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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Meeting news from our branches around the world.
Where is it likely to happen: scorpions can be found in the wild in South, West and North Africa; North, Central and South America; India; and the Caribbean. Among the scorpions in North America, the 'nasty’ ones can typically be found in Arizona, New Mexico and on the Californian side of the Colorado River, whereas the other North American species are fairly harmless. In Mexico each year between 1000-2000 deaths arise as a result of scorpion bites. Because of their size scorpions can easily travel anywhere in the world as stowaways with cargo and they have been found in many large ports. Scorpions sting with a poisoned hook on their tail, which is typically raised prior to an attack.
What happens if I get bitten: the majority of scorpions are harmless to humans, although the sting can be extremely painful and will require painkilling treatment. The following symptoms can be observed in cases of moderate to more serious poisoning:
What should I do if I get stung: pain at the site of the sting can sometimes be limited with an ice cube. Painkilling injections (morphine-based painkiller) may be required and a doctor should therefore be consulted. In the case of more marked symptoms, treatment must be given as for snake bites, and the patient must receive medical treatment as quickly as possible. There is antiserum for scorpion venom. Treatment must be overseen by a doctor.
How can I avoid being stung by a scorpion: scorpions are nocturnal animals and often hide in dark cracks and vegetation. Ideally, accommodation should have a ledge that is at least 20cm high to prevent entry of scorpions. Places to look out for scorpions include cupboards, under the duvet and bed, or in shoes (look under the duvet/bed and shake your shoes thoroughly before putting them on).
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Our first speaker was Simon Casson, who took us on a journey in the footsteps of his hero Butch Cassidy, riding the Outlaw Trail. Simon’s pictures portrayed the barren deserts through which the outlaws managed to stay one step ahead of the law. It was not an easy journey, made more challenging when Simon managed to buy a horse that was blind! Over the course of his trip Simon and his two companions got through a number of horses and also lost a couple. Simon finally managed to reach Canada some months later than planned.
Our second speaker was Calum Macleod, who took us Uzbekistan. The country only gained its independence from the USSR in 1991. We saw the beautiful cities of Khiva and Samarkand with their minarets and spires and wonderful blue tiles. Simon explained that the country is allegedly becoming easier to visit, so hopefully more of us will get the opportunity to visit these cities.
Mark your diary for forthcoming meetings:
Sat. 6th November
Sat. 4 December
Sat. 8th January 2005 (the second Saturday)
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 Admission: Members £2.00 Non-members £4.00.
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Interesting country facts.
Source:
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There was no New York meeting in October, but we will resume in November – Subject will be Tibet by Ken Axen!
For details of forthcoming meetings email newyork@globetrotters.co.uk or register for email updates, click here at our website.
New York meetings are held at The Wings Theatre, 154 Christopher Street (btw Greenwich St and Washington St ), to the right of Crunch Fitness, in the Archive on the first Saturday of each month at 4 pm. Admission: $8.00 for members and $10.00 for non-members.
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We are sorry to say that Mac is not very well,
but he is still e-mailing strong and recently sent the Beetle
a collection of Mac reminiscences about some of his travels
in 1992. Here we have thoughts and experiences on
India.
I am enjoying reading a book called Eating The Indian Air by John Morris, published by Atheneun 1969 New York. Eating the Indian Air is an Indian expression meaning to take a walk. Morris was in British Army in India and returned around 1969 to see changes. He had been on Mt Everest expeditions of 1922 and 1936 so his visit to see Tensing at the Himalayan Mountaineering School, Darjeeling, India was interesting.
Quote: “After breakfast I set off to visit the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute. The world famous Tensing is the chief instructor at the Himalayan Institute. I had purposely not telephoned to let him know of my visit because I wished to give him a surprise. In 1936 as a young and inexperienced Sherpa porter he had been my personal servant on Everest and although I had seen him in England after the successful climb in 1953. By local standards he has become a wealthy man but he is quite unspoilt and still lives in a simple but comfortable manner. His appearance reminded me of the best of the Swiss guides with whom in more affluent days many of us used to climb. And he was dressed for the part, thick woollen knickerbockers, hand knitted stockings, a peacock blue sweater, Homburg hat (favourite of all men of Tibetan origin and the heaviest of climbing boots I have ever seen. I could not resist pulling his leg about his appearance but this he said with a laugh was the outfit in which American tourists expected to find him; they were disappointed if they found him more soberly dressed”.
Me, Mac speaking now. I visited this Himalayan School outside Darjeeling when I was maybe 69. There was a slight hill to get to it and I came puffing in the door and asked if I could enrol in the school. They laughed and said they did not take anyone over 18 years of age. I was sorry Tensing did not get to meet me but he was either not in that day or away climbing a mountain. They had a gift shop and I brought several kinds of key rings with picture of Mr Everest and I think some saying. They proved to be the gift the recipients enjoyed getting the most and they did not take up much room in my pack.
I stayed in a budget place and I thought they said I could see Mr Kangchenjunga, the third largest mountain in the world from my window. They suggested I get up at 5am before the clouds came in or something. What they said was that I could see this Mt perhaps at this time from the hotel but from the other side of hotel. I did later see it.
They brought hot water in something like a milk bucket at the time I told them I wanted to take a bath. The woodwork in hotel was beautiful although a budget place. They did not service meals but they told me how to get to a place friends owned and it was good. I really enjoyed Darjeeling and the little toy train to get up there. I also visited a Tibetan refugee place.
From book The Whole World Stranger by Virginia Moore, The McMillan Company New York 1957 Page 144: “In the big bazaar of Calcutta (India) amid merchandise common and exotic we saw up for sale boxes of food from America marked “Do not sell, this is a gift” and heard that many recipients mistaking cheese for soap had washed their clothes with it” (Me. The night before we were to get on troop ship at Bremerhaven, Germany (WWII) to return to the states a German POW doing kitchen duty mistook a bar of brown GI soap for butter and put it in the soup, (or so the story goes.) At three in the morning troops were wandering around with dysentery trying to find a dispensary. What a mess. I decided I was going to get on that ship in the morning even if I had to crawl up the gang plank on my hands and knees lugging my duffel bag. I did manage to stand up but had a movement on the way up the gang plank. What an exit from war torn Europe. (I think it was an honest mistake on the part of the German POW and don’t think it was sabotage. Ha!) When we got to New York there was a harbour captain that came out to guide our ship on in. I was at the side of ship watching this. He came on board and shook my hand and said “Welcome home son.” (I had cleaned my self up by then.) I get tears in my eyes just remembering him saying this.
Back to the book. “At Jjama Masjid (noble Moslem mosque) in Delhi, the guide showed them three world sights. Mohammed’s sandal, his footprint, and from his beard a long red hair.” The sandals were two inches shorter than his footprint. They had one guide that they joked needed a guide as he didn’t know what some well known sites were.
Me: I found the guides on the government sponsored tours were very good and tours were reasonable. I also found the government sponsored hotels were reasonable, clean and met my needs. You find out about them from the National Tourist offices. While I did not use them all the time it was nice to know they were there.
I am reading an article about Oil Rich Brunei a feast for eyes by Sandra Scott in today’s Washington Times Travel section. She writes: On the Royal Brunei airplane from Thailand to Bandar the capital of Brunei just before landing a flight attendant advised “The importation of drugs into Brunei is illegal and punishable by death. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may caused.”.
The sultan’s new 1,800 room palace is the largest in the world and is managed by Hyatt Corp. For three days following Ramadan the palace is open to the public, a buffet is served and the sultan and his wives- he has two greet the people.”.
I met in Rio De Janeiro one time the son of one of the Royalty of Saudi Arabia, or he said he was. He said his father had seven wives and he was the son of the youngest one. He may have been a fake as he was staying in same budget pension I was. I know he did give Varig or whatever Brazils airline a bribe to get on flight out when it was difficult to get out and they took it. I was surprised at this little transaction.
If you would like to contact Mac, he is happy to answer e-mails: macsan400@yahoo.com
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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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