Category Archives: archive

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 1^st 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 12^th, 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.

Kenyan Proverb

“The Earth was not give to us by our parents, it was lent to us by our children.”

Texas:

The April 13 meeting will be at Cypress Bend Park, which is 4 blocks from the library at the end of Peace Street. Peace St. is between the library and the river – it is the only street on the same side as the library. You will pass several cemeteries before you reach the park. Go to the end of Peace St. and you will find Cypress Bend Park on the left. Our travel time talk will be in a lovely outdoor covered pavilion instead of the library (AARP are dong taxes in “our room.”) Rest rooms are close by, and handicap accessible. The Texas branch of the Globetrotters Club will have a potluck picnic in the park. The city of N.B. charges $45.00 so we will have a Globie kitty at the March meeting to cover expenses. If you are busy travelling in March and miss the meeting, c”mon in April anyway. Committees are forming, so come and sign up if you are interested! If you only want to talk about travel, come! The Globetrotters Club sparks my life. I hope it sparks yours. Christina.

Meetings are held at 3pm 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

Five Things You Didn't Know About Tourism

(From Tourism Concern)

1. According to the UN, 13-19 million children are working in the tourism sector all over the world. More than 1 million are forced into tourism’s sex industry.

2. 5,200 people were given 12 days’ notice and then forcibly removed from their homes in Pagan, Burma to make way for a tourism development. The military junta said they were an eyesore to tourists.

3. Spain’s 12 million visitors a year leave behind 100,000 tonnes of rubbish.

4. In destinations with beautiful beaches, especially the Caribbean, local people are often barred from beaches by hotel security and prevented from carrying on their livelihoods, such as fishing.

5. The UN calculates that a tourist uses as much water in 24 hours as a Third World villager would use to produce rice in 100 days.

Tourism Concern is a charity that works to ensure that local communities get a fair deal. Seetourismconcern.org.uk

London Markets: Colombia Road Flower Market

This packed flower market is on one street and gets phenomenally busy. It starts at around 8am on Sundays only and closes up around 1pm, so get there early. Here you can buy everything from tiny cacti, bedding plants, garden gnomes, terracotta pots to shrubs and palm trees. Close by there are coffee shops, pubs, antiques shops, and restaurants so it is a great place to browse on a Sunday, maybe buy some herbs and have lunch.

The market is in Columbia Road (between Gosset Street & the Royal Oak pub), in Bethnal Green, E2. The nearest tube is Old Street tube/rail/ 26, 48, 55 bus. Open 8am-1pm Sun; closed Mon-Sat.

Next month: Leadenhall Market

Iceberg in Antartica

Did you know that icebergs are given names, and that these names relate to the section of Antartica where they are first sited?

US scientists recently reported that an iceberg more over nine times the size of Singapore had broken off Antarctica. It is over 64 kilometers (40 miles) wide and 85 kilometers (53 miles) long, and covers an area of about 5,500 square kilometers.

The National Ice Center said the berg, named B-22, broke free from an ice tongue in the Amundson Sea, an area of Antarctica south of the Pacific Ocean.

The B designation covers the Amundson and eastern Ross seas and the 22 indicates it is the 22nd iceberg sighted there by the US National Ice Center.

The iceberg broke off as a result of climate warming. One UK glaciologist at the Bas in Cambridge said “[It is hard] to believe that 500 million billion tons of ice sheet has disintegrated in less than a month.”

Jacqui in South America

Buenas dias de Buenos Aires, todo del mundi! Can’t believe how far I’ve travelled and where I have been in the last four weeks! It seems no time since I was sitting in Pucon, Chile and writing to you about all the things I had done in Bolivia and here I am in Buenos Aires. The time has flown and been full of highlights so I shall just have to be as concise as I can or this email will be a book in itself.

After leaving Pucon, we had the trip from hell to get started on the Carraterra Austral (Southern Highway) and the first really bad weather of the trip. It poured! And blew! and the ferry was so many hours late that we thought we would have to retrace out route and enter Argentina near Bariloche (they told me later that this area was famous for its cherry brandy chocolates – damn!) but at the last minute we caught the ferry. Then got the next ferry which was also running late and spent the whole night trying to find space to sleep in the truck, whilst on the ferry, and then while our intrepid drivers drove through the night to make to next planned camp at dawn. We put up our tents in the rain and crawled into them and didn’t come out til noon.

There was a spectacular glacier nearby (which probably explained why it was so cold!) and the rain continued. Next day was more of the same but the rain held off for short periods and that included when we stopped to set up camp beside a gorgeous lake, and the third day was a repeat too with no let up at camp time. I was cooking that night and had the privilege of sleeping on the truck but first I had to get everyone else off, as no one wanted to go out in the rain. Last day on the highway and the day was clear and bright and we could finally appreciate why our driver was so keen to come this way. Stunning! Amazing! Beautiful! No words can tell you how lovely it all was. Fields of lupins, wild llama, birds, cattle, not very many people and even less traffic, blue skies and sunshine. Well worth the three days of rain and perhaps appreciated even more because of them.

We crossed into Argentina for a few days to visit the Patagonian area of El Chalten and Calafate that are known for their mountains and proximity to the Perito Moreno Glacier and Lago Argentino respectively. I went hiking in El Chalten and managed a long days walking so my ankle must be all but healed as it still aches when I am tired. And we took a tour out to the glacier and it was thoroughly worth seeing. I took loads of pictures so – you have been warned!

After this wee sojourn, I went back to Chile for the best part of a week so that we could visit the National Park of Torres del Paine. It was spectacular, glorious and any other superlative you can think of. I tried to do a hike there that out leader claimed was ´not technically difficult´ but only got half way as he failed to qualify his statement with ´but it’s all uphill¨. Great day though and I had a great picnic view when I stopped to have my lunch.

After Torres, it was back in the truck and head further south for Tierra del Fuego. By this time the days were very long and even though it was cold at night, the days were sunlit and generally warm, so, eating at 10pm was not unusual. The mornings were cold and the early starts were not always welcome but the scenery changed every mile so it was always exciting to get further south. We took a ferry across the Magellan Straits and onto Tierra del Fuego, crossed into Argentina half way across the island and got to Ushaia with no trouble at all.

More camping and a boat trip around the harbour to see the wildlife and the shores of this remote place. It is a pretty place, with multicoloured houses and built around the bay at the foot of the mountains that ring it. The weather there changes by the minute and is never the same for long and the people I met were friendly and from all over Argentina. Because of the unstable nature of the peso here, things were much cheaper than a month ago so I did a bit of shopping. Great fun and not something I have done a lot of this trip. Honest!

After all this it was time to head north and we got to Buenos Aires in four days of very long drives with only a visit to a penguin colony as distraction. The country could not have been more different to the Chile Patagonia we were used to. The land was flat and no mountains or trees to break up the horizon. The roads were generally good but like outback Australian roads were long and straight and seemed to go on forever.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. BA was a welcome break and despite our concerns for the ongoing political problems there, we encountered no violence except what we saw on TV. A city tour, a group meal for two birthdays, a Tango show and it was time to move on. I could have spent longer and would liked to have visited Uruguay, but the need to move on and the lack of a visa made that impossible. We left BA in sunshine but the rains soon caught us. It cleared for the evening but at 5am the heavens opened and once again, my being on the truck saved me from the fate of my co-travellers. The tents fell over as the torrential downpour undermined the pegs and soaked everything: soggy people, sleeping bags and possessions straggled onto the truck. We skipped breakfast in an effort to out run the storm and finally did so at about 2pm that day.

We got to Puerta Iguazu and stayed in cabanas as everything was too wet to use. It took about a week before everything was thoroughly dry as we have well and truly hit the tropics now and evening and morning rain are the norm rather than the exception. The Iguazu Falls are spectacular from both sides of the Brazil/Argentine border and I feel privileged to have seen the big three: Niagara, Iguazu and Victoria. All amazing but I have to give the honours to Victoria Falls. After Iguazu, it was time to head for Rio. Another three long days driving to get to the town of Paraty, where we all got to chill out a little (and clean the truck, our clothes and repack and reorganise ready for the next leg of the journey). And now we are in Rio. It”s hot. It”s humid and it”s Carnival! Watch this space!

Thanks Jacqui and keep us posted! If anyone would like to contact Jacqui, her e-mail is: jacquitrotter@yahoo.com

What have you seen on your travels? Drop a line to the Beetle!

Free London Museums: The Museum of London

Last year, the British government announced that it would drop the entrance fee to many of the larger museums in London.

The Beetle’s favourite London museum is funnily enough called the Museum of London. It is about 15 minutes walk from St Paul’s Cathedral and the closest tube is the Barbican.

You could combine a visit starting at the Barbican, visit an art exhibition, grab a bite to eat or a coffee or wander around the Barbican complex, which is interesting in itself. Then walk down Aldersgate (about 5 minutes) towards St Paul’s to the large roundabout road where the Museum of London is situated.

It’s a great museum which looks at the early Roman remains in London, all through the ages to the modern skyline of the City. And it’s free!

Weekends are the busiest time since the admission fee has been scrapped, so try and visit during the week, if you can. Take a look atMuseum of London or tel: 020 7600 3699

London:

We had two excellent speakers in February! First was Alastair Lee who gave us a multi-dimensional view of his travels in China and his very close up views of climbing various horrifically vertical mountains in Northern Yunnan. He spoke of the friendships he and his girlfriend struck up with people who lived close by who were fascinated by some of his climbing equipment, the weather which looked like it was going to defeat them and entertained us with some great poses and a dancing finale! Alastair has published a fabulous climbing guide on New Zealand. Take a look at his web site: posingproductions.com

After the tea and coffee break, Ben Nimmo spoke of his cathartic pilgrimage complete with trombone from Canterbury to Santiago de Compostela, in Spain. He regaled us with hilarious tales of some of the larger than life characters he met en route, the amount of beer and wine he sampled, all out of a sense of duty and through a spirit of comradeship, of course, and in particular the story of how he became a god father to a little girl in France. Funny stories, great pictures, wonderful trip, Ben! Ben has written a highly moving and entertaining book called Pilgrim Snail documenting his pilgrimage. Pilgrim Snail is available now in bookshops and the following website fireandwater.co.uk and Ben's next book 'In Forkbeard's Wake' is out in January 2003.

Coming next, on Saturday 2nd March, we have Philip Koniotes talking about “The Antarctic Peninsular.” Philip has regularly travelled to the Arctic dog-sledding and has travelled extensively, including diving around the world and making five polar trips – the Antarctic has been his most recent journey. He loves the space and trying to capture it on film. After the break, Mark Elliott will be talking on “Saving Kilum Forest” set in NW Cameroon – about curious kingdoms and unique mountain forests. Mark is standing in for Juliet Coombe who is unable to attend the Globetrotter meeting due to a car accident in Australia. She is okay but not yet fit to fly

Fave Websites of the Month

The travel company part owned by Sir Bob Geldof:

deckchair.com/

New York:

Hola from Laurie!

Our next meeting will be March 2, 2002. The usual: 4:00pm at the Wings Theater, 154 Christopher Street.

The subject is MEXICO! I will be in Mexico myself at the end of February but will be back in time for our March meeting… Matt Link is back again! And along with Gretchen Kelly, they will explain the interior of the Yucatan peninsula with an emphasis of staying at small villages near archeological sites in lieu of staying at the plastic, commercial areas like Cancun. They will delve into the mysteries of the Maya, touching upon their spiritual practices and history in the area, as well as present day problems modern Maya face in Mexico. They will also be visiting the historic town of Merida as well, one of the loveliest towns in the country. We will have slides as well as some arts and crafts to pass around. Both Matt and Gretchen have attended the Maya World Conference, a meeting of all the countries that have Mayan populations. So this will undoubtedly be a slide show and lecture not to miss!

Gretchen Kelly is the News Editor for Business Traveler magazine and the travel editor for Design Times magazine. Recent feature stories Gretchen has worked on include profiles of Buenos Aires (where she interviewed Eva Peron's living relatives), Aboriginal Australia and the story of porcelain from Dresden to Chungking. She is currently at work on a feature article about Jakarta, Indonesia. For those of you who did not meet Matt at previous meetings, he has been traveling since the age of twelve, when he boarded his family's boat for five years and sailed around the Pacific including the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Micronesia, the Solomon Islands, and New Zealand, where he attended high school. He hasn't stopped since, having visited dozens of countries in Eurasia and living for a number of years in both Hong Kong and Hawaii, where he ran kayak tours and published the guidebook Rainbow Handbook Hawaii. He now lives in New York where he works with Arthur Frommer as Associate Editor of the magazine Budget Travel. See you all soon. Adios!

New York meetings are held at The Wings Theater, 154 Christopher Street (btw Greenwich Stand Washington St), to the right of Crunch Fitness, in the Archive on the first Saturday of each month at 4 pm.

Travel Tips

Putting a backpack in a large rice sack or specially made nylon sack is a great way of not only tidying away the handles, but also deterring potential thieves.

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

Ontario:

The last meeting was on January 18th: Ann Dohler talked about her recent trip to Peru, the Galapagos and the Amazon. The next meeting is on Friday, March 15th at 8 p.m. Bruce Weber will be giving a “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.

Toronto GT 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. (Wilton St is a very short E-W street south of and parallel to Esplanade, east of Jarvis – just around the corner from St.Lawrence Market)

Request for Help with Food Survey

Holly, originally from Austin, Texas but now living in Newfoundland is hoping that readers of the e-newsletter may be able to help her research for her doctoral thesis. Her thesis explores the ways in which individuals experience food as part of travel in Atlantic Canada.

Holly has a short survey that anyone who has visited any of Canada's Atlantic provinces (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador) can complete. There's also a web page that people can have a look at to find out more about her project, if they wish or, you can email Holly with any questions. To contact Holly for preliminary questions, and returning any completed surveys, is drpepper@warp.nfld.net

Interview topics may include: 1) food choices at home and while travelling; 2) lifestyle considerations influencing food preferences; 3) extent of travel experience; 4) and expectations of travel. The data obtained from interviews and observation will form the basis of the thesis, and may also be used in published articles and/or book chapters, class lectures and public presentations. Anonymity will be maintained for any participants who wish it.

Texas:

It was a marvelous meeting: Chris from Austin did a first class slide show of the Greek Isles and provided a map for each of us so we would know where we were for each slide. We exchanged travel advice, ideas and materials. A bunch went to the Hoity Toit afterwards for a great time. 21 people attended the February meeting, 5 of whom were new. Once again, thanks to Pauline and Frommer for helping to publicise the Texas meetings – except, now Christina says she really needs a secretary!

In the March Globies, Chris will give a slide show of Turkey and tabletop discussion of 2/3 night great get-aways. After the meeting, for anyone who'd like to continue the discussions, we will adjourn to a local hostelry, to be advised at the meeting.