel (until Jan. 5) – the UK's tallest ferris wheel.
For the 10th successive year, Edinburgh's Hogmanay is a four-day programme to say farewell to the old year and welcome in the new (Dec.29 -Jan.1). Among the free highlights are the Torchlight Procession and Fire Festival, the Night Afore Fiesta (Dec.30, with massed pipes and drums and the world's largest ceilidh, a Celtic-style party), the Hogmanay Triathlon, and Huskies at Holyrood.
The vast Royal Bank Street Party (Dec.31) is free, but entry is by pass only: get one by joining the First Foot Club (£15). As well as entry to the party, this offers the holder discounts in shops and attractions, privileged booking for ticket events and a chance to enter members-only competitions. To join, call the First Foot Club membership hotline (0131 473 2056) or register and buy tickets on the website.
The Beetle likes cityguide.travel-guides.com
Here you can select from a number of cities around the world and compile your own guide, for free. There is a very diverse set of headings from which to chose, e.g. history, cost of living, getting around, shopping, excursions, major sites, tourist information, street maps, nightlife, sport, culture, special events etc.
If you are going away for the weekend and don’t want to buy a guidebook or just want to do some digging around, this is an excellent resource.
Whitechapel is considered by some to be the heart of the East End of London and over the centuries has hosted Jewish settlers, Irish dock workers and Bangladeshi workers in the 'rag trade'. It’s a street market right opposite the Royal London Hospital, and you’ll come on to it from Whitechapel underground station as you exit from it. The road is so-named because it led to the white chapel of St Mary Matfelon, made from white stone around 1250. In the 19th century, Whitechapel Road was the most important market in the area.
So what can you buy there? It is run predominantly by Asian traders and this is sometimes reflected in some of the goods on sale e.g. sari material and herbs and spices. You can find bedding, jewellery, clothing, tools, fresh fruit and veg, electrical goods – all sorts, open six days a week from Monday to Saturday from 8.00 until 18.00.