Category Archives: Main article

Meeting News from Texas

Once again, we were honoured to have Norman Ford, founder of the Globetrotters Club, on hand presenting a slide show of his September 2003 Nordic adventure with us entitled:

Around Switzerland By Bike–On Your Own, The Globetrotter Way”.

Christina also shared stories and photographs from her Dec 2003 Santa Goodwill Tour to Asia.

Dates of future meetings: February 14th (Travelocity), March 13th (Southwest Airlines), Mark your calendars

If you like independent, adventuresome, fun, daring, exciting, “off the beaten path” travel, this club is for you. Our meeting begins at 2 P.M. Come early so you won’t be late! Enjoy handouts, travel talk time, and door prizes!

For more information about the Texas Branch: please contact texas@globetrotters.co.uk or register for e-mail 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

Burma Revisited

Derek, a retired UK diplomat, contacted the Beetle to say that all too often the controversy over whether or not to visit Burma tends to overlook the very important issue of whether the people of Burma themselves are happy to see and meet foreign tourists. Derek, who is to visit Burma again next month, has made a study of anecdotal reports of Burmese attitudes over the last five years – alas the sole source of information in the absence of credible opinion polls – and his conclusion is that the Burmese people themselves very much favour visits by tourists and travellers to their country by a margin of at least 10 to 1. We have reproduced a cut down version of his survey.

*****

Some travel correspondents say that on their visits they found it difficult, if not impossible to find any Burmese, even rank and file members of Daw Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, who were against tourism to their country, despite Daw Suu Kyi’s strictures. A “search” on Alta Vista for “Burma Travel Boycott” any evening will produce over 3,000 “hits”. A sample selection of reported Burmese views from these “hits” confirms my conclusion that the Burmese people generally really do want tourists and travellers to visit.

It is for many their main source of income, protection against the excesses of the military and an assurance that their plight may at least be witnessed by those who are sensitive observers. Travel and tourism indeed advance the cause of democracy.

My simple conclusion is that we should primarily be guided by the wishes and advice of the Burmese people , and not that of the UK Government whose policy is to “strongly discourage tourism to Burma” – FCO Minister Bill Rammell, 25 November 2003, speech on “Why Human Rights Matter” to the Institute for Public Policy Research.

Tourism is admittedly a source, but not, as another FCO Minister, Mike O’Brien stated in a letter on 14 July 2003 to the Chief Executive of ABTA, Ian Reynolds, “an important source” of hard currency for the SPDC. Net profits pale into insignificance against the US$ 2-3 billion purchases in recent years, mostly from China, of arms and military equipment. Most hotels are barely covering their operating costs. Remittances by tourist enterprises out of Burma of some US$ 25 million annually [IMF estimates] for essential payments punch quote a hole in US$ 100 million annual revenue. Local costs swallow up much of the balance. It is not credible to argue that tourism is in any serious sense helping to prop up the regime. It would do so if numbers increased tenfold, but this isn’t likely to happen for a very long time.

There is no doubt that Daw Suu Kyi would prefer tourists to delay visiting Burma. Over the years, she has advanced numerous reasons for not visiting Burma, some of which are not all that convincing, notably arguments about giving the regime “legitimacy” (while the UK accepts Burma as Myanmar at the UN and maintains full diplomatic relations, with an Ambassador in post), about “it’s better to stay at home and read some of the many human rights reports there are” (which is not perhaps the best way to experience and witness what is going on in Burma), about “the bulk of the money goes straight into the pockets of the Generals” (when revenue clearly goes to meeting operating expenses, debt, depreciation, transfer to reserves etc.), about “Burma will still be there when the time is ripe” (but not for octogenarian veterans of the Burma Campaign, while for scholars, linguists, ethnologists, Buddhist scholars and many others with specialist interests Burma has been a hermit kingdom ever since the military took over in 1962), about “we haven’t had time to discuss it [tourism policy] properly” at a news conference in May 2002 (which might leave some of us still wondering what NLD policy really is).

The tourist trade has been hard hit by the latest indiscriminate US sanctions which have led to the suspension of all credit card transactions in Burma and restrictions on the utilisation of the US Dollar. Quite soon, thousands of postcard sellers and stall holders, tourist guides, hotel staff and drivers will be joining the 80,000 or so textile workers who have been made unemployed.

No-one in Burma is making any serious money out of tourism at present, and what is the point of allocating beach land to cronies of the regime when there is no investment capital available to develop projects? Occasionally critics point to the Shangri-La Traders Hotel as an example of a Joint Venture which must be making money for the SPDC. They might be surprised to know that Traders Hotel has been in liquidation since 1999.

Tourism is about meeting people, and in the case of Burma letting the Burmese know that the outside world has not forgotten them.

Derek Tonkin

If you would like to contact Derek, he can be reached by e-mail as follows: d.tonkin@btopenworld.com

'MWENGE' by Jean Milnes

‘Mwenge’ is the Kiswahili word for torch but it also represents a major national event in Tanzania, which is also known in English as the National Torch Run. If you can imagine an African version of the carrying of the Olympic Flame, restrict it to one country but take it all over that country, and make it an annual event which has a ‘message’ to pass to the people – that is ‘Mwenge’.

‘Mwenge’ began as a single event in 1961, as part of Tanzania’s Independence celebrations, when a burning torch was carried to the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro. A few years later, the nation-wide runs began and it is now an annual event. In the technologically advanced countries awareness of major issues is spread through newspapers, television and radio. Tanzania, although now trying hard to catch up, has not had these advantages, and so the ‘Mwenge’ is run with the purpose of spreading a message – a different message each year. The original Mt Kilimanjaro torch was to celebrate President Nyerere’s independence slogan ‘Umoja na Kazi’ ‘Unity and Labour’ – there have been issues such as encouraging parents to send their children to school and this year it was HIV/AIDS awareness.

One Tuesday evening 2 ladies from Mtwara Town Council appeared and asked if we would be prepared to ‘host’ the ‘Mwenge’ breakfast on the following Thursday – 2 days later – for the runners and officials – a total of 40 people. It was to consist of a cup of tea, a hard-boiled egg and a bread roll. They would only stay for about 15 minutes and then move on to the next place. This seemed a simple request and despite their pitiful budget we decided that this was a reasonable public relations exercise. I am not sure that we could have refused – it would not have been a diplomatic move to turn down the opportunity to be involved in this event.

We had been advised to expect the runners and their entourage at 10.00am but would be ready for an earlier arrival. So, at 9.45 we were ready and, together with several other members of staff, I climbed up the Boma tower from where we had a spectacular view of the bridge at the far end of Mikindani. Below us in the village we could hear singing and drums as the party atmosphere got underway. Already on the bridge was a convoy of cars, pickup trucks, motor bicycles and people. It seemed a long time before they slowly moved off but eventually they started moving, and we watched this motorised cavalcade wend its way though Mikindani. The convoy was accompanied, as always, by crowds of people, and along the route there were groups of people dancing, playing drums and singing all adding to a real celebration and party atmosphere. The convoy stopped when it reached the Clinic by the Friday Mosque, and message-carrying speeches were made to the Mikindani people. Then they all moved to the open area by Livingstone House, where the runners and officials left the crowd and walked up to the Boma for their breakfast. The crowd remained down by the official cars parked outside Samaki and Livingstone – it appeared that most of the people of Mikindani had taken a ½ day off to celebrate ‘Mwenge’.

The District Commissioner and other Mtwara officials enjoying their breakfast by the Boma swimming pool were joined by 5 of the 6 runners – unfortunately the only girl in the group was unwell, and remained sleeping in the car. After the food had been consumed, the District Commissioner stood up and made a short speech on the importance of ‘Mwenge’, and what it stands for, together with the honour of being chosen to run throughout Tanzania for this cause. Almost as quickly as they had arrived, they all left. They had arrived half an hour late, but by 11.00 they had gone. The 40 breakfasts had grown to 42, and they had also bought some bottles of water. We certainly did not make any cash profit, but we had participated in a national event and hopefully shown a little goodwill, and were proud to have done so. We were left clearing up, knowing that the next village to receive them would have to provide lunch – a much more extravagant meal!

For more information about Trade Aid, see: www.mikindani.com

Traveller's Diseases: Lassa Fever

What is it: Lassa fever is an acute viral illness that occurs in West Africa. It is highly contagious and occurs mainly in the dry season in West Africa, particularly Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and the DRC.

How do I get it: Rodents shed the virus in urine and droppings which means that the virus can be transmitted through direct contact with these materials, through touching objects or eating food contaminated with these materials, or through cuts or sores.

What happens if I get it: Symptoms of Lassa Fever typically occur 1-3 weeks after the patient comes into contact with the virus. These include: fever, pain behind the chest wall, sore throat, back pain, cough, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea and a rash. After four weeks occur: bleeding, ascites and shock. Death occurs in 50 % of patients.

Diagnose and treatment: the virus can be detected in blood and urine. The anti-viral agent Ribavarin can be used, otherwise it is a question of symptom control and intensive care.

How can I avoid contracting Lassa fever: avoid contact with rodents.

Siem Reap by Judy

Judy from the US write in to tell the Beetle about her recent visit to Siem Reap. This is what she says:

My husband and I were in Siem Reap for the full moon 8 Nov 03. Candles were set floating in the Siem Reap River which flows through the village. It was an awesome night scene. Boat races were also held at this time with competing teams from all over Cambodia.

One Swiss couple told us of an encounter they had upon entering the country. The left Bangkok by train to the border, then transferred to a tuk-tuk to cross over to a waiting truck. While taking the truck ride to SR they had their money and cell phone taken. Some American girls said they had taken the boat ride from Phnom Penh and had a good experience, including sightings of the Vietnamese boat people.

Siem Reap is a very safe place in the evenings by our experiences. The temples are a sight to behold…still in an unspoiled state. Take an extra passport photo to put on your temple permit as the photo queue can be long. The helium balloon ride is a great bargain $11.00 US to get a wonderful view of the Angkor Wat and nearby temples.

Sunrise and sunset are times to get pictures with the Angkor Wat reflecting in the moat waters. The guides suggest you take a hike up a very steep hill and then upon a temple to get a view of the sunset over the countryside; not the Angkor Wat. We rode by tuk-tuk to Chong Khneas and took a boat ride to see the Vietnamese floating village which was quite interesting and photographic.

The food was excellent and varied, especially like the Cambodian noodles. This was just the unspoiled area that we wanted to visit. Being from the Midwest US we had arranged a guide for 1 1/2 days and spent two days on our own. I think you need time just to sit and reflect on what a sight you are witnessing, Ta Prohm with the trees growing out of the stones and Angkor Thom were impressive.

February 2001 – Sicily by David Siracusa

The latter part of the flight over was terrific, with snow on the Gran Sasso first and then, towards the end, there was the fabulous spectacle of the Aeolian Islands with Stromboli puffing away. Etna, on Sicily itself, was puffing a bit but nothing to suggest the major eruption it had the next winter. We flew past it and into Catania.

I was pleased to find that I could get a bus direct from the airport to Siracusa without going into Catania and only had about fifty minutes to wait with a view of Etna to while away the time. More of the Sicilian coast than I had expected was spoilt by industry and far less by tourism and to be honest I did not particularly enjoy the bus journey to Siracusa. Fortunately it was only about an hour. I had booked for the first two nights at the Bel-Sit and I had seen where it was on the small map in the Rough Guide. Would I be able to recognise it on the ground though and save time going to the terminus and back? I was quite proud of myself as I alighted from the coach, got out my case, helped an attractive woman out with hers and watched the bus leave. My pride lasted all of twenty-three seconds until I discovered that the case was not mine! Somehow my Italian came up to telling the woman I had helped what had happened and I was given a lift in the car picking her up to pursue the bus. Strangely the conversation with the woman driver was in the neutral language of Spanish! There at its terminus was the bus and there, outside it were my case, some very crestfallen passengers who had of course lost theirs, the driver who looked as though he would rather be somewhere else – anywhere else in fact – and the inevitable police inspector. Great was the jubilation, as G.F. Handel said! This ended very well for me with a lift back up the hill and the first woman escorting me – and carrying my case – to the Bel-Sit; a bit more than I had deserved perhaps!

Two areas demand to be visited. These are the old part of the city at Ortygia, where the bus terminus was, and the Parco Archeológico. I went down to Ortygia that same evening, just too late for the tourist office opening times, and enjoyed a brief stroll round and a good pizza. It was quite good enough to call me back the next morning but, other than getting the map and literature I wanted from the tourist office, I was just a shade disappointed. Ortygia is near enough an island and not a very big one; I had not realised that the point, which should have given a good sea view, was out of bounds to visitors because of the requirements of the army. In general the area should probably be regarded as a must see by anyone who has not been to any of the beautiful old towns on the Italian mainland but, unusually, I was as much struck by the displayed poverty of some areas as anything. The cathedral is very interesting, though scarcely beautiful, from the outside with bits being part of an earlier Greek temple. However, contrary to my usual view in southern Europe, the interior, which contains some strikingly beautiful columns, provides a better spectacle. Taken as a whole I preferred Ortygia at night and the jury was still out on Siracusa as I took a bus and then a walk to the entrance to the Parco Archeológico.

The jury did not stay out long, however. This is terrific and, for a person like me who has never been to Greece, it was truly magic. I do not mean to belittle the sights in Sicily by saying this. The Greek remains in Sicily are regarded by experts as being of top order. I did classics in the sixth form and I well remember the campaigns of Athens and Sparta and the importance of Sicily in general and Siracusa in particular, in the Peloponnesian War. The splendid and vast Greek theatre here dates back to the fifth century BC and I found it quite spellbinding. Near it were the old Latomie del Paradiso, quarries and later the prison for Athenian prisoners of war. Paradise indeed? Even in February the heat would have suggested a very different theological area, particularly for those who had to work in the quarries. Particularly outstanding in the view is the Orecchio di Dionissio [ear of Dionysus,] a large cavern well up the cliff. Not far away is the Roman Amphitheatre, which became so much used for blood sports that another smaller one had to be built back in the town for drama.

Siracusa would have repaid a longer visit.

David Cross 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 episode – Agrigento

Meeting News from Texas Globetrotters meeting on January 10th 2004

The Texas Branch of the Globetrotters will hold its next meeting January 10th at the New Braunfels library, 600 Common St New Braunfels Texas.

Christina (with Wiggling Wanda – the club’s travelling mascot!) is out of the country on a “Santa Mission Trip” in Tokyo and Bangkok, and will have a lot to share about this heartfelt adventure.

If you like independent, adventuresome, fun, daring, exciting, “off the beaten path” travel, this club is for you. Our meeting begins at 2 P.M. Come early so you won't be late! Enjoy handouts, travel talk time, and door prizes!

For more 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

Mac’s Jottings: India

U. S. Soldiers Home, Washington: during a century of travel (well 78 years!) both in and out of service I have travelled to over 150 countries (I count both North and South Dakota as countries) and for some reason have jotted signs and happenings that I thought funny at the time (and now wonder why). So here is the perfect opportunity to share some of my anecdotes.

In the India train schedule they have all these comments on leprosy.

1. Deformity does not mean infectivity.

2. Leprosy affects all faiths (Me. Surely not Catholics)

3. Any doctor can treat leprosy

(I have three suitcases full of notes I have taken about travel, military, yes, three suitcases. I have to get rid of some of the notes. Guess where I am sending them? Ha!

One Sign in restaurant: do not spit

Do not make nuisance

(Indians use this word nuisance often in their signs. Always reminding you to not make a nuisance of yourself (bad form)

One sign reads Deshi chicken eggs 20 rupees

English eggs 12 rupees

I was told English eggs mean the chickens were imported from England. Perhaps the eggs are smaller than Indian chickens.

They have a neat way of presenting your bill in Indian restaurants (even budget ones.) It is put in a folder that looks like a leather stationary folder which you open to look at the bill and no one else can see the amount of your bill. You then put the money in the stationary folder and close it. If you are host no one sees the bill and also they don’t see how little you leave as a tip inside the folder. I, of course like the system.

Sign in store: Vacancy for peon.

The different color turbans the Sikhs wear have no religious significance or other meaning. They can wear whatever color they wish. The man telling me this said he was wearing a black one because he was wearing a black suit.

Next month, Mac discusses Kenya. If you would like to contact Mac, he can be e-mailed on: macsan400@yahoo.com

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To see your story in cyber print, e-mail the Beetle with your travel experiences, hints and tips or questions up to 750 words, together with a couple of sentences about yourself and a contact e-mail address to Beetle@globetrotters.co.uk

Travels In Papua New Guinea by Jon Hornbuckle, UK

The pilot’s safety briefing was interrupted by a loud squeal. “Was that a pig? If it makes a mess you’ll have to clear it up when we reach Hagen” he said indignantly to the woman with a large bulge under her coat. The pig squealed repeatedly as we took off but was quiet for the rest of the 45 minute flight – another small incident in travel around Papua New Guinea, the land of the unexpected. The previous flight to Tari had been over 4 hours late: “As the weather was unusually fine, we took the opportunity of using the aircraft to visit poorly-served airstrips before sending it back towards Hagen” the fat controller eventually explained. At Tari we watched the Spirit Dancers, Huli wigmen dressed up in all their finery with head-dresses of Birds-of-paradise feathers and cloaks of Cuscus skins, performing their dance to help overcome problems such as serious illness. Higher up, in the moss-covered forest, a King-of-Saxony Bird-of-paradise performed a similar dance, bouncing up and down on a thin branch, swaying his bizarre elongated head feathers and singing just as tunelessly as the Hulis.

The Central Highlands Highway was now open to regular traffic, thanks to recent patrolling by police vehicles. It had effectively been closed for years by the presence of “rascals” who stopped and robbed any who dared to use it. Now it was possible to drive from Tari to Hagen in 8 hours instead of at least 20 on the safe route. We took part of this when we travelled from Hagen to Lake Kutubu, mainly in the back of a lorry masquerading as a Public Motor Vehicle. The “5 hour” journey took 8 hours and included another pig on board, very well behaved this time. We climbed up and down mountains, mainly through a semi-cultivated landscape, dotted with patches of forest, before dropping down through hills covered with young forest. My backside felt thoroughly tenderised after bouncing up and down on the wooden plank cum seat as we hit numerous potholes. We got off at dusk and had to wait for a boat to take us to Tubo Lodge on an island in the picturesque lake. The jovial local headmaster explained the meaning of time: “I know that if you say you will meet me at 7.00, you will be there at 7.00, not 6.59 or 7.01, but if a Papuan says 7, he will arrive at 9.”

We took a birding trip to the mainland with bare-footed Robert as guide. We had a good time until it started raining in earnest, so we returned to where the canoe had been left. “The others have taken it to the village, we will walk there.” “How long will that take?” “It depends how fast we walk” – we had heard this before. It took an hour, without stopping, as we slithered along the muddy path which looked as though it had not been used for weeks – a wrong assumption as we met four children who were walking to a village some 10 km away where the school was. They would live there during the week and walk home for the weekend. I was happy to accept Robert’s helping hand, such as when we crossed streams on slippery rocks, but my companion stubbornly refused all offers. He fell into one stream, soaking both feet – no, I didn’t say that. In the village, the men played touch-rugby and the children touch-basket ball. The men all lived in a single longhouse, each with their own fire next to their bed, and the women and children in their own family houses.

After returning to the lodge, we proceeded to the other side of the lake to see the bleached skulls and bones of the locals’ ancestors, laid out on a ledge beside a chalk cliff. Their glory had been to be killed by the Japanese in World War II. Later, we ate delicious small crayfish, speared by boys standing precariously at the front of a small wooden canoe. One of the local women had a fever, probably malaria; we gave her some pills to help – the nearest pharmacy was at least 6 hours away. In the early hours I spent a long time in the rain trying to see a very rare bird, Wallace’s Owlet-Nightjar, which called only once or twice every 10 or 15 minutes. He won, I had to leave at 05.30, to go home. The first step was to get the guys out of bed to take me by canoe to the other end of the lake, an hour’s journey in the rain. There was no sign of the vehicle to the airport: “The man allotted to arrange this forgot to do it”, said Penny in a matter of fact way. We walked it in 45 minutes, in time for the 30 minute flight to Hagen, followed by an hour in a jet to Port Moresby, 6 hours to Singapore and 12 hours to Heathrow, where my bag failed to appear, one hour to St Pancras, 3 hours to Sheffield and bus home, only to find there was no-one in and my key was in my bag still in Singapore…

Ramadan by Alhabib, Libya

Alhabib is from the Tuareg people in Libya and sent us this fascinating insight into the Islamic festival of Ramadan.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. It is during this month that Muslims fast and when Muslims concentrate on their faith. It is a time of worship and contemplation. There are fairly strict rules about how one can live during the month of Ramadan: during the Fast of Ramadan, Muslims are not allowed to eat or drink during daylight hours and smoking and sexual relations are also forbidden during fasting. At the end of each day, the fast is broken with prayer and a meal called the iftar. In the evening following the iftar, it is customary for Muslims to go out visiting family and friends and the fast is resumed the next morning

As the holy time of Ramadan approaches, everyone is very happy and starts to prepare for it. The women in the home usually prepare special meals for the month of Ramadan. Everyone is happy and anticipating the coming of this holy month. Ramadan begins after watching the crescent shaped moon at midnight or even later. During this period, Muslims start their day before early dawn and eat a meal, called the Sahour. This is sufficient for fasting for the day. After that, they begin the worship and call to God for forgiveness. All Muslims must fast between the hours of dawn and dusk.

Before sunset the women prepare delicious savoury food. At sunset , when the call to prayer to Al Magreb is made, all the family gather round the feast to eat. They begin with some dates and some milk (this is the sunna of the prophet Mohamed ) and then begin the Magreb prayer. After praying they return to eat and drink. There is lots of visiting going on and much time is spent with friends and all houses are open to receive any guest from anywhere.

After eating the Iftar (breakfast), much worship and prayers take place during the month, and at night, when the call to prayer for the evening Aisha begins, people go to the mosques to pray evening prayers. They pray the Al Traweh prayer and this continues every night. On the 27th night, the Greater Night (Alila Alkabira ) which is called (Night of Al Gadr), the holy Koran begins to descend from heaven to prophet Mohamed. On this night people recite the Koran all the night until dawn so as to be close to God.

After the end of the holy month of Ramadan, the holy Bairam comes. In the Morning of the first day of the lesser Bairam, the people get out to the Plazas to pray the Feast prayer. It is two bows: after praying, each person begins to greet each other (Alsalam) happily and to wish him a merry feast. After the Feast after the holy month, the lesser Bairam continues for three days, all of it to visit friends and family and everyone is happy.

If you would like to contact Alhabib about Ramaddan or Libya, he can be reached by e-mail on: tenerecotour@yahoo.com

European Rail Timetable Resources

Spotted by our webmaster, Paul. If you are planning to travel in Europe by train, then the links below will take you to the English language versions of local rail journey planners. The majority of these provide timetable, ticket and booking facilities.

Belgium http://www.b-rail.com
Denmark http://www.dsb.dk
Finland http://www.vr.fi
France http://www.sncf.fr
Germany http://www.bahn.de
Italy http://www.trenitalia.com
Ireland http://www.irishrail.ie
Luxembourg http://www.cfl.lu
Netherlands http://www.ns.nl
Spain http://www.renfe.es
Sweden http://www.samtrafiken.se
UK https://www.thetrainline.com/
Eurostar http://www.eurostar.com

Stuart’s Guide to Angkor Wat

Former Globetrotters Committee member Stuart was recently based in Cambodia whilst working for Voluntary Services Overseas. In this article, he gives us the benefit of his experience and tells us his top tips.

Transport

Tuk tuk (seats 2) – $8 a day (sunrise to sunset) for the central temples (Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm), $15 to go to Banteay Srei, they may want and extra $1 to go to Neak Pean but this is a bit cheeky.

I recommend Kinal as a driver – very gentle person, speaks a bit of English, drives slowly and carefully, has a nice new tuk-tuk. Tel: 012 909 730.

Alternative is to go by moto for about $5-8.

There are 2 boat options – new Japanese boat or old boat. The new one has just started and they had a promo deal on for July and Aug of $30 o/w but the normal price is $55, which is comparable to flying. It’s about the same time as the old boat. Guesthouses in Siem Reap can arrange tickets. It has an air-con downstairs with nice seats, free meal and drinks, normal volume films and a covered deck with chairs. They also pick you up and take you to/from the boat at both ends. Additional perks include life jackets and lifeboats, which are not to be found on the old boats.

The old boats are normally $25 o/w but they dropped their prices to $10-15 in the face of competition from the new one but they may well go back up again once the promo period is over. Old boats all seem to be quite similar – “bullet boats” or “express boats” or “rambo boats”. Basically a metal cylinder with cramped air-conned interior and VERY loud videos (Khmer comedy or kung fu – bring ear plugs). Trick is to get a seat away from a speaker and not too close to the back (engine noise and industrial strength aircon). Probably not for claustrophobics as the only 2 doors are small and what would happen in the event of an accident doesn’t bear thinking about.

Alternatively, sit on the roof – take plenty of sun cream, water and a scarf (2-3000 riel for a kroma – checked Khmer scarf, from any market) to cover body parts that will get roasted/soaked regardless. Once the thing gets going it is very fast and exposed. There is no barrier at the outside edge of the boat, only a ledge to walk along and a rail at shoulder height to hold onto, so if you need to go to the loo (inside) during the 5-6 hour trip (cf. drinking lots of water tip above) then don’t fall in on the way as they probably won’t stop to pick you up. Put valuables in plastic bags to avoid them being drenched.

However, if you want to take photos then the roof is the place to be. There is a Vietnamese floating village just at the Siem Reap boat boarding place which is very photogenic. Once in the lake itself the scenery is not great as the banks are far away. The stretch from Kompong Chhnang to PP is scenic as the banks are close and there are lots of other boats fishing etc.

Food & Accom

I haven’t tried too many places but can recommend Soup Dragon (run by an ex-VSO) and Blue Pumpkin (also does good bakery things). Watch the restaurants near the temples – they’re much more expensive than elsewhere (as are the drinks stands – buy in Siem Reap and leave them in the tuk-tuk). I’m not sure but I think some places have 2 menus – one for foreigners and the other for locals. The alternative is to stock up on picnic things in Siem Reap.

Top tip: you can swim in the very nice pool at the Angkor Village Hotel for free – just be discrete about it.

There are loads of places to stay in all price ranges. We stayed at the Green Garden Home guest house, which is a little out of the centre i.e. a 5-10 min walk to the market. Quiet garden setting with rooms from $10-25.

Shopping

Don’t bother buying souvenirs here as they’re much cheaper and better quality/selection in Phnom Penh. One thing you might want to get is the Angkor guide book by Dawn Rooney which gives you the detailed low down on each temple. $2-5 for a photocopied version, available everywhere. There are also 2 little visitors’ guides available in guesthouses which have up-to-date maps and listings.

Temples

This year the Government has introduced photo passes – you get taken into a little room and have your picture taken (free – or you can take a photo along if you prefer/have one to hand) for putting on your pass. $20 for 1 day; $40 for 2-3; $60 for 4-7. 3 days is nice and not rushed at all, you probably need 2 minimum if you want to get to Banteay Srei/not hang around; it probably is possible to cover most of the main sights in a day if you happen to be Japanese. Reserve one of your days for a sunrise/set visit – recommended.

There are loads of temples to see and they’re spread over a huge area but recommendations are:

  • Angkor Wat – can’t come to Cambodia and not see this. There are 2 pools inside the grounds ideally situated for sunrise/set shots. Make sure you’ve got a guidebook that can explain the bas reliefs – the churning of the sea makes more sense once it’s been explained. Stairs to the top are precarious.
  • Angkor Thom/Bayon – doesn’t look much from afar but once inside those faces really get to you – a marvel. Don’t forget to check out the bas reliefs here too – lots of apsaras in good condition.
  • Ta Promh – overgrown with trees, looking a bit like it’s just been discovered. Atmospheric but difficult to photograph in the rain as it is quite dark.
  • Banteay Srei – a trek from Siem Reap but well worth it. Very different from the main temples – it’s made from red stone and the carving is very intricate. It is surprisingly small.
  • Pre Rup – on the way to B. Srei and it just seems to appear from nowhere. I particularly enjoyed trying to explain elementary arithmetic to the girl on the top – she wanted to sell 10 bangles for 4000 riel but refused to sell 5 for 2000!
  • Preah Neak Pean – because it’s so different – it comes as a bit of a shock after all those crumbling temples. This one is a complex of 5 pools. Very little to it but a change is as good as a rest.
  • Others:
  • Banteay Kdei – quite similar to the others. Maybe I was getting watted out by this point.
  • Srah Srang – the king’s bath but really just a set of stairs and a field!
  • Preah Khan – has “enchanting walks”. Shaped liked a huge cross with many of the designs similar to other temples.

We didn’t make it to the Roulos group (the earliest temples), Phnom Kulen, the river of 1000 lingkas (apparently very good once there’s been enough rain to cover the carvings) or any of the other minor places.

Film

Film is available cheaply in Siem Reap. Not so sure about quality of processing but can recommend a place in PP which is cheap, quick and good.

If you go for a sunrise/set visit to the temples and you’ve got an SLR then underexpose to get nice silhouette shots.

Take at least 400ASA film for the temples as some of them can be surprisingly dark, especially if it is raining/cloudy – you may find yourself needing a flash at times.

For more information, visit Stuart’s website:http://uk.geocities.com/stuartincambodia

A brief description of Mtwara by Jean Milnes, UK

Mtwara (pop:approx.100,000) is the nearest town to Mikindani, in South eastern Tanzania. It is the administrative centre of the region, was the southern ‘capital’ in Colonial times and serves as the springboard for travel south into Mozambique. It can be reached by air from Dar es Salaam to Mtwara’s own airport, by sea from Dar es Salaam on the MV Santorini or by road from north, south and west. The approach to Mtwara from Mikindani undulates along a stretch of rural country that eventually goes up a long gradual hill. Along the metalled road are the saltpans, and behind them on the right hand side is a large coconut plantation. Just before the hill begins is the turning off to the right, which takes you to the airport, and the road to the Ruvuma River & Mozambique border.

As the road goes up the hill towards Mtwara it runs along an escarpment – great view over the countryside from there – and comes to a roundabout with a monument to the Mwenge or National Torch. If you turn left you approach Ligula Hospital, built with British money in the early 1960s – turn right and it takes you to the market area (more of that later). Straight on and on the right you pass a large open area called the Showground, which seems to be both the local militia training ground and the HGV driving school site. Both activities have been seen there – the militia several times per week. A rag taggle lot of men, women and some no more that children but given a panga each, they would probably not be good to meet! I think that basic training started at about two months ago and they have progressed to the slow march – they seem to spend a lot of time on that activity. The whole platoon was seen setting off to jog down the main road towards Mikindani – some had dropped out by the time they reached the roundabout! At this point the road goes down a long straight dusty hill with acacia trees either side plus an occasional mango tree, and occasional office buildings such as the Tanzanian Revenue Authority, the local government departments, the Air Tanzania local office and Tanesco offices. 2 storeys seems to be the maximum here so nothing too big.

If you continue to the end you come to a T-junction. Opposite is the Catholic church we went to for Joyce’s wedding, turn right and it takes you to the Port from where the MV Santorini departs to Dar es Salaam – turn left and you get to Shangani – the up market part of the town where the wealthy residents live and many of the NGO’s have their offices there too. Shangani also boasts a good swimming beach. But before you get that far there are several streets on either side – none of which have good surfaces. Immediately any expected notion of being in a regional capital is dashed. One is supposed to be a metal road but the surface is dreadful, and there are 3 of the most vicious ‘sleeping policemen’ you could ever imagine. The rest are just mud/sand/dust road surfaces (depending on the season). Driving along the main shopping street feels more like being at sea it is so undulating both backwards and forwards and side to side! Nothing at all is spent on roads. Mtwara is in 2 parts really – the older part being around the tiny Aga Khan Park, mostly built in the 1950’s & 60’s.

The main shopping street in the Aga Khan Park area is mostly Indian shops – with strings of (very old and dry) mango leaves strung across the door for good luck. There is the ‘off licence’, the shop where all the Landrover spares come from that also sells hardware and bottled gas, there is another shop that sells all sorts of imported food Cornflakes, Alpen, Heinz tomato ketchup etc.

A little further on, in the Chiko Ngola area, is the market and the Bus station. Just before you turn into the main street that leads to the market there is a crossroads. On one corner there is a huge Coca Cola bottle, which marks a drinks kiosk! On the opposite corner there is a patch of open ground in front of the Mtwara football ground. On this patch of ground the cashew nut co-operative hangs out – waiting for buyers to approach them. The nuts are sold in 1 kg or ½ kg packs. It is worth pulling up the Landrover on the corner just to see the sight of the most competitive co-operative saleswomen – they are really aggressive and rush over thrusting packs of nuts into the window of the vehicle and pushing each other out of the way! So much for being a co-operative!

Another feature of Mtwara, in common with many towns and villages throughout Tanzania, is the imaginative use of old shipping containers. These are converted into shops, offices, hairdressing salons and bars. They are fitted out with electricity and some are painted with a brick effect design on the front. Mtwara reminds me a little of an American West town, sort of neglected, dusty and rather chaotic. The fuel station that we use is on one of the worst roads – and each time I have been there I have to wait for herds of cattle to be driven along the road before I can leave! It looks just like an American cattle drive! On one occasion there was also a flock of Guinea fowl wandering along the road. You are likely to find very free ranging chickens, goats and cattle wandering around all the streets – with no apparent ownership. It has been known to meet any of these in the Bank car park.

One of the guide books refers to an ‘endearingly time-warped atmosphere’. This Mtwara certainly has despite it trying to portray an air of activity and modern commercialism. There is something very appealing about it!

For more information on the work carried out by Trade Aid in Tanzania, see their websitewww.mikindani.com

Global Warming Caused by Air Flights

The UK Government think-tank Commission for Integrated Transport is currently considering a plan to impose a congestion charge on flights. It warns that the number of flights is growing by five per cent annually from the present figure of 162 million a year. Ten years ago, planes caused 3.5 per cent of man-made greenhouse gases in the world. By 2050, this figure is estimated to rise to 15 per cent.

The toll, to be introduced on flights leaving at the most popular times, could double the amount travellers pay in the UK on departure tax, which currently stands at between £5 and £40. The charge is being considered to raise an extra £600 million to offset the damage aircraft is causing to the environment.

Airlines in Britain already pay £800 million to offset the damage they cause. The commission says they should be paying £1.4 billion for congestion charges on mid-morning or early evening flights. UK airlines have dismissed the proposal, saying passengers were already taxed enough. British Airways said: 'The way to relieve congestion is to meet demand and that means extra runways.' Holiday operator Thomas Cook added: 'Passengers are already being taxed enough.'

Lisbon: Teaching English and Joining Women’s Groups by Sally Pethybridge, Portugal

Sally is British and has lived in the UK all her life. International travel as part of her work took her to many countries, including Portugal. She fell in love with the place and decided to sell her beautiful cottage in Malmsbury, Wiltshire, and relocate to Lisbon. In this article, she tells us of getting her first job.

I have started work (about time most of you are probably saying!) this month. I am teaching at a local international school (20 minutes by car) which is great fun. The headmistress has decided that the playground assistants, gardener, porter, cleaners and security staff should all learn English so that they can communicate better with the kids and parents. I have two classes each Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. The age range is between mid twenties to late fifties. Two cannot read or write! I have one Romanian (who doesn’t read or write), and three Ukrainians (one is a qualified engineer working as the gardener, and one is an Economist working as a cleaner). It is great fun and very challenging as I don’t use a text book because I have to verbalise and visualise everything due to the non reading and writing element. On Monday I took them all around the grounds of the school identifying objects – they love “small wheelie bin” and “shed”.

Pronunciation is tricky and the word “fork” does tend to sound like something else! Tomorrow they have asked for phrases to use in the playground i.e. “shut up”, “sit down”, “what have you got there?” etc etc and the cleaners want their cleaning equipment identified. They can now introduce each other, say who they are, where they live and what they live in, whether they are married or single, how many children they have and how many pets – not bad in three weeks.

I have also just had an interview with a language school in Sintra and hope something might come from that and have another one scheduled for Thursday afternoon with a school about 15 minutes from here – so things might be looking up. I am also going to advertise English conversation classes to see what comes from that.

I have joined the IWP – the International Women of Portugal. I though it might be a good way of meeting new people. I duly trotted along to one of their coffee mornings and wondered whether it had been worth bothering. Most of the ladies grabbed a coffee and bun and headed off in groups – not quite what I had been expecting.

One lady did come over and talk and it turned out that her husband worked in the power industry over here, which was a coincidence as it turns out I spoke to him about two years ago when I was headhunting with my friend Cathy! What a small world! Anyway, she invited me over to her house for coffee a few weeks later which was rather nice.

Still not too convinced it’s the right thing to belong to, but I will persevere a bit longer. I have also, via an advert in their magazine, found a brilliant library. It is run by a lady who has converted what were maids quarters at the back of her villa into this gem of a place. There are three sections, large print, hardback and paperback – over 1,000 in total! And it’s all free. She will not take any money for anything. It’s brilliant for getting rid of unwanted paperbacks, tapes, videos etc. She has also got a very good selection of audio tapes. Just listened to second Harry Potter spoken by Stephen Fry which was fabulous and the Alan Bennett “Talking Heads”. I met two very interesting ladies there and have lunch with them at weekends. One of them has lived here for 40 years – she was married to a Portuguese artist and lives in a wonderful old villa with three rescued cats and three dippy dogs. The other lady is fascinating. She used to answer the problem letters in various teenage magazines in the sixties, typed scripts for someone who made blue movies and is quite a character – very strong minded and incredibly opinionated which is a bit difficult at times!

I gave my classes homework for the first time on Wednesday and apart from about two small spelling errors, they got everything right! I am so thrilled. I have also been told by the headmistress that they love the classes – makes me feel quite proud. Our final topic of the day today (25 September) was “what are you doing at the weekend?” We had the usual things like going to the supermarket, sleeping, watching Benfica on TV, celebrating 3rd wedding anniversary (he got a round of applause) and then with a bit of giggling and translating we had the classic: “On Saturday I am going to the supermarket to do the shopping. I am going to make love on Saturday night”. This got cheers! They really are a great bunch of ladies and gents!

That’s fine. You could also add that I am now working for Big Ben in Cacem teaching three children aged from 6-8 and two adults in their late twenties. The biggest problem with the adults is that they hate the text books they have been given because they are aimed at children. I am trying to devise something of more interest and relevance to them.

Oh and there has been a recount at the library – Jennie reckons there are now over 5,000 books!

If you’d like to contact Sally, she can be reached by e-mail on: pethybs@hotmail.com

Mac’s Travel Tips, USA

Mac has been reading and researching again! The following travel tips are a culmination of his recent reading.

Luggage tags: these can easily be lost. One potential solution is to put your address inside your suitcase or to put some distinctive marking with a permanent marking pen on the side of the suitcase, such as a circle, or triangle. On that advice, I have put a big cross on each area of my baggage. I hope someone will think maybe there is religious stuff inside, that I am a missionary or something and won’t steal my naughty magazines inside. (Only kidding!)

Getting lost – directions: one person suggested when you go to theme parks or such like, he goes to the right, then to the left and so on and return in reverse. Now why didn’t I think of that! (Globetrotters membership Secretary Kevin takes his compass with him on his trips to Japan to ensure that he exits subways in the right direction.)

Showers: if you don’t have shower clogs, one person suggests putting a hand towel on the bottom of shower tray and standing on it . Another person suggests that when you enter your hotel room you should turn on the shower for a few minutes which will get rid of the build up of spores that cause Legionnaires disease.

Taxis: one person suggested on leaving a taxi, to leave the door open while you are getting your bags out of the boot/trunk., this way the taxi can’t drive off before you have had a chance to make sure you haven’t left anything behind.

Travel on Sundays: I often travel on Sunday but one person recommends not travelling on Sundays as most train and bus times are infrequent or destinations are limited and many stores and businesses close early or are not open, such as money changers.

If you would like to contact Mac, he is happy to answer e-mails: macsan400@yahoo.com

Warning: Lastminute.com by Trevor, UK

Trevor from the UK writes to tell us of his experience booking flights through the internet based travel company lastminute.com. He says:

Be very careful before booking flights through lastminute.com. I recently booked two flights a week or two in advance of travelling and elected to collect my tickets via the e-ticket mechanism. My account was duly debited for two tickets and I received confirmation to the effect that the e-tickets had been issued. So far so good. We then arrived at the airline check-in desk on the morning we were due to fly only to be told by the airline that they only had one e-ticket on the system and had no record of a second e-ticket ever being issued.

We were unable to contact lastminute.com (the only obvious way of contacting anyone at lastminute.com seems to be via an online web form) and we were faced with the choice of either;

A] Abandon our holiday

B] Pay the airline to issue the other e-ticket

C] Go by myself and leave my wife in England [ just kidding… 🙂 ]

We took option [B] and I contacted lastminute.com to obtain an explanation and a refund for the second e-ticket that we were charged for but never received. I received an email informing me that my wife’s name was too long (longer than a piece of string, presumably) and so they hadn't issued the second e-ticket. No explanation as to why I hadn't been informed of a problem prior to turning up at the airport, or even an apology. The best they could offer was to “request a refund via the airline on [our] behalf”.

We're still waiting for our money, and I'm now considering legal action.

Caveat emptor, as they say.

If you want to contact Trevor, he can be e-mailed on: trev_gs@blueyonder.co.uk

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