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.
Ontario 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.
Flying into Paro provides a very close up view of the nearby hills – in fact the starboard wing of the plane almost touched the trees as we descended down Paro Valley. Not for the nervous! We were met by Karma our guide in his Gho, the Bhutanese national dress, a sign you are somewhere bit different. A short hop into town confirms this feeling; many locals are also dressed in the national costume; for woman this is the Kira; most by choice, however, government employees are required to when working. The other defining feature is the architecture; houses in Bhutan have to conform to a distinctive design, especially the windows. No plastic frames, but solid carved wood with intricate painted patterns. Another less welcome Bhutanese speciality is stray dogs. Noted for their ability to bark through the night, they are left to roam in packs as Buddhist philosophy does not allow culling. 
After a good night’s sleep, the Tigers Nest beckoned. A precariously perched monastery, it clings to a cliff side at around 9000ft. The climb up, about 3000ft of ascent from the starting point, affords fabulous views, the last part through cloud forest. Legs and lungs knew they had been given a good workout, but it was worth the effort. The monastery was burnt down around 25 years ago, but rebuilt exactly as it was, the labour provided by volunteers and those ‘punished’ for not wearing the correct national dress.
Thimphu, the capital, is about two hours by road from Paro. The largest town, it still conforms to Bhutan architectural norms; no skyscrapers here. The government have set up a college where traditional crafts are taught; carpet weaving, wood carving, thanka painting etc. Visitors are welcome! There seemed to be no gender prejudice, with girls woodcarving and boys weaving. The Motithang Reserve outside Thimphu has a few captive Takin, a rather odd beast that resembles a wildebeest, but is a distinct species that survives in the eastern Himalayas.
The main arterial road in Bhutan runs west to east across the centre of the country, here most of the main towns are located, these generally at an altitude in the 4000-7000ft range to give a pleasant, but wet, summer climate with cold winters. As Himalayan valleys tend to run roughly north to south, cross country journeys involve high passes. Heading east towards Punaka involved crossing the Duchu Pass, here sit a plethora of Buddhist Stupa and myriad prayer flags, also a teahouse with views to the distant northern peaks of the Bhutanese Himalayas. Beautiful isn’t usually used to describe road workers, at least not in the UK. Here the road was being repaired with steaming tar, the two girls lugging the large vats of hot tar were undeniably beautiful, almost certainly Nepalese guest workers. The roads are maintained with Indian money and Indian Army expertise, the labour imported. India fears a Tibet style Chinese invasion and wants to be able to react quickly if one occurred. As recently as 2005 the Chinese allegedly made incursions into northern Bhutan, even building roads in Bhutanese territory. The Indian Army has a considerable presence in Bhutan.
After lunch we walked across paddy fields to Chime Lhakhang, the monastery of the Divine Madman. A Buddhist guru from the 15thC, his philosophy involved copious sex and gluttony … well for the Divine Madman at least. For a small donation one’s fertility can be enhanced by the Abbot; this involves being hit on the head by a wooden phallus. Enough to make you feel a right dickhead! For a small donation we sponsored some prayer flags, these were hung by tree climbing monks outside the monastery. The wind for next few years would release our prayers, anyway until time rotted them away.
The next morning we walked around Punaka market, a colourful affair where local produce is sold. A line of very rundown toilets advertised 5 Ngultrum for urine 5 Ngultrum for stool, probably wise not to sit on this though! The morning highlight was to be a visit to Punaka Dzong, perhaps the most impressive Dzong in Bhutan. For those unfamiliar, Dzongs are huge forts containing administrative buildings and a monastery. A place where the Bhutanese could feel safe in the 17thC when Tibetan armies attacked from the north. Auspiciously, and scenically, it lies on the confluence of the Pho and Mo rivers. In the monastery the monks were washing the floor with buckets of soapy water. A very impressive interior, but like all monasteries in Bhutan photos are not allowed inside buildings; the reasoning is that photos can be tampered with, this could desecrate the religious paintings and effigies photographed. Outside the Dzong a man was cleaning the silverware in the river using sand. Better than Brasso? 
The afternoon saw us climbing another pass to get to Phobjikha Valley, the winter home of the black crane, a very rare bird. We stopped at Nobding, a small village. The reaction of the children indicated few foreigners passed through, surprising considering the murals painted to enhance fertility that were liberally painted on walls and doorways. It was obvious where the knob was in Nobding! Rather than describe them, a photograph will suffice.
The night was spent in a farmhouse. The altitude here is around 10000ft, so no running up stairs, not that there were any, only ladders. Basic but comfortable, all Bhutanese farmhouses are similar in design; three floors, the lowest mainly for storage and animals, the middle for living and the loft for drying produce under the roof. They are substantial buildings that house an extended family. Wandering around the hamlet in the early morning sunshine was an added bonus; some monks wandered through, their reaction on being asked for a photo indicated this was a first for them. Alas no cranes, but a small carpet weaving enterprise was ample compensation. The rugs are woven by womenfolk, the whole process uses local materials, the wool dyed with local dyes. An appropriate souvenir of Bhutan!
The drive to Trongsa Dzong was long and winding, the scenery on a scale not available in Europe. We chanced upon a game of khuru, Bhutanese darts, being played at the roadside by a group of men. The target is around 3ins in diameter and about 30yards away, the dart being thrown javelin style. The accuracy is impressive, darts landing close to and occasionally on the target. The V-shaped valley leading to Trongsa is steep and wooded with sides around 5000ft high. The opposite side to the road, across a river, is untouched primary forest. The locals will not visit it. The Yeti is said to inhabit remoter parts of Bhutan, this forest could easily have harboured a few; if they exist of course!
Trongsa Dzong is the primary Dzong of Bhutan. It sits astride the ancient west-east highway and until the modern west-east road was constructed a door within the dzong had to be passed though by all travellers. The steepness of the valley made bypassing this door ‘not an option’. The Penlop (the local ruler) of Trongsa wielded much power, and thanks to charging a toll for passage became very rich. After a civil war between the rival Trongsa and Paro valleys in the late 19thC, Ugyen Wangchuck, the Trongsa Penlop, was unanimously chosen as the first hereditary king of a unified Bhutan by leading Buddhist monks, government officials, and heads of important families. His great grandson Jigme Singye Wangchuck, aged 16, became King in 1972 and has proved a benign dictator putting his people first; he invented gross national happiness as the government’s main target. The king abdicated in 2006, aged 50, in favour of his son. The first parliamentary election s took place in 2008, the optimistically named Bhutan Peace and Prosperity Party won taking 45 out of 47 seats. Will Bhutan change, only time will tell.
On the archery field next to Trongsa Dzong a contest was taking place. Archery is the national sport in Bhutan; their leading archers made the last 32 in the 2004 Olympics. This though was not Olympic archery! The arrows are shot at targets around 130 yards apart, the odd one hitting, this elicits a dance of victory from members of the same team who are confident enough of their colleagues ability to stand within yards of the target when the arrows are shot. As far as I know deaths are rare! Female followers watch from nearby knolls; it’s OK to put your opponents off, but this contest seemed to be held under Queensbury rules with no apparent barracking. Trongsa Dzong is a sprawling affair slung precariously on the hillside, in my opinion not as impressive as Punaka Dzong. 
After crossing another pass on the road eastwards, this time in cloud, we entered Bumthang Valley for a three night stay in Jakar. Our room had a wood burning stove for warmth (vital) with room service provided by a gentleman wearing a gho. The secret to lighting the wood quickly appeared to be the astute use of resin from off the wood; a good tip for any boy scouts/girl guides amongst you!
We had struck lucky. The next day the Tsechu Festival was taking place in Jakar Dzong; everyone, of all ages, attends, quite a throng in the Dzong. The main event for them, apart from dancing monks and ‘interesting’ music is the annual outing of the Jakar Thanka. This massive religious painting is hung from one end of the inner courtyard, the crowd, the youngest school kids included, slowly edge past kissing the Thanka before most make a donation to the monastery. The odd attendee prostrated themselves in front. We reluctantly left before the end, this involved pushing, literally, through the heaving throng to exit. A few spots of rain began to fall. We had a day trip planned to the Ura Valley, situated the other side of the Shertang Pass and little visited by tourists. The journey up afforded some great views when the cloud allowed, which wasn’t too often, alas.
On the outskirts of Ura village a field was being ploughed by a team of zho, the useful Scrabble word that defines an animal that is a cross between a cow and a yak (why not a cak or a yow!). Ura was poor but fertile. It started to rain so our picnic lunch was in jeopardy, Karma, our guide, got us invited into the dry of a large local farmhouse. We sat around the wood burning range in the kitchen, only their cats between us and the warmth of the fire. This visit proved providential for the family. One of our group was heavily into fabrics so she asked if they had any kira (the intricately woven female dress) she could look at; the family air looms, much worn, appeared and were sold for $190. This it turned out was enough to pay off their mortgage from the government that had enabled them to purchase the farmhouse. We left a very happy family behind us as we returned to Jakar. 
The next morning we visited nearby Tamshing Monastery. A run of the mill old Bhutanese monastery. Outside by the courtyard a group of boy monks were chanting their prayers, some rather reluctantly I thought. A bell rung, the boys jumped up and started to play in the courtyard, fighting and generally mucking around. Somehow this looks a little incongruous when the participants are wearing monks habits.
After a leisurely afternoon we had planned to go to see a film in the hall of a local school. The school was solidly built, the classrooms probably better than some in the UK. Education is a high priority, the pupils are taught 50% in Bhutanese and 50% in English, hence many kids speak good English. Higher education takes place in India, this of course requires fluency in English. The early showing was overrunning, we missed our film show. Surprisingly, there is a thriving Bhutanese film industry. In Thimphu later on I went to the ‘National Cinema’ and can testify to the high quality of Bhutanese films. Bizarrely the sound track was in Bhutanese, but the sub-titles in English!
We headed back west to Thimphu the following day, a long, tiring, but scenic drive. This time the Duchu Pass was covered in cloud, I now realised how lucky we’d been on our first traverse. The next day we returned to Paro and had time to visit Paro Dzong; this is another vast building that combines monastery with administrative buildings, including the local court. Many novice monks were milling around, some doing their homework. In Bhutan, as in many Buddhist countries, boys from very poor homes end up in monasteries where they get fed, clothed (in a habit) and educated. At around 18 years old most leave, so the ratio of young novices to older monks is high.
As we had been bumped off our flight to Kolkata the next day, we visited Haa Valley, the valley to the east of Paro, well off the main tourist track. To get there we crossed the Chele Pass, ascending towards it there were inspiring views of Chomolhari and Jichu Drakey, two of Bhutan’s highest peaks. On the pass, by now above the tree line, a notice proclaimed 3988m. A little higher, a short walk upwards, lies a sky burial site, here Edelweiss, a brilliant violet, carpeted the ground. No bodies now, in bygone days it was a clean way to dispose of the dead. Flags en masse sit astride the pass, as they flap prayers are released for a loved ones. Gone but not forgotten. There is a large Indian Army camp in Haa, also a monastery, Lhakhang Karpo, where we had a look see into the temple; a carpenter showed us a traditional Bhutanese window he was constructing, a kind of assemble it yourself kit, hand cut, not out of a box. Very skilful. The journey back to Paro, via a different route, proved very scenic. Indian migrant workers repairing the road seemed surprised to see foreigners passing, the school kids, in their school uniform ghos, also waved as if it was a rare sight. One group of kids appeared to be Monty Python fans hopping around on one leg as in the Long John Silver impersonators club sketch. The next morning we left for Kolkata and the mayhem that is India; quite a contrast to laid back Bhutan.
Bhutan is unique, mainly because it has been isolated from outside influences for so long; TV was not allowed until 1999, the first murder ever recorded soon followed. Buddhism is all pervasive, the first general election was put back to 2008 as 2007 was considered inauspicious by leading monks. Mobile phones are now common, even the odd drunk is evident on the streets of Thimphu where karaoke bars with pool tables can be found. My advice is visit soon before it changes … !!
PRACTICALITIES:
I travelled with www.globaldrift.com.au run by Ian Marsh from Cairns, Australia, on an exploratory trip to find out whether to have regular trips to Bhutan.
LINKS:
This time last year I was given the idea of travelling along the Silk Road from Istanbul to Pakistan. Central Asia was somewhere I had never even considered visiting but the idea grew and grew until I just had to do it.
Fortunately I got the eight visas I should need before I left home and what a to do that was. How could I possibly tell when I would be where and in the case of Turkmenistan I not only had to adhere to the date but the time of day as well! But on the 27th March I flew out of T5 on its inaugural day and was one of the very few lucky ones whose flight took off (five hours late) and whose luggage arrived too.
From Istanbul I bussed it to Antakya which I was sad to find was a dismal town, made more dismal by the rain and from there into Syria and the magic of Aleppo then on to Hama for the Norias, Palmyra in the desert and a real sand storm and of course Damascus. I had hoped to catch the train from there to Tabriz in Iran, but despite being told to the contrary beforehand that I would be able to change Travellers Cheques in Syria, this proved not to be the case, so I returned to Turkey and entered Iran in the shadow of Mount Ararat.
Despite all the Foreign Office advice about travelling in Iran, I found it incredibly easy. Everyone was so helpful, making sure I wasn’t too diddled with taxi fares, feeding me on bus and train journeys and even paying my bus fare or museum entrances if I wasn’t looking. Two weeks was barely enough to see the highlights of Persepolis, Esfahan, Yazd, Shiraz and Mashad, let alone Tehran but it’s good to think I have enough left for another visit.
Turkmenistan could not have been more different and I am glad to have seen Ashgabat but glad I was only there one night. The long drive through the desert with the guide I was obliged to have before a visa would be granted (at huge expense) was interesting for the first 3 hours but less so for the second 3 as the scenery didn’t change. Arriving at the ancient site of Merv though was well worth it. This is a vast site and just could not be done on foot and luckily the guide I had had a passion for archaeology and history which made the vast mud structures come alive. One night there and another long drive through the desert to Uzbekistan.
Over the border and narrowly avoiding getting arrested because in my frustration I cracked a joke which was misunderstood – great mistake – and the first place I made for was Bukhara. From there another long drive through the same desert to Khiva and back to Bukhara before a train to Samarkhand. All these cities were just wonderful. So much to see and experience, but of course the jewel was Samarkhand. A few days spent in Tashkent and I was off to Kyrgyzstan
I took to the air and flew into Bishkek only to find accommodation at a premium and I ended up spending the night in a flat in the most unsavoury part of town. So unsavoury that not only was I advised not to be out after dark, and to lock the flat door twice, but at the end of the corridor there was a cage door which also had to be locked. One night there and I was off to Karakol on lake Issy Khul in a minibus. For what reason I do not know, but I didn’t take to Kyrgyzstan, so cut my visit short and headed down to Osh on the Chinese border. If only I had wanted a hat and if only I’d had some room in my rucksack, I could have bought any number of wonderful hats in Osh Market, but I hadn’t so I didn’t!
I shared a car ride with a young American lad who had been teaching English in Japan for a year and spending some time travelling around Central Asia before heading home. As the journey took two days with an overnight stay on a cold concrete floor in Sary Tash, it was great to have some company. The ride up through the Pamir Mountains was wonderful and dotted all along the route were yurts where the herding families had moved up to the high pastures for the summer.
We rose at 4.30 to drive the rest of the way from Sary Tash to the Chinese border and the Milky Way was beautiful, I felt as though I could just reach out and touch it. As the sun rose it turned the snow capped mountains a real Barbie pink and I am sure these memories will far outlast those of extremely bumpy roads, no food, cold and a car which had to stop every few miles to have cold water poured over its engine.
It took five or six hours to cross the border as my companion had a Lonely Planet guide book with a map of China which showed Taiwan, so we were asked on several occasions to have our bags searched. Also coming through at the same time was the night bus and that had several thorough searches, but we got a lift through to Kashkar on it and met two more fellow travellers with whom to share news and tales.
Kashgar’s main square had been taken over by hundreds of school children all practicing their various performances for when the Olympic Torch was to come through the town, all under the watchful gaze of Chairman Mao’s huge statue. This city was a lovely mix of very old and very new, with, of course, the world-famous Sunday market and best of all for me by now, after what seemed like months and months of nothing but boiled rice and chewy fatty lamb and hard bread, a wonderful choice of food at John’s Café. Egg and chips had never tasted so good.
Another two day bus ride and an overnight stay, this time in Tashkurgan on the way to Pakistan. The bus passengers were a mix of Chinese workers on their way to widen the Karakoram Highway, Pakistan business men returning with their wares, a Swiss woman, a young Englishman, a French Algerian an Italian and me. The ride up into the Karakorams passing yaks, marmots and eagles was spectacular. I could see glaciers and the mountains just got bigger and bigger. Crossing the border at the Khunjerab Pass, the highest paved border crossing in the world was a great experience albeit tinged with a little altitude sickness. The road on the Chinese side was well-maintained and we drove at a steady 30 miles an hour but the moment we crossed the border all the Pakistanis on board gave out a wonderful cheer, the un-maintained road became bumpier and bumpier and the driver put his foot on the accelerator and we drove at an horrendous speed down the KKH with frightening precipices. From this description you will have gathered that I am a coward and don’t do mountains and twisty turny roads with big drops, so I got off the bus at Passu and thought I had landed in Heaven.
I stayed at a modest Inn where the owner cooked delicious dinners, I could pick handfuls of deep red cherries and the views and peace were wonderful. But too soon it was off down the dreaded road with eyes shut tight and fists and teeth clenched to Karimabad. As with everywhere in the Hunza Valley I encountered only hospitality and kindness tempered with good humour. A jeep ride to see the sun set behind Rakaposhi and the Ladies’ Finger was made all the more enjoyable by giving a lift to two women who had spent the day toiling in the fields and although weary were still full of fun and full of questions and laughter.
After several happy days staying at the Mulberry Tree I travelled once again down to Gilgit where I met up with the other travellers who had been on the bus from Kashgar. Samosas at sunset by the rushing Gilgit river, card playing with locals in the hotel, haggling in the bazaar made the days rush by. My dread of the twenty hour overnight bus ride down to Islamabad along the Karakoram Highway and in view of the fact that flights were being cancelled due to bad weather (not that flying from Gilgit was much of a more attractive alternative), decided me to try to find another way south.
By great good fortune I met with a young jeep driver who was going that way and we set off at 5 am at 5.30 as the sun was rising behind Nanga Parbat or Killer Mountain we came to the point where the Karakorams, Hindu Kush and Himalayas meet – just magical. The route he took me was over the Barbusa Pass which was just the most amazing, action-packed 23 hour journey you could possibly imagine. Climbing high above the snow line, for the most part traversing tracks barely wide enough for a jeep, being stopped by cattle, Kalashnikov carrying tractor drivers stuck in the mud, driving through Osama Bin Laden supporting Afghan refugee tent cities, stone throwing children running along side, work men rock-blasting causing land slides and so much more. All the while going from magnificent mountains down into heart-achingly beautiful valleys. Just wonderful.
My last few days were spent in Rawalpindi staying in a hotel run by Hunza people and my Hunza jeep driver showed me around the city. I had been travelling for three months and not once did I have an unpleasant experience. Yes, a few dodgy taxi drivers and maybe I paid over the odds a few times but that’s part of the fun. All the peoples I met were kind and welcoming but the people of the Hunza Valley were unbelievable. Their honesty, hospitality and warmth were such that I have already arranged to return next year and this time will stay for several months. In Sha Allah.
What a really great end to a really wonderful journey along part of the old Silk Road.
Hello all,
Welcome to the new season of the Globetrotters Club at its London branch. As you can see below we’ve kicked off the new season with a good couple of speakers and a new voice on the lectern !! I’ve also included plenty of input from regular contributors such as Mac, Harold Dunn and Padmassana…these guys are the main stay of the eNewsletter. And whilst I am in contact with a regular pool of contributors, I’m always looking for new material including photographs – see feel free to try your hand and get in touch.
This time round we have some sadness to talk about as well. Another long distance cyclist, Ian Hibell, has been fatally injured by an unforgiving motorist whilst on the road and Fridgey has experienced the rough arm of AustraliaÂ’s customs officials. Whilst not comparable, both episodes show what the travelling community endures as it goes about its businessÂ…sometimes itÂ’s a tad too sad for words.
To close on a happier note though, weÂ’ve also details on Rosie Swale Pope completing her round the world epic and news of the Independent Travel Show happening in London in 2009.
ThatÂ’s all for nowÂ…stay safe whilst you travel,
The Ant
With host Jeanie Copland at the lectern and with Jacqui Trotter reporting queues to get into the Church of Scotland venue, the new season got off to a fine start with:-
The front cover of the last Globe featured Katie Fahrland and her Wm Wood legacy trip to Mali. The September meeting began with Katie giving a talk on her trip and the 3 day music festival that takes place at Segou on the Niger River – the legacy gave Katie the chance to make a dream come true and visit the festival. Katie was thrust into Mali life from day 1, pushing and shoving her way onto a bus to reach Segou. The music 
festival attracts 14,000 people, who enjoy the music from the stage that is almost in the river. The visual effects being provided by one box with a stream of wires coming out that just sits on a chair. After the festival Katie took the opportunity to see some more of the country, showing us sights such as the Great mud Mosque at Djenne, which has to be patched up after rainfall. She also made a side trip on a motorbike with a guide into Dogon country, seeing a village that makes pottery and fires its pottery by literally having a big fire. Katie’s trip has prompted her to enrol for a Masters degree at SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies http://www.soas.ac.uk/).
Our second speaker was Fran Sandham who talked about his walking trip across Africa. He explained the whole idea came during a drunken New Years eve party, when he decided that if he was going to make a New Year’s resolution it was going to be a big one ! January 1st dawned, despite the hangover and the cold light of day he decided it was still a good idea, so he spent the next year working every hour to save up the money to make it possible. His walk took him from the Skeleton Coast in Namibia via Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania, finishing in Zanzibar. The 3000 mile walk took him a year, it would have been quicker but for an abortive idea to get a donkey to carry his pack, the donkey refused, he then got a mule, but the mule arrived on a van that it had kicked to pieces, so Fran abandoned that idea as well ! He downsized his pack and carried it himself, avoiding Lions in north Namibia and narrowly avoiding treading on a lazy Puff Adder that was sitting in the middle of the road, surprising himself at how high he could jump carrying a 30kg rucksack ! He arrived in Zanzibar a year after setting off 3 stones lighter and wondering what to do next. He has written the book, so if you want to read more about Fran’s trip visit www.traversa.co.uk or check it out on Amazon.
For details of the forth coming meetings of the London branch, September 2008 through to July 2009 – http://www.globetrotters.co.uk/meetings/lon09it1.html.
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, unless there is a UK public holiday that weekend. There is no London meeting in August, but we start afresh in September. For more information, contact the Globetrotters Info line on +44 (0) 20 8674 6229, or visit the website: www.globetrotters.co.uk.
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.
Ontario 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.
In sad echoes of how long time GT member Martin Wright met his untimely & tragic death in mid 2007, renowned round the world cyclist Ian Hibell perished in awful circumstance. I understand how accidents happen but how does any driver not see a fully laden cyclist and then drive off when something does go wrong !! It beggars beliefÂ…
The following article was printed in the Daily Mail newspaper on 4 September 2008
The Ant
A British ‘Marco Polo’ who travelled the world on his bicycle for 40 years has been killed in a hit-and-run road crash in Greece. Ian Hibell, 74, was dubbed a “cyclist extraordinaire” in the long-distance touring world and rode across every continent and some of the most remote parts of the planet. He undertook countless expeditions over 40 years that were classed as ‘world firsts’ including an overland Trans-Americas expedition from Cape Horn to Alaska, between 1971 and 1973. During his 250,000 miles of cycling across deserts and glaciers he was shot at by bandits, nearly eaten alive by tropical ants, stuck in mangrove swamps, chased by rogue elephants and once faced down a hungry lion. He enjoyed the hospitality of an Eskimo princess, a Dyak headman in Borneo, African chiefs and missionaries and once asked for a two-year sabbatical from work – only to return ten years later.
Ian used over 800 cycle repair kits during his travels and refused to use standard pannier racks for carrying items – insisting instead that custom-made racks be welded onto his Argos bike frames. Ian, of Brixham, Devon, wrote numerous books about cycling and was also a regular on television shows such as BBC’s Blue Peter where he regaled generations of children with his tales from the saddle. He once estimated that he cycled an average 6,000 miles a year for 40 years – the equivalent of cycling to the moon.
But he died while cycling on the Athens-Salonika highway on August 23 after he was in collision with a car which was racing another vehicle. The driver fled the scene but eyewitnesses took its registration and he was arrested two hours later and is facing charges of causing death by dangerous driving. Friend Nicola Henderson said: “He died after he was involved in a hit and run incident whilst cycling in Greece. “ At the time he was doing what was his life-long passion of cycle-touring. He had been touring the world more or less continuously for over 40 years.
Ian began his journeys in 1963 when he asked for a two-year break from his job at Standard Telephones and Cables in Paignton, Devon. But he went on to the circle the globe for ten years and returned in 1973 with a “murmured apology” for his bosses. His journeys included the only non-motorised crossing of Colombia’s Atrato swamp and Panama’s notoriously marsh ridden Darien Gap. He once rode from Antarctica to the Amazon and from Alaska to Indonesia and in 1984 wrote a book about his voyages called ‘In Remote Places’. But despite his travels Ian often complained the most dangerous stretch of road in the world was between ‘Windy Corner’ and the ‘old Nortel site’ in Brixham.
Friend Nicola described him as a “world famous” rugged terrain cyclist, adventurer, photojournalist and lecturer who inspired bikers around the world. She said: “He gained a taste for travelling during his RAF service in the 1950s. He has pushed, dragged or carried his bike from the fringes of the Antarctica to the jungles of the Amazon, from the Arctic to the remoter islands of Indonesia.”
Ian, a bachelor, died at the scene of the crash and arrangements are underway for his body to be flown back to the UK for a family funeral in South Gloucestershire.
Speaking about his passion in 2005, Ian said: “Every so often a bird gets up and flies some place that it’s drawn to “I don’t suppose it could tell you why, but it does it anyway.” Tributes were today being paid to him on various websites. One – from his nephew – said: “He was a cycle tourist extraordinaire. I grew up hearing the tales from his latest trips to countries I had never heard of. “I always looked forward to seeing him so I could hear his latest adventures from escaping from armies of soldier ants as they ate his tent, to encounters with exotic tribes that had never seen a white man before, much less one on a bicycle. “He was an extraordinary man, and will be sadly missed by us, as I am sure he will by others in the cycling fraternity.”
Ian was honoured by the League of American Wheelmen and by the UK’s Cyclists Touring Club for his ‘trail-blazing’ tenacity. In the 1990s he was also invited to address Yale University and subsequently lectured on both sides of the Atlantic.
Hi Ant,
Whatever happened to your planned Antarctica trip? If I’d had a choice, I, too, would’ve chosen Brazil. Sounds like a great trip!
My passion is exploring the backwaters of other cultures, places where nobody goes. I’m planning a trip now for early ’09 to the canyons of northern Mexico. Though I plan to go alone, I would be willing to take others along with me. I’ve explored several of the canyons of that area, and lived at the bottom of one of them for several months. My home there was in Batopilas, Chihuahua, which is on the river, 6000 feet below the canyon rim. The town then was a ten-hour drive from the nearest paved road in Creel, Chihuahua, a major stop on the Copper Canyon Railroad. Today it’s only half that far from pavement, with buses three times a week. Yet back in 1970 there was no road at all. It was a 3-day mule ride to the closest dirt road! The town has about 1000 inhabitants now, but once was the largest city in northern Mexico. Silver was discovered there in 1590. The mines are shut down now, but hundreds of miles of old tunnels remain to explore. Some are safe, others not. A friend of mine lives in a house built in 1630, the oldest in town. So Batopilas will be my first stop, to relax a few days and catch up on the local news.
Then off to the unknown. Don’t know where, but my heart draws me to three places:-
1) Topia, Durango, an ex-mining town much like Batopilas, yet with far fewer visitors. As a passionate photographer, I would expect it to be exceptionally photogenic, both the town and the mining ruins.
2) The lower canyon of the Rio Basaseachi, starting about 10 miles below the famous falls and walking downstream for a month or two, until I come to a road where the canyon ends, not far from the ocean. I’m 70 and have mild arthritis, so will likely do only about 5 or 10 miles a day. If the hip acts up too much, I would consider renting a horse, or more likely a burro to carry my pack. Ill be in no hurry, so might stop and hang out with the people wherever I feel welcome, maybe staying a month or more in one place, or shorter spells in several. Most of the way there’ll be no roads at all, though some 4WD tracks penetrate the canyon. So I’d expect the people to be living on isolated ranches and completely self-sufficient, a throwback to a century or two back. My goal is to meet new friends, capture some photos of a vanishing culture and outstanding scenery, and write another book. Yet nothing is a must. I’ll just do what I feel like at the time. No deadlines or itinerary.
3) The town of Lluvia de Oro, once a thriving mining village, now deserted. It’s the scene of part of the best-selling book, “Lluvia de Oro, (Rain of Gold),” by my friend Victor Villasenor. The town site is about a 10- or 20-mile hike from a road, and likely only worth a couple of days. But I’ve long wanted to go there.
Which of these would I actually do? Who knows? I’ll decide when I get there. The weather will be ideal in midwinter for hiking the lower canyons. Very little rain and not too hot. Up on the canyon rims, there’ll be snow–not my idea of fun. So I’ll take my camping gear, camera, and notebook, but keep my pack light.
So if anyone wants to take on a leisurely walk through lightly-populated areas where it never gets cold, let me know. Since my timing and actual destination haven’t yet been finalized, I would be somewhat flexible. I’ll leave no earlier than Jan. 1, 09 and return no later than April 15, 09 (the date when the bugs begin to become bothersome in the lower canyons.) At this time I’m only thinking of the deep canyons of northern Mexico, specifically in the states of Chihuahua, Durango, Sinaloa, and possibly Sonora.
If anyone is interested, email me at heyyouhd@yahoo.com I’ll get back to you within a week. If our goals don’t mesh, I could still direct you to some great places to explore on your own, anywhere in Mexico, since I’ve been to all of the 31 states and lived in several of them. And I know some fabulous canyons in the States, as well. The best are in Arizona and Utah, accessed thru Vegas. Some require rock climbing skills, while others are an easy two-hour ramble. I find it thrilling to be in a canyon that’s 4000′ deep and only 50′ wide–no place to walk except the river itself. I can go nuts with my camera.
Next year, the Colca Canyon of Peru, the world’s deepest at 16,000 feet..I’ve been there once, but want to hike to the bottom at the deepest spot. Then climb the 21K mountain on the rim. That peak might be beyond my abilities, but I can give it a try. Slowly.
Chow–
Harold Dunn
San Diego, California
Back in January 2006 The Beetle posted a story in a previous edition about her experiences of Australian customs office and since then other travellers have related to the pain Beetle went through…see “The Beetle Struggles with Australian Customs”. This time its FridgeyÂ…maybe someone can offer an explanation as to why, or is it that we just have to put up with this s**t ?
The Ant
Hi Beetle, I am an Australian who was coming back from Fiji and was stopped in Brisbane International Airport and subjected to the rudest treatment I have ever had the misfortune of experiencing. It took them about 45 minutes to search 1 bag with my clothes in it, a computer bag and bag with cables and computer accessories. This Customs officer was smirking at me at all times trying to upset me which he succeeded. From the outset he was advised I am a diabetic and diagnosed as clinically depressed. He proceeded to lie to me and told me he had to search me because the x-ray machine showed I had organic materials right throughout my luggage which was a bald faced lie. He proceeded to read each and every document in my possession, read each and every business card I had on me (as if they were looking for something to change in identical business cards). After being subjected to all this crap they called the police and had me charged with obstruction of a public officer and I did nothing of the sortÂ…so now they have changed the charges to intimidation of a public official. The story goes on because I am now facing criminal charges because of this idiot and his mates who helped him to annoy me. At the end of the day they did not find anything illegal on me whatsoever despite what they said their x-ray machine said was in my luggage. These people have way too much power and they love to abuse their powers.
The following is about a trip I undertook with my friend Dom across the Southern Hemisphere during the winter of 1999. Rereading my journal about our amateur explorations makes me smile and remember things that had started to fade…anyway read on !
7 December 1998 and we began the walking odyssey we had initially set our sights on ! The Rhebuck Trail is a loop of 30 km round some of the most dramatic scenery that can be found in the Golden Gate National Park of South Africa, allowing hopeful spotters a number of chances to catch a range of wildlife – so we imagined anyway. Setting off from our base camp at the park entrance, our route followed outcrops and peaks with harsh sounding Dutch names – Die Brandwag and Bosklof stick in my memory. DomÂ’s measured pace seemed to be easy enough to cope with, despite the ever increasing sun light and a large pack set upon my back…
A yummy (!) chicken noodle lunch, eaten al-fresco on a hot little outcrop looking down out of our valley, gave us a view of where we were heading. We could see the Wilgenhof (youth hostel) and the Klein Caledon Rivier (Little Caledon for those non Dutch speakers), which we were unsure on how to cross. Recent flooding in the past months had swept debris and our trail downstream – lack of choice forced us to ford this river near to the main valley route of the R712. The final 3 kms up a side valley towards our overnight hut was uneventful enough to leave me feeling surprisingly fresh from what should have been a tiring day. A 30 minute foot dip in the nearby Ribbok Spruit felt almost as good as the oft desired long, cold lager ! Ominously my earlier bravado was weakening, as the earlier sunshine began to extract its own revenge upon my exposed flesh
Alone we sat in the darkening eve waiting for the impressive looking braal to fire our food, when the heavens opened with a wild thunder storm, hurling lightning and rain at all below it. Our valley was lit continually and our BBQ soaked thoroughly !! Along with trails of rain escaping ants, we sat in the hut munching on a gas heated gourmet alternative of tinned sausages and baked beans – Dom’s foresight again proving invaluable.
The next day was physically one of the longest dayÂ’s my life ! It began with us leaving the hut at 7.00 am and ploughing through the harsh undergrowth surrounding the Ribbok Spruit. My water cooled legs & feet failed to counter the stinging running across my upper torso and the mere thought of more sunburn forced drastic measures – a long sleeved top, a baseball cap and a somewhat smelly, old white t-shirt wrapped around my neck. Dom led me onwards through 4 sore kms and somehow away from the main trail – vegetation and flooding doing their worst once again. A tortuous alternative took us up and down the hills that surrounded the Generaalskop – a 2732 metre high and very cloud free mountain that sat looking contemptuously down upon us. We did spot Black Wildebeest and Eland as they scampered before our weary trudging but at this point I wasnÂ’t interested in making any sort of David Attenborough documentary ! With his experience of hiking, Dom suggested we move up the GeneralÂ’s flanks to find our elusive trail but a sullen 30 minutes on my part almost had me insisting that we took a more appealing trail that seemed to hug the contours of the lower flanks. Eventually this trail, probably created by a Rhebuck, reunited us with the trail proper and all my thoughts of doom & gloom fled ! Dom thought that we had sped our way through the remaining 3 kms back to base camp at Glen Reenen 90 minutes. I was on autopilot and ignored even the chance of a swim in the lower reaches of the Buffelspruit. Never did hut no. 1 look so appealing ! Would I undertake such a journey again ? Once I had rid myself of my various aches and as long as I was better prepared physically, I reasoned that the masochistic streak within me would argue yes ! The rest of me would just roll my eyes heavenward or rather Ribbokkop wards !!
For more information about national parks in South Africa see – http://www.sanparks.org/
This edition has been delayed by about 2 weeks due a combination of travel and technical issues, hopefully these are now fixed. ~ Paul, GT Webmaster.
Hello all,
I think that this is going to be a bumper edition, as not only have I got to catch up with not managing to produce a July eNewsletter, IÂ’ve also got plenty of good material to get through !! So what happened to JulyÂ’s edition you might ask ? Well I ran out of timeÂ…the twin calls of work and then spending three weeks with Tony Annis, undertaking an adventure of life time in Brasil, squashed everything into too short a space ! I will tell you more about Brasil but now I need to move on and let you know about the following:-
July was a notable month for the Globetrotters Club, particularly for the London Branch, on two fronts:-
· Dick Curtis has retired as London Branch organiser and all round good guy ! As you can see from the picture below, courtesy of Dan Bachmann, Dick was completely surprised by the presentation of a signed card and an engraved glass globe ! In fact I think he was speechless for a few seconds whilst he registered what Jacqui and the Committee had organised in commemorationÂ… Many of you can recollect Dick being a constant, as the club changed most of its regular attendees, meeting venues and advanced through its own 60th birthday. How many of you also noted DickÂ’s passions for Wasps rugby union club, strong English beers and slightly eccentric travel trips to London, the Basque country and beyond. I think for me Dick epitomises what drew me to the club and has kept me coming back for more, in one shape or another. IÂ’m sure we havenÂ’t heard the last of Dick and weÂ’ll get to catch up with him in slightly less busy moments, enjoying the club and its members Â… All the best and thank you for all your efforts Dick – regards from us all!!!
· The new programme of events for September 2008 was announced and as you can see it lists a whole host of interesting and well accomplished travellers – http://www.globetrotters.co.uk/meetings/lon09it1.html. Not only do we have Legacy 2007 winner & club member Katie Fahrland speaking about her once in a lifetime trip to Bamako, we also welcome back regulars Justin Marozzi, Jonny Bealby (GT heartthrob !!), Amar Grover & John Gimlette all before the end of 2008 ! A very strong line up indeed as we head towards the winter months and the start of 2009Â…
ThatÂ’s all for nowÂ…,
The Ant
The July meeting was the popular Members Slides, though nowadays digital is beginning to take over and in the first session:-
Liz Cooper took us first to Belize showing us the “Blue hole”, which you reach by a combination of scrambling and swimming, she also showed us examples of the abundant bird life and the native Margay cats.
Rene Richards showed us her trip to Peru , including bodies preserved by the dry atmosphere at high altitude, Rene visited the reed islands on Lake Titicaca, worrying that she would sink through these bouncy constructions, and the spectacular Valley of the Condors.
We headed next to Asia as Sue Baker showed us her 2 month’s working in a school in Darham, Mongolia . As well as helping teach the children and taking them into the hills, Sue also got to experience living in a Ger which can be erected in just an hour (not IKEA then!) and trekking around salt lakes.
Next to the Middle East as David Shamash showed us some old pictures of Jerusalem.
Last up before the interval was Jacqui Trotter, who showed us that Spain is not just for the summer, Jacqui visited Madrid and Sevilla, taking in the Moorish architecture, Sevilla cathedral and photographing some of the ornate doorways and peaking behind them. She also showed us Cordoba cathedral, with its wonderful forest of nearly a 1000 columns from its days as a mosque.
After the break we returned to the following varied set of short journeys:-
Tracey Murray took us down under to the Oodnadatta Track, taking in the delights of Coober Pedy, Lake Eyre and the wonderfully named “Plane Henge” where 2 old aircraft are tethered noses upwards. At Maree Tracey showed us a camel made out of railway sleepers, a monument to the Ghan railway.
Eric Hayman then took us to Lesotho where he worked during the 1970’s helping to build dams on the Orange river, this also involved building an airstrip with some very rudimentary equipment, he must have done a reasonable job as its still there and you can book a flight to it on Expedia, its designation code is PEL!
Jeanie Copland, showed us the trip she did earlier this year with Matt Doughty, walking in Big Bend National Park in Texas, Matt is obviously fitter than he looks 🙂 as some of the walks were quite hard, but worth it for the views.
Dan Bachmann made quite an entrance dressed in his Tunisian headscarf to show us his trip into the dessert, where he camped under the stars and his guide baked their breakfast bread under the ashes of the camp fire. Dan was amazed to find plants growing in a dessert that hasnÂ’t seen rain in decades.
Dick Curtis fittingly brought the meeting to its close, showing us Lyon airport, which is an architectural delight, but completely devoid of any passengers due to its not very well thought out location.
For details of the forth coming meetings of the London branch, September 2008 through to July 2009 – http://www.globetrotters.co.uk/meetings/lon09it1.html.
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, unless there is a UK public holiday that weekend. There is no London meeting in August, but we start afresh in September. For more information, contact the Globetrotters Info line on +44 (0) 20 8674 6229, or visit the website: www.globetrotters.co.uk.
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.
Ontario 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.
It’s the time of year again when I drop a line to Globies about the BBC-Royal Geographical Society “Journey of a Lifetime” award, which is always of great interest to Globies. I’ve been lucky enough to be involved with this since it started eight years ago. Last year’s winner Emily Ainsworth made a cracking programme about touring with a Mexican circus, which will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Friday 29 August at 11.00 am.
If this isn’t too late for your eNewsletter, please could you give the programme a mention? And most importantly, please could you tell Globies how to apply for the 2009 award, for which the deadline is Friday 26 September.
In a nutshell, up to £4,000 is on offer for an original and inspiring journey anywhere in the world. The winner will receive training in radio broadcasting from the BBC and will record their experiences for a BBC Radio 4 documentary. What they want is to inspire an interest in the world and its people and at the same time discover new radio broadcasting talent.
Full details are at: http://www.rgs.org/OurWork/Grants/Journey+of+a+Lifetime.htm
Info about previous programmes (with “Listen Again” links) are at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/journeyofalifetime.shtml
Background
Your Journey of a Lifetime – it’s the territory of imagination and dreams, the lure of the distant horizon and the tug of the unknown. The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), in partnership with BBC Radio 4, offer you the chance to make that journey and to tell the world about it in a memorable piece of radio documentary-making. Each year the RGS-IBG and the BBC support the best idea for an original, exciting, and exceptional journey. It’s important that the project takes you somewhere fresh, different and original. Therefore it’s a good idea to bear in mind where previous winners have been (such as Mexico in 2008, Kenya in 2007 and Egypt in 2006).
Your journey needs really to matter to you: we need to feel your passion and enthusiasm and Radio 4 listeners need to be fascinated. The BBC already broadcasts a lot of documentaries about faraway places. When developing your idea, make sure it’s the sort of thing journalists rarely have the time to cover. Most reporters can only afford the time and money to make short visits to meet important people and don’t get immersed in the local society.
The programme you’ll be making needs to tell your story – and that of the journey and the place you’ll be visiting – in a graphic and attractive way. Think of all the audio potential in the idea – not just indigenous music and sounds, but how you are going to find interesting sounds within the substance of the journey (by keeping an audio-diary, for example). Radio is very good on atmospherics and imaginative pictures, but you need to think about what your journey and your destination offer to create those pictures.
Eligibility guidelines
* You’ll be travelling between January and July 2009.
* Applicants must be aged 18 or over.
* BBC and RGS-IBG staff and their close relatives are not eligible to apply for grants.
* The BBC will retain editorial control over any programme it may make. It can’t guarantee that any programme it may make will be broadcast.
* Interviews will be held in November 2008 in London. You must be able to attend these interviews in person.
* Applications from small teams rather than solo travellers are accepted, but please make it clear in your application if this is the case.
* The award is for independent travel. We will NOT consider any journey joining a commercial expedition or pre-paid tour, including organised charity fundraising tours.
How to apply
Applications may be submitted by email (in MS Word format) or by post or fax, to arrive by Friday 26 September 2008.
Initial proposal – applying for the Journey of a Lifetime award is easy. We’re only looking for the ‘pitch’ of your idea at this stage – the core idea that makes this your Journey of a Lifetime. Your pitch should be no longer than 550 words and should provide:-
A two-line summary – A very brief description of your planned journey. Think of this as what would appear as your headline in the Radio Times.
A 250-300 word description of the journey in more detail. You don’t have to include everything listed here, but it may help you to consider:
* Why is this a journey of a lifetime?
* Why will it make a good radio broadcast?
* Why is it of interest to the audience?
* How will you achieve the journey?
* What will you get out of it?
* What will the audience get out of it?
* Why you and not somebody else?
Please remember to keep this brief. At this stage we’re not looking for detailed route plans or budgets.
Send your initial proposal by email, post or fax to the RGS-IBG grants officer at the address below to arrive by Friday 26 September 2008. From the initial proposals, up to ten projects will be shortlisted by a panel of judges. Those selected will be asked to prepare a more detailed proposal.
Note: Digital photographs should be in JPEG or TIFF format, A5 size, with a resolution of at least 300dpi.
Enquiries and applications
Grants Officer Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) 1 Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AR T: 020 7591 3073 F: 020 7591 3031 E: grants@rgs.org W: http://www.rgs.org/grants
This trip of ours to Brasil was brought to life by two men and their visions of what the Amazon Forest means to its indigenous peoples & what it could mean to the wider world, if experienced responsibly. Benki Piyako, respected member of the Ashaninka people, is at 35 years old a possible future of the indigenous peoples interactions with the modern states of South America, he is articulate, educated & has a sense of how his cultural identity can play a positive role. Meanwhile Tony Annis a long time Globetrotter member and established photographer, was raised in Brasil during his school years and has over the years has grown more passionate about what makes Brasil tick and how it should be enjoyed.
Picture courtesy of The Ant: our first sighting of Marechal Thaumaturgo, with Rio Amonia on the left !
We six tourists first met up with Benki & a number of the Ashaninka at Marechal Thaumaturgo’s airstrip (in Brasil’s western most state – Acre), perfectly timed for a step into the unknown. On departure day, four flat, metal hulled motor boats were loaded with our packs, food, umbrellas & guns and iced drinks and after what became the regularly fluid morning chats about what might happen for the day, the word was given and we’re off ! Turn right after the town and up Rio Amonia we went !!
Those umbrellas were vital in this supposed dry season continuous rain for the first few hours could have easily sapped our keenness before we reached our first stop at Apiwxta (pronounced aputure). Bizarrely it was water that probably got us into enjoying this adventure‚…the boat with John, Trish & I in hit an unseen & very underwater log and our world was instantly turned upside down. Despite the best efforts of Chico our driver, all of our goods were dunked into the brown, muddy & very fast flowing river frantically we grabbed the most precious items – our cameras – and let the following boats rescue everything, including ourselves. Tony was most disappointed that he had not been around to get any pictures of the upset. Adaptable is a byword for getting the most out of their surroundings – everything was stripped down, dried and within an hour or so we were on our way again. I had images of us being marooned over night, but no the Ashaninka soon had us underway.
Apiwxta is so, so different from most places I have ever experienced before. It epitomises the symbiotic relationship the Ashaninka have with the forests buildings, food, clothes and even socialising are derived from materials found within their surroundings. Only functional, hardwearing objects such as machetes, outboard motors and cooking ports come from our outside world. These people only take what they need for their communities at this point and further up river there is little evidence of the destructive practices of forestry that have many up in arms. In fact the rapidly rising & sinking levels of the river have wreaked more damage, as its course varies with the seasonal downpours. We evening’d over a meal of freshly caught fish, manioc, paste & cold, cold beers. This, including the beer, became our staple diet for most of the whole trip along the river though it was sometimes varied by what ever could be hunted by bows & arrows or very ancient rifles sometimes even Benki failed to bring back anything extra ! We also got to experience herbal medicines, as I’d bounced Francesca off a wooden balcony and she had the resulting bloody wound patched up with just honey & plant extracts despite having to wear a large bandage, just in case, she didn’t swear at me once and was most intrigued on what had been applied to her head.
Picture courtesy of The Ant: boating the traditional way, up the Rio Amônia past Apiwxta
Days two & three had us heading further up towards the Peruvian border each day was spent bouncing along, dodging fallen trees and attempting to avoid numb bums & sun burn. Each night we slept on a river beach, underneath palm tree lean shelters with our hammocks swung into place & the much needed mosquito nets added ! Swimming in the muddied swirls of the Amonia became the best way to exfoliate the day away. But those damned flies & mosquitoes nearly rubbished all this serene pleasure for us, we had to use industrial quantities of deet, soothing creams & sun protection in an unequal battle to fend off bite after bite even back in Rio de Janeiro week’s later people still remarked on my pock marked legs !
The fourth day found us crossing the border into Peru and up into the village of Sawawo to support our Ashaninka in a football tournament organised to commemorate the country’s independence. Through the heat & mixed of indigenous/state communities we cheered on Benki & his rock of a player brother Bebito, as they defeated all comers to seal the title. The evening’s celebrations descended into a cacophony of Peruvian disco, shuffling dancing and a boatful of fermented manioc & sweet potatoes and Don in particular paid the price for over indulging as we began our return in a haze the next day.
Picture courtesy of The Ant: Tome boat at SawawoÂ…the morning after!!!Our final leg was particularly poignant, I sat up front on the lead boat on the last day, getting splashed and dodging so many hanging branches, as we left behind the more traditional Ashaninka way of life and navigated our way down past the small homesteads and onto Marechal’s blurred junction of Rios Amonia & Juru. A sense of departure & change pervaded my thoughts, we were heading eastwards towards Brasil and ultimately home, the joy of sharing our unknown was almost over all too quickly.
Want to know more about the Ashaninka and their lives ?
We were in El Chalten (there are good campsites and also plenty of hotels around to stay in although February is high season so book pretty early) and we did part of the Fitz Roy circuit that I think takes anything from 4-7 days. We went to El Lago de los tres (which takes you right to the base of the Fitzroy Glacier and is just past the base camp for climbers) and also started the walk into Cerro Torre but the weather was bad. Both the Fitzroy and Cerro Torre circuits are accessible from El Chalten. If I remember I had the Bradt guide to Argentina and Chile and that had some really useful information in it about the circuits and where to get maps etc. In terms of kit etc you can either hire it or buy it in El Chalten, but a word of warning the prices are pretty expensive (even more so now as all the prices have gone up).
While youÂ’re in Patagonia and that far south itÂ’s definitely worth going to the glacier ‘Perito MorenoÂ’ as itÂ’s spectacular. The nearest town to that is El Calafate. Also, if you have time itÂ’s also possible to go to ‘Las Torres del PaineÂ’ in Chile where you can do various circuits of trekking (for example, the ‘wÂ’ route – thereÂ’s more info in Bradt) and is also amazing.
Further up in northern Patagonia there is also Volcan Lanin that is a 2 day trek/climb with crampons. It is in Parque Nacional de Lanin and the nearest place is Junin de los Andes. You need all the kit to be checked by the park rangers (guardaparque) and also to hire a radio to take up with you (you can do this in Junin de los Andes). Again thereÂ’s more info in Bradt and although people will try to sell you a group climb with guides if you have some knowledge of mountains they will let you go alone – however you will need to provide a first aid kit etc to take with you. If you decide to do this itÂ’s worth keeping a few days (4-5) to spare to allow for weather, booking a place in one of the refuges for the 1st night and also to get the kit together.
In terms of transport (assuming youÂ’re flying into Buenos Aires) from Buenos Aires you can get a ‘cochecamaÂ’ – a bus with seats that recline to become a bed (well nearly) to El Chalten, El Calafate, Bariloche and I think Junin de los Andes. If not to Junin de los Andes you can definitely go via Bariloche. Most buses go from Retiro bus station but itÂ’s worth checking. I think the main company that sells tickets is ‘FlechabusÂ’.
Hello all,
summer seems to have finally arrived here in England and like many of you I’m enjoying the light nights that last well into the evening…it makes meeting up with people so much more relaxing
This month’s eNewsletter features a wide range of material – we feature our regular contributor Mac, reports on the latest London branch meeting, plenty of news & web sites to be explored and three articles that have been sent in recently. Tony & Hal are more seasoned long distance travellers, whilst Benjamin is new to the eNewsletter…enjoy what they have to say and send us your feedback.
As a bonus, the entire text of the eighth edition of Moon Handbooks South Pacific is now accessible on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=EDGapfBX-CAC&printsec=frontcover. You can scroll down through the 1,091 pages or click the Contents button to jump to a specific section. Buttons at the top of the page allow you zoom in, view two pages at a time, or switch to full screen. From the right hand column, you can search inside the book. Moon Handbooks South Pacific is rich in detail and you’ll find specific information on thousands of islands.
Previous contributor & author David Stanley has given Google Books permission to post his book on their website to make its full contents easily accessible to people all over the world. However downloading, copying, saving, or printing out pages from Google Books is restricted as Moon Handbooks South Pacific is still protected copyright.
That’s all for now…enjoy your nights out,
The Ant
Neil was first introduced to Czechoslovakia when he worked in the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen “within smell of the famous brewery” after the end of Communism in 1990-91. While there he travelled all over the Czech Republic, doing some fantastic hiking in the beautiful countryside and picking a lot of mushrooms, which is something of a national hobby in the country. He also enjoyed the food, although he says dumplings tend to be served with everything !
While on a bus ride in the country he overheard two English women talking and later discovered they had married Czech soldiers during the war and been in the country for 45 years. This piqued Neil’s interest in Anglo-Czech wartime relations, even more when he discovered that several famous Czechoslovak political figures had spent time in London and Buckinghamshire – near his own family home – during the First and Second World Wars.
Tomas Masaryk, who was elected the first President of Czechoslovakia in 1920, lived for a while in England when the First World War broke out to avoid arrest for treason, while President in exile Edvard Benes and his wife spent five years in The Abbey, a country estate, in the picturesque village of Aston Abbots. His cabinet stayed nearby at Wingrave Manor in a local village, while around 100 Czechoslovak soldiers were kept on to protect them. As a gesture of thanks to the area, President Benes had a bus shelter built at Aston Abbots, which cost £148 – a considerable amount at the time – which is now a Grade II listed building.
Neil’s talk was full of humour and fascinating historical facts, and went down very well with members. For more information see on the subject and Neil’s resulting book see http://www.radio.cz/en/article/69301
‘Under Asian Skies‘ took up Sam’s story where Africa is left behind, once Sam discovered that he actually liked being on the road…Sam says his mid-life crisis came to him relatively early in life, and at the age of 34 he found himself on a motorcycle at the edge of the Sahara.
He planned to travel for a year but ended up on the road for several years. During this time he was arrested three times and jailed once, shot at, suffered numerous broken bones and almost killed by malaria. After travelling around Africa he went to Australia, getting a lift over on a cargo ship, which he shared with an all-male crew and their collection of “thousands” of porno videos.
While in Australia he worked and had fun, until he had a serious accident. Doctors told him he would never ride a motorcycle again, but after three months he was back in the saddle. From Australia it was a jump into Asia, where in Malaysia he contracted Dengue Fever. Too weak to get help, Sam was in serious trouble until the prostitute living in the hut next to his saved his life by finding him and raising the alarm. Sam said she only came in because she hadn’t seen him for a few days. Doctors told him he had had just a day of life left in him.
Sam visited India, although it took six weeks battling local bureaucracy to get his motorbike off the ship. He showed us images of the millions of people who travel to bathe in the holy waters of the Ganges. When he asked a local man if water that dirty could really be beneficial, he was told the water wasn’t really dirty, it just looked dirty. Although India was hard work, Nepal was more laid-back, said Sam. He rode the fabled Quelta to Taftan road on the border of Iran, which was doubly dangerous, he said, because as Afghanistan was just over nearby hills, his insurance would not have been valid.
The adventures demanded that Sam’s Guardian Angel work overtime in covering what went wrong, what was learnt from the disasters and How many of the dreaded lurgies could he catch? As the story developed we then heard what happens when a solo adventurer decides to take a pillion on board? But most of all…was it about two wheels being the best possible way to see the world? For more info see: http://www.sam-manicom.com
For details of the forth coming meetings of the London branch, April to July 2008 – http://www.globetrotters.co.uk/meetings/lon08it2.html.
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, unless there is a UK public holiday that weekend. There is no London meeting in August, but we start afresh in September. For more information, contact the Globetrotters Info line on +44 (0) 20 8674 6229, or visit the website: www.globetrotters.co.uk.
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.
Ontario 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.
