In early April I took a Eurail/backpacking trip solo through Western Europe. I had the opportunity to travel throughout Switzerland. I gained a great deal of knowledge about Swiss bank accounts and procedures for securing greater financial privacy. I also passed through the tiny independent Principality of Monaco on the French coast near the Italian border.

While in Spain I visited the Andorra Tourist Office in Barcelona. It is located in the mall area of a prominent office complex at the Port of Barcelona. Andorra is located at the very top of the Pyrenees Mountains between Spain and France. It recently won its independence from France and Spain and has since become a tax haven for many Spaniards and other Europeans. Tourists often make a trek to Andorra, 2 hours by train from Barcelona, to purchase duty free goods.

But it was the discovery of yet another tiny tax haven on the Swiss/Italian border that really caught my attention.

Anyone who has ever flown into the Airport at Omaha, Nebraska has had the experience of having to pass through a tiny strip of Iowa after they leave the airport, to get to the city of Omaha. Carter Lakes, Iowa is a geographic anomaly. The town is completely isolated from the rest of the State of Iowa, surrounded by a lake on one side and Nebraska on the other.

Like Iowa, Italy has its own Carter Lakes anomaly in the Alps. Campione D'Italia is completely surrounded by the Lake of Lugano on one side, and the Italian-speaking Swiss Canton of Ticino on the other. The closest point on the Italian border is 11 kilometres away. But the Village has been a part of the Italian State of Lombardy (also home to nearby Milan), for over 7 Centuries.

It is relatively easy to get to Campione. Just take one of the wonderful Swiss trains from Geneva, Basel, or Zurich to Lugano. From Lugano it's just a ten minute ride in a taxi or a rent-a-car to Campione. Or, it's a 45 minute ride – all highway – from Milan.

Its isolation from Italy has given it a very unique status. It is almost like being in another country. It is similar to Monaco in that the town sits on a very narrow strip of coastline surrounded by cliffs. It even looks like Monaco with a Casino, boat docks, and a small palm-lined beach. The population of the town is just over 3,000. The total area is 1.7 square kilometres. Italy administers local governmental functions. However, Campione uses the Swiss banking system, currency, and post office.

It is their system of taxation that outsiders, particularly for those who are interested in financial privacy, may find of greatest interest. Basically, there are no taxes. Campione's only Casino makes enough revenue to support the town. Residents do not pay local municipal taxes, Italian income or VAT (Value Added) taxes, nor are they subject to the onerous taxation from Switzerland.

What's the catch?

Establishing residency in Campione is a little difficult. I speak fluent Italian. So, I was able to converse with some of the locals. They are a little suspicious of outsiders, with the exception of visitors to the Casino. They even seem to be a bit secretive about Campione and it's unique status. They have a good deal and they want to keep it that way. For example, it is not easy to purchase land in Campione or even an apartment, which is the only way to gain residency. Real estate is quite expensive. Though, if you are able to purchase a little land you will receive automatic residency. They say that about 1,000 foreigners now live in Campione taking advantage of its unique opportunities for avoiding taxes and corporate protections.

Libertarians and other financial privacy seekers have searched the world for attractive havens such as Campione. Purchasing a plot of land in the town could prove quite pricey. But this could be a very attractive option for a joint venture?

Note – Eric Dondero R. is the author of the “Worldwide Multilingual Phrase Book” – www.portsidelanguages.com. He is an interpreter in Houston and speaks over 20 languages. He is also active in libertarian politics and is an avid proponent of global freedom.

The next Texas meeting will be completely open: please come and talk about your favourite place, travels, anecdote or listen to others!

Congratulations to Christina, Chair of the Texas branch of Globetrotters on her new job on the San Antonio Riverwalk. Because of this, please note that Texas meetings will start one hour earlier, at 2pm and not 3pm.

Meetings are held at 2pm 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

Young, a Korean American, living in California saw Globetrotter Kevin’s Korean itinerary in March’s Globetrotter e-newsletter whilst visiting Korea for a week with his wife and daughter after a trip to Tibet and Sichuan, China.

Young has a few hints and tips he’d like to pass on to us, particularly more interesting as Korea will see a massive influx of tourists as a result of co-hosting the next Football (Soccer) World Cup with Japan in a few weeks’ time:

1) Gyeongbokgung is a fine introduction to Korean “old palaces”, a significant part of Korean cultural heritage. An advantage is that there are museums on the grounds as you say. But if I were to pick a single palace for someone with limited time, it would be Changdukgung Palace, which is a beautiful place, especially the Piwon (Secret Garden) part. There are also regularly scheduled guided tours in English. 2) In Gyeongju, most Koreans would consider Sokuram (Stone Grotto) a must see. Last year I had a privilege of seeing it up close (beyond the glass barrier) thorough some contact, and it was a great experience to see the details of the stone carvings. Certainly not as extensive or imposing as the relief in Angkor Wat which came later, but they offer subtle and balanced beauty that you see commonly in Korean art.

3) We took a 3-day side trip from Seoul to Busuksa Temple and Andong in Kyungsangbuk-Do (the province where Gyeongju and also Taegu, one of the World cup sites are located), made easier with the recent opening of “Central Highway”. Busuksa is an old Buddhist temple dating back to the 7th century, and contains the second oldest wooden structure in Korea. Some people consider this temple to be in the most beautiful mountainside setting in Korea. Andong is a traditional town with well-preserved Korean style houses. At the nearby hamlet of Hahoe, we attended the annual festival commemorating the visit by Queen Elizabeth II 3 years ago. The highlight is the mask dance that started as a parody on the ruling class 600 years ago. From spring to fall, there is a performance of the dance every Saturday and Sunday. We also visited the most celebrated of the old private schools for Confucian scholars, Dosan Seowon, dating back to 16th century.

4) For me, the fascination of the Korean landscape and culture can be found in one setting – Buddhist temples. They are typically located deep in mountains, and many of them have survived the ravage of war throughout centuries. They are still the central repository of Korean Buddhistic practice where meditation in the serene setting is an integral part. Try to visit at least one Korean temple – it is vastly different from a Thai temple, typically gaudy and metropolitan. The most famous is Bulkuksa (often overrun with tourists), mentioned in Kevin's itinerary, not far from Daegu and Ulsan where World Cup matches are to be held. Haeinsa and Tongdosa in Kyonsangnamdo, near Busan are also well-known.

5) Visitors will find it difficult to communicate in English in Korea, especially in the countryside, even though we saw the whole country gearing up for co-hosting of the World Cup. Organized tours will be convenient but expensive. Independent travellers will need patience and spirit of adventure, but rewarded with memories of a unique culture, neither Chinese nor Japanese. Korea is much cheaper than Japan, but significantly more expensive than most third-world countries, especially in the world-class city of Seoul.

Due to technical hosting problems, we are going to run last month’s travel quiz again for those who did not receive last month’s Globetrotter e-newsletter.

Win a copy of a map and guide of Scotland, courtesy of Harper Collins who make this excellent series of map/guides.

1.The Cairngorms includes some of Scotland’s highest peaks. What stone are they made from?

2.Which Scottish city, on the northeast coast of Scotland is connected with the oil industry?

3. What is the name of Scotland’s oldest University – and the current place of learning of Prince William?

4.In which county is Balmoral Castle?

5.Which polar explorer had a ship called the R.R.S. Discovery?

YourName:

Your e-mail address:

Rachel works for a non-profit conservation organization in the US, The National Save the Sea Turtle Foundation. She is are offering Volunteer positions at our field station in Costa Rica where we have a sea turtle conservation project. Any volunteers would be doing nightly beach patrols to look for turtles as well as participating in a nest protection technique study. In the mornings we do nest surveys on horseback. The cost is $600US per month and this includes your room and board. All transportation is separate and must be covered by the individual. But I can help with arrangements. This opportunity is for the hearty, as it includes a lot of walking on soft sand late at night plus we need people for the complete month. We also have ten-day ecotour packages; Deluxe and Economy. If any of this sounds interesting to your group, please contact me. I hope to hear from you soon.

Pura Vida, Rachel Silverman National Save the Sea Turtle Foundation

http://www.savetheseaturtle.org

This is East London's famous Sunday morning market that has been trading for more than two centuries. In Elizabethan times, the market was called Hog Lane, because this is where pigs were sold. The Sunday market grew out of observance of the Jewish Sabbath on Saturday. Amongst the bargains hanging up on the rails were second hand goods, hence the expression 'hand me downs'.

The name of todays’ market is derived from the petticoats that French immigrants used to sell in the area, but in 1846, the horrified Victorian authorities renamed the street Middlesex Street as it was deemed improper to have a street named after ladies underwear. However, it was too late and the original name stuck.

Prices are rarely shown, so you should bargain with the trader for the best price, particularly if you're paying with cash. There is said to be over a thousand stalls spread over Middlesex Street, Wentworth Street and surrounding roads. The market is known for its cut-price fashion clothes, fabrics, jewellery, china, toys, textiles, household gadgets and electrical items. At the Aldgate East end of the market, there is a large area devoted to leather jackets. Frying Pan Alley', is at the opposite end of 'The Lane' close to Liverpool Street. It got its name from the ironmongers who used frying pans to identify their premises.

The founder of the AMSTRAD Computer business and Chairman of the Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, Sir Alan Sugar began his career as a Petticoat Lane Trader. His earnings in 1999 totalled some £9.45 million.

Middlesex St, E1. Open Sunday 9am to 2pm Wentworth Street also open Monday to Friday 10am 2.30pm Nearest Underground Stations – Liverpool Street & Aldgate East.

Next month: Portobello Rd

The central monk body has begun teaching computer operations to monks in its bid to electronically archive Bhutan’s rich collection of Buddhist manuscripts, biographies and historical documents.

Twenty monks of the central monk body recently completed a two-week computer operations course conducted by the National Technical Training Authority under its special skills programme. Among the skills taught were using Dzongkha (the national language) fonts with MS Word, typing, editing and formatting in Dzongkha, typing pechas (scripts) and using templates for pechas, printing techniques and an introduction to the internet. With this training the monks will be able to save all the scripts on computers using CDs as back up storage. The central monk body has already purchased twelve computers for the project and will soon buy another eight.

This project was personally initiated and funded by His Holiness the Je Khenpo, His Holiness contributed Nu 1.8 million (£25,289/$36,815 source http://www.xe.com) to the project.

To start with the Drukpa Kagyued text will be compiled. “Some portions of the text have been lost”, said Karma Lhendup of the central monk body, “but we have borrowed the text from Buddhist monasteries in India and Nepal to fill in the missing bits and make corrections where necessary.” He added that other rare Buddhist texts, which once existed in Bhutan but are now lost, will also be borrowed and archived. Important religious texts of other Buddhist lineages like the Nyingma tradition will be compiled at a later date.

“When we complete compiling, our archive will be accessible to the public and those interested in research” said Karma Lhendup.

Keep up to date with news from Bhutan by visiting Bhutan’s national newspaper online at www.kuenselonline.com

This article was taken from the April 2002 newsletter of The Bhutan Society. With thanks to Lucy Hornberger and Kevin Brackley from the UK.

Greetings from Guatemala! Yes, the South Amercing Circuit is finished and our overland is finished. Hopefully everyone who left Caracas over the past few days got home to their various destinations and I just wanted to let you know that I got to mine. The last two weeks of the trip were very relaxed, except for the aquaplaning outside Maturin and the theft of my lovely hammock from a beach camp. We (passengers, drivers and truck) suffered minimal damage from the first event and the second was sheer stupidity on my part as I had been warned. Apart from these excitements the last days were spent on beaches, packing (and re-packing) my bags, getting a little sunburnt and wondering where the time had flown to. It seems no time since I was excitedly joining the truck in Quito, and 31,203kms and many tears and laughs later, I was in Caracas and waving the truck goodbye.

Moping, however, is not allowed so…yesterday I flew off to Guatemala, via Panama, and got here in one piece, tired, hungry and really excited to be on my own again. (that doesn't mean I don't miss you all!) Found a nice hotel and am spending a couple of days getting my bearings before I start some more Spanish lessons. I am hoping to go out to Lake Atitlán to do these and will let you know what I decide. Antigua is gorgeous and a real gem, if a lot touristy. As I will be here a number of times over the next couple of months I am trying not to go shopping and be sensible with the spending. Difficult for me!

So, that's the state of things. All is well and I am just enjoying being here. Get back to me if you get the chance – email is cheap and easy here.

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!

Where is it? South of France, on the Med

Why would I know it? The French Connection? The Count of Monte Cristo? Beautiful people in the south of France?

How do I get there? It is possible to fly direct, alternatively, get into Paris, by plane or train (Eurostar from the UK) and take the train a grand vitesse (TGV) to cover the 700km from Paris to Marseilles. It only takes 3 hours!

What’s it like? Old, the Phoenicians landed in the natural harbour around 600BC, had a bad rep with drugs and immigrants from French immigrants. Nice harbour with cafes, a castle and a large cathedral on the hill.

Is it safe? Well, it’s a lot different from the image projected by the French Connection! No, seriously, like all big cities, you stick to the good areas at night – there’s been a lot of money pumped into the city to do it up and make it a really attractive place these days!

What’s there to do? These days, it’s got good shopping, vibrant nightlife, try out the bouillabaisse (fish stew), get a tan, mix with the “beautiful people”, eat well, try out good bars, visit the ballet or the opera, buy some soap (seriously, a Marseille speciality!)

Take the ferry to the Château d’If, (famous from the Count of Monte Cristo) from the quai des Belges, otherwise, wander around the Vieux Port, shop, eat, drink….

Would my mother approve? Um, take her shopping, then for a good bouillabaisse, keep her away from the railway station, then, yes!

OK, when should I go? It’s a bit windy with the Mistral during February and March and also October and November. Otherwise, any time, but maybe avoid August – it’s almost national holiday time.

Many travellers have their own tale to tell about Aeroflot. The Beetle has a vivid and scary memory flying from Dublin to Havana via Gander in Canada. It was December, and so cold and wintry in Gander. On final approach to Gander to refuel, the pilot decided to go around twice, which was worrying, then he decided to give landing a go, and the plane somehow missed landing on the runway and instead landed on some uncleared snow and drove the left wing through two huge snow piles. The entire Irish contingent of passengers were making signs of the cross and praying loudly.

Even Fidel Castro is said to have jokingly responded to a question asking about the most dangerous moment of his life, that it might have been one of the many CIA attempts on his life, but then again, it might have been flying Aeroflot!

According to a recent PR release, Aeroflot has hired a UK brand consultancy to give its image a lift. The consultancy are said to have remarked: the problem is one of perception….people think of Aeroflot as dangerous and unreliable, but it has one of the best safety records in the world and is value for money”

Let’s forget about the time when a pilot handed the controls to his 13 year old son, or the incident when the pilots put the plane on automatic pilot, went for a walk then realised they had accidentally locked themselves out and had to force their way back in with an axe, or the times when stewardesses served vodka actually on take off, or when a passenger cooked up a meal on his own portable gas camping stove at the back of the plane…………………

Good luck to them!