Category Archives: Main article

Ontario:

The last Toronto GT meeting was on Friday, March 15 at 8 p.m. at the Woodsworth Co-op Penthouse, (PH) 133 Wilton Street, Toronto. (Wilton is a very short E-W street south of and parallel to Esplanade, east of Jarvis – just around the corner from St. Lawrence Market). Presenter: Bruce Weber

Topic: “SAMPLER OF YUCATAN”

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.

Texas:

The April 13 meeting will be at Cypress Bend Park, which is 4 blocks from the library at the end of Peace Street. Peace St. is between the library and the river – it is the only street on the same side as the library. You will pass several cemeteries before you reach the park. Go to the end of Peace St. and you will find Cypress Bend Park on the left. Our travel time talk will be in a lovely outdoor covered pavilion instead of the library (AARP are dong taxes in “our room.”) Rest rooms are close by, and handicap accessible. The Texas branch of the Globetrotters Club will have a potluck picnic in the park. The city of N.B. charges $45.00 so we will have a Globie kitty at the March meeting to cover expenses. If you are busy travelling in March and miss the meeting, c”mon in April anyway. Committees are forming, so come and sign up if you are interested! If you only want to talk about travel, come! The Globetrotters Club sparks my life. I hope it sparks yours. Christina.

Meetings are held at 3pm at the New Braunfels Public Library, 700 E. Common Street in New Braunfels, Texas. The meeting ends at 5 p.m. If you would like to continue travel talk on a more informal basis, we plan to adjourn to the Hoity-Toit, a local New Braunfels establishment. If anybody would like to enquire about meetings or help Christina, please contact her on:texas@globetrotters.co.uk

London Markets: Colombia Road Flower Market

This packed flower market is on one street and gets phenomenally busy. It starts at around 8am on Sundays only and closes up around 1pm, so get there early. Here you can buy everything from tiny cacti, bedding plants, garden gnomes, terracotta pots to shrubs and palm trees. Close by there are coffee shops, pubs, antiques shops, and restaurants so it is a great place to browse on a Sunday, maybe buy some herbs and have lunch.

The market is in Columbia Road (between Gosset Street & the Royal Oak pub), in Bethnal Green, E2. The nearest tube is Old Street tube/rail/ 26, 48, 55 bus. Open 8am-1pm Sun; closed Mon-Sat.

Next month: Leadenhall Market

Jacqui in South America

Buenas dias de Buenos Aires, todo del mundi! Can’t believe how far I’ve travelled and where I have been in the last four weeks! It seems no time since I was sitting in Pucon, Chile and writing to you about all the things I had done in Bolivia and here I am in Buenos Aires. The time has flown and been full of highlights so I shall just have to be as concise as I can or this email will be a book in itself.

After leaving Pucon, we had the trip from hell to get started on the Carraterra Austral (Southern Highway) and the first really bad weather of the trip. It poured! And blew! and the ferry was so many hours late that we thought we would have to retrace out route and enter Argentina near Bariloche (they told me later that this area was famous for its cherry brandy chocolates – damn!) but at the last minute we caught the ferry. Then got the next ferry which was also running late and spent the whole night trying to find space to sleep in the truck, whilst on the ferry, and then while our intrepid drivers drove through the night to make to next planned camp at dawn. We put up our tents in the rain and crawled into them and didn’t come out til noon.

There was a spectacular glacier nearby (which probably explained why it was so cold!) and the rain continued. Next day was more of the same but the rain held off for short periods and that included when we stopped to set up camp beside a gorgeous lake, and the third day was a repeat too with no let up at camp time. I was cooking that night and had the privilege of sleeping on the truck but first I had to get everyone else off, as no one wanted to go out in the rain. Last day on the highway and the day was clear and bright and we could finally appreciate why our driver was so keen to come this way. Stunning! Amazing! Beautiful! No words can tell you how lovely it all was. Fields of lupins, wild llama, birds, cattle, not very many people and even less traffic, blue skies and sunshine. Well worth the three days of rain and perhaps appreciated even more because of them.

We crossed into Argentina for a few days to visit the Patagonian area of El Chalten and Calafate that are known for their mountains and proximity to the Perito Moreno Glacier and Lago Argentino respectively. I went hiking in El Chalten and managed a long days walking so my ankle must be all but healed as it still aches when I am tired. And we took a tour out to the glacier and it was thoroughly worth seeing. I took loads of pictures so – you have been warned!

After this wee sojourn, I went back to Chile for the best part of a week so that we could visit the National Park of Torres del Paine. It was spectacular, glorious and any other superlative you can think of. I tried to do a hike there that out leader claimed was ´not technically difficult´ but only got half way as he failed to qualify his statement with ´but it’s all uphill¨. Great day though and I had a great picnic view when I stopped to have my lunch.

After Torres, it was back in the truck and head further south for Tierra del Fuego. By this time the days were very long and even though it was cold at night, the days were sunlit and generally warm, so, eating at 10pm was not unusual. The mornings were cold and the early starts were not always welcome but the scenery changed every mile so it was always exciting to get further south. We took a ferry across the Magellan Straits and onto Tierra del Fuego, crossed into Argentina half way across the island and got to Ushaia with no trouble at all.

More camping and a boat trip around the harbour to see the wildlife and the shores of this remote place. It is a pretty place, with multicoloured houses and built around the bay at the foot of the mountains that ring it. The weather there changes by the minute and is never the same for long and the people I met were friendly and from all over Argentina. Because of the unstable nature of the peso here, things were much cheaper than a month ago so I did a bit of shopping. Great fun and not something I have done a lot of this trip. Honest!

After all this it was time to head north and we got to Buenos Aires in four days of very long drives with only a visit to a penguin colony as distraction. The country could not have been more different to the Chile Patagonia we were used to. The land was flat and no mountains or trees to break up the horizon. The roads were generally good but like outback Australian roads were long and straight and seemed to go on forever.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. BA was a welcome break and despite our concerns for the ongoing political problems there, we encountered no violence except what we saw on TV. A city tour, a group meal for two birthdays, a Tango show and it was time to move on. I could have spent longer and would liked to have visited Uruguay, but the need to move on and the lack of a visa made that impossible. We left BA in sunshine but the rains soon caught us. It cleared for the evening but at 5am the heavens opened and once again, my being on the truck saved me from the fate of my co-travellers. The tents fell over as the torrential downpour undermined the pegs and soaked everything: soggy people, sleeping bags and possessions straggled onto the truck. We skipped breakfast in an effort to out run the storm and finally did so at about 2pm that day.

We got to Puerta Iguazu and stayed in cabanas as everything was too wet to use. It took about a week before everything was thoroughly dry as we have well and truly hit the tropics now and evening and morning rain are the norm rather than the exception. The Iguazu Falls are spectacular from both sides of the Brazil/Argentine border and I feel privileged to have seen the big three: Niagara, Iguazu and Victoria. All amazing but I have to give the honours to Victoria Falls. After Iguazu, it was time to head for Rio. Another three long days driving to get to the town of Paraty, where we all got to chill out a little (and clean the truck, our clothes and repack and reorganise ready for the next leg of the journey). And now we are in Rio. It”s hot. It”s humid and it”s Carnival! Watch this space!

Thanks Jacqui and keep us posted! If anyone would like to contact Jacqui, her e-mail is: jacquitrotter@yahoo.com

What have you seen on your travels? Drop a line to the Beetle!

Dhaka, Bangladesh by Atom Crater

Atom Crater, a former work colleague of the Beetle has recently returned from a work trip to Bangladesh. This month and next, we include some of his observations.

Weather report: When we arrived it was very cool, below 20 during the day and nippy in the evening. I made the great mistake of going out one evening without a sweater and felt really cold. But it’s now warming up – winter’s over. It’s still comfortable (mid 20s) but a brisk walk during the day does make you sweat. But the evenings are now sweater-less. The dry season will last until May.

Rickshaws: You simply can’t begin to describe Dhaka without mentioning the rickshaws, which are everywhere, absolutely everywhere. I heard the other day that there are 800,000 in this city of 10-13 million. They occupy a large proportion of the city’s road space, moving like a swarm of brightly decorated yellow and red insects. They irritate motor vehicle drivers like hell, but are a very efficient, low cost, environmentally acceptable (except for the choking passengers! see air pollution below) mode of transport in a city that is absolutely flat. They manoeuvre with remarkable skill, squeezing into impossible spaces, and operate their own informal tidal flow system, riding when they choose against the traffic in order to avoid congestion. As well as passengers, you see them transporting vegetables, sacks of rice, bags of cement, building materials, timber, bamboo, filing cabinets, furniture, And they’re not confined to cities and towns, but are also the dominant form of transport in the rural areas.

Auto-rickshaws: And then there are the auto-rickshaws, which zip around emitting a fierce crackling sound and pungent grey exhaust. The World Bank has just published a report that blames them (along with buses and trucks) as the principal source of the appalling air pollution.

Wheel brushes: The Flying Pigeon bicycles (made in China) have a cunning feature: two small brushes are attached to the mudguard stays, front and back, which clean the dust off the rim of the wheels as they turn, thus keeping them sparkling clean. Is this a local adaptation or does it come from China? Would it catch on UK?

Hooters: Another traffic impression (traffic – and t-jams in particular – are a major fact of life here): drivers hoot continuously, their fingers twitching in quasi-Pavlovian response to the fact that there’s something in front of them, or approaching from the side, or coming too close behind, or ….what the hell, let’s hoot anyway! As with many things, it’s so reminiscent of Indonesia, where we had to teach Yayat, our driver, to stop this habit before it drove us crazy.

More about Dhaka in April’s e-newsletter. If you would like to contact Atom Crater, please e-mail the Beetle and she will pass on any e-mails: Beetle@globetrotters.co.uk

An Itinerary for South Korea by Kevin, from London

Day 1. Depart Europe via Frankfurt, Lufthansa flights are cheapest, then overnight flight to Seoul.

Day 2. Land around noon at Incheon Airport. Take the Airport limousine bus into downtown Seoul, about 90 mins. After checking in to your chosen accommodation, Yeogwans are good value simple accommodation go for a walk to help ward off the inevitable jetlag.

Day 3. To get a first impression of Seoul you can take a city tourist bus that goes around the city, stopping atthe major sights and areas. A day pass costs 5000 Won ( US$ 6 ). In the afternoon go to Namsen Park and ascend the Seoul tower for a birds-eye view of the city and to help get your bearings.

If you are not too tired in the evening go to Itaewan district, for the nightclubs, bars and markets.

Day 4.Today you could start the day with a pleasure boat ride up the Hangang river that bisects Seoul, then spend the afternoon exploring the Gyeongbokgung Palace. The Palace is made up of dozens of buildings and museums. If the weather is unkind Seoul has many museums including a Rail Museum, a Folk Museum and even a Currency museum, hope to see the Euro in there soon!

Day 5. A day to escape the city, especially if it’s a Tuesday when a lot of the museums and public buildings are closed. Take an organised trip 60 Km north to Panmunjon on the DMZ, Demilitarised Zone. This is an area where the cold war continues. UN soldiers guard this border between the two Korea’s. You cannot go to this area except in an organised group, and you have to sign a disclaimer in case you get shot! The tour takes in the Freedom bridge and third Tunnel. You visit camp Boniface and are on the borderline between the two countries. An exciting and different side trip.

Day 6. Time to leave Seoul. Take a bus from the Seoul Express Bus station and head south for four hours to Gyeongju in the Southeast. Gyeongju is an historic city containing the best-preserved relics from the Silla dynasty. This afternoon visit the Stone Silla Cheomseongdae observatory, one of the world’s oldest and Anapji pond in town or take a taxi and visit the standing stone buddhas, or the Abalone shaped watercourse south of town.

Day 7. Today take the 40 minute bus ride to Bulguksa temple that lies east of Gyeongju at the foot of Mount Tohamsen. It is one of South Korea’s premier tourist attractions, so get there early to avoid the heat and the crowds. It is listed as a world heritage sight and is Korea’s oldest Buddhist temple, the complex is made up of over 60 buildings. Contained within are numerous treasures from the Silla era.

Day 8. Another short trip today, as we take the bus to Gimhe airport in Busan ( Aka Pusan). The flight to Chejudo Island will take only 50 minutes ( US$ 50). You can alternatively take a ferry from Busan to Cheju that takes 11 hours overnight, often through rough seas. The difference in cost amounts to only a few dollars so the flight is preferable. Mid afternoon arrival in Jeju. Take a walk to the Mysteriously shaped Dragon Head rock on the edge of town, or go to the Moksukwon road and see the optical illusion of cars rolling uphill.

Day 9. Take the bus to the Manjang cave area on the east of the island and explore the world’s longest volcanic lava tubes. Take the bus to Songsun Peak, so called Sun rise peak. If you want to be there as the sun rises, then you need to spend the previous evening in the nearby village. Walk along the beach and if you are lucky you may come across the “Sea women”. These ladies dive for pearls without the use of air tanks and are able to hold their breath for two minutes.

Day 10 Early bus to Sankumburi crater, famed for it’s diverse flora. Then head south to Sogwipo city, the islands second city, and a venue for this years football World cup. To the west of the city take in Yakcheonsa Temple, which is made completely of wood, then stroll the 400m to the Jusanjolli rock formations.

Day 11 Depending on time and tides take the ferry to Mokpo on the mainland, this trip takes 5 hours. It may be preferable to fly. You may have to spend the night at Mokpo if the ferry is late.

Day 12 Train or bus to Jeonju, a popular town with temples and pagodas in parks to the east of the city, including the so-called Two Horse head Mountain, that has a picturesque Temple at the foot of the mountain.

Day 13. Train or bus back north to Seoul. Arrive early afternoon. Last chance for souvenir shopping and wandering.

Day 14. Morning at leisure before transferring to Incheon airport for the flight back to Europe. With the nine hour time difference, you land the same day, but your body may not agree!

If you would like to contact Kevin, please e-mail him on: Kbrackley@yahoo.com

BBC ONE’s Holiday Swaps Is Back!

Imagine swapping your normal holiday for a surprise trip that could take you anywhere in the world doing almost anything.

Holiday Swaps offers you the chance to make this year’s holiday an unforgettable experience.

Are you a UK based group of friends or a family planning an adventurous holiday this year? Holiday Swaps are especially looking for you if you are planning a safari, trekking or conservation holiday.

If you have a good sense of humour, enjoy a challenge and would be prepared to give up your planned holiday for something completely different, then we’d like to hear from you.

Email: holiday.swaps@bbc.co.uk

Tel: (+44) 0117 974 7840 (24 hrs)

Address: Holiday Swaps, PO Box 791, Bristol, BS99 1DD, United Kingdom.

A Cautionary Tale

Easter would not be Easter without a quick diving trip. Last year the Beetle went to the Red Sea on a live aboard, and this year, the Beetle was at a loss to work out where to go. A Muslim country seemed like a good idea because there would be fewer tourists going home to celebrate Easter, but it had to be somewhere with good diving.

Oman came to mind as being an unusual destination with hopefully some good diving opportunities. The Beetle contacted Trailfinders in the City, in London, to enquire about availability, cost and timings of flights to Oman. It seemed that there was quite a bit of availability, and the price was not too bad, considering it was Easter. The next step was to find a dive operation and a hotel.

A quick trawl on the net found a promising looking dive school that also had accommodation, so the Beetle went back to Trailfinders to say that she’d already be told of an Alitalia flight and read out the day and time. The puzzled operative said, no, there are no Alitalia flights going to Oman and quite honestly, it is all looking very busy, I can’t see the flight you are referring to and I’m not sure we can get you there now.

The Beetle has been using Trailfinders for over 10 years and thought this a little odd. Hang on a minute, just let me check something, the operative said. He came back triumphant. Yes, we’ve got you going on a flight to Amman, in Jordan! If the Beetle had booked the first time on enquiring, she would have ended up in Amman and not Oman – a very sobering thought!

The moral of the story is: no matter how experienced you think your travel agent is, they are not mind readers, always state the name of the country, even if you think it is obvious, like Paris, Texas, or Paris France, others may not know!

Readers comments: best airport nominations – from Padmassana

When he's not tying his body into knots, Padmassana is a bit of a globetrotter on the quiet. Here are his nominations for best and worst airports:

Best:

1 Dubai: great facilities, clean, everything is so cheap and it is the only airport where you see Rolls Royce's and Ferraris inside!

2 Hong Kong: well organised, lots to do if your plane is delayed

3 Zurich: the escalators are constructed in such a way that you can wheel your trolley onto them and the wheels lock into place!

4 Tokyo: clean, well organised, the conveyor belt has traffic lights so not too much luggage is loaded on to it at any one time, so that bags don't fall off!

5 Moscow: the best for entertainment value – you have to guess which gate your plane leaves from and race there! (The Beetle would like to add this also happened to her at San Jose in Costa Rica airport too!)

Padmassana's worst airports included Luxor for bribery (the Beetle also experienced this after a diving holiday in the Red Sea. At Hurgahada the man who x-rayed luggage wanted a tip/bribe, as did the man who checked you in, as did the man who lifted your bags on to the conveyor belt to the storage place prior to the plane arriving), Goa where the conveyor belt chews your luggage, Islamabad where the customs official ate Padmassana's Milka bars, Guilin, in China, where the runway lights were switched off on final approach. Scary!!

Write in and tell us your best airport nominations! Contact the Beetle!

MEETING NEWS

Meeting news from our branches around the world.

London:

We had two excellent speakers in February! First was Alastair Lee who gave us a multi-dimensional view of his travels in China and his very close up views of climbing various horrifically vertical mountains in Northern Yunnan. He spoke of the friendships he and his girlfriend struck up with people who lived close by who were fascinated by some of his climbing equipment, the weather which looked like it was going to defeat them and entertained us with some great poses and a dancing finale! Alastair has published a fabulous climbing guide on New Zealand. Take a look at his web site: posingproductions.com

After the tea and coffee break, Ben Nimmo spoke of his cathartic pilgrimage complete with trombone from Canterbury to Santiago de Compostela, in Spain. He regaled us with hilarious tales of some of the larger than life characters he met en route, the amount of beer and wine he sampled, all out of a sense of duty and through a spirit of comradeship, of course, and in particular the story of how he became a god father to a little girl in France. Funny stories, great pictures, wonderful trip, Ben! Ben has written a highly moving and entertaining book called Pilgrim Snail documenting his pilgrimage. Pilgrim Snail is available now in bookshops and the following website fireandwater.co.uk and Ben's next book 'In Forkbeard's Wake' is out in January 2003.

Coming next, on Saturday 2nd March, we have Philip Koniotes talking about “The Antarctic Peninsular.” Philip has regularly travelled to the Arctic dog-sledding and has travelled extensively, including diving around the world and making five polar trips – the Antarctic has been his most recent journey. He loves the space and trying to capture it on film. After the break, Mark Elliott will be talking on “Saving Kilum Forest” set in NW Cameroon – about curious kingdoms and unique mountain forests. Mark is standing in for Juliet Coombe who is unable to attend the Globetrotter meeting due to a car accident in Australia. She is okay but not yet fit to fly

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 on Saturday 1st September. For more information, you can contact the Globetrotter Info line on +44 (0) 20 8674 6229, or visit the website: www.globetrotters.co.uk

New York:

Hola from Laurie!

Our next meeting will be March 2, 2002. The usual: 4:00pm at the Wings Theater, 154 Christopher Street.

The subject is MEXICO! I will be in Mexico myself at the end of February but will be back in time for our March meeting… Matt Link is back again! And along with Gretchen Kelly, they will explain the interior of the Yucatan peninsula with an emphasis of staying at small villages near archeological sites in lieu of staying at the plastic, commercial areas like Cancun. They will delve into the mysteries of the Maya, touching upon their spiritual practices and history in the area, as well as present day problems modern Maya face in Mexico. They will also be visiting the historic town of Merida as well, one of the loveliest towns in the country. We will have slides as well as some arts and crafts to pass around. Both Matt and Gretchen have attended the Maya World Conference, a meeting of all the countries that have Mayan populations. So this will undoubtedly be a slide show and lecture not to miss!

Gretchen Kelly is the News Editor for Business Traveler magazine and the travel editor for Design Times magazine. Recent feature stories Gretchen has worked on include profiles of Buenos Aires (where she interviewed Eva Peron's living relatives), Aboriginal Australia and the story of porcelain from Dresden to Chungking. She is currently at work on a feature article about Jakarta, Indonesia. For those of you who did not meet Matt at previous meetings, he has been traveling since the age of twelve, when he boarded his family's boat for five years and sailed around the Pacific including the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Micronesia, the Solomon Islands, and New Zealand, where he attended high school. He hasn't stopped since, having visited dozens of countries in Eurasia and living for a number of years in both Hong Kong and Hawaii, where he ran kayak tours and published the guidebook Rainbow Handbook Hawaii. He now lives in New York where he works with Arthur Frommer as Associate Editor of the magazine Budget Travel. See you all soon. Adios!

New York meetings are held at The Wings Theater, 154 Christopher Street (btw Greenwich Stand Washington St), to the right of Crunch Fitness, in the Archive on the first Saturday of each month at 4 pm.

Ontario:

The last meeting was on January 18th: Ann Dohler talked about her recent trip to Peru, the Galapagos and the Amazon. The next meeting is on Friday, March 15th at 8 p.m. Bruce Weber will be giving a “SAMPLER OF YUCATAN”.

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.

Toronto GT 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. (Wilton St is a very short E-W street south of and parallel to Esplanade, east of Jarvis – just around the corner from St.Lawrence Market)

Texas:

It was a marvelous meeting: Chris from Austin did a first class slide show of the Greek Isles and provided a map for each of us so we would know where we were for each slide. We exchanged travel advice, ideas and materials. A bunch went to the Hoity Toit afterwards for a great time. 21 people attended the February meeting, 5 of whom were new. Once again, thanks to Pauline and Frommer for helping to publicise the Texas meetings – except, now Christina says she really needs a secretary!

In the March Globies, Chris will give a slide show of Turkey and tabletop discussion of 2/3 night great get-aways. After the meeting, for anyone who'd like to continue the discussions, we will adjourn to a local hostelry, to be advised at the meeting.

Meetings are held at 3pm at the New Braunfels Public Library, 700 E. Common Street in New Braunfels, Texas. The meeting ends at 5 p.m. If you would like to continue travel talk on a more informal basis, we plan to adjourn to the Hoity-Toit, a local New Braunfels establishment. If anybody would like to enquire about meetings or help Christina, please contact her on: texas@globetrotters.co.uk

London Markets: Borough Market

Borough Market is the Beetle's second favourite London market.

It is a farmers market in south east London and opens noon- 6pm on Fridays and 9am-4pm on Saturdays – it is closed from Sunday to Thursday. It has a great atmosphere, the vendors are really friendly and you'll meet many local Londoners who live near by. You can easily spend an hour or two wandering around, even if you really don't want to buy anything! Parts of Bridget Jones Diary were filmed here.

You can browse amongst colourful and fragrant stalls selling flowers of all descriptions, coffees, fruit, organic raspberries, cognac chocolate truffles, piquant mango chutneys, obscure breads and cheeses, veg and meat. It's quite common to ask for free tasting samples! There are quite a few traders who specialise in organic produce. There are stalls selling non food products such as good quality home made candles and bric a brac.

If you are peckish (hungry), you can buy food at the market and there are a number of excellent pubs close by. It is situated between Borough High Street, Bedale Street, Winchester Walk & Stoney Street, Borough SE10 or for info on the web, check out (http://www.londonslarder.org.uk). The closest tube and British Rail station is London Bridge.

Visiting Borough Market could be part of a Saturday stroll around southeast London, taking in maybe the Clink – an old jail, Vinopolis, a wine tasting experience and there are some very old pubs en route!

Want to tell us about your local market? Contact the Beetle

Next month: Colombia Road Flower Market

Jacqui in South America

La Paz seems like a long time a go but it was only a few short weeks.

Three days at high altitude and then we were off to even higher planes. Potosi was the first where we stayed in the town which claims to be the highest in South America and at 4900m, who am I to argue? Walking up the streets was hard work but the locals made it look easy as old ladies with loads on their back over took and disappeared from view before I had gone a quarter the distance. Galling! It is also a town known for its mountain of silver. The Spanish found this great wealth irresistible even to the point that they revoked a papal proclamation decrying the use of coca leaves by the indigenous peoples when they discovered that the use of said leaf meant the miners could work for long periods without food or sleep and did not complain about much.

Coca leaf is endemic in Bolivia and parts of Peru as a substance to chew or tea to drink. It staves off hunger, helps with the altitude, and generally makes a hard life seem more bearable. It was originally in Coca Cola and as a close cousin to cocaine has been extensively researched. I had some tea and all it did was make me pee but others chewed it and their mouths went numb. It is definitely an acquired taste!

Potosi is very grey but the people were friendly and the air was clean. Unlike the rivers which are polluted by the mining that continues today. Now, it is run as a co-operative and the working conditions leave everything to be desired. I did not go down the mines as I am a bit claustrophobic but those who did said it was amazing. After the loveliest days drive through multicoloured hills and valleys we got to Sucre. This is a Spanish colonial town that has the prettiest square and a nice feel about the place.

According to our drivers it was also the nicest hotel we will stay in. Very plush and friendly. Having had a birthday in Puno and another in La Paz we had a third in Sucre. Given our driver, Simon's, aversion to such things, we surprised him with a breakfast party complete with cake, champagne, balloons, presents and a full English breakfast. A good time was had by all – even the birthday boy! The trucks left us the next day and two drivers took them the long way round to meet us in Chile as we were off to cross the salt flats and the trucks would not have made it through the mud flats that lead into Chile.

A bus trip to Uyuni which took all day and we got up the next day to head off to Chile. First stop was to see the salt being shovelled off the flat and into tip-trucks. Due to the rains there was a shallow layer of water on the flat but that did not bother anyone as we got out and paddled around. It took three hours to drive out to a rocky island called Fish Island. This reflects its shape rather than the presence of any animal in the water. It is also covered in cacti, the oldest of which are 1200 – 1500 years old. Beautiful white blooms decorated some and they all grew up in strange and wonderful shapes.

By five in the afternoon our jeep had reached the shore nearest to San Juan, and we were hooning along to try and get there by dark. The reason for the rush was that we seemed to have gotten the most patient driver and the dodgiest jeep. It must have broken down six times and all of us had visions of being stuck there for hours. Nelson fixed it every time though, so no complaints. San Juan was a bit of a non-event. The lights go out at 10pm and although we heard after that there had been a disco, it's hard to give the notion credence. Beautiful stars though.

Next day was through dry country, and barren, but incredibly beautiful with it. Most is a protected area but it would be impossible to make a living there as nothing much grows. There were vicuñas and vizcachas (relatives of llamas and rabbits respectively) but not much else. We saw flamingos in coloured lakes and I took far too many photos. We had lunch in a snow storm at 5000m, and got to our nights accommodation in time for a hail storm. Excellent! Up at 4.30am the next morning to go see a geyser but I suspect the real reason is to make sure you have plenty of time to clear Chilean customs when you got there. In between we saw more coloured lakes and flamingos, mud pools and hot thermal springs for soaking feet in. All very good.

Crossing into Chile was not a problem despite the time factor and we were installed into our Christmas campsite by 2pm. That was December 23rd, and the next two days were spent cooking, eating, singing, sleeping, drinking and generally having a good time. On Dec. 26th I went down to Santiago on an overnight bus (whole journey took 24 hours) to get my visa sorted out for Brazil and then went back to meet the group for New Year at a place called La Serena. A good time was had by all and suddenly it was 2002.

Since then we have been to Santiago to collect new group members (our passenger group rose to 18 in number) and collect mail. Thank you to all my friends who wrote, it was much appreciated. Our group is now in Pucon, centre of the Chilean lake district, and watched over by the Osorno volcano which is happily puffing out smoke as I type. From here it is on to points south and Tierra del Fuego mid – January. While things in Argentina have been volatile, we are hoping that they will have calmed down before we get to Buenos Aires, and in order to spend more time in Chile, we will NOT be going to Paraguay. Rio in Carnival and I shall be there on February 9th.

That about brings you up to date. Life is never dull when travelling overland and I am looking forward to the challenges and adventures of the next few weeks

Thanks Jacqui and keep us posted! If anyone would like to contact Jacqui, her e-mail is: jacquitrotter@yahoo.com

What have you seen on your travels? Drop a line to the Beetle!

Cheap Air Tickets from the UK to France with Buzz

If you already live in the UK, or know that you will be in the UK in April, why not zip over to France? The low cost airline, Buzz is offering discounts on 15 routes from the UK to France.

You have to book by March 5th and the journey must be taken between 3 and 30 April 2002. Below are the (one way) prices they quote – the cost of the return is about the same!

From just £19 one way you can buzz off to Brest – Brittany, Caen – Normandy, Rouen – Normandy or Paris (CDG).

From just £24 one way you can discover the delights of Dijon – Burgundy, La Rochelle, Tours – Loire Valley, Limoges, Poitiers or Grenoble – Lyon.

From just £29 one way you can explore Bergerac – Dordogne, Bordeaux, Marseilles Provence, Toulon – St Tropez or Toulouse.

For full terms and conditions, or to book, visit www.buzzaway.com

All you wanted to know about the United Arab Emirates

Where is it and why go? The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a collection of small states about 7 hours away from London. They have gained wealth from their oil reserves and are often associated with ex-pat oil workers. The UAE often hosts world class sporting events, such as the Desert Classic (golf), the Dubai Open (tennis), horse racing and rugby, to name but a few.

Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates or UAE. It is the largest and richest state and widely known as the Garden City of the Gulf. Abu Dhabi began as a fishing and pearl diving centre, but is now one of the world's cleanest and most modern cities.

Dubai has always been known for its cheap duty free and the luxury cars it raffles off in the pink marble lined foyer of the duty free. It's now also a very popular holiday destination in its own right, boasting the world's first 6 star hotel, many other top notch hotels, golf courses, trips into the desert, a souk etc. You can still the old, traditional style of dhow plying up and down the creek that separates the city into two. Incidentally, Dubai's annual shopping festival takes place between 1st and 31st March when most stores offer significant discounts and savings!

Ras al Khaimah is on the northern tip of the UAE, only one hour away from Dubai. Here you can escape the busy crowds and commercialized shopping centres. Her you can find old forts and watchtowers, old villages and mountains.

Ajman is the smallest of the states and is some 25 minutes north of Dubai. It does not have any oil reserves, so it retains its traditional fishing culture.

A good tour of the UAE and Muscat and Oman would be to initially use Dubai as a base and explore: Day 1, spend time in Dubai, visit the Jumeirah mosque, the Dubai museum, take a trip along the creek and visit the souk. Day 2, take a day trip to Sharjah and wander around the restored old town and the new souk. Continue to Ajman and visit the museum that describes life in the UAE before the discovery of oil. Day 3, take another day trip to the east coast and the state of Fujeira. You can see mountains and gorges, oases and desert. Day 4, take another day trip to Abu Dhabi, see the skyscrapers and palaces and visit the islands offshore. Day 5, take a trip into the desert, climb up/roll down some sand dunes and visit the Haja Mountains. You could stay over night in a camp and be entertained by the inevitable belly dancer and cabaret – it's how it's done over there!

To extend the trip, you should continue down the east coast from Fujeirah to Sohar in Oman. Here you can see the pre-Islamic Nakhal fort, the Sohar fort and various souks. Stay overnight and on Day 6, continue south in Muscat and visit the fish souk, the Muttrah souk, Al Alam Palace and the museums. Stay overnight in Muscat and on Day 7, head south west to Nizwa and see the fort and souk and various (Jabel Shams Wadi Ghul, Al Hamra, Tanuf, Misfah, Bahla etc. Stay the night in Nizwa and on Day 8, head for Sur and see Izki, Sinaw, Wahiba Sands Wadi Bani Khalid. Stay overnight in Sur and on Day 9 return to Muscat.

London Travel Shows

The first two months of each year are a busy time for anyone interested in travel shows in London. In early January, we had the Daily Telegraph Travel Show that was held at Olympia. It was huge and included attractions such as a revolving climbing wall and a large inflatable pool for would-be scuba divers to try out their under water skills. The Globetrotters Club was well represented, as always – thanks to Dick for organizing the stand. A large number of Globetrotter members turned out on Saturday and Sunday to offer free travel advice to members of the public who were thinking of travelling; Central and South America seemed to be extremely popular planned travel destinations. All the usual adventure and overland companies were represented.

A couple of weeks after the Daily Telegraph Show, there was the Destinations travel show, also held at Olympia. This is more an opportunity for tourist offices to offer brochures and advice to help people plan their trips to specific countries rather than longer term round the world trips.

The final show, the Independent Travellers World show is usually in late February. It was again held at the much smaller venue, the Business Design Centre in Islington. Compared to last year's effort, (and previous years, which, quite frankly were awful!) this show was far, far better. The emphasis was mostly on independent and backpacker travel with fewer tourist offices being represented – more overland truck companies, gap year organizations etc. There were loads of freebies – these included baseball hats, key rings, free T-shirts, lots of sweeties (candies) and mugs from shipping insurance companies!

More Funny Signs

Thanks go to Frank in the US for the following:

At a Budapest zoo: PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS. IF YOU HAVE ANY SUITABLE FOOD, GIVE IT TO THE GUARD ON DUTY.

Doctor's office, Rome: SPECIALIST IN WOMEN AND OTHER DISEASES. Hotel, Acapulco: THE MANAGER HAS PERSONALLY PASSED ALL THE WATER SERVED HERE.

Car rental brochure, Tokyo: WHEN PASSENGER OF FOOT HEAVE IN SIGHT, TOOTLE THE HORN. TRUMPET HIM MELODIOUSLY AT FIRST, BUT IF HE STILL OBSTACLES YOUR PASSAGE THEN TOOTLE HIM WITH VIGOUR.

Write in and tell us your funny sign! Drop a line to the Beetle!