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Category Archives: archive
Fave Restaurant
Anne writes in: I've been living in Mexico City for 8 months and I'd like to communicate to all the travellers to Mexico the address of a great French Bistro located in one of the most popular area of Mexico City, la Condesa.
Its atmosphere is warm and friendly, and the menu counts with delicious French and Mediterranean specialties. Moreover, the restaurant presents
fantastic photo exhibitions by Mexican and foreign artists, which change every 2 months, the photos being auctioned to the benefit of children living on the streets of Mexico City.
The prices are affordable (32 pesos for soups and salads, from 48 to 165 pesos for main dishes), the service excellent.
To get there:
PHOTO BISTRO Calle Citlaltepetl No. 23 (at the corner of Avenida Amsterdam, between Ozuluama and Campeche, close to the Chilpancingo metro station) Col. Hipodromo Condesa Mexico, D.F.
Tel : 5286 5945 Fax : 5211 9806 Email : photobistro@att.net.mx
Sally Visits Sintra and Cabo da Roca
Sally left the UK around two years ago to start a new life in Portugal. She lives in a suburb of Lisbon, close to the sea and is now a TEFL teacher, teaching English to Portuguese children and adults. This is an account of Sintra.
Sintra was poetically described by Lord Byron as “this glorious Eden”. It was declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It is easy to get to Sintra by train from the Estação do Rossio station, opening onto Praça de Dom Pedro IV, or the Rossio, where frequent connections can be made. The one-way fare from Lisbon to Cascais, Estoril, or Sintra is 1.25€ to 2.50€ ($1.45-$2.90) per person. There is also a bus from Lisbon. You can drive, as Sally did, but it’s a difficult and tortuous road, as she found out!
The original Sintra is not large to visit but it now includes two outlying areas named Estefânia and São Pedro. As the older part sits on granite slope it is best seen on foot or by a horse-drawn carriage. The town is dominated by the two conical chimneys of the Palácio Nacional da Vila that was the summer home of the royal family since the 15th Century. Scattered on the hillside are several historical buildings, including the Palácio da Pena, a 19th Century recreation of different styles admired by Dom Fernando II, the German husband of the young Portuguese Queen Maria II, and this example often regarded as a failed attempt to create his own romantic revival.
The castle stands high on the southeast side of the mountain range whilst overlooking the village are the ruined ramparts of the Castelo dos Mouros, a fort dating from the 8th Century. Within it is an ancient Moorish cistern and the panoramic view from its walls is impressive. There are several churches in the town and the most interesting is the 12th Century Igreja de Santa Maria rebuilt in 1755 after the earthquake. Several private palaces are open to the public amongst which are the Palácio de Seteais, a magnificent 18th Century home built for the fifth Marquês de Marialva, and later converted into a five star Hotel; Casa dos Ribafrias, a 16th Century building once belonging to the Marquês de Pombal; Quinta de Pena Verde, another 16th Century palace; and the Palácio de Monserrate built in the 19th Century by Francis Cook and influenced by the architectural work of Nash. Another interesting place is the Convento dos Capuchos, an unusual hermitage founded in 1560 with tiny dwarf cells cut from the rock. Within the old town there are several museums, Museu de Brinquedo showing only toys from the past and present, the Museu Regional retelling the history of the area with items and artefacts and sometimes also holding art exhibitions, Casa Museu Leal de Câmara devoted the works of the artist, Casa Museu Dorita Castel Branco also devoted to works of the sculptress, Museu de Arte Moderna, Galeria de Arte Municipal de Sintra, Centro International de Escultura, Museu de Arqueologia São Miguel de Odrinhas, Museu Renato L. Garcia, Atelier Museu de Anjos Teixeira and Museu Ferreira de Castro.
Here is Sally’s account of her recent trip to Sintra.
Went up to the Pena Palace in Sintra – this is the one that you often see on the rare bit of publicity for Portugal. It looks that something that the mad King of Bavaria might have built. All different shapes and designs in yellow and various other colours. I drove up the Sintra mountains – not a very nice drive as the road is a cobbled three quarter width one with drops at one side, pot holes and because the weather was atrocious, and the road is heavily wooded, it was a bit like something out of Lord of the Rings in atmosphere. There is now a very unusual bus that takes you up to the palace (thank goodness). It is obviously a vintage one as it has lovely wall lights and wooden seats and makes slightly heavy weather of climbing up the incline.
The palace is pretty much the same – quite a fascinating place as it is exactly like it was when the Royal Family used to stay there in the summers before they left for exile. There is only about four staff looking after all the rooms – very different to visiting a National Trust property in the UK. Unfortunately because the weather was so dire, the views were not visible – when I went last time the views were incredible – but it’s still worth going. In fact when I drive to work in Cacem on Tuesdays and Thursdays I can just see the Palace in certain places on the drive. The whole of the Sintra area is very magical anyway.
Another great place to visit is Cabo da Roca – the
furthest western point of Europe. Always guaranteed
to be a tad breezy and again great views out to sea.
Gives you an idea of how brave those explorers were in the
olden days and why they thought they would fall off the
edge of the world. 
Just nearby is a lovely restaurant/bar in a converted Windmill. It is quite unusual as there are so many different places and corners to sit when the weather is fine. It has the odd waterfall here and there and some ponds with frogs and goldfish. Inside it has a conservatory type front and then two rooms. All beautifully decorated in wood with lots of lamps. Equally nice on a wet and cold day as on a hot and sunny one. It’s one of those places you have to be taken to by a local to know about it. A friend’s mother and father took me years ago and I always wondered where it was and then found it by accident a few months ago and really enjoy taking people to it.
If you would like to contact sally, her e-mail address is: pethybs@hotmail.com
10% tax on US $ in Cuba
If you want to change US dollars in Cuba, you will now have to pay a 10% tax on exchange. The move will affect Cuban citizens who receive money from relatives overseas as well as foreign visitors. The Cuban government said the move was a response to the toughening of the US embargo on Cuba wanted by the Bush administration. Cubans in the US can now only visit the island once every three years and can only send money to their immediate relatives. Cuba made US dollars legal tender a decade ago after the collapse of the Soviet Union forced it to accept foreign capital and legalise some forms of private enterprise. Expect a foreign exchange black market to appear.
Traveller’s Diseases: Decompression Sickness
What is it: decompression sickness, also called the bends, is related to great changes in environmental pressure. It is caused by nitrogen bubbles forming in the bloodstream and tissues of the body. The bubbles occur if you move from deep water towards the surface (where the surrounding pressure is lower) too quickly . It is most usually associated with divers, but can also occur in fliers in a non pressurised cabin when there is a major change in altitude. In the most serious cases decompression sickness can lead to unconsciousness or death.
What are the symptoms: the symptoms generally appear in a relatively short period after completing the dive. Almost 50 per cent of divers develop symptoms within the first hour after the dive, 90 per cent within six hours and 98 per cent within the first 24 hours. In practice this means symptoms that appear more than 24 hours after the dive are probably not decompression sickness. An exception is if the diver has travelled in an aircraft or has been travelling in the mountains. Under these circumstances, low pressure can still trigger decompression sickness more than 24 hours after the last dive. As a result, it is wise not to fly within 24 hours of a deep dive. Mild forms of decompression sickness can resolve themselves without treatment or by breathing 100 per cent oxygen at the site of the accident. The symptoms of decompression sickness vary because the nitrogen bubbles can form in different parts of the body. These can include pain in the joints “bends”. a headache or vertigo, unusual tiredness or fatigue, confusion, a rash, shortness of breath, tingling in the arms or legs, muscular weakness or paralysis, a burning chest pain with a deep breath, a cough or ear or sinus pain.
What happens if I get it: if you suspect decompression sickness, stop the dive, initiate first aid, and summon assistance from a specialist in divers' medicine. Treatment is oxygen on site and during transportation, followed by treatment in a decompression chamber.
How can I avoid decompression sickness?
· Dive within the limits set out in the diving tables.
· Keep your rate of ascent to a maximum 10m/min.
· Don't plan any dives that need a decompression stop in the water.
· Make a three-minute safety stop at a depth of 5m.
· Don't dive more than three times in one day.
· If you plan more than one dive in one day, start by making the deepest dive first.
· If you are diving for several days in a row, have a dive-free day after two to three days.
· Don't do any hard work before or after diving.
· Drink lots of liquid before diving. Lack of fluid due to heat or excess alcohol is dangerous.
· Make sure you are in good physical condition and well rested. Have regular medical checkups.
· Make sure there is an interval of at least 24 hours between diving and travel by air or climbing up mountains. If you have had decompression treatment, the recommended interval before the next dive is at least 48 hours.
Globetrotters Travel Award
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!!
Explore Paradise with Moon Handbooks Fiji
Avalon Travel Publishing announces the release of the 7th edition of Moon Handbooks Fiji, the original travel guide to the 322-island Fiji archipelago.
Since 1985, Moon Handbooks Fiji has been the leading travel guidebook to Fiji. Author David Stanley began writing about the South Pacific in 1979, and over the years tens of thousands of Pacific travellers have used his guides to Fiji, Tahiti, Tonga, Samoa, and the South Pacific.
Unlike the maps in other guidebooks which contain confusing numbered keys, the 53 maps in Moon Handbooks Fiji are clearly labelled. To allow for detail, three maps of Fiji's capital Suva are included, and two of the gateway city Nadi.
In this 7th edition, all local telephone numbers are increased from six digits to seven, reflecting a recent change by Telecom Fiji. Internet and email addresses are now embedded in the listings for ease of reference.
Rob Kay of FijiGuide.com has this to say about Moon Handbooks Fiji: “Packed with great maps it also has resources such as a comprehensive bibliography, and tips on local etiquette. More importantly, Stanley excels at getting accurate information on hotels, inexpensive restaurants and tourist sites. However there is another reason why his guide is valuable. Stanley does not simply list the properties in alphabetical order and expect the reader to determine what's best. Based on personal visits and feedback from visitors, he will actually offer you an opinion and the straight facts.”
Priced at US$17.95, this book is distributed in the United States by Publishers Group West, in Canada by Publishers Group Canada, in Europe by HI Marketing, and in Australia and New Zealand by Bookwise International. For more information, visit http://www.southpacific.org/fiji.html
Airline Responsible for Death
A US appeals court ruled that an airline that forced an elderly woman to check a bag with her medical devices must bear responsibility for her subsequent death after losing the bag. A lower court ruled in 2002 that Americans Airlines parent company AMR and BWIA International Airways should pay USD$226,238.81 to Caroline Neischer's relatives because she died soon after her bag was lost. Mrs Neischer’s said it was the first case of its kind. “The significance of the case is that never before has an airline been held liable for the death of a passenger caused by delayed or missing baggage.” Mrs Neischer, who spent most of her life in her native Guyana, died at age 75 after flying from Los Angeles to Guyana in 1997. After Mrs Neischer transferred from an American Airlines flight in New York, a ground agent forced her to check a bag that contained a breathing device to treat her respiratory problems. The agent promised she would be given the bag immediately upon arriving in Guyana. However, the bag was lost and Neischer died days later.
Volunteer Corner
Volunteers wanted for projects worldwide.
India Project, Karmi Farm Clinic
Nomad Travel Store is now seeking voluntary doctors and nurses for our charity clinic in India. The clinic is based on Karmi Farm in the foothills of the Himalayas on the border of Sikkim. We have spaces throughout 2005. If you would like more information please contact Cathy on: cathy@nomadtravel.co.uk The website of Karmi Farm Guesthouse is: www.karmifarm.com
Kilimanjaro Medical help Required
We're running a trek up Kili in conjunction with Cancer Research next spring and are looking for a doctor and a nurse (or two doctors) to accompany the trek (12-20 Feb 2005). Do you know a suitable doctor who might be interested (and fit enough). They would travel free of charge. Please e-mail: markw@adventurecompany.co.uk or see: http:\www.adventurecompany.co.uk
Project Monitoring with Help Argentina
Help Argentina is a unique non-profit organization that works in conjunction with hundreds of other non-profit and social development organizations with the aim of strengthening the social sector as a whole. Most of the work will be done in the field working with beneficiary organizations, conducting surveys, delivering supplies, etc. Work place and hours are flexible. mpazmm@HelpArgentina.org
Social Work with CIPPEC Argentina
CIPPEC is a non-governmental organization working to promote equality and growth in Argentina. CIPPEC aims to make public institutions stronger, to make opportunities equal for everyone and to better the social situation for all Argentineans. Volunteers can work on a range of projects. Volunteers will work for four hours a day. vweyrauch@cippec.org
Inca Porter Project, Peru
The Inca Porter Project is looking for long term volunteers with fluent Spanish to staff their new training and drop-in centre. If you are interested, please see: http://www.peruweb.org/porters/
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Abercrombie & Kent on Burma Dirty List
The Burma Campaign UK has released its latest list of companies that invest in Burma, or Myanmar as it is called by the country’s military dictatorship. You may be interested to know that high class UK travel company Abercrombie and Kent are on the “dirty” list. For more info, see: Burma Campaign
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Spain Drink Driving
Spanish police are targeting tourist resorts in a crackdown on holidaymakers who drink and drive. Until this summer, penalties for drink-driving applied only to full-time residents with tourists being let off with a caution and a small fine. But now visitors who commit the offence will face fines of up to £5,000 and a three-year ban from driving in Spain. Those involved in accidents resulting in the death or injury of others will be jailed. Despite its modern road system, Spain has one of Europe's worst safety records, with one person killed or injured every 11 minutes.
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Martin Wright on the Road Again by Matt Doughty
Back in January 2004 Martin Wright, one the club’s most sociable regulars at the London Meetings, royally entertained a packed Crown Court with tales of his marathon cycle ride to Australia! Many in that audience will remember his great photos, distinctive narrative style and his thirst for adventure. Well Martin is at it again – this time he’s go back to the land down under to ‘pick up his bike and have a look round’. I think too many cold winter nights provided the motivation to get back on the road! This is the second in an occasional series, based on Martin’s emails, and charts his offbeat approach to the road ahead.
21st June: Arrived in DENMARK early this afternoon after a great few days of cycling to reach here. Even with the bloody wind in my face it was still enjoyable. Less traffic and big bloody road trains to deal with and of course less of the grey ghosts towing their bloody caravans! At any caravan park you are likely to see grey ghosts arriving during the course of the day and some of them are a real source of amusement. Most of them cannot reverse their caravan into a bay so drive around the park looking for a way to drive in – sometimes they have to get other people to move vehicles or get another driver to reverse the caravan for them! I think anybody towing a bloody caravan should take a driving test to prove they can reverse into a space. If they can't do it they should f*** off around Australia on a bus or better still stay at home… My bicycle is in good shape now I’ve had a few minor repairs completed. Should be in Perth in about in about one week and will write again from there…
20th July: Have finished with the south west corner and am now heading along the west coast. Am at present in Kalbarri, a small town about 500kms north of Perth but will have to get a move on now as I will need to be in Darwin by mid September as my visa will be at an end and I will need to fly up for a renewal. I spent far longer in the south west corner of the country than I intended – the weather was not at all good but the area is so beautiful I stayed an extra day almost everywhere I visited. The big tree country around Walpole is breathtaking – I visited the tree top walk which gives a real idea of just how big these bloody trees are. At Pemberton I climbed the Gloucester Tree, which is used as a lookout for bushfires and at 61 metres above ground you can see for miles! Don't climb it if you are afraid of heights as one or two people went about 10 metres up, became stuck and it took a while to bring them back down. Nannup was wonderful and I stayed at the 'black cockatoo' backpackers which was run by an interesting man whose fridge told his story… It was here I met the three young ladies who teased me somewhat and left me very frustrated. Visited Augusta for a spot of whale watching which was breathtaking and tried to hook a few but the line kept on snapping…
1st August: Reached sunny Exmouth on Friday. The journey up to Carnarvon and on to Exmouth was delayed by unseasonal heavy rainfall, which left me with a few short days of cycling. As a result I had to camp wild or stay at rest bays, which were usually full of caravaners but I did meet a few interesting and generous people along the way. On arriving at Nerren Nerren rest bay I was approached by an Aussie man, John, who presented me with a can of whisky and coke. After putting up my tent John called me over to sit under his caravan awning where I was given another drink as we chatted about Aussie rules football or aerial ping pong as I prefer to call it. The next course of cheese and biscuits along with nibbles and dips ensured we then got on to talking about cricket, whilst soon after John’s wife Heidi appeared and presented us both with steak, sausages, vegetables and mashed potatoes; totally delicious! Somewhat better than the two day old sausage sandwiches I was going to eat…
The following day I was held up by rain yet again and was plied with coffee from a 72 year old lady who has been travelling around Australia for the last five years with her pet shitzui. For the next couple of days this lady passed me on the road and at the next rest stop would pull up and have a cup of tea ready for when I arrived.
I finally arrived in Carnarvon last Sunday and found that the roads were flooded in places and I had to wade through 18 inches of water. At the caravan park I met a Dutch couple and together we visited the pub for a few beers – luckily they served Guinness, which was a welcome relief from the Aussie beer. The ride onwards from Carnarvon was again interesting! I’d camped in the bush one night and was woken first by a truck pulling up at around midnight. Soon after I was woken by voices and a torch shining on my tent – after this there were no more disturbances but I did not sleep at all well!
Visited Coral Bay, a beautiful beach resort but the caravan park was expensive and noisy.
The next day took me to the very flat and uninteresting countryside of Exmouth, which is thankfully surrounded on 2 sides by the Gulf of Exmouth and the Indian Ocean. On the ocean side is the CapeRangeNational Park and the Ningaloo Reef. Yesterday I took a bus to Turquoise bay and hired a snorkel, mask & flippers and visited the underwater wonderland. I saw a variety of colourful fish - some big, some small and some which frightened the living daylights out of me! I saw a turtle, a manta ray and a bloody great big leopard shark – indeed I spent far more time swimming than I realised and a great day was topped off by sunburn on my back.
Another rest day today and then tomorrow I am heading back to the highway and on to Karratha, which I hope to reach by next weekend. Should have more news by then…
Which countries are represented by these flags? For the answers, see at the end of the eNews.
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Michelin Route Planner
Spotted by our Webmaster, Paul, this website tells you how to drive between different places in Europe. It calculates the total number of miles, the best route and the amount payable in tolls. Worked for the Beetle who tested it out from the Beetle lair in Central London to Brussels: 200 miles, taking approx. 4 ½ hours, including 2 hours 40 mins on express highways. Not bad, hey!
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Cheaper Travel in SE Asia
News comes from SE Asia that some airline ticket have fallen below the cost of bus fares, with a one-way ticket between Singapore and the Thai resort of Phuket advertised for as little as 29 Singapore cents. No-frills airline Thai AirAsia offered one-way flights between Singapore and Phuket at 29 Singapore cents (17 US cents) for the first 3,000 seats. The price did not include taxes and fees of about SGD$61 for insurance, a fuel surcharge and airport taxes. (Sound like Ryanair?) The tickets were snapped up within 2 days. Tiger Airways, a venture between Singapore Airlines and the founder of our friends Ryanair, started the price war last month with one-way SGD$1 fares to Thailand for a limited period, which when added to taxes and fees amounted to SGD$62. Singapore Airlines is offering return fares between Singapore and Bangkok ranging from SGD$178 to SGD$268 each compared with its normal ticket price of SGD$358.
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Educational Support in Mikindani by Tim Dench
When Tanganyika – as it was then – gained its independence it was praised for the devotion and priority it gave to education. Its then president, Julius Nyerere was known as Mlimu (teacher) and 40% of GDP was devoted to teaching. Things have changed with the passing of years and now Tanzania spends the least of all sub-Saharan countries on primary education.
The provision of all levels of education is woeful and unfortunately wealth and geography all too often act as a barrier. The standards of teaching are on the whole terrible as the teachers are poorly educated, trained and motivated as a result of extremely low salaries. This is exacerbated by a lack of teaching resources, textbooks and classrooms, laboratories and other facilities. For example only one school in Mikindani has an adequate, year round water supply. As a result of all of this the levels of education achieved are very low.
Mikindani as a political entity is made up of five ‘wards’ each of which has its own primary school. These are in theory free but actually are not. The nearest secondary schools are in Mtwara city, one of which is a fee paying state school and there are also several private schools with higher fees and lower entry requirements. The catchment areas for theses schools are huge and the number of places available are very few in relation to the number of potential pupils. As a result of these factors and poverty not all children go to primary school and very few go to secondary school or beyond.
To try and rectify this there are three separate charities working in Mikindani and co-operating under the umbrella of the Mikindani Education Group (MEG). These are the Danish Schools Project (DSP), EdUKaid and Trade Aid – partly via its Gender Equality Project (GEP). Trade Aid has always supported the three main primary schools in Mikindani by volunteers teaching, the tree nursery and other projects.
Beyond this MEG is responsible for the sponsorship of individual pupils and supporting the schools directly. Primary school sponsors are asked to pay to provide essential items for pupils to go to school as well as providing building funds, resources etc for the schools. DSP have sponsored pupils and the primary schools of Mnaida, Singino and Mchuchu for several years. EdUKaid have just started supporting the outlying wards of Lwelu and Mitengo and their respective primary schools.
The cost of sending a child to secondary school is relatively high and so the three MEG members are also addressing this by paying for fees, desks, uniforms, transport, books etc. All have come from different viewpoints but the result is that all graduates from the Mikindani schools are guaranteed a place at secondary school. EdUKaid are responsible for all pupils from Lwelu and Mitengo, Trade Aid’s GEP deals with all female graduates from the three Mikindani schools whilst DSP deals with all the boys from there. Confusing with so many acronyms but it works fine on the ground under the stewardship of Mr Namadengwa, a teacher from Mikindani who acts as liaison and general worker for the MEG members.
We are still a long way from our respective aims but the benefits are already being felt and the gratitude of the pupils reflects this. If you would like any more information or are interested in sponsorship please contact us at the following:
- DSP: Aase Joensen via www.mikindani.dk
- EdUKaid: me via tim.dench@edukaid.com
- GEP: Matt Maddocks via tradeaid@netcomuk.co.uk
Country Statistics
| Rank | Country | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | South Africa | 0.74 per 1000 people |
| 2. | Colombia | 0.52 per 1000 people |
| 3. | Thailand | 0.31 per 1000 people |
| 4. | Zimbabwe | 0.04 per 1000 people |
| 5. | Mexico | 0.03 per 1000 people |
| 6. | Costa Rica | 0.03 per 1000 people |
| 7. | Belarus | 0.03 per 1000 people |
| 8. | United States | 0.02 per 1000 people |
| 9. | Uruguay | 0.02 per 1000 people |
| 10. | Lithuania | 0.02 per 1000 people |
Source: www.nationmaster.com
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A New Silk Route
Forty-five years after it was first proposed, a modern version of the ancient Silk Road that once linked Asia with Europe is taking shape, in the form of a 140,000 km web of highways and ferry routes that will again connect the two continents. The Asian Highway Agreement, signed by 23 Asian nations, including China, Japan and South Korea is intended to ensure construction of a road system that would ease the isolation of many landlocked Asian nations and establish a modern version of the ancient trading route that once linked the continent to Europe by camel train. The Asian Highway would be not one road but an entire system of routes that by land and sea would connect Tokyo to Turkey, and Bhutan to Bulgaria. Large nations like Japan, China, South Korea, Russia and India would benefit from the better trade links a unified highway system would bring. But the project is also designed to help smaller, landlocked countries gain coveted routes to sea ports.
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Teaching English In Portugal
Sally left the UK around two years ago to start a new life in Portugal. She lives in a suburb of Lisbon, close to the sea and is now a TEFL teacher, teaching English to Portuguese children and adults. So, if you are interested in a career in teaching English as a foreign language, here is an account of some of her work.
My children are still the same except one has now gone up a class so I am left with three – to be honest if I could shed this class I would, as it is not as enjoyable as teaching grown ups due to the fact that Portuguese children are not taught to read or write before the age of six – so, in a way I baby sit them twice a week. We are making slow progress as Jorge (the four year old) tends to be disruptive when he is with one of the girls but fine with the other one! I had to send him out of class to sit with the receptionist one week because he was so naughty.
Nuno, my other student, is still great fun. His English has come on in leaps and bounds and he now proudly displays a sign in the front of the taxi he drives on Sundays in Lisbon, to say he speaks English. He loves it when he gets an English passenger – he had one from Birmingham last Sunday so he had great fun chatting to him. He is a Sporting Lisbon fan and very knowledgeable about them. He is also very interesting and told me all about his upbringing in Cacem. Cacem is not a very pretty place – mainly high rise flats and a lot of black people (I am not being politically incorrect – this is what they are called here). He remembers it before all of this and is quite upset about the way it has become. He lives in what was his parents’ flat (they died a few years ago) with his wife. He went to university in Lisbon and did what all students did, i.e. drink and behave badly but still managed to pass his exams. He is a strong family man and found Christmas quite trying and he still misses his parents and says although Christmas was at his aunts, it was not the same. He is also very interesting about his childhood, playing in the cul-de-sac with his friends but says that he has lost quite a few to drink or drugs which has made him sad. He is about 29/30 and still out of work although he has had loads of interviews – very like the UK, half the time he never gets a reply to either application or a reason for not getting a position.
I have also got two/three other students. One, Senor Manuel, is a Graphic Designer who is going on a cruise on 21 March so needs some English to get by on it. He has French and reckons he had no English but as usual he understands quite a bit. We are getting on quite well and I think he will manage OK. The other one/two is the husband of the Ambassador for a Caribbean country, and his daughter. Both are lovely. He has decided that he has to get his English sorted because his best friends over here are the UK Ambassador and the US Ambassador. He is making swift progress. His daughter just needs help with the reading and writing. I teach the pair of them for two hours on a Saturday morning.
My Portuguese is coming along and I find that watching the TV helps. Television is still dire but I am now slowly watching bits and pieces of Portuguese TV. I got hooked on their version of Who wants to be a Millionaire – very entertaining as the presenter often gives them a clue! I have been trying one of their telenovelas (soap operas) but it was so atrocious (think the UK’s Crossroads but worse acting and wobbly scenery) that I had to turn it off. I am also getting much better at understanding the news. Last week there was a wonderful piece on at lunchtime about a group of OAPS who had raided a disco in Abrantes (Pego Power Station) dressed up in glitter wigs, men dressed in drag etc etc to protest that dancing was for all ages and not just the young! Some of the old men had grabbed very young, nubile young ladies and were swinging them round the dance floor much to their horror. Good on ’em I say. Great footage too of all the snow that has hit the north of the country and brought parts of it to a standstill. Lorries trapped at the Spanish border, people stuck in cars for seven hours etc etc.
If you would like to ask Sally any questions about living in Portugal or teaching English as a foreign language, Sally can be contacted on: pethybs@hotmail.com
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Sex Toy Scare Down Under
A vibrating sex toy in a rubbish bin sparked a security scare and closed a Mackay airport in Queensland, Australia for almost an hour. An emergency was declared at the airport after airport staff heard a strange noise coming from the bin. “It was rather disconcerting when the rubbish bin started humming furiously,” cafeteria manager Lynne Bryant said. Police evacuated the terminal and were about to call in bomb experts when an unidentified passenger came forward to identify the contents of a package left in the bin. Police later said the package was identified as an “adult novelty device”.
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The Great Unprepared by Paul at Travelpharm
Over the last few years it has become increasingly obvious that travellers (from all backgrounds, ages and levels of intelligence) come under two main divisions, those who are organised and those who are not.
The former group are well versed in what they need to take with them to keep alert, safe and healthy, whilst the latter group always leave you feeling rather edgy, concerned, and often uttering those immortal words: 'I don’t believe it !'
The teenager who is about to depart for several weeks to the Amazon with her partner and has just run out of her Contraceptive Pill, the man who is leaving the next day for Kenya who had no idea he would need antimalarials for that destination, or even worse the person who 'never' gets bitten by bugs so wont waste money on pills that will only put him off his beer!
The list of the great unprepared is too vast to attempt. UNPREPARED is described in the dictionary as: Having made few or no preparations; Not equipped to meet a contingency; Not steeled as to face a shock and there will be plenty of shocks for those who do not seek out the wealth of advice available.
The Governments FCO site (www.fco.gov.uk) will give you superb guidance on those who can supply Travel Insurance, Embassies to contact if in difficulty, doctors surgeries for those with medical problems, and security information such as places to avoid and measures to take to protect your belongings and cash.
There are lists of FCO partners who supply information on vaccinations and antimalarials if appropriate to your destination, local disease problems, equipment such as medical packs, mosquito nets, useful travel medicines, and very often a voice on the end of the phone should you wish to discuss anything.
As part of Travelpharm we will offer our help and support whenever possible as well as a range of the items just listed. If we cannot answer your question we will find a man or woman who can. Please don’t become one of the great unprepared, there is simply no excuse ………..!
Paul, a pharmacist can be contacted on: info@travelpharm.com or alternatively, take a look at their website: http://www.travelpharm.com
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