Category Archives: archive

Flying around China

Contrary to popular opinion, it is possible to travel independently around China. However, having said that, it has to be one of the most frustrating countries to travel in as the script is impossible to read for us Indo-European language speakers. Here is a trip that gets around mostly through flying, so it is a little easier to see the best parts of China this way and without having to use the services of a guide. Travelling in China in this way, you will need to arrange flights and accommodation and the rest you can fill in as and when you arrive at places.

Fly into Beijing and settle in your chosen hotel – there are plenty of good tourist class hotels. Spend 2 whole days in Beijing. Sites to see include the Forbidden City, Tian’anman square, the Temple of Heaven etc. You can take guided day trips to the Great Wall of China, the Ming Tombs and the Summer Palace.

Fly from Beijing to Xian, the Imperial capital between 1,000 BC and 1,000 AD. Spend a couple of days in Xian: see the Terracotta Warriors, the Small Wild Goose Pagoda and there are some hot springs close by. It’s usually quieter to visit the Warriors in the afternoons.

From Xian, fly to Shanghai, explore Shanghai for a couple of days, walk down the Bund, the main road by the harbour, visit the Yu gardens and the old city etc. Ask your hotel to book a day return train ticket to Suzho, a place in China made famous for its silk production. Explore the old town, stock up on silk clothes etc and return to Shanghai.

Fly from Shanghai to Guilin, arrive at the airport, arrange to be met by your hotel and ask them to book a day cruise down the River Li. This is the most beautiful journey – distinctive rounded hills, and you can get a chance to see life as it used to be many centuries ago. If you have more time, it is possible to take longer cruises down the River Li where you can sleep aboard. Your hotel will be able to advise. There are also some caves in Guilin: the Reed Flute Caves that are worth a quick visit.

Fly from Guilin to Canton, explore around and take the train from Canton to Hong Kong and finish your tour here after having spent a few days exploring around.

Fave Websites of the Month

If you are ever planning to travel by rail in the UK, there are two invaluable web sites. The first railtrack.co.uk will show you timetables for the entire country; simply enter your starting point, destination and preferred timings and it will come up with the options. You can ask for earlier and later journeys. However, this site does not show prices, so for this you need to go to: thetrainline.com

Here in the UK, if you book your train fare one week, two weeks and further, in advance, you can achieve substantial savings. Even buying a ticket to pick up the next day at the station can make a big difference in price.

The two rail journeys where buying tickets in advance makes no difference is the Heathrow Express, the £12, 15 minute journey from London Paddington railway station to London Heathrow airport, and the Gatwick Express costing £11, and taking 30 minutes from London’s Victoria railway station to Gatwick.

March for Children, New York

On May 8-10, the UN will be hosting the most important children's event since the 1990 World Summit for Children. We will gather at 4pm to start the march at 4:30pm on May 8 and converge on the United Nations Headquarters in New York. This will be followed by a rally and candlelight vigil, to end around 7:30pm. For detailed information on the march, please visit our website. The event will be a memorable experience for everyone involved and a clear message to the world. We hope that we can count on your participation and support to make this event a stunning success. If you have any questions, are planning to participate, or would like to help out in the final preparations for the march, please click here to contact us.

For those who cannot attend the New York rally, you can sign a petition against the use of child labour, to help kick Child Labour out of the world. Particularly timely, this petition asks that no child is employed in the football industry and the production of other FIFA-licensed goods and all children removed from child labour are rehabilitated and given opportunity to receive education. Please take a couple of minutes to read and sign our World Cup Campaign Petition.

Travel Tips

From Stuart, in London: e-mail yourself your passport details in case you lose it.

Got any travel tips for the Beetle? Then e-mail them to: the Beetle

A Cautionary Tale

Easter would not be Easter without a quick diving trip. Last year the Beetle went to the Red Sea on a live aboard, and this year, the Beetle was at a loss to work out where to go. A Muslim country seemed like a good idea because there would be fewer tourists going home to celebrate Easter, but it had to be somewhere with good diving.

Oman came to mind as being an unusual destination with hopefully some good diving opportunities. The Beetle contacted Trailfinders in the City, in London, to enquire about availability, cost and timings of flights to Oman. It seemed that there was quite a bit of availability, and the price was not too bad, considering it was Easter. The next step was to find a dive operation and a hotel.

A quick trawl on the net found a promising looking dive school that also had accommodation, so the Beetle went back to Trailfinders to say that she’d already be told of an Alitalia flight and read out the day and time. The puzzled operative said, no, there are no Alitalia flights going to Oman and quite honestly, it is all looking very busy, I can’t see the flight you are referring to and I’m not sure we can get you there now.

The Beetle has been using Trailfinders for over 10 years and thought this a little odd. Hang on a minute, just let me check something, the operative said. He came back triumphant. Yes, we’ve got you going on a flight to Amman, in Jordan! If the Beetle had booked the first time on enquiring, she would have ended up in Amman and not Oman – a very sobering thought!

The moral of the story is: no matter how experienced you think your travel agent is, they are not mind readers, always state the name of the country, even if you think it is obvious, like Paris, Texas, or Paris France, others may not know!

Varig Brazil Air Pass

The pass is available to Brazilians and non Brazilians living outside Brazil when you buy an international ticket. It costs the same amount no matter what time of year you travel. It is valid for 21 days starting on the day of the first flight and can be used for flights in up to 9 cities throughout Brazil. Packages vary from US $530 to US $930.

Van Exchanges Are Better Than House Trades

Says Peter from California who wrote in to tell us about how he and his partner, Leslie, traded vans and reaped the benefits of cheap travel. “And we”d love to do it again! We put a letter to the Editor in a caravan-owner”s magazine in England, saying we wanted to trade our California van for theirs.

Four weeks before our 2-month trip, a nice gent from Norwich called to say he”d consider it. After we traded references and information about our vans and how they were outfitted, he welcomed us. We spent a heavenly holiday travelling Britain, and then he and his wife came to use our van to visit the great parks of the American west!

We saved thousands of dollars/pounds. Van trades are better than house trades, because transportation is included and you”re not locked in at one location! Campgrounds are very inexpensive and have nice showers and laundry facilities.

We will soon have a new advertisement appearing in the Caravan Club Magazine–we”d love to visit France for 2 months! Insurance is not a problem, as each borrower gets their own to cover liability and collision.

In fact, if any of you fellow Globetrotters out there has a VW or other van (fancy factory-outfitted vans are not necessary–we can sleep in a bare tradesman”s van just fine), we”d love to trade with you.

Give me a call or an email: Peter Reimuller, Box 4, Point Arena, California, 95468; phone 1-(707)-882-2001; reimuller@mcn.org. And pack your bag–you”re going to be in some wonderful places!

Sorry–April not available as we are taking our van to Indian Country to visit the red-rock mesas and desert wildflowers.”

Mutual Aid

Need help? Want a travelling buddy or advice about a place or country – want to share something with us – why not visit our Mutual Aid section of the Website:Mutual Aid

London Underground Travel – the low down

This is not for the faint hearted: if you are a regular traveller on the London Underground, here are some facts that you are going to wish you hadn”t read.

During Autumn of 2000, a team of scientists at the Department of Forensics at University College London removed a row of passenger seats from a Central Line tube carriage for analysis into cleanliness. Despite London Underground”s claim that the interior of their trains are cleaned on a regular basis, the scientists made some alarming discoveries.

The analysis was broken down. This is what was found on the surface of the seats: 4 types of hair sample (human, mouse, rat, dog) 7 types of insect mostly fleas, mostly alive) vomit originating from at least 9 separate people human urine originating from at least 4 separate people human excrement rodent excrement human semen

When the seats were taken apart, they found: the remains of 6 mice the remains of 2 large rats 1 previously unheard of fungus It is estimated that by holding one of the armrests, you are transferring, to your body, the natural oils and sweat from as many as 400 different people. It is estimated that it is generally healthier to smoke five cigarettes a day than to travel for one hour a day on the London Underground.

It is far more hygienic to wipe your hand on the inside of a recently flushed toilet bowl before eating, than to wipe your hand on a London Underground seat before eating. It is estimated that, within London, more work sick-days are taken because of bugs picked up whilst travelling on the London Underground than for any other reason (including alcohol).

More Funny Signs

In a Nairobi restaurant: CUSTOMERS WHO FIND OUR WAITRESSES RUDE OUGHT TO SEE THE MANAGER.

On the grounds of a private school: NO TRESPASSING WITHOUT PERMISSION.

On an Athi River highway: TAKE NOTICE: WHEN THIS SIGN IS UNDER WATER, THIS ROAD IS IMPASSABLE.

On a poster at Kencom: ARE YOU AN ADULT THAT CANNOT READ? IF SO,WE CAN HELP.

Write in and tell us your funny sign! Drop a line to the Beetle!Beetle@globetrotters.co.uk

Readers comments: best airport nominations – from the Travelling Stoat

Changi, Singapore: large, efficient, clean (good duty free) and looks great, what with the orchids and the waterfalls inside the airport

Aruba: clean, quiet and uncrowded

Denver: looks nice but crap shops

Landing strip at Kavak, Venezuela: a charming field – minimal environmental impact!

Heathrow: good shops for last minute forgotten item purchasing, can fly almost anywhere from it – downside it is horrible to get to and from, especially for early morning flights

The Stoat’s worst airports include:

Dar es Salaam – dirty, not many shops, expensive, sells 6 month old copies of the Economist

Local airport at Honiara: fly ridden, filthy and decidedly dodgy

Local airport at Vanuatu: same as Honiara

Write in and tell us your best airport nominations!Beetle@globetrotters.co.uk

Buddha"s Finger in Taiwan

Tens of thousands of Buddhists have turned out in Taiwan to welcome what is purported to be a finger of Buddha (who died 2,000 years ago) on its arrival for a month-long stay on the island. The relic, housed in a jewelled casket, was flown in to Taipei from China, where it is normally on display at a temple in Xian. It was then driven amid tight security through chanting crowds to be displayed at a stadium in the Taiwanese capital.

Several other relics believed to be parts of his body – including a number of teeth – are preserved in various monasteries in Asia. Buddhists waving yellow flags lined the streets to welcome the finger. Later, thousands attended a ceremony at a Taipei stadium where the finger was placed on an orchid-decorated platform for worship.

“Looking at the bone is like seeing the Buddha himself,” Chinese monk I Kong said. “We hope Buddha”s finger could inspire friendly love and peace across the Taiwan Strait,” he said. Taiwan and China separated amid civil war in 1949. In recent years, many Taiwanese have visited Chinese temples to worship and to view their rich collections of Buddhist scriptures and relics.

MEETING NEWS

Meeting news from our branches around the world.

Book Review

Review of Lonely Planet book:

Buddhist Stupas in Asia – the shape of perfection by Padmassana

This hardback pictorial book explains the origins of Stupas, the living embodiment of Buddhist teachings.

Its 170 pages contain beautiful colour photographs of the many types of Stupa found in Asia. From the bell shaped ones in India and Sri Lanka, to the Chortens of Nepal and Tibet to the Pagoda styles of China and Japan.

At £24.99 ( $34.99) it is not cheap, but to anyone with an interest in these wonderful structures it is a must have on the bookshelf.

London: meeting report by Padmassana

Our first speaker was Phil Koniotes , who showed us some stunning glimpses of Antarctica. Phil explained that on his trip he had the great fortune to enjoy 4 sunny days, which is extremely rare and meant he was able to take some fantastic photographs. His pictures of icebergs, many of which come in strange shapes and spectacular proportions were breathtaking, particularly those of the aptly named Paradise Bay. His photo’s also covered the inquisitive penguins that inhabit this region, which come up to investigate their human visitors. Photos of the penguins included their nest building antics, which involves the penguins stealing pebbles from each other’s nests to build their own. Phil also told us about the Post Office which handles 40,000 cards each year, which depart with the prized Antarctic postmark. This was a fascinating talk with some superb photographs.

Our second speaker Mark Elliott came to Globetrotters rescue after our original speaker Juliet Coombe was involved in an accident in Australia and was unable to return to the United Kingdom. Mark’s talk was about the Kilum Forest in what he described as the most corrupt country on the planet, Cameroon, in West Africa. Mark’s mission had been to photograph the elusive Bannerman’s Turaco bird, which only lives in this part of the world. His photos took us via a local tribal war and a photocall with a local Chief. He showed us a local festival where the people dress in costumes and actually become that person or spirit, Mark discovered how literally they take this when one character relieved him of his umbrella, his neighbour explaining that this character was called “The thief!” Once up into the forest Mark and his guide trekked for a day and for one fleeting minute espied the elusive bird. His guide was ecstatic, despite living there, it was the first time in seven years even he had seen one.

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 on Saturday 1st 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

Not to be Seen Dead In?

Madagascar travel advice by the FCO: we advise against all holiday and other non-essential travel to Madagascar for the time being. The demonstrations and strike, which followed the presidential elections on 16 December 2001, have stopped.

However, there are still outbreaks of violence around the country. Martial law was declared in Antananarivo on 28 February, and a curfew was imposed from 2100-0500.

Curfews have also been imposed in other cities around the country. Barricades are still in place at points around the capital and those situated on the main roads linking Antananarivo to the provinces have been strengthened. This has made road travel around the country dangerous and difficult.

Air Madagascar is not offering flights to Europe and Asia at the moment. Air France is providing one flight per week. Flights to and from South Africa are severely disrupted. Flights around the country are also subject to disruption. There is no aviation fuel for commercial use at Ivato, the main airport in the capital.

There have been cases of armed robbery in some National Parks. All independent travellers intending to visit National Parks should seek advice from a tour operator, or from the park administration.

There has been an increase in the number of travellers being pick-pocketed at the airport. Visitors should exercise caution on arrival and departure and should not leave bags unattended. Keep money and passports separate.

There is a danger of mugging in urban areas. Do not carry excessive money or wear prominent jewellery. Take sensible precautions in crowded areas such as markets. It is wise to avoid walking at night in city centres. Visitors are advised to carry a copy of their passport and to keep the original safe (e.g. a hotel deposit box).

Avoid travelling outside urban areas at night, if at all possible.

Visitors are advised not to wear military style clothing. It is disapproved of locally and could lead to detention.

Medical supplies are becoming increasingly scarce in Antananarivo and around the country. The shortage of medical supplies together with lack of fuel is limiting the medical evacuation services available.

www.fco.gov.uk/

New York:

Hello Globies! Our next meeting will be April 6th at The Wings Theater, 154 Christopher Street. 4:00pm sharp. We have yet, another exciting guest speaker. Mary Russell, an import coming over from Dublin to speak to us about her travel to the middle east, specificallyBaghdad and Damascus! Mary is a travel writer, whose latest book will be published by Simon and Schuster on June 1. Mary will be giving a slide talk to the London Globetrotters in June, and we get the sneak preview this April! Her books are “The Blessings of a Good Thick Skirt”, “Please Don”t Call it Soviet Georgia”, “Amazonian” and, in June: “Journeys of a Lifetime”. Mary has travelled to the Sahara and the Finnish Arctic, the Eastern Caribbean, Southern Africa, Moscow, Tbilisi, Dublin and Donegal.

Last year, she spent three months travelling around Syria on foot, by bike and local transport. Last November, Mary returned to Damascus and from there travelled overland to Baghdad. These two cities have strong historical ties and her slides and talk will be about both places, with up-to-day descriptions of what it”s like to travel in an Arab country. (She was also in Israel last year, obviously she has a great interest in the middle east!) Mary always travels solo and by shoestring. The last two chapters of her next book “Journeys of a Lifetime”, are about Syria.

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. As always, $8.00 for members, $10.00 for non-members.

Tibetan Women's Uprising

If you were in London on March 12th, you may have joined the Tibet Vigil for prayers and speeches from 5pm to 7pm opposite the Chinese Embassy in Portland Place.

This special vigil was in memory of 3,000 women who met in Lhasa in 1959 and the many thousands of women including nuns who are still suffering or in prison for declaring that Tibet should be free and refusing to denounce the Dalai Lama.

There are regular weekly meetings in London to protest on behalf of Tibetans. For details, call +44 (0) 208 771 1822 ore-mail or see the web site:www.tibet-vigil.org.uk

Ontario:

The last Toronto GT meeting was on Friday, March 15 at 8 p.m. at the Woodsworth Co-op Penthouse, (PH) 133 Wilton Street, Toronto. (Wilton is a very short E-W street south of and parallel to Esplanade, east of Jarvis – just around the corner from St. Lawrence Market). Presenter: Bruce Weber

Topic: “SAMPLER OF YUCATAN”

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.