Category Archives: archive

London Buses

Buses are a great way to get around London and ideal for sightseeing too. There are over 17,000 bus stops all across London so you are never far from a bus route.

Fares cost 70p for bus rides in outer London and £1 for journeys in central London (zone 1.) Children under 16 years old can make any bus journey in London for a flat fare of 40p (14 and 15 year olds require a Child Photocard).

Most bus drivers and conductors are very friendly and will help you if you are not sure that you are travelling in the right direction. Just ask, and if not, they will stop at the next stop for you to get off, cross the road and catch another in the right direction. We all do it!

If you are planning on doing quite a bit of travel around London in one day, it makes sense to buy a One Day Travelcard. This has the added advantage that it can be used on the London Underground and trains within a certain area. There are several zones you can buy cards to cover: Zone 1 covering central London and Zones 2, 3 and 4 covering outer London. Then there is 5 and 6 that covers Heathrow airport. You can buy these travel cards from tube stations and some newsagents. To stop a bus, just put out your hand and the bus will stop, unless it is already full. To get off at a Request stop ring the bell once and in good time to let the driver know.

Night buses run all through the night from midnight on certain routes on a reduced timetable and are prefixed with the letter N. At £1 or £1.50, they are a lot cheaper than a taxi!

Most of London's buses are red, but some come in other colours for example, there is a gold painted bus to commemorate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee; all will display the London Bus Service sign.

Cuba and Central American Cocktail Party

Wednesday 4th December, 6:30 pm: CUBANA 36 Southwick Street, Paddington, London, W12 1JQ

£10 or (£8 for members) includes cocktail, tapas and entry to prize draw.

A different format from the African event, more mingling and no central presentation. There are 100 tickets avalible, for more information visit www.ifworldwide.com or contact is events@itchyfeet-uk.com or 07900 975 413

Appeal for Info: UK Exchange Control July 1964

Can anyone help Jill: For the last eighteen months I've been trying to find out exactly what was the sterling travel allowance (Exchange Control) which British citizens were allowed to take out of the U.K. in July 1964.

H.M. Customs and Excise have come up with five possible answers but basically admit they don't know; the Treasury have no comment – I seem to have exhausted every possible avenue, having endlessly trawled almanacs, newspapers, the Web etc.

A Globetrotter member – Rene Richards reports – it was £25 in the early 60's reaching £50 in 1970– however I know from a contemporary Cunard document of 1961 that it was £50 then, so did it go down and if so when?

The novel for which I need this is due for publication by Penguin in 2003 and we're reaching final copy-editing any moment now, so any help would be most gratefully received – so, offering my thanks in advance.

If you feel you can help Jill, she can be contacted at jill@laurimore.fsnet.co.uk

McDonalds Pulling out of 3 Countries

Love them or hate them, the one thing McDonalds has, all over the world, is clean bathrooms! As a part of a cost cutting exercise, and increasing competition from the likes of Wendys and Burger King, McDonald's is to stop operating in three as yet unnamed countries, in the Middle East and Latin America. It also plans to close 175 restaurants shedding 600 staff to beef up profits.

Did You Know…. Paris, Texas and France

Ever wondered how far it is from Paris, France to Paris, Texas? Well, as the crow flies, it is 4847 miles (7800 km) or 4212 nautical miles.

Expedia.com’s lowest return fare flying from Paris, France to Dallas, the closest international airport to Paris Texas on 30th November costs $626.86, which is equivalent to around 13c a mile.

And in case Paris, Texas catches your eye: Paris received recognition in 1998 for being named “Best Small Town in Texas” by Kevin Heubusch in his book “The New Rating Guide to Life in America's Small Cities.”

Paris, Texas is located approximately 100 miles northeast of Dallas, in the Heart of Red River Valley. It was founded in 1839 and became the Lamar County seat in 1844. It later became incorporated in 1845 and today plays a major role in Texas economy within Northeast Texas. Aside from the numerous parks to stroll around, Paris, Texas has the “Second Largest Eiffel Tower in the Second Largest Paris.”

Cotswold Wool Churches

During the medieval period the Cotswold area underwent a startling transition from small scale agriculture to large scale wool production. This shift, most noticeable by the 15th century, enabled wool merchants to realize tremendous profits with the aid of the “Golden Fleece” produced by Cotswold sheep.

The “gold” in this case refers not to the colour of the fleece itself but the tremendous economic value it possessed. The prosperous wool merchants put back some of the money they earned into their local communities, often by building manors for themselves, but just as frequently by endowing their parish churches.

The “wool churches” of the Cotswolds are among the most elaborate and architecturally attractive in the entire country due to the largesse of successful wool merchants. Many of these magnificent buildings are like mini-cathedrals, complete with fanciful carvings, elaborate ornamentation and funereal monuments inside the church. Taken as a whole, the parish churches of the Cotswold area constitute a superb collection of architecturally important historic buildings. And to those who enjoy medieval architecture, the Cotswold churches offer an unparalleled experience.

It is perhaps dangerous to single out just a few Cotswold wool churches for special mention, as so many deserve a leisurely visit, but mention should be made of a few personal favourites. The church of St. Peter and St. Paul at Northleach is one of the finest wool churches in England, with the lavishly carved south porch worthy of special note.

As with most wool churches the magnificence of Northleach can be traced to the endowments of a few wealthy patrons. In this case the donors were Thomas Fortey (d. 1447 ) and his son John (d. 1458). With its decorated parapets and soaring pinnacles Northleach is reminiscent of a fairy tale castle as much as a parish church.

Another personal favourite would have to be St. Peter at Winchcombe. Not as fanciful or striking as Northleach, Winchcombe is of slightly later date and has suffered at the hands of Victorian restorers. Yet despite this, the church has a peculiar charm, due in part to the survival of a profusion of gargoyles populating the parapets. These gargoyles, both in human and animal form, provide a wonderfully whimsical touch amid the architectural beauty wrought by generations of craftsmen.

I would also be remiss if I didn't mention St. Mary's at Fairford. The first glimpse of the church rising above low pasture land to the west is likely to make unsuspecting visitors stop in their tracks and stare (as I did). The ornamentation of the tower is reminiscent of lace, so extravagant is the stonework.

The magnificence of the carving may seem out of place in this quiet market town, but it gives a fascinating glimpse at what life must have been like when the “Golden Fleece” brought prosperity to this region. Fairford is unique in that it possesses the most complete set of pre-Reformation stained glass in the country. As a final, whimsical, touch, look for the carven effigy of a pet cat just outside the main entry.

For more on the Cotswold region and its magnificent wool churches visit: http://www.the-cotswolds.org/top/english/intro.html

Source: Britainexpress.com

Tourists warned to avoid camel fair

Britain and the United States are warning of the risk of an attack on the world's biggest camel fair in the deserts of western India and urged their citizens to stay away. The fair, which runs in mid November, draws thousands of foreign and Indian tourists to the lakeside town of Pushkar in the desert state of Rajasthan.

The British High Commission said on Wednesday that although it had received no specific threat against its citizens, it regarded the carnival as “a potential target of terrorist activity”. “Information has been received which suggests that there is a risk of terrorist activity at the Pushkar Camel Fair,” the U.S. embassy in New Delhi said in a statement. “While we have no indication of a specific threat to American citizens, we advise that they should avoid this event.”

Travel Quiz

Win a Moon Handbook on the San Juan Islands. See www.moon.com for info on Moon guidebooks.

The winner of last month's Moon guide is Mary Attick.

1. To which country do the San Juan Islands belong?

2. The San Juans are famous for whale watching – what is another word for an orca?

3. The Pig War (in 1859, over a pig that was shot), was fought by which 2 nations?

4. Which film about a whale was filmed in the San Juan Islands?

5. The San Juan Islands are located in the northern reaches of which Sound?

Your Name:

Your e-mail address:

World Facts: the US and the UK

The planet has 6.157 billion people, of whom, 4.5% are in the US, and 1% in the UK.

  • 30% of the world’s population is less than 15 years old, but in the US this is 21% and 19% in the UK.
  • The world’s birth rate of 21 per 1,000 people is higher than the US rate of 14 and the UK’s 12.
  • 7% of the world’s population is at least 65 years old, compared to
  • 13% in the US and 16% in the UK
  • Life expectancy at birth is 64 years, compared to 77 in the US and 78 in the UK.
  • Of the 407 million internet users, 36% are in the US and 5% are in the UK. (Don’t forget, the US has c.250 m people, compared to 64m in the UK.)

Source: Simon Briscoe, The Financial Times, 27/7/02

Colombia and Drugs

There are several reasons why travellers do not visit Colombia, but perhaps they come down to the same thing: the cocaine industry and the people who control it. Even the Colombian government acknowledge that 80% of the world's supply of the drug comes from Colombia, and 70% of this was now grown in the Amazon region.

Colombia is without doubt a very beautiful country with mountains, forests, beaches, colonial towns and cities, but it is just not safe. Everyone, from people who live in the towns and cities to the countryside, including tourists are at risk. It is one of the few countries in the world that the Beetle would not visit herself. The Beetle’s former Spanish teacher, a London based Colombian was herself viciously mugged within minutes of arriving in her hometown of Medellín.

The new Colombian government have just announced a policy called Trees for Drugs, under which poor farmers would be paid to protect the forest instead of growing coca and are appealing for international funding from the international community to help fund a scheme to pay poor farmers to protect trees instead of cutting them down to grow drug crops.

Cocaine-users across the world are helping to destroy the Amazon rainforest, Colombian Environment Minister Cecilia Rodriguez has warned. Dr Rodriguez said the message to the world's drug users was clear: “I should call the attention of all consumers of cocaine that they're are harming dramatically the tropical rainforest of the world, because this is what the world needs for its oxygen.”

Ryanair Pilot Recruitment Blunder

Spotted by our eagle-eyed Webmaster: The only way a pilot can apply for a job at Ryanair is via the internet. The recruitment data contains credit card information because Ryanair refuses to consider applications unless a £50 fee is paid.

Sensitive personal information, such as credit card details, health records and career history, is collected by the unsecured site and sent in unencrypted email to the company's back office.

Ryanair admits that its online recruitment website has a serious security flaw which exposes job seekers' details to the eyes of crackers and unencrypted emails could breach Data Protection Act.

Phil Robinson, managing consultant at Information Risk Management, pointed out that the inclusion of credit card details made the vulnerability “very serious”. Unlike personal data, credit card details can easily be turned into money.

Embarrassingly for the airline, this vulnerability is easy and cheap to avoid. Secure socket layer (SSL) security, the encryption feature in the software, should be switched on and the company then has only to spend a few hundred pounds on a digital certificate to ensure that data is sent to the correct party instead of to a rogue server.

Ryanair's recruitment site states explicitly that applicants' information will remain confidential. “That is clearly incorrect,” said Robinson. “The way the data is submitted is totally unconfidential.”
Source: By Liesbeth Evers, Network News [31-10-2001]

London Tube Closures

Those of you who are planning to come to London should be aware that because of a firemen’s strike, some of London’s deeper tube stations are closed where safety officials feel that the use of lifts may cause safety issues. To find a list of the closed tube stations, take a look at the London Transport website:

LondonTransport

First Impressions of Mikindani by Richard Densham

Richard was a volunteer working in Mikindani, Tanzania for a charity, Trade aid.

My first impressions of Mikindani were what an improvement it was on my initial reaction to Dar-es-Salaam, [probably influenced by jet lag and the uncomfortable heat]. After the long journey it was a relief to get into Mikindani, and all I really wanted to do was sleep, however we had to prepare for the long awaited home stay. It was initially a shock, and various words were running through my head, which I shall not repeat. I found my home stay family to be extremely helpful and tolerant towards my bad Swahili, and repeatedly getting the wrong end of the stick.

Home stay was initially difficult, but once you have settled in you learn to ignore the screaming kids “watoto”, and you get on with things. However there is one thing I never got used to, Ugali (Cornmeal Porridge). It’s foul, and each meal was a bit of a trial, with Mama Asha encouraging me to eat more, and me desperately and as politely as possible trying to convey the message that “as much as a like Ugali I’m really actually very ill”.

So it was with some relief that I left my home stay and settled into the base house. I do still go back to my home stay family, just never at meal times.

It was now time to start on the project [bee keeping], and things seemed to get rolling pretty quickly with the help of Mr Thomas and Fabian, the ex-government beekeeper from Mtwara. It took some time to actually get the hive built and it is only now complete, all we need now are the bees. The bees will either come from a feral colony behind the Boma [a natural colony], or they will come from Mtwara. If we get them from behind the Boma we will wait for the bees to naturally colonise the hive, which is baited with bees wax [very much the lazy mans option]. If we use the bait hive then we are going to use some strange and mysterious Tanzanian method of catching bees, which Fabian has yet to reveal to me, should be interesting.

Teaching is something else that I have started since home stay. Teaching the staff has been particularly successful and enjoyable. Computer lessons, swimming lessons and English lessons seem to be the order of the day, and several of the staff seem to be making good ground in some of these areas. However, different things can be said about teaching at the schools. I have come to the conclusion that to get yourself, a head teacher, children, a classroom together at the same time requires an act of divine intervention, to be fair there are usually good excuses, however it is still infuriating.

I have found that a laid back attitude is required when working out here, and that flexitime is essential i.e. “so what time tomorrow morning?” “In the morning” “yes but when?” “Sometime”.

I know that when I get back to the England it is going to be difficult not being famous anymore, it’s quite strange when you walk around Mikindani and several thousand people all know your name. It really would be too easy to get delusions of grandeur.

It has been quite entertaining to watch some of the guests who have never been to Africa before, let alone Mikindani. In a place that feels, not exactly like home, but somewhere that I have got used to, the sight of a large group of Europeans clustered together and meekly discussing how different everything is, seems quite odd. But then I think back to my first reaction to Tanzania and Mikindani, and I realise I was the same.

It has been strange in the way that Africa seems to bend time, the pace of life is extremely slow, and for some reason it doesn’t seem like I’ve been here six weeks.

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

Canadians warned about visiting US

The Canadian Government has issued a travel advisory to its citizens about visiting the United States.

Because of tightened border controls in America, Canadians born in some Middle Eastern countries should now think carefully before entering the United States, Ottawa says.

American border regulations introduced last month require that people born in Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan or Syria be photographed and fingerprinted as they enter the US – even if they are now full citizens of other countries, including Canada.

That has prompted the travel warning from the Canadian Government.

This week it advised its citizens who were born in any of the five countries to “consider carefully whether they should attempt to enter the US for any reason, including transit to or from third countries”.

In the Canadian parliament on Wednesday, politicians accused Washington of harassing Arab-Canadians.

One Syrian-born member of parliament said the American rules make him a second-class Canadian.

Canadian Foreign Minister Bill Graham says he has already registered his strongest disapproval to US Secretary of State Colin Powell.

He added that he believes changes will be made to the American move when common sense prevails.

The American regulations come as a convenient target for Canadian politicians who sense growing unease amongst Canadians with US policy in the Middle East.

Many Canadians also worry about increased administration and delays at the border, which can be expensive for their export businesses.

Meeting News from Texas:

This month we will have two guest speakers. Chris Schorre, our own resident photographer, will present a slide show of Spain. Christina and Susan will recount their recent trip to Madrid.

Future meetings will be held on December 14th and January 11th.

Mark your calendars.

A reminder that Texas meetings will start one hour earlier, at 2pm and not 3pm.

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

The European Alpine Federation from Iain Kemble

Some information on one of the best accommodation bargains in Spain if not Europe via Membership of The European Alpine Federation.

British residents can join through the Austrian Alpine Club-UK Section PO Box 43, Welwyn Garden City, Herts, AL8 6PA, Tel 01707-386740. Or e-mail: e-mail: manager@aacuk.uk.com

website: www.aacuk.demon.co.uk/

Membership costs £30 per year and entitles members to stay at the many Spanish mountain huts for between 3.45 – 4.10 Euros per night, less than £2.50. Non-members pay between three and four times these prices.

Facilities are roughly comparable to very simple grade Youth Hostels with shared dormitories and sometimes a hot shower. You can self cater or buy a 4 course meal from the Guardian.

Your membership card also entitles you to massive discounts in the mountain huts of France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Greece and Slovenia plus medical and mountain rescue insurance anywhere in the world.

Have you got a tale to tell??

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

London Markets: Berwick Street Market

This street was featured on the cover of Oasis' ‘What's the Story? Morning Glory' LP, and is also home to a tiny market in the heart of Soho.

Soho is that rather strange little area in central London occasionally described as London's infamous sex district. This is where you can find (if you are looking!) small rooms high above the street corners dimly lit by a red light bulb with a cardboard sign in the window saying “model” and there are the last of the seedy sex shops and tourist rip-off peep shows. At night time, you can see couples walking arm in arm, on their way to one of Soho's famous watering holes.

In the day time, the area is fascinating and home to many TV, PR and film production companies and has many extremely good restaurants and Berwick Street Market. Tucked away between Oxford Street and Old Compton Street, Berwick Street Market is renowned for its quality fruit and vegetables. Here you will find from Mon-Sat, 9am-5pm clusters of cheap and colourful fruit and veg stalls, as well as lots of off-beat record shops.

Dotted along the market are some stalls with great specialist foods, such as fish, cheese, sausages of all kinds, herbs and spices as well as a fabulous stall selling all manner of nuts and dried fruits for peckish (hungry) shoppers. There are some semi-interesting interesting shops that line the market where you can buy spangly belts, flared trousers and “recreational” pipes.

Address: Berwick St, Soho, W1

Getting there: exit Piccadilly Circus tube station, walk up Shaftesbury Avenue and then turn left into Rupert Street. At the top of Rupert Street, just past the small market area, cross Brewer Street and walk along Walkers Court, past the Raymond Revue Bar and you'll emerge into Berwick Street.

Bus Routes: 7, 8, 10, 25, 55, 73, 76, 98

Nearest Tube / Rail Station: Piccadilly Circus Open: Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm

New Airport Checks on Middle Eastern Visitors to the US

The Malaysian prime minister condemned the new security checks on Muslim and Arab visitors introduced at US airports in October 2002.

Mahathir Mohamad labelled the new immigration rules as “anti-Muslim” and said America's stance was unfortunate. Passengers arriving in the US from Muslim and Middle East countries are now photographed and fingerprinted by the immigration authorities at all ports of entry.

In particular, nationals of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria and Sudan will be heavily scrutinized. Visitors from other countries, including Malaysia, who are thought to be a possible security risk, will also undergo the tougher immigration checks.

The authorities will compare pictures and fingerprints with criminal and terrorist data held by the US government. There could be a personal element here: Mr Mahathir made his attack on the system after his deputy, Ahmad Abdullah Badawi, claimed he was forced to remove his belt and shoes during a security check at Los Angeles International Airport as he arrived for a United Nations meeting.