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.
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Answers to Flag Quiz
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| 1 Bahamas | 2 Brazil | 3 Croatia | 4 Germany | 5 Iceland |
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We don’t have any information for upcoming meetings, but if you would like to attend a New Braunfels Globetrotters meeting, or obtain information about the Texas Branch: please contact texas@globetrotters.co.uk or register for email updates at our website (click here) or call Christina at 830-620-5482
If anybody would like to enquire about meetings or help Christina, please contact her on: texas@globetrotters.co.uk
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Complaints from international visitors to the United States about hostile treatment by immigration officials have prompted them to clean up their act, the official in charge of border controls has said. The complaints, many from Britons travelling for business or pleasure have forced the agency to institute a code of conduct to ensure officers treat visitors with respect. Complaints had come from all over the world, but the department was particularly struck by the number from Britain. One of the major issues is said to be the handcuffing, detention and deportation of some potential visitors who had committed “minor technical visa violations” previously, such as briefly or unwittingly breaching a 90 day permission to stay. “While we must — and will — secure our border against terrorists, we must treat all travellers professionally and courteously,” said the agency.
But meanwhile…
By subjecting most visitors to scans of their faces and fingers, the United States will this week expand a mass surveillance system that threatens freedom and race relations, a privacy watchdog says.
Now most visitors entering the United States will have to put each index finger in turn on a glass plate that electronically scans it, and to have a digital photo taken.
The United States says its US-VISIT program — already in place for travellers requiring visas and now being rolled out more widely — will add an average of just 15 seconds to entry checks and will enhance security.
It says the biometric data will be stored in databases, along with personal information such as full name, date of birth, citizenship, sex and passport number, and can be accessed by border, consular, immigration and law enforcement officials.
London-based rights group Privacy International said in a recent report that the scheme relied on flawed technology and opaque, error-strewn watch lists on which innocent people could find themselves wrongly identified as security threats.
Ryanair are advertising jobs: http://www.careerjet.co.uk/jobs_ryanair.html We at Globetrotter Towers are idly wondering whether benefits include free flights located in the bathroom.
New routes added Ryanair airline announced last month it would begin flying on Oct. 31 to Riga from London, Frankfurt, Germany, and Tampere, Finland, after the Latvian government cut airport taxes in an attempt to lure more tourism and make Riga International Airport a regional hub. It is Ryanair's first venture into one of the 10 new European Union member states. Commentators have wryly noted that it is not clear who is most excited about the new route into Riga, travellers into Riga or Latvians looking to travel out. Uhh… didn't Michael O Leary say that Ryanair would not be expanding into the new EU accession countries?
No unions, please Ryanair is about to get into another spat, this time with SAS. Ryanair is not unionised and promises to pay more than union rates if its employees negotiate their contracts directly with the company rather than join unions for collective bargaining. Most SAS workers do belong to a union. Swedish trade union HTF recently handed out sick bags to passengers flying on Ryanair from Nykoping, what Ryanair refer to as Stockholm, some 160 km south west of Stockholm as part of a wider campaign organized by the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF). The white bags were printed with claims that Ryanair staff had to work longer and for lower pay than rivals. Speaking at a Stockholm press conference, Chief Executive, Michael O'Leary said that Ryanair paid more on average to staff and that its rules on the maximum hours staff could work were the strictest in the industry. “We are an embarrassment to a lot of trade unions,” he went on to say. According to O’Leary, Ryanair staff earn an average of EUR50,582 a year, more than staff at airlines where staff are unionized, O'Leary added. O'Leary also said Ryanair would sue Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter unless it retracted reports critical of some aspects of Ryanair's safety record.
Yet more pay as you go service Ryanair has been looking for ways to introduce new services they can use to boost revenues while keeping fares low. Their latest attempt is to introduce in-flight entertainment such as movies, chart videos, cartoons and sitcoms on all its flights, but passengers will have to pay GBP£5, EUR7 (USD$9) per flight if they want to access movies, cartoons and television shows on the portable units, which will not be built into seats as on full-service carriers. Ryanair said the system will be trialled initially on five Stansted based aircraft from November. If successful, it will gradually be rolled out across the airline's entire fleet over the winter. Ryanair needs three percent of its passengers to use the units to cover its costs. Each plane will initially carry 24 entertainment units which would be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. The units, which look like a small laptop, are the brainchild of former aircraft baggage handler Bill Boyer who sold the idea to his then employer, Alaska Airlines.
Boyer later founded APS, based in the industrial city of Tacoma, south of Seattle. Ryanair is now APS's biggest customer.
The entertainment units are Ryanair's latest push to tap new sources of non-ticket revenue. Ryanair passengers are also charged for drinks and food. “At the moment the ice is free, but if we could find a way of targeting a price on it we would,” O'Leary earlier told an airlines conference.
And finally… their blurb about themselves, Ryanair describe themselves as being like superman, up, up and away, they say. It took us a week to stopped laughing, and if you don’t believe us, take a look at this: http://www.ryanair.co.uk/about/abouthome.html
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After a long trip via Kuala Lumpur and Phnom Penh finally got to Siem Reap. After dumping luggage straight out to Angkor Wat, spectacular place and surprisingly not many tourists. I had a driver and guide to myself, which meant we went at my pace as I was really tired. Luckily my driver provided endless bottles of cold water, as we wandered around the ruins. I got back to hotel and slept for 12 hours!
Interesting hotel breakfast including croissant, bacon and chips! I think they had better get a bigger tea urn with me in residence though! Went out to Angkor Thom, again very nice, but agree with you (Beetle) that Ta Prom is wonderful out in the forest with the jungle threatening to take over, a truly wonderful place. Went up to see the sunset from a temple on top of a hill, but clouds arrived so had to go back down. It’s the rainy season just beginning in middle of May and we had a big thunderstorm last night.
Then next day went to
Banteay Srei, 30km from Siem Reap, quite interesting,
especially with a musical accompaniment provided by a band of
land mine victims. Also took in some other temples as
well Ta Keo and Banteay Samre. A free afternoon after
that, so I spent it exploring Siem Reap, a typical backpacker
town, good fun and they have cheap CD shops. Lots of
souvenirs available, but only bought a few.
This was a great time to visit, as there were very few tourists, you could see everything and take photos without heads bobbing up in the way.
I wanted to go up in the static balloon over Angkor Wat, but I had to abandon that as we had a spectacular thunderstorm last night, so had a Thai massage instead while the heavens opened.
I was due to just transit Phnom Penh, but Malaysian Airlines cancelled my flight and put me on a later one, so rather than get bored in an airport for 6 hours my Angkor guide rang his mate in Phnom Penh, who picked me up from the airport and got me round the major sights in 3 hours, phew – the time I had between arriving at the airport and leaving for KL. I visited the Royal Palace, which was closed, the National Museum, which was good as it has some of the carvings that are missing from Siem Reap, then to Wat Phnom and to Tol Sluong genocide museum and killing fields, which is gruesome, but has to be seen. I will never forget the “Skull map” of Cambodia or the cabinets full of skulls.
If you would like to contact Padmassana, he can be e-mailed on: Padmassana@globetrotters.co.uk
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Here’s a little Beetle quiz based on capital cities. See how many you get right! Go on, have a guess!
What is the capital city of the following countries:
For the answers, see at the end of the e-newsletter.
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he original author of Lonely Planet Cuba announces the launch of Cuba-Pictures.com, a 14-page collection of 126 travel photos of Cuba. All photos in this picture gallery are by David Stanley, who researched and wrote the first two editions of Lonely Planet Cuba, published in 1997 and 2000. Stanley first visited Cuba in 1975, and over the next four years he represented a Canadian tour company on Isla de la Juventud, at Varadero, and in Havana. Since then, he has revisited Cuba dozens of times.
A few of Stanley’s photos originally appeared in Lonely Planet Cuba, while the rest are published here for the first time. They offer a cross section of Cuba, with the emphasis on “real Cuban life” rather than the artificial world of tourism. The images are intended to convey the atmosphere of some very special places, and the warm, friendly people who call Cuba home.
Each page of pictures provides an introduction to a specific area, and all photos are fully captioned. The site also features a map of Cuba, a shopping mall with Cuban music, guides, and films, and a selection of travel links. http://www.cuba-pictures.com is now open to visitors.
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If you have a travellers tale that your aching to tell. Then why not visit the “Travel Sized Bites” section of the Website and share it with the world. Travel Sized Bites
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Near the Serpentine in Hyde Park, London, a place the Princess was always being seen in, not far from her home in Kensington Palace, Kensington Gardens. The water ran and sparkled like a running summer brook through the marble stone and in other parts of this architectural Memorial the water was nearly still as a pond in a country village.
The Queen gave her speech, the VIP’s looked on, the press took pictures, the TV Cameras rolled – all looked pristine and somewhat cold in the Memorial empty of people.
The ceremony over, it opened to the public and
suddenly it became what it was meant to be. The sun
shone, the temperature soared, the people filled the
memorial, people from all walks of life and different parts
of the world; dipping their feet and walking in the cool
water.
Princess Diana was the “People’s Princess” and this water feature perfectly matches and catches her soul especially when full of visitors, whether they be locals or tourists, rich or poor.
The perfect opening day was spoilt by a storm the next day that not only blew some trees down but also masses of leaves that blocked the drains and flooded the whole place. We have a problem in Britain with leaves! In most autumns they land on the rails and cause chaos on the railways and nothing ever seems to fix this problem. It also seems we always have problems with new constructions! The words bridge and wobbling come to mind!
However it is a great success and it will reopen in the not too distant future and I think: no, I’m sure Princess Diana will be looking down and smiling on seeing the enjoyment on the faces of the people below as they stroll and paddle about this relaxing place on a sunny afternoon.
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The winner of last month's Moon Guidebook on Peru is: Jane Thomas congratulations!
This month, win a Moon guidebook on Acadia National Park. See www.moon.com for info on Moon guide books.
Some people have said the quiz is difficult, we say do some research: try google.com or Ask Jeeves, if you need help with the answers.
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I was pretty taken with Cefalù. I had not expected it to have retained such charm since its advent to practically every tour firm’s brochure. My one disappointment was quite a major one, that the lovely cathedral, with mosaics older than those at Monreale [though nothing like as many,] was undergoing repair, a place of noise and dust with little mosaic actually showing. Never mind, you can’t win ’em all! Somehow I missed the quickest way to the bus for Castelbuono and I arrived in time to see the back of it as it left. It was right by the train station and, as Castelbuono was the very first stop and a train was almost due, I was not too worried. In fact my only worry was during the short train journey when I realised I had not validated my ticket! Fortunately nobody had told me that the station was nowhere near the town and that the walk was up a very long and pretty steep hill. I only had seconds to worry about this, as the fellow passenger who told me went on to offer a lift. We can have been only a little behind the bus!
My lift was to the tourist office who started to look for somewhere for me to stay that night. I quite fancied the idea of a b&b for a change and the price sounded OK until they phoned back to all but double it as I was on my own. No good. The next attempt was the only hotel in the little town, as far as I know, the Ariston. This was remarkably cheap and I left my luggage at the tourist office to carry on uphill to the castle before dropping down to the Ariston. The view, both of the town below and of the hills of the interior in the other direction confirmed the impression that it would be a good walking centre. However there was no time to weigh that up with only two nights left. I returned to the Ariston and the very cheap price came to seem explicable. The receptionist was playing cards with a couple of friends – they called to mind Manet’s famous painting in the Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House, London. Shortly after he had given me the key I heard them – all – leave the hotel and that was it. There was nobody else in the hotel from then until I left in the morning. I do not remember the name of the place where I ate. I suppose you might call it an Italian fast food joint but it was just what I needed – fast indeed but remarkably friendly. I should go again – just above the arch on the right if you want to find it!
So back in the morning to Cefalù on the bus to catch the train on along the coast. I had by now what I thought was probably a pipedream, that it would be great to take a boat out to one of the Aeolian Islands for a couple of hours if timetables permitted – and they seemed to. This time the mistake was not my fault. The departure board in the station had been changed from the time-table from the tourist office and I had to wait well over an hour for the next train – and pay extra for the privilege because it was called an express. It would hardly be reasonable for an Englishman to complain about the train service anywhere but this was actually as bad as ours at near their worst.
Thus I arrived at Milazzo very uncertain whether it was going to be possible to do anything. I discovered that by taking an aliscafo [hydrofoil] I could get just about an hour on Lípari. I am and I was very aware that an hour on Lípari is absurdly insufficient. On the other hand it was nearly an hour more than nothing and allowed a sight of Vulcano on the way – and the sea was like a mill pond. There was really no contest in my mind; I went and I am glad I did – though I should certainly like to go again for longer and see some of the other islands as well.
After the trip, reported in the next edition, I was rather too tired to walk up to the castle at Milazzo but it looked striking enough towering over the town. I was there at a time when the industrial smoke said to spoil the town so badly was absent and it seemed a good place. I stayed at the Central in the Via del Sole, an ordinary little place with shared bathrooms, cheaper but otherwise much the same as several others. I ate at a sort of shop/cafe at the far end of town from a wonderful spread of antipasti type dishes – very cheaply indeed.
David was a keen walker, particularly on mountains before he developed serious heart problems in 1995. He has now adapted his holidays to what he is able to do and we are presenting his account of 12 days in Sicily over this and the coming months. Next two episodes: Palermo.
Next episode – Aeolians , Messina, Taormina.
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What's your score?
0 out of 5 – you need to get out more!
1-3 – not bad
4 – very good! You are a Globetrotter!
5 – are you sure you didn’t sneak a look?
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Planning a
visit to London or already live in London or visit, well,
Gordon regularly hosts get togethers for visitors and local
people alike to go to the theatre and concerts, sometimes
free and sometimes at reduced cost. He also hosts
suppers at selected restaurants – the picture shows a group
of Gordon’s friends.
To join Gordon’s friends’ group, click on this link:
Gordon's friends
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Due to popular demand, we have included the answers to last month’s Travel Quiz.
We are inundated each month by people entering the quiz, and receive many correct submission answers.
Our webmaster collates all of the correct answers into a draw, and the Beetle selects a number at random.
1. The Incas were defeated by conquistadores from which country in 1533? A: Spain
2. The population of modern day Peru is around 8 million, 18 million or 28 million? A: 28 million
3. Cuy is a local speciality – what type of animal is it? A: Guinea pig
4. Maria Reiche was an expert on which lines in Peru? A: Nazca Lines
5. How many countries does Peru have international borders with? A: five
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Rajasthan is a land where the vagaries of nature have settled to co-exist with the good cheer of its people. The architectural grandeur of royalty and the tales of valour and chivalry are the essence of its very spirit. Rajasthan is a destination that enchants the visitor with every little discovery that is made, because the more one discovers, the more is the urge to stay on or come back. It offers a unique destination for anyone’s holidays.
Jaipur, the first planned city of historic India, better known as the pink city and the Venice of east is a perfect combination of old and modern architect of India. Pushkar is your host for rural, religion and culture of the region. The Thar Desert tells a story of men living in harmony with a hostile nature. It is not deserted but contains a complete philosophy to live with the nature. Ranthambore presents an opportunity for viewing wild life as you can experience the first hand the habitat of the king of the forest the tiger. The following ‘tour’ is in two parts but shows how you can easily explore parts of Rajasthan.
Jaipur, popularly known as the Pink City, was
founded in 1727 AD by the Maharaja of Amber Sawai Jai Singh.
This remarkable city is considered a marvel of town planning.
Designed in accordance with ancient Hindu treaties on
architecture, the Silpa Shastra, Jaipur follows a grid system
and is encircled by a fortified wall. The palace lies
in the heart of the city and occupies the space of the
central grid. The rest of the grids were cut across neatly by
wide lanes, which divided the area into tidy, well laid-out
rectangles of commercial and residential use. The fortified
wall has eight gates (originally had seven) and was built for
protection against invading armies and wild animals. Today
the city has spread beyond these walls and reached
neighbouring towns and continues to grow.
The city Palace complex is the most important landmark with its numerous outbuildings, courtyards, impressive gateways and temples. Occupying one seventh of the walled city area, the city palace houses the seven storied Chandra Mahal (residence of the royal family), Mubarak Mahal, the Diwan-I-Am, and Diwan-I-Khas. The museum houses a rare collection of arms, carpets, costumes, paintings and royal paraphernalia. A notable exhibit is a pair of pure silver containers, which are the largest single pieces of silver in the world.
Across the road from the palace is the JANTAR MANTAR, one of the five observatories built by Sawai Jai Singh, this one is the latest and the best preserved. A collection of complex astronomical instruments chiselled out of stone – most of which continue to provide fairly accurate information to this day – is the highlight of the observatory.
This adjoins the outside of the palace wall. Built in 1799 this pink seven storied building overlooks one of the main streets and also provides some excellent views of the city. Dedicated to the lord Krishna, it is shaped like a crown, which adorns the Lord’s head. It has over 900 niches and is quite an unusual structure the likes of which are not to be found anywhere else in the world.
Set in a picturesque location, Amber is a fascinating blend of Hindu and Muslim architecture. Built in the 16th century by Raja Man Singh, it sprawls on the hillside. Built in red sandstone and white marble, the palace complex has some very interesting apartments, the likes of which are not to be found anywhere else in the country. Jai Mandir, Sheesh Mahal, Sukh Niwas, Ganesh Pol are some of the prominent areas of interest. The old township of Amber lies at the foothills of the palace and has an Old World charm, a character of its own.
Held at Pushkar near Ajmer once in a year,
better known by the name of Pushkar Cattle Fair, is one of
the most colourful festivals of India. Thousands of pilgrims
come to bathe in the holy water of the Pushkar Lake. Legend
has it that the lake appeared miraculously on the spot, where
the petals of the lotus fell from the hands of lord Brahma.
Pushkar has an atmosphere of an ancient town, peaceful and
secluded but for twelve days of the month of KARTIK (Hindu
calendar), it transformed into a spectacular fair ground.
The fair is an amazing sight to behold including street
sellers showing off their dazzling range of wares in hundreds
of roadside stalls.
People come from different parts of
Rajasthan to worship lord Brahma and take bath in the holy
lake. Pilgrims start coming in the early morning in
groups singing the religious songs dedicated to Hindu gods to
bathe in the Pushkar lake. The process continues throughout
the day to turn into DEEPDAN ceremony. The entire
atmosphere reverberates with the ringing of bells. At
night, hundreds of small oil lamps placed on green leaves set
the lake alight. Shopkeepers keeps their shops open day
and night for the last three or four days to keep the city
alive.
Worlds largest number of camel gathering is a spectacular seen that floods this area with thousands of tourist every year. The most spectacular site besides the animals is the day to day activity of the people who comes with the animals and spend the day and night under open sky. Horse races, camel races and other animal based events are organized by the organizing committee to choose the best animal of the fair.
If you would like to get in touch with Bhaghirath about touring Rajasthan, he can be contacted by e-mail on: vision21century@sify.com
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Volunteers wanted for projects worldwide.
Nomad Travel Store is now seeking voluntary doctors and nurses for our charity clinic in India. The clinic is based on Karmi Farm in the foothills of the Himalayas on the border of Sikkim. We have spaces throughout 2005. If you would like more information please contact Cathy on: cathy@nomadtravel.co.uk The website of Karmi Farm Guesthouse is: www.karmifarm.com
We're running a trek up Kili in conjunction with Cancer Research next spring and are looking for a doctor and a nurse (or two doctors) to accompany the trek (12-20 Feb 2005). Do you know a suitable doctor who might be interested (and fit enough). They would travel free of charge. Please e-mail: markw@adventurecompany.co.uk or see: http:\www.adventurecompany.co.uk
Help Argentina is a unique non-profit organization that works in conjunction with hundreds of other non-profit and social development organizations with the aim of strengthening the social sector as a whole. Most of the work will be done in the field working with beneficiary organizations, conducting surveys, delivering supplies, etc. Work place and hours are flexible. mpazmm@HelpArgentina.org
CIPPEC is a non-governmental organization working to promote equality and growth in Argentina. CIPPEC aims to make public institutions stronger, to make opportunities equal for everyone and to better the social situation for all Argentineans. Volunteers can work on a range of projects. Volunteers will work for four hours a day. vweyrauch@cippec.org
The Inca Porter Project is looking for long term volunteers with fluent Spanish to staff their new training and drop-in centre. If you are interested, please see: http://www.peruweb.org/porters/
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Back in January 2004 Martin Wright, one the club’s most sociable regulars at the London Meetings, royally entertained a packed Crown Court with tales of his marathon cycle ride to Australia! Many in that audience will remember his great photos, distinctive narrative style and his thirst for adventure. Well Martin is at it again – this time he’s go back to the land down under to ‘pick up his bike and have a look round’. I think too many cold winter nights provided the motivation to get back on the road! This is the second in an occasional series, based on Martin’s emails, and charts his offbeat approach to the road ahead.
21st June: Arrived in DENMARK early this afternoon after a great few days of cycling to reach here. Even with the bloody wind in my face it was still enjoyable. Less traffic and big bloody road trains to deal with and of course less of the grey ghosts towing their bloody caravans! At any caravan park you are likely to see grey ghosts arriving during the course of the day and some of them are a real source of amusement. Most of them cannot reverse their caravan into a bay so drive around the park looking for a way to drive in – sometimes they have to get other people to move vehicles or get another driver to reverse the caravan for them! I think anybody towing a bloody caravan should take a driving test to prove they can reverse into a space. If they can't do it they should f*** off around Australia on a bus or better still stay at home… My bicycle is in good shape now I’ve had a few minor repairs completed. Should be in Perth in about in about one week and will write again from there…
20th July: Have finished with the south west corner and am now heading along the west coast. Am at present in Kalbarri, a small town about 500kms north of Perth but will have to get a move on now as I will need to be in Darwin by mid September as my visa will be at an end and I will need to fly up for a renewal. I spent far longer in the south west corner of the country than I intended – the weather was not at all good but the area is so beautiful I stayed an extra day almost everywhere I visited. The big tree country around Walpole is breathtaking – I visited the tree top walk which gives a real idea of just how big these bloody trees are. At Pemberton I climbed the Gloucester Tree, which is used as a lookout for bushfires and at 61 metres above ground you can see for miles! Don't climb it if you are afraid of heights as one or two people went about 10 metres up, became stuck and it took a while to bring them back down. Nannup was wonderful and I stayed at the 'black cockatoo' backpackers which was run by an interesting man whose fridge told his story… It was here I met the three young ladies who teased me somewhat and left me very frustrated. Visited Augusta for a spot of whale watching which was breathtaking and tried to hook a few but the line kept on snapping…
1st August: Reached sunny Exmouth on Friday. The journey up to Carnarvon and on to Exmouth was delayed by unseasonal heavy rainfall, which left me with a few short days of cycling. As a result I had to camp wild or stay at rest bays, which were usually full of caravaners but I did meet a few interesting and generous people along the way. On arriving at Nerren Nerren rest bay I was approached by an Aussie man, John, who presented me with a can of whisky and coke. After putting up my tent John called me over to sit under his caravan awning where I was given another drink as we chatted about Aussie rules football or aerial ping pong as I prefer to call it. The next course of cheese and biscuits along with nibbles and dips ensured we then got on to talking about cricket, whilst soon after John’s wife Heidi appeared and presented us both with steak, sausages, vegetables and mashed potatoes; totally delicious! Somewhat better than the two day old sausage sandwiches I was going to eat…
The following day I was held up by rain yet again and was plied with coffee from a 72 year old lady who has been travelling around Australia for the last five years with her pet shitzui. For the next couple of days this lady passed me on the road and at the next rest stop would pull up and have a cup of tea ready for when I arrived.
I finally arrived in Carnarvon last Sunday and found that the roads were flooded in places and I had to wade through 18 inches of water. At the caravan park I met a Dutch couple and together we visited the pub for a few beers – luckily they served Guinness, which was a welcome relief from the Aussie beer. The ride onwards from Carnarvon was again interesting! I’d camped in the bush one night and was woken first by a truck pulling up at around midnight. Soon after I was woken by voices and a torch shining on my tent – after this there were no more disturbances but I did not sleep at all well!
Visited Coral Bay, a beautiful beach resort but the caravan park was expensive and noisy.
The next day took me to the very flat and uninteresting countryside of Exmouth, which is thankfully surrounded on 2 sides by the Gulf of Exmouth and the Indian Ocean. On the ocean side is the CapeRangeNational Park and the Ningaloo Reef. Yesterday I took a bus to Turquoise bay and hired a snorkel, mask & flippers and visited the underwater wonderland. I saw a variety of colourful fish - some big, some small and some which frightened the living daylights out of me! I saw a turtle, a manta ray and a bloody great big leopard shark – indeed I spent far more time swimming than I realised and a great day was topped off by sunburn on my back.
Another rest day today and then tomorrow I am heading back to the highway and on to Karratha, which I hope to reach by next weekend. Should have more news by then…
Which countries are represented by these flags? For the answers, see at the end of the eNews.
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When Tanganyika – as it was then – gained its independence it was praised for the devotion and priority it gave to education. Its then president, Julius Nyerere was known as Mlimu (teacher) and 40% of GDP was devoted to teaching. Things have changed with the passing of years and now Tanzania spends the least of all sub-Saharan countries on primary education.
The provision of all levels of education is woeful and unfortunately wealth and geography all too often act as a barrier. The standards of teaching are on the whole terrible as the teachers are poorly educated, trained and motivated as a result of extremely low salaries. This is exacerbated by a lack of teaching resources, textbooks and classrooms, laboratories and other facilities. For example only one school in Mikindani has an adequate, year round water supply. As a result of all of this the levels of education achieved are very low.
Mikindani as a political entity is made up of five ‘wards’ each of which has its own primary school. These are in theory free but actually are not. The nearest secondary schools are in Mtwara city, one of which is a fee paying state school and there are also several private schools with higher fees and lower entry requirements. The catchment areas for theses schools are huge and the number of places available are very few in relation to the number of potential pupils. As a result of these factors and poverty not all children go to primary school and very few go to secondary school or beyond.
To try and rectify this there are three separate charities working in Mikindani and co-operating under the umbrella of the Mikindani Education Group (MEG). These are the Danish Schools Project (DSP), EdUKaid and Trade Aid – partly via its Gender Equality Project (GEP). Trade Aid has always supported the three main primary schools in Mikindani by volunteers teaching, the tree nursery and other projects.
Beyond this MEG is responsible for the sponsorship of individual pupils and supporting the schools directly. Primary school sponsors are asked to pay to provide essential items for pupils to go to school as well as providing building funds, resources etc for the schools. DSP have sponsored pupils and the primary schools of Mnaida, Singino and Mchuchu for several years. EdUKaid have just started supporting the outlying wards of Lwelu and Mitengo and their respective primary schools.
The cost of sending a child to secondary school is relatively high and so the three MEG members are also addressing this by paying for fees, desks, uniforms, transport, books etc. All have come from different viewpoints but the result is that all graduates from the Mikindani schools are guaranteed a place at secondary school. EdUKaid are responsible for all pupils from Lwelu and Mitengo, Trade Aid’s GEP deals with all female graduates from the three Mikindani schools whilst DSP deals with all the boys from there. Confusing with so many acronyms but it works fine on the ground under the stewardship of Mr Namadengwa, a teacher from Mikindani who acts as liaison and general worker for the MEG members.
We are still a long way from our respective aims but the benefits are already being felt and the gratitude of the pupils reflects this. If you would like any more information or are interested in sponsorship please contact us at the following:
Country Statistics
| Rank | Country | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | South Africa | 0.74 per 1000 people |
| 2. | Colombia | 0.52 per 1000 people |
| 3. | Thailand | 0.31 per 1000 people |
| 4. | Zimbabwe | 0.04 per 1000 people |
| 5. | Mexico | 0.03 per 1000 people |
| 6. | Costa Rica | 0.03 per 1000 people |
| 7. | Belarus | 0.03 per 1000 people |
| 8. | United States | 0.02 per 1000 people |
| 9. | Uruguay | 0.02 per 1000 people |
| 10. | Lithuania | 0.02 per 1000 people |
Source: www.nationmaster.com
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Sally left the UK around two years ago to start a new life in Portugal. She lives in a suburb of Lisbon, close to the sea and is now a TEFL teacher, teaching English to Portuguese children and adults. So, if you are interested in a career in teaching English as a foreign language, here is an account of some of her work.
My children are still the same except one has now gone up a class so I am left with three – to be honest if I could shed this class I would, as it is not as enjoyable as teaching grown ups due to the fact that Portuguese children are not taught to read or write before the age of six – so, in a way I baby sit them twice a week. We are making slow progress as Jorge (the four year old) tends to be disruptive when he is with one of the girls but fine with the other one! I had to send him out of class to sit with the receptionist one week because he was so naughty.
Nuno, my other student, is still great fun. His English has come on in leaps and bounds and he now proudly displays a sign in the front of the taxi he drives on Sundays in Lisbon, to say he speaks English. He loves it when he gets an English passenger – he had one from Birmingham last Sunday so he had great fun chatting to him. He is a Sporting Lisbon fan and very knowledgeable about them. He is also very interesting and told me all about his upbringing in Cacem. Cacem is not a very pretty place – mainly high rise flats and a lot of black people (I am not being politically incorrect – this is what they are called here). He remembers it before all of this and is quite upset about the way it has become. He lives in what was his parents’ flat (they died a few years ago) with his wife. He went to university in Lisbon and did what all students did, i.e. drink and behave badly but still managed to pass his exams. He is a strong family man and found Christmas quite trying and he still misses his parents and says although Christmas was at his aunts, it was not the same. He is also very interesting about his childhood, playing in the cul-de-sac with his friends but says that he has lost quite a few to drink or drugs which has made him sad. He is about 29/30 and still out of work although he has had loads of interviews – very like the UK, half the time he never gets a reply to either application or a reason for not getting a position.
I have also got two/three other students. One, Senor Manuel, is a Graphic Designer who is going on a cruise on 21 March so needs some English to get by on it. He has French and reckons he had no English but as usual he understands quite a bit. We are getting on quite well and I think he will manage OK. The other one/two is the husband of the Ambassador for a Caribbean country, and his daughter. Both are lovely. He has decided that he has to get his English sorted because his best friends over here are the UK Ambassador and the US Ambassador. He is making swift progress. His daughter just needs help with the reading and writing. I teach the pair of them for two hours on a Saturday morning.
My Portuguese is coming along and I find that watching the TV helps. Television is still dire but I am now slowly watching bits and pieces of Portuguese TV. I got hooked on their version of Who wants to be a Millionaire – very entertaining as the presenter often gives them a clue! I have been trying one of their telenovelas (soap operas) but it was so atrocious (think the UK’s Crossroads but worse acting and wobbly scenery) that I had to turn it off. I am also getting much better at understanding the news. Last week there was a wonderful piece on at lunchtime about a group of OAPS who had raided a disco in Abrantes (Pego Power Station) dressed up in glitter wigs, men dressed in drag etc etc to protest that dancing was for all ages and not just the young! Some of the old men had grabbed very young, nubile young ladies and were swinging them round the dance floor much to their horror. Good on ’em I say. Great footage too of all the snow that has hit the north of the country and brought parts of it to a standstill. Lorries trapped at the Spanish border, people stuck in cars for seven hours etc etc.
If you would like to ask Sally any questions about living in Portugal or teaching English as a foreign language, Sally can be contacted on: pethybs@hotmail.com
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Over the last few years it has become increasingly obvious that travellers (from all backgrounds, ages and levels of intelligence) come under two main divisions, those who are organised and those who are not.
The former group are well versed in what they need to take with them to keep alert, safe and healthy, whilst the latter group always leave you feeling rather edgy, concerned, and often uttering those immortal words: 'I don’t believe it !'
The teenager who is about to depart for several weeks to the Amazon with her partner and has just run out of her Contraceptive Pill, the man who is leaving the next day for Kenya who had no idea he would need antimalarials for that destination, or even worse the person who 'never' gets bitten by bugs so wont waste money on pills that will only put him off his beer!
The list of the great unprepared is too vast to attempt. UNPREPARED is described in the dictionary as: Having made few or no preparations; Not equipped to meet a contingency; Not steeled as to face a shock and there will be plenty of shocks for those who do not seek out the wealth of advice available.
The Governments FCO site (www.fco.gov.uk) will give you superb guidance on those who can supply Travel Insurance, Embassies to contact if in difficulty, doctors surgeries for those with medical problems, and security information such as places to avoid and measures to take to protect your belongings and cash.
There are lists of FCO partners who supply information on vaccinations and antimalarials if appropriate to your destination, local disease problems, equipment such as medical packs, mosquito nets, useful travel medicines, and very often a voice on the end of the phone should you wish to discuss anything.
As part of Travelpharm we will offer our help and support whenever possible as well as a range of the items just listed. If we cannot answer your question we will find a man or woman who can. Please don’t become one of the great unprepared, there is simply no excuse ………..!
Paul, a pharmacist can be contacted on: info@travelpharm.com or alternatively, take a look at their website: http://www.travelpharm.com
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