For information on Ontario meetings, please contact Svatka Hermanek: <a shermanek@schulich.yorku.ca or Bruce Weber: tel. 416-203-0911 or Paul Webb: tel. 416-694-8259.

Meetings are held on the third Friday of January, March, May, September and November. Usually at the Woodsworth Co-op, Penthouse, 133, Wilton Street in downtown Toronto at 8.00 p.m.

The Beetle would like to apologise profusely for the absence of the Globetrotter e-newsletter.

Excuses range from being trapped in a snowy Antarctica station, captured by Grand Master Slave Beetles, and getting lost in outer Mongolia, but unfortunately, none of these would be true. Work pressures led to the Beetle in not having enough Beetle time to put beetle feeler to computer.

The Beetle, however, is back, after having spent time in four continents twice, in the last 12 months, (work,) though about to move continents yet again. Let's hope it's for good this time.

Anyone want to guess where the Beetle has been?

Please do write in and tell us what you've been doing in the Beetle's absence! We'd all love to hear.

Terrific Tofino: the Esowista Peninsula is perched in the edge of the North America Continent. Next stop Japan! At the north end of the Peninsula is the town of Tofino, located in a protected harbour. Just to the North, you will also find protected waters, and directly offshore is the Wild West Coast.

Photo, left, the beaches go on forever – Tofino BC, courtesy of Ron Kirstein.

The constant ocean surge in this area keeps the surf breaking on expansive white sandy beaches. In winter, waves can reach up to 50 feet in height! North of Tofino, you'll find the Ahousaht First Nations Community, Cougar Annie's Gardens and Hot Springs Cove, and just across the harbour you'll find Optisat First Nations Village on Meares Island.

Before you enjoy all the exciting tourist activities Tofino has to offer, you must first find a place to stay. Since nearly one million visitors flock to this paradise each summer, it is best to book in advance.

Activities in Tofino: whale watching is the first of the must do's while in Long Beach. Our guide was John Forde of the Whale Centre. A seasoned veteran in the whale watching business, he offers a number of other services as well, such as Hot Springs Cove tours, bear watching, bird watching, and fishing. Experience the thrill of seeing whales, otters, bears, and birds in their natural habitat of beautiful Clayoquot Sound. Cruise through the spectacular waters on John's 24' Boston Whaler, searching for Orcas, Humpback Whales, Sea Lions and Dahl's Porpoises. Approximately 18,000 Grey whales pass by Esowista Peninsula on their way to food sources along the North American coast to Alaska. John's a master skipper who knows the area like the back of his hand. For a 2-1/2 hour cruise, he manoeuvres his sturdy boat through the powerful water with the skill of an artisan, all the while providing a running commentary of what you're seeing. Prior to our trip we were treated to a slide show of some of John's best photos, elaborating on what was in store for our Eco-tour of the area. Don't forget your camera, binoculars and warm clothes!

Other Must Do Activities in Tofino:

Picture, right, the Boston Whaler – Tour Boat, (photo courtesy of John Forde.)

Surf: Try Surf Sister — Tofino's surfing school for women, and Live to Surf on the highway just before Tofino, where you can rent boards and get good info on the best waves in the area.

Hike: Lots of spectacular hiking trails in the Pacific Rim National Park. Go to the Park Interpretive Centre at Wichaninnish Beach to pick up trail maps and ask for suggestions.

Big Trees: Take a water taxi to Meares Island and take the boardwalk trail to some 'monster' trees.

Hot Springs Cove: Visit by boat or float plane. The naturally steaming hot springs are 2.4 km on a boardwalk from the docks. A great experience! There are two accommodations at Hot Springs Cove – The Inchanter ) and Hot Springs Lodge 1-866-670-1106

Beach Walks: Beachcombing, long walks, sunset watching, relaxing in the sun, listening to the waves – take your pick. There are miles and miles of white sand beaches.

Sea Kayaking: Try Tofino Sea Kayaking and paddle through the protected waters of Clayoquot Sound. Camp on sandy beaches and take in the wildlife.

Photo, left, a sea otter near Tofino, (photo courtesy of John Forde)

Fishing: Try deep-sea fishing or fish protected inlets. Bring your own boat or try one of the local charter companies such as Ospray Charters. Bear Watching: You have opportunities to see bears driving on the highway into Tofino, on backroad excursions, while kayaking (go at low tides), and on boat tours. Check out the Whale Centre for more info.

Native Canoe Experience: Check out Tla-ook Cultural Adventures.

Scuba Diving: Bring your own gear and charter a local boat.

Bird Watching: Check out “Just Birding”, a local bird watching company, or charter John Forde's Whale Centre. John has excellent knowledge of local birds.

Golf: Go to Long Beach Golf Course.

Ahousaht: Take the water taxi to this Native Village and walk the boardwalk trail.

Cougar Annie's Garden: Fly in to these exciting and unique horticultural gardens and learn about the history of this unique lady. Ocean Outfitters (250-725-2866) also provides day visits to Cougar Annie's garden on Wednesday and Sundays. Their boat departs Tofino at 10:00 am, returning at 4:00 PM. Tofino Air can fly you there (1-866-486-3247) Roy Vickers: Visit Roy's Eagle Aerie Gallery and check out the Native Art of world famous artist Roy Henry Vickers in the traditional cedar longhouse gallery in Tofino.

Ron Kirstein is the owner of a Canadian Travel & Tourism Web site (since 1995). Ron has travelled the length and breadth of Vancouver Island BC Canada in search of adventures – see – http://tourismmall.victoria.bc.ca/travelmagazine

Conde Nast Traveler ran its 18th annual Readers’ Choice Awards. Nearly 28,000 travellers voted and many familiar favourites still top the list. Singapore Airlines is again the 2005 #1 International Route Airline, and has led this category for 17 of the past 18 years (in 1994 Swissair took the top spot). San Francisco, the #1 US City, has also been #1 for 17 of the past 18 years (in 1992 Santa Fe won the honour). But there are some surprises too: New Orleans made the top ten cities list, which it has done consistently since Conde Nast Traveler’s first reader poll.

Below is a selection of the results for the top three winners in various categories.

• Top Cities – United States:
• 1. San Francisco, CA
• 2. Santa Fe, NM
• 3. Charleston, SC

• Top Cities – The Americas:
• 1. Vancouver
• 2. San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
• 3. Buenos Aires

• Top Cities – Europe:
• 1. Florence, Italy
• 2. Rome, Italy
• 3. Venice, Italy

• Top Cities – Asia:
• 1. Bangkok
• 2. Hong Kong
• 3. Singapore

• Top Cities – Africa/Middle East:
• 1. Cape Town
• 2. Jerusalem
• 3. Marrakech

• Top Islands – North America:
• 1. Vancouver Island
• 2. Kiawah, South Carolina
• 3. Nantucket

• Top Islands – Caribbean/Atlantic:
• 1. St. John
• 2. Bermuda
• 3. British Virgin Islands

• Top Islands – Pacific Rim:
• 1. Maui
• 2. Kauai
• 3. Bora Bora

• Top Islands – Europe:
• 1. Mykonos & the Cyclades
• 2. Majorca & Minorca
• 3. Sicily

• Top Islands – Asia:
• 1. Phuket
• 2. Bali
• 3. Mauritius

Early on in our Mexico experience, we still had not learned much Spanish. In fact, when we arrived, our huge Spanish vocabulary consisted of about two words: si and no. We were in Villahermosa for about a month before we felt comfortable in most situations and that was only because we were experiencing full immersion learning of the language.

One big encouragement to learning the language is that we ate in the hospital cafeteria three meals a day. Unfortunately, they did not eat at the times that we expected meals. So, for the first couple of days we made it to about one meal a day. I can tell you that an empty stomach is a strong reason to learn the language. During that early time, one lady asked my wife if she could use the bano. My wife, knowing that bano means the bath, told her that she could not use the bano until the next day. However, the lady was asking to go to the bathroom. She was not really interested in waiting until the next day!

While the local Mexicans were laughing at that, they told us about a minister that had come over from Florida and had the church service while he was there. He showed up late and told the people that he was muy embarasado for showing up late. Unfortunately the words for embarrassed and pregnant are very close. He had used the wrong one. We asked a lot of people and nobody could tell us what his sermon was about.

My father in law was driving down in Mexico as a tourist one time when he suddenly was stopped by soldiers at a check point. The soldier came up and forcefully asked him something in Spanish. My father in law was all flustered and blurted out, “No speaka de English!” The soldier laughed and waved him on. The problems work the other way too. I had a teacher in high school who was from Germany. He had been taught English from the time he was in grade school. However, some of the subtleties still escaped him. When he first came to the United States he was asked to introduce a speaker for some meeting. He told us that this lady was quite large. In fact she was very large. She was also fairly important. Her reputation was of being simply tremendous. So, he proceeded to introduce here like this: “I want to present to you a lady who is simply enormous.”

You might think that I am trying to tell you not to bother trying to learn or speak a foreign language. However, nothing could be further from the truth. I am trying to tell you that along the way you may give other people a good laugh. But it is a rare individual who will take offence at you slaughtering their mother tongue. And, you can take comfort in the fact that when you screw up, you are certainly not alone.

About the author: Ron McCluskey and his wife Larose are both physicians. Between the two of them they have done volunteer medical work on all continents except Antarctica. Because caring for people's physical needs opens up singular opportunities, they have been able to travel where most others could not. You may find more of their travel experiences at http://ilovetravelvacations.com

Three years or so ago I tried to visit Bali to do practice, but then the first bombings happened and it became impossible to get travel insurance, putting the kybosh on my trip.

This year I was luckier. Despite last years' bombing and some countries still having a travel warning against visiting Indonesia, I was able to go and do the two week workshop in Ubud with Dena. We stayed at Ananda Cottages a little way out of town. Our Shala was at the bottom of the grounds looking out onto beautiful green rice paddies, with ducks quacking away each morning as we did our practice. Twenty five of us from all over the world including UK, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Chile and Sweden all here to learn from one of the worlds best teachers. For 3 hours each morning and also a few afternoons we learned. Dena is very observant and makes small but highly significant changes to our postures, my Urdva Dhanurasana (Backbend) came on wonderfully.

I came mainly for yoga, but it would be a shame to travel the 7,755 miles from home (my ever handy GPS told me how far I had come) and not see something of this lovely island. One day a group of us set out to go Buddha hunting. Kiwi Julie has a new house and wanted a stone Buddha for her back garden, so we drove to a road full of stone carving places, where the choice of available Buddha's was overwhelming. The ironic thing was that it cost her more to ship him back to New Zealand than her Buddha cost. She is now waiting for the knock at the door, though think she will need some assistance to move the one metre high carving when he arrives.

Another day I went up to Danau Bratan in the north of the island to see the very picturesque temples, which are set on little islands in the lake. This is picture postcard Bali, and despite its popularity there were not that many people there. We also stopped at the Botanical Gardens for a wander round, but it was the wrong time of year for the orchids and the cactus house was locked up.

Ubud has lots to offer as well, the Monkey Forest has to be seen, if only for the silly tourists waving around bunches of bananas, being chased by the Macaque monkeys who know a free lunch when they see one. I saw an Aussie tourist try to hide a bunch in her rucksack only for an eagle eyed monkey to spot them and liberate them!

The town has lots of shops to wander round, including a few that sell very cheap cd's and dvd's. And when you get hungry Tutmak or the Bali Buddha are excellent, the Bali Buddha doubles as a health food shop that sells cakes and other goodies, the granola is to die for to the extent that I even carted two bags back home with me. A couple of afternoons we went on guided walks with Dena's husband Jack, out into the rice paddies that surround Ubud. Beautiful scenery with the palm trees being reflected in the water of the paddies in the late afternoon sunshine. Locals would shin up trees to pick coconuts for us and local artists would sell their works.

Bali is extremely cheap, to travel around, to eat and for souvenirs. The only downsides were the amount of mangy dogs and the constant harassment when wandering around town of people wanting to be your taxi drive, guide etc which gets very tiring.

Back at Ananda I enjoyed my practice, my back opened, my shoulders dropped and my mind was rested. Massage after practice each day, had un-knotted my shoulders. Calm, balance and contentment had returned.

The World's Ten Most Corrupt Leaders

• The term 'most corrupt leader' is defined as former political leaders who have been accused of embezzling the most funds from their countries over the past two decades.
• All sums are estimates of alleged embezzlement and appear in U.S. dollars.

Source: Transparency International Global Corruption Report 2004.

If you are going to go on budget holidays, but you’re well past using Greyhound as a single mean of travelling, finding good, but inexpensive lodging on the course of your travels may become a problem.

Those who found themselves sleeping in creepy dark closets that were advertised as “sunny inexpensive apartments” know that problem very well.

Fortunately finding good, but inexpensive lodging is still possible and in most cases it’s not even difficult. There are three main ways in which you can get it: Internet search, tourist boards and gossip.

Internet searches are the easiest and the most common method is just to go online and search for the hotels or hostels in the area. The best way is, however, not to use any search engine, but go for some dedicated lodging directory (in every even remotely popular holiday destinations there is at least one such website) and browse it carefully, looking for the cheapest offers. The strong point of this method is the fact that in most cases you will be able to see some reliable customers’ reviews. They will tell you more about general ambiance and quality of the place than anything else. What’s more, all the information you need are at the same website, saving you a lot of time and nerves.

“Rumor has it” – if for any reason you can’t find the information you need on the Internet, you can turn to your friends and workmates. Maybe someone has heard about a good lodging in the area or has even been there. While such information is usually somewhat outdated, they may be found helpful.

Tourist boards – when you are out of ideas, the last thing you can do is to contact the local tourist board. They will surely have the list of lodgings in their area and probably will be able to give you the contact information. In most cases being a member of a local tourist board gives a hotel some level or reliability – they will need to keep some standards or they risk being kicked off the board.

Mac has not been very well but is still e-mailing strong. Here are some of Mac's post war reminiscences about Guam. But first, here are some pictures paying homage to Mac, recognising all the e-mails he has sent the Beetle and how much he has contributed to the Globetrotter e-newsletter. From top left, going clock wise: Mac meeting Prince Charles when the Prince came to Washington earlier in 2006, next Mac's usual photo, then a more relaxed picture of Mac on an outing, and finally, Mac during WW2.

Guam: hafa adai – translation – it is raining again on Guam. Actually this is Guam's equivalent to Hawaii's greeting: aloha. Guam is 5,200 miles from San Francisco, 3,300 miles from Honolulu, 1,500 miles from Manila and 1,300 miles from Yokohama and eight hundred miles from the equator. It is kind of in the middle of nowhere. Now when you consider that Guam is only thirty miles long and eight miles wide at the widest, I am amazed our navigator found this little speck in this big ocean especially as there was a rumour that the navigator navigated by wetting his finder and holding it to the wind. Guam was the first and only US territory to be occupied by Japanese during World War II. The island was liberated in Aug 1944.

When I saw a sign in the Quonset hut terminal at Agana that read: “Those desiring transportation to Saipan report to the information desk,” I knew I was the South Pacific. We sped thorough Tote Village, Mong Mong, then Agana (pronounced (uh=gan-yuh) then past Tamuning, Dedeedo Village, Marbo there is an Armed Services PX, Magsaysay Village, Yigo and through the gates of Andersen AFB. (The Air Force Base is at one end of the island and the Navy Base is at other end of the island. There is a steady stream of traffic between the two as the Air Force thinks the Navy has better PX (Post Exchange – the place on a military base where you can buy everything from boots to baseballs) and the Navy thinks the Air Force has a better PX.

One of the attractions for a Guamanian to be in the service and stationed in Guam is that they can buy food in the commissary. The Guamanians in the service bought not only for themselves but for their relatives. It was only after I had been here a while that I understood the reason for the sign in commissary that read “Only eight chickens per person” I used to collect signs. Not the signs themselves but what was written on signs around the world as I am easily amused.

One of the Guamanians I worked with told me that when he got mad at his wife that instead of hitting her he goes out and hits his car. I noticed his car was kind of beat up but they all were there. They called a jeep a Guamanian Cadillac. We had an open air theatre we called the “Rain In” and some called the “Swim In”. Actually its name was “Sky View”. We even had a soft freeze ice cream stand where milk was brought over in powdered form and then recombined there. This stand opened at six thirty in the morning and at that time there was already a line waiting in the heat to get ice cream.

After a three week visit as a civilian at home I left McCool Junction, Nebraska once more in kind of a hurry. It was 27th Oct 1959. This was not by request of the sheriff but due to the urgencies of the service so packed in a hurry for Guam I packed overcoat, winter underwear and arrived in Guam sweating in my winter uniform.

My house was a three storied cement typhoon proof building with a balcony on both sides of the room. There were two doors on each side of room leading to balcony with three louvres instead of windows (wooden slats that can be opened and shut) so there is a lot of ventilation. When I checked in the commander told me to get some sleep after the long trip. Instead I decided to hitch hike around the island and see what it looked like. The guys in barracks told me to be sure and close the louvres before I took off. I was so anxious to see island that I forgot and it rained in on all the beds. It has only been recently that some of them have been speaking to me. Ha!

Each village had a religious festival that lasted two days on their villages feast day. Every house in town is open house then. Most of the cooking is done outside in a shed A Guamanian who had been in American military before he lost his leg picked me up hitch hiking and took me to his house where there was a christening. The host and hostess had been up since one o'clock preparing the pig and food. The baby was named Melchoir as he was born on the 6th of Jan and that is the Feast of The Three Men one of them named Melchoir. The other two were named Wilfred and Ivan. Tired from trip and without much sleep the drinks put me out. My host and friends put me in their car to take be back to the base. I woke up on way back and saw all these dark faces and forgetting I was in Guam wondered where in the hell I was and what I was doing there.

My new friends saw my puzzled look and told me what had happened and they invited me to visit them anytime I had time off. I would not have invited myself back but the Guamanians were very hospitable and liked the military.

A Guamanian lad with white shining teeth came up to me and took me around the different stand under the roofed market shed. He would say “this is winged beans” like our stringed beans but with four fins on each side, grown only on Guam. This is betel nut (a mild narcotic used in Indo China and that part of the world. I had seen it used in Thailand. It stains their teeth and lips. Women as well as men chewed it in the floating markets in Thailand)

We then came to a little girl about the same age as the lad and he said “this is Palau”. Palau is an island in the Carolinas and the little girl was from there. Everyone laughed including the little girl at the little boys joke. At one of the festivals I had coconut crabs. They are very like big lobsters in appearance but are difficult to find and are considered a delicacy. They are sometimes found in caves (along with Japanese soldiers that were still hiding there and did not know the war was over.)

They had a beer made from sprouts of coconut. It is called Tuba. I said the ex Guamanian GI that had picked me up the first day hitch hiking had a wooden leg. Rereading my diary notes, I see he was actually from Saipan. He had been in the Korean war and had a disability pension. He was hit in the groin and had an artificial sack for a bladder. He got $400 a month pension and had commissary privileges plus what he made from his boat fishing. They lived in the village of Toto. He had a doll of a little Guamanian wife. They lived in a Quonset hut but were building a new home.

For one meal when I visited and I did often, they had pork chops from the commissary, winged beans and rice. She was so glad I liked rice (and I do as it tasted better than our rice in the States or maybe it is my imagination.) They had two of his brother's children living with them island of Rota as Rota has no school. Students there went to a Catholic school and wore uniforms. Franciscan Capuchin Fathers were stationed in Guam.

The Diaz (another Guamanian family) had a different version of how Guam got its name. They said it was the Queen of England that gave them her name as she knew how embarrassing it was to be called the Island of Thieves. When Magellan landed, the natives swam out to the ship and took everything they could get their hands on so Magellan referred to the island as The Island of Thieves. Some Guamanians told me that the Guamanians had wanted to trade food for what they took but Magellan did not understand. We got Guam in kind of a sneaky way; during the Spanish American War one of our battleships came into the harbour and fired a shot at the Spanish f ort. The shot missed the Fort (that is the Navy for you) and the Spanish thought we were firing a salute. They had no gun powder to return the salute so they sent a messenger to try to find some powder. Embarrassing moments followed as the US troops landed and declared the island captured. I followed some years later.

If you would like to get in touch with Mac, he is happy to correspond by e-mail when he is well. His e-mail address is: <a macsan400@yahoo.com

You've heard it before, whether on a bus or a train, you'll soon be able to hear “hi, I'm on the plane” as people shout into their mobile phones; our friends Ryanair have announced a deal with communications joint venture OnAir to fit its aircraft with technology to allow passengers to use their mobile phones on planes. Another money spinning venture, Ryanair's entire fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft will allow passengers to call, text and email using their mobile phones, BlackBerrys and Treos by the beginning mid-2007. Rates are said to ” mirror international roaming charges.” Ryanair are still looking to introduce in-flight internet games and gambling.

As if Ryanair aren't proving 'no frills' to the extreme, they are now charging passengers for checking in baggage before flights. The charge for each item of luggage going in the hold is now £5 – £2.50 if notified before the day of travel. Ryanair justified this by saying that it was introducing the charge in an effort to reduce queues and airport handling costs. It said passengers carrying only hand luggage would avoid the extra fee and be able to check in online – reducing their overall ticket price by 9%. Earlier this year Ryanair said it hoped to encourage more people to travel on its flights with just hand luggage. “We have to be more creative as to how we tackle costs,” Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary said in January. Reducing airport and handling costs would also save Ryanair more than £20m over the current financial year, the company said.

Ever tried to buy one of the dirt cheap Ryanair tickets, only to find that your inside leg measurement isn't 31 ½ inches, you weren't born on 23rd April and your name doesn't begin with M?

Back in May, Ryanair was reprimanded by the UK's Advertising Standard Authority (ASA) over a “free tickets” offer. Ryanair advertised three million free tickets, as long as passengers paid taxes and other charges. The ASA said the advert misled, because the free ticket offer did not apply on Fridays and at some peak travel times. Ryanair argued back saying the advert was not misleading, as it stated the offer excluded major sporting events and holiday periods. Nevertheless, the ASA concluded the advert was “misleading” and told the firm to make clear “all significant exclusions to offers in the small print of future advertising”.

July Meeting News from London by Padmassana

As is our custom the July meeting was given over to club members to take us around the world in 90 minutes.

Africa was our first port of call as Sylvia Pullen took us to Ghana, with its Atlantic coast, old slave castles and fishing boats.

We hopped across the Atlantic as Liz Cooper showed us her trip to Cuba, we saw how farming is still done using oxen, but there is sport and education for all.

Back to Africa as Phil Ferguson took us to Senegal, lovely photos of the giant Pelicans.

East now to Turkey for Gavin Fernandes to show us the spectacular Solar eclipse and also pictures of all the people taking pictures of the eclipse.

Simon Banks took us into the break with his cycling trip around China, showing us the countryside and the markets, which are not for the squeamish!

After the break Katie Fahrland took us to the former Yugoslav countries of Croatia, and Bosnia, showing us how it has been rebuilt after the wars. The Mostar bridge now again attracting tourists.

Alex Mochnacz showed us the “Burning Man” festival held in the Nevada desert, with its enormous interactive works of art, culminating in the arts incineration.

Jacqui Trotter took us to Santorini, where she attended friends wedding on the volcanic isle with its white buildings providing the backdrop.

Malcolm Procter was last up showing us his trip to the Antarctic via Argentina, fantastically shaped ice formations and the ever so watchable penguins.

Many thanks to all those who made the last meeting of the season so interesting and enjoyable and to all those who make it happen.

Padmassana

London meetings are held at The Church of Scotland, Crown Court, behind the Fortune Theatre in Covent Garden at 2.30pm the first Saturday of each month. There is no London meeting in August, but we will be back in September. For more information, you can contact the Globetrotters Info line on +44 (0) 20 8674 6229, or visit the website: www.globetrotters.co.uk

June Meeting News from London by Dan James

Our first speakers this month were Katrina Manson and James Knight, who have just finished writing a new book on Burkino Faso for Brandt travel guides. While in the country Katrina and James were also working for the Reuters news agency and the BBC.

They showed us fascinating images of one of many of the horse festivals popular in the country where riders demonstrate their skills. At these meetings, which are attended by local chiefs as well as as those from neighbouring Mali, musicians sing songs which describe the history of the chiefs of the various clans – there are 60 ethnic groups in Burkino Faso.

While travelling around the country, Katrina and James hired a clapped-out old 4×4, soon discovering that once stalled was impossible to restart. As a result they often had to beseech local people to help them push start it. This led to a few hairy moments, most notably when they got stuck in an area heavily inhabited by lions, and another time when, in search of hippos (Africa’s single largest killer of humans), they drove into a lake and again had to be bailed out by helpful local people. During the experience they also saw how, in spite of supposedly being sacred, crocodiles are frequently hauled out of lakes by their tails, for the benefit of tourists such as themselves.

They also showed us harvest festivals where highly skilled dancers wear elaborate animal costumes and dance for the honour of the village and the chief. Dozens of chickens are sacrificed in order for witchdoctors to ascertain how lucky the village is going to be with the upcoming harvest.

Katrina and James explained how, intriguingly, Burkino Faso has a thriving film industry, with movies frequently shown at large outdoor cinemas.

The country is relatively stable compared to many of its neighbours, but still relies on foreign aid for 40 percent of its income. Its largest industries are cotton and gold, but old-fashioned technology means that these rarely manage to extend beyond cottage industry level. Thanks to government awareness campaigns it also has a very low rate of AIDS/HIV infection at around 2.8 percent, far below the rate of many other African countries.

The country is becoming more popular with tourists, many attracted by ancient, natural formations including peaks and domes in the northern part of the country close to the Sahara desert.

Our second speaker was Patricia Baker, who has also just written a book for Brandt, this time on Iran, a country she first visited in 1971. She continued to go to the country up until the Iran-Iraq war broke out in 1980 but was not able to return until 1993; now usually visiting twice a year.

Patricia showed us images of religious iconography including the beautiful glass and mirror work contained in many mosques, much of it many hundreds of years old. These included many images relating to the prophet Muhammad. She also displayed more modern depictions, including public posters, some referring to spiritual events.

She said the process of getting a visa for Iran can be very long-winded, but once inside the country, visitors are overwhelmed by the friendship, kindness and hospitality of the people. However, she warns those thinking of going to expect to be asked questions along the lines of: “Do you know Manchester? My brother is there.”

She also urged, with more than 20,000 recorded road fatalities every year, against driving in the country.

London meetings are held at The Church of Scotland, Crown Court, behind the Fortune Theatre in Covent Garden at 2.30pm the first Saturday of each month. There is no London meeting in August, but we will be back in September. For more information, you can contact the Globetrotters Info line on +44 (0) 20 8674 6229, or visit the website: www.globetrotters.co.uk

May 2006 London meeting

Despite competition from a giant elephant in Trafalgar Square and a spaceship near Waterloo, Globies was still packed this month.

Our first speaker this month was Sam Manicom who showed us his yearlong motorcycle journey down the eastern side of Africa from Egypt down to South Africa. Sam was both amazed and humbled by his experiences. Despite being arrested three times during his trip as well as falling off at regular intervals, he survived to reach South Africa. (www.sam-manicom.com)

After the break photographer Paul Harris showed us that being a commercial travel photographer is not just one long holiday. Paul’s talk was diverse taking in Chilean landscapes, Calcutta street kid projects and the shots he took during a bunjy jump downunder with his camera strapped to his hand.

By Padmassana

London meetings are held at The Church of Scotland, Crown Court, behind the Fortune Theatre in Covent Garden at 2.30pm the first Saturday of each month. There is no London meeting in August, but we will be back in September. For more information, you can contact the Globetrotters Info line on +44 (0) 20 8674 6229, or visit the website: www.globetrotters.co.uk

Meeting News from around he world

We used to have meetings in New York City and New Braunfels, Texas. Regrettably, after having done a superb job, neither organisers are able to give their time to Globetrotter meetings. If you are based in New York or New Braunfels and have the time to commit to pick up where our previous organisers left off, we'd love to hear from you – please see our FAQ or contact our the Branch Liaison Officer via our Website at Meeting FAQ. If you are based elsewhere and are interested in starting a branch of the Globetrotters, please feel free to contact us.

For information on Ontario meetings, please contact Svatka Hermanek: shermanek@schulich.yorku.ca or Bruce Weber: tel. 416-203-0911 or Paul Webb: tel. 416-694-8259.

Meetings are held on the third Friday of January, March, May, September and November. Usually at the Woodsworth Co-op, Penthouse, 133, Wilton Street in downtown Toronto at 8.00 p.m.

The Beetle recently spent a couple of weeks staying with her friend Nicola in a beautiful village outside Philadelphia. Nicola wrote this article about a trip to China in 2005 that was both work and leisure related. In this article, Nicola reflects on the conditions and people she met with and gives us a fascinating insight into China's geopolitics from a travel and work perspective.

China's rising thirst for oil has long caused consternation in the geeky circles of the oil industry, as most recognized some time ago that the growing band of Shanghainese abandoning bicycles for BMW's would mean a sharp rise in global petrol demand. With the world now well aware of this dilemma, the oil industry is pondering where it will find sufficient oil to meet China's needs.

On its western border, China is flanked by the oil rich nations of the Caspian Sea – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan – and most have assumed that these countries will export to China. Beijing's attempts to cosy up to its neighbours has been eyed warily by American, European and Japanese leaders who would also like to get their hands on Caspian Sea oil. Historians have noted that similarities with the 19^th century Great Game, a land grab between the Russian and English Empires.

For its part, China has pointed out that its energy position isn't as precarious as the outside world likes to think, that it in fact has vast untapped oil and gas resources in the Tarim Basin of it's far west Xinjiang Province. As is often the case in China, the easiest way to verify claims is to go see it!

Unfortunately, 270,000 km² of the Tarim Basin is covered by the Taklamakan Desert, a vast inhospitable shifting sand desert long the preserve of adventurers and eccentrics. Culturally a part of central Asia (one of our translators planned to marry a woman from nearby Tajikistan), the majority Uighur population of the region have an uneasy relationship with the Han Chinese. Younger Uighurs are clearly torn between the economic opportunities (such as rare non-agricultural jobs) that the Han Chinese offer and the security that traditional village leaderships represent. There are also signs of rising religious tensions, for instance, in Islamic graffiti on the walls of ancient Buddhist caves.

Most journeys into the desert begin in Urumqi, a modern city indistinguishable from any other second tier Chinese city. Though it formed part of the original Silk Road, a journey through the desert was long considered a death sentence, and it wasn't until 1995 that a highway was erected. Though the highway allows access to the amenities of the region's cities to the tiniest desert village, some villages chose to remain closed and the highway was evidently rerouted and the villages excluded from maps to accommodate this. Ironically, those who put great store in recreating ancient methods of traversing the desert (donkey, rickshaw, et al) also rely heavily on the “shamo gonglu” highway.

The five-day long drive through the desert is punctuated by the odd wild camel-sighting, sand storms, and stops at oasis towns. As in much of the Islamic world, the centre of patronage in each village is the mosque and the hub of activity is the market place. There you can see dried snakes curled around washing lines at a medicine stall (see photo entitled Market), super sweet unleavened cookies at another, and mounds of ripe watermelons. With colourfully festooned donkeys still the primary mode of transport, the towns have a medieval air.

There are also plentiful cultural activities along the route, including the remains of the “lost city” of Subashi, well-maintained mosques, and little visited museums – we had to wake the curator from a lunchtime nap to ask him to turn the lights on for us in one.

Lodging is, naturally, pretty basic, in an area where running water and electricity remain rare, and most families live with their animals in small brick and wattle courtyard houses. Camping in the desert was icy cold at night, but glorious sun rises over the dunes more than compensated.

Even for those lacking a focus for their trip (and yes, there were oil wells aplenty), the Taklamakan Desert is a fascinating journey, a great place to challenge your assumptions about the influence of the modern on ancient cultures and to feign life as an adventurer for a little while.

About the author: Nicola Kerslake has travelled and worked in Asia, Europe and the US, and has written extensively on China's oil industry. If you would like to get in touch with Nicola, the Beetle will pass across any messages.

Stuck between two very large local ladies with a yard of wet fish draped across my legs, gave a moment to ponder on an extremely different day out that I had just enjoyed!

We had been filming a feature film (partly financed by C4) for about five months on location in Maputo, in the very lovely but battle scarred Mozambique. As happens on most features there sometimes comes a small problemette, a hiatus or in other words, 'The shit hits the fan' and the company needed 'time out'. So the Brazilian Production Manager said, “Be a good 1st Assistant Director and organise the foreign crew a fun day out and I will give the locals paid leave whilst things are sorted out”.

The total crew of 200 was very large but the foreign contingent consisted of Kenyans, Zimbabweans, French, South African, English, Irish, Brazilian, and American. The language of the 'Set' was Portuguese, French and English, but that in itself was another story!

So I set about planning a day out, away from Maputo, in a very different environment, that I hoped, would let them all enjoy themselves and forget about filming for the time being. The plan was to take a trip aboard a large public water bus that would take us down to the mouth of the river and on to an idyllic island where there were wonderful golden beaches, lovely coves and most importantly a great fish restaurant. The sun decided to make the day as perfect as possible and as I went down to the harbour, my spirit was high in spite of a few deserters. For example: the Brazilian Director of Photography said, “I don't want to be away, when the politics are flying around in three languages”!

Finally we were on our way, our multicoloured, multiracial and multilingual crew, packed like a tin of Sardines aboard the boat. This was Sunday and everyone else in Maputo seems to have had the same idea. The two hour trip ended and we dropped anchor off this fantastic island, all started to dive of the boat and swim to the golden beach, anticipating the great day of pleasure to come.

Suddenly soldiers appeared and demanded to see everybody's papers. I began to have a premonition that things might be working out a little different to my plan. So before the soldiers stopped any of the crew without their passports – I went up to the Sgt. And said in my best Portuguese, “I am looking forward to a wonderful Sunday on your lovely island”. It was as if I had dropped a bomb. “What!? No papers” said the Sgt. “Arrest them all”. “Take them to jail and I'll phone HQ”. No amount of pleading could change his mind. We tramped up the beach surrounded by an armed guard, towards the middle of the island and he explained that he had been alerted about a South African commando group that might try to infiltrate his position and take the Island. I looked at my motley crew plus French lead Alex Defcaf and the two new actor arrivals from the UK, Peter Postlethwaite and Struan Rodger. Nothing I thought could look less than a commando group. The gorgeous South African continuity girl in her bikini meanwhile whispered in my ear for me to remember she wanted me to say she was French. A soldier and the female Sound Mixer from England were having a discussion in broken Portuguese, on the merits of various famous Alto Sax players. The Sgt. Pointed at the black French Actor and demanded as to why he did not speak Portuguese – “He is a Parisian” I said, which seemed to satisfy him! I quickly got my cast and crew into a group and told the Sgt. we would not enter his dark, damp jail but would sit in a group outside in the sun, under guard while he phoned his HQ. Speaking to my group in their various languages, telling them that the company would buy them the best lunch possible in the restaurant to make up for their spoilt day! The Sgt. began to be more confused and said. “”I'm beginning to believe you, as I cannot imagine a 'guerrilla group' not being able to speak the same language”. A soldier was chatting up the black accountant from Kenya and though she only spoke English, they seemed to be getting on splendidly. All this time there had not been one whinge from any of the cast or crew even though their day out was passing by fast. All were communicating in some friendly way or other and the soldier's discipline went out the window as all started mingling outside the jail.

Finally the Sgt. got word: HQ asked “Were the people very strange? Yes” said the Sgt. “Then it really is a film crew “said HQ. From then on things got better and better. The Soldiers escorted us to the best beach via the restaurant for us to place our order for a magnificent lunch courtesy of the film company.

So after a rather strange start, we had some great swimming in that clear blue water, followed by an awesome fish lunch, washed down by very good white wine. Then back to boat, sailing homewards as a fantastic African sunset spread across sky. The motley band were all over the boat, enjoying themselves in their different ways ; while I was sitting quietly in the stern surrounded by a group of large local women. They squashed all around me, and I of course, had to help when one of them needed to feed her baby – So that's how I came to have a large fish across my knees as the boat docked. The cast and crew went passed me, as I held the fish and the baby and I heard a voice remark; “I'd say that was definitely a different day out”.

About the author Tony Annis: Have camera will travel. Over the top but not yet over the hill. Past sixty five and still alive, my get up and go has not entirely got up and gone – like good whisky, I'm still going strong. Travelling through these global villages of ours is great adventure but to me it is the people that make this wonderful world, as well as the exotic places that I love to visit. See you over the next horizon, Tony.

The Camino de Santiago is a pilgrimage to the sacred tomb of Saint James located in the Northwest corner of Spain. Over a thousand years separate those first faithful footsteps and the steady stream of 21st-century pilgrims that currently wander the streets of Santiago de Compostela. The key to survival is adapting to change and over the last millennium the Camino and pilgrims have transformed in many ways.

In 1993, UNESCO declared the Camino de Santiago a world heritage site. It starts from the boarder of France and works it way west to the city of Santiago de Compostela covering some 750 kilometres. Originally, pilgrims had to navigate their way using the sun, moon, stars, and even the Milky Way. Getting lost was part of the journey. Today, the trail is so clearly marked that losing your way is not really an option. With shiny traffic signs, brass and tile scallop shells, and the distinct yellow arrows you'll always be pointed to Santiago.

The oldest documentation of the Compostelana, the official certificate of having completed the pilgrimage, was delivered to André le Breton in the Capilla del Rey de Francia and dates back to 1321. Almost 700 years later, you can still request the Compostelana certificate, complete with your name in Latin. To be eligible you must have either walked or ridden a horse for the last 100 kilometres or bicycled the last 200 kilometres. The demand for this document has grown such that there is now a special Pilgrim's Office that will attend to your petition.

In the 12th Century, a French Monk named Aymeric Picaud wrote a comprehensive book detailing the route from the French border to Santiago de Compostela. This was actually the first guidebook ever written and recommended safe havens to sleep and eat, warned of potential dangers, such as thieves and bandits, and described the various monuments, relics, and holy sites that were along the way. The Codex Calixtinus broke up the Camino into 13 convenient stages that covered the entire 750 kilometres in less than 2 weeks. Today, you still see pilgrims thumbing through their guidebooks looking for all sorts of practical information regarding accommodations, restaurants and explanations of the countless sights. The books are also filled with more modern conveniences, such as Internet cafes, pharmacies, and swimming pools! However, the biggest difference now is that most books recommend the crossing of Spain in a less exhausting 30 days to reach Santiago.

To accommodate for the faithful and weary in the middle ages, albergues or shelters were created along the route and sponsored by the Church, nobles, and royalty. Here travellers could rest their tired bones on a bed of straw, perhaps warm themselves by a fire, and have a sip of wine. In the 21st century, there continues to be a network of public albergues run by the government and private associations related to the Camino. These places are in high demand in the summer and are fitted with rows and rows of bunk beds, showers (some even with hot water) and perhaps a small kitchen to receive you after a long day of walking. And, yes, you'll still find a sip of wine!

Upon arriving to the great Cathedral of Santiago, medieval pilgrims would break down with tears of joy as they finally reached their destination. Overwhelmed from surviving their journey, they would embrace the statue of Santiago and give thanks for their arrival. Today, the emotions still run high. Pilgrims, who were previously strangers, hug and cry as they make their way into the Plaza Obradoiro and share that first look of the Cathedral's ornate Baroque façade. Together they wait nervously in line to give the Apostle a hug and perform the required pilgrim, just as millions of pilgrims have done before.

Despite a thousand years, the Camino de Santiago remains and its pilgrims continue to flow into Santiago. The Camino is an unforgettable experience that creates a special bond and camaraderie among all those who have walked it. In a world where things change so quickly, the Camino de Santiago is so refreshing as things really haven't changed so much after all!

About the author: my name is Alex Chang and I first walked the Camino de Santiago in 1999. You could say it was a life changing experience. Since then, I became a tour guide and have led over 40 groups (some 500 pilgrims) along the Way with various tour companies. Year after year, it has been amazing to repeatedly see the effect the Camino has on touching people's lives. It truly is a magical experience. Born and raised in the United States, I am lucky to call two places home as I have been living in Spain for over seven years. Alex currently owns a tour company based in Bilbao, Spain that offers small group walking tours along the Camino de Santiago, the Basque Country, and Andalucia, Spain. He can be contacted by e-mail: info@frescotours.com or visit his website: www.frescotours.com

RIDDLE: What do Schultz's 1000 Places [worldwide] to See Before You Die, Villani's 100 Best Art Towns in America, the American Association of Retired Person's list of the 15 best retirement towns in the US, and Time's list of the 5 best repertoire theatres in America have in common?

ANSWER: Ashland, Oregon

EXPLANATION: Population 20,000 (6000 university students). Nine theatres and sixty art and antique galleries in a scenic valley with year-round outdoor recreational opportunities draw 500,000 tourists a year, 25 per resident compared with 4 per resident to London.

On Interstate 5, 350 miles north of San Francisco, 300 miles south of Portland, an anomaly among the dairy farms, fruit orchards, vineyards in and between the Cascade and Siskiyou mountains that forms the Rogue Valley. It began as a stage stop, became a timber, mining and railway town, and has taken on a New Age ethos. Weather is generally mild, although summer days can be hot. Precipitation averages 19″ per year almost entirely between December and February.

The downtown (all eight blocks) could serve as the set for Our Town. It centres on the block-on-a-side triangular Plaza and adjacent Lithia Park, which becomes more natural as one follows its creek into the mountains. Only one building is over three stories; it and 28 others are on the National Register of Historic Places. The town owns both a fibre optic network and a ski resort at nearby Mt. Ashland. A commission awards a bronze plaque to the “tree of the year.” There never will be a shopping mall in Ashland. McDonalds went broke.

Not that you will starve. Do not limit yourself to the Plaza, East Main and North Main. There are 90-odd restaurants (an astounding one per 225 residents): usually two or more choices for most cuisines including Chinese, Deli, English, French, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Seafood, Spanish, Thai, and Vegetarian as well as bakery, coffee, fast food, ice cream and sandwich shops and microbreweries, pubs and sports bars. Several have been featured in Gourmet Magazine.

You won't have to camp out (although you can). However, reservations are essential despite over sixty B&B's in turn-of-the-century Craftsman and Victorian homes that characterize the town and some twenty hotels and motels, including several in the downtown area.

The Shakespeare Festival is the big draw. Each February through October 60-70 actors backed by 400 staff (50 costumers alone) offer about 775 performances of eleven plays in three theatres. The goal is “fresh and bold interpretations of classic and contemporary plays in repertory, shaped by the diversity of our American culture, using Shakespeare as our standard and inspiration.” It started in 1935 when Angus Bowmer, drama teacher at the then state normal school proposed using the town's abandoned Chautaqua to stage Merchant of Venice and Twelfth Night. The town council stipulated boxing matches to cover the expected deficit, hoping Bowmer would not accept such an undignified linkage. Bowmer found the idea in keeping with the bawdiness of Elizabethan theatre and accepted. Ironically, the plays covered the deficit of the boxing. The Festival has continued ever since, with a few years off while Bowmer served in World War II. In 2007, the Festival will present As You Like It, On the Razzle (a variation on The Matchmaker aka Hello Dolly), The Cherry Orchard, Gem of the Ocean, and Tartuffe in the modernistic Bowmer. Three new American plays, Rabbit Hole, Tracy's Tiger, and Distracted will be in the intimate New Theatre. Romeo and Juliet, Taming of the Shrew, and Tempest will be in the half-timbered, outdoor Elizabethan.

There are half-a-dozen other theatres in town, about a dozen live music venues, and a band shell in Lithia Park where events are frequent. The Brit Festival in nearby Jacksonville features internationally known blues, folk, jazz, popular, operatic and symphonic artists. The January Blues Festival, February Nature Film Festival, March Chocolate Festival, April Independent Film Festival, May Mountain Bike Festival, June “Feast of Will,” July Independence Day celebration, August book fair for local authors, September Flea Market, October Halloween Parade, November Festival of Lights, and December Dickens dinner and carolling reflect some of Ashland's many personalities.

Ski day or night, snowboard, ice skate, skateboard, bicycle, swim, play tennis, golf, or volleyball in season. Run with the Hash House Harriers. Joust with the Society for Creative Anachronism. Take in the Schneider Art and Science Works museums. Explore antique shops, art galleries, and boutiques. Indulge yourself at one of five spas. Spend a quiet hour or two in the town or university library. There are three book publishers and half a dozen booksellers-no chains of course.

Take a backstage tour. Bring a picnic to the free “Green Show” of music and dance just before summer evening plays. Come during the June Hot Air Balloon Festival in Grants Pass, or in September for the Pendleton Rodeo, and make a day trip to Crater Lake. Visit the town's two wineries-and others in the surrounding Rogue Valley Appellation. Artisanal foods, particularly cheeses, chocolates and fruits are popular gifts. Raft, kayak, or jet boat the Rogue River, itself divided into wild, scenic, and recreational sections. Fish, sail, or swim the local lakes. Hike part of the 4400-kilometre Pacific Crest Trail that runs along the southern edge of town north to Canada or south to Mexico.

Photo credits: Photos 1 and 4 courtesy of Ashland Chamber of Commerce. Photos 2 (T. Charles Erickson) and 3 (David Cooper) courtesy Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

About the author: David is professor emeritus of Behavioural Science and of Humanities, California State University, and author of over 100 books and articles including Why We Fight: Theories of Human Aggression and Conflict (2005). He has been a Fulbright Scholar in Cyprus and Ukraine, a Malone Scholar in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, worked in Australia, Singapore, and Morocco, and visited over 100 countries. He is co-founder and treasurer emeritus of Wildlife on Wheels, which provides live wild animal education programs to 100,000 Los Angeles basin children each year. He is married and has one child. Picture was taken of David and his family in the Raffles, Singapore (which is not the place it used to be, unfortunately.)

For more information, see: www.ashland.or.us or www.ashlandchamber.com, www.abbnet.com (B&B's), www.sorc.com (hotels and theatres). www.filmsite.org/afi100films.html (film festival), and www.osfashland.org (Shakespeare Festival). Information is readily available f rom a booth on the Plaza during the summer and all year from the local newspaper or the Chamber of Commerce is off the Plaza.