Mike is the winner of the Globetrotter Club £1,000 legacy available to members under 30 years of age for the best independent travel plan.

If you are under 30 and are a member, please visit our legacy page for details of how to apply. It is available to anyone in the world, as long as they are a member of the Globetrotter Club, have a great plan for independent travel and are under the age of 30. Get those plans in!!

Mike is using his travel award to visit Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Here's Part 1 of his travels:

We've been in Thailand now for about 10 days and thought I should drop you all a line to let you know we're actually alive and what we've been up to. We spent a few days in Bangkok which was very different than I expected. It was so much cleaner and more organised and the Sky train makes it feasible to get across the city quickly. There is lots of diversity across the city with huge modern skyscrapers next to slums.

The Grand Palace is incredible and so are many of the other sites but the food is by far the best aspect. You can pick up great noodles on the street for only a few pence. We've also tried Scorpion, grasshopper and loads of other things that so far our bodies are accepting. The nightlife in Bangkok is also a completely new experience and we had a couple of wild nights out. We're also getting pretty ruthless with the tuk-tuk drivers.

We caught the sleeper up to Chiang Mai the second largest city where we had our Visas for Laos and Vietnam done whilst we went off into the Jungle Trekking. The Trek lasted 3 days and was hard work but well worth it! We met some hill tribes and also did the very touristy elephant rides and white water rafting. The weather here is mixed with some rain but always very hot and within seconds of doing anything we're sweating. We then headed up by bus to Tha-ton where we are now which is a small town only a few kilometres from the Burmese boarder.

It's been really nice staying here for a couple of days away from the noise and pollution of Bangkok and Chiang Mai. The views are amazing and we've only seen two other westerners here. We've even spent an afternoon chatting with a group of young monks about philosophy. We're leaving in an hour by boat down to Chiang Rai where we'll be spending a while exploring the northern tip of the country. So far it's all gone really well (touch wood) the people are very friendly especially when you get out of the cities. The weather has been good and we've kept away from trouble and illness.

We should be getting to Laos this weekend we think but we're just taking it as it comes.

Globetrotters meeting Saturday 5^th October 2002 By Padmassana

Eamon Gearon's talk entitled “Walking to Siwa” gave us a glimpse of the Egyptian desert. Eamon first visited the area in 1994 and has returned regularly since. His slides depicted the mad Siwa traffic and told us about the Brooke Hospital for working animals, a charity that seeks to alleviate the suffering of mules and other working animals. The camel market where Eamon buys his camels is a sight to be seen, the camel's owners mark them with paint and each subsequent owner adds their mark, so that in the end some of the camels are psychedelically coloured! Eamon told us a good camel costs around £200 and when he trades them in after use, “One careful owner”, he normally gets his money back. Eamon's treks into the desert last around 3 weeks. For the first 100 miles or so from the coast water wells are well marked, but after this water becomes an issue, he told us how he got dysentery from a well where he suspected an animal had fallen into it and died thus polluting this important source of life. The Egyptian desert is not a sea of rolling golden sand dunes as we may have expected, but mile upon mile of rock-strewn desolation. Though this landscape does lend itself to some superb sunset photographs. Eamon's slides of Siwa showed us the houses made of mud and the 100 feet high mud city walls, which have 21^st century additions like electricity cables and satellite dishes. Eamon explained that these mud constructions can be killers in the rain as they are prone to collapse and turn into mud slides. Siwa is a series of oasis, it is said that you can sink a well anywhere in the locality and you will find water, Siwa is a green place, despite its location.

Our second talk was by Tahir Shah entitled “Searching for King Solomons mines”. Tahir's ambition was to find the location of these legendary mines. After extensive biblical research Tahir came to the conclusion that they lay in present day Ethiopia. On his second day in Addis Ababa Tahir struck lucky finding a taxi driver called Sampson who had previously worked as an illegal gold miner. Tahir and Sampson headed to the mines via a town plagued by hyenas. The locals believed these hyena's came off the mountain in order to steal the local children, so to placate them, the local “Hyena men” would slaughter a cow and feed it to the hyenas each evening. The illegal mines are a dangerous open cast type of operation run as co-operatives. The material is moved by hand, along chains of miners. The women then do the panning. Tahir explained that if a miner finds a nugget he usually swallows it, waits for nature to take its course and then goes to the city to sell it. However it is not uncommon that if other miners find someone has done this, they are often murdered and disembowelled for the nugget. This is just another danger for the miners, especially the brave ones who go down deep pits in search of their prize, as these pits frequently collapse with loss of life. Tahir showed us a cave he suspected could be the fabled place he was looking for, but alas it was just full of bats and ended after a few metres. Tahir is sure that the legendary mines are out there somewhere, just waiting to be discovered.

London meetings are held at The Church of Scotland, Crown Court, behind the Fortune Theatre in Covent Garden at 2.30pm the first Saturday of each month. There is no London meeting in August, but we will be back in September. For more information, you can contact the Globetrotter Info line on +44 (0) 20 8674 6229, or visit the website: www.globetrotters.co.uk

There is an old Namibian saying: “If the Namibian sun has shone on you once, you are part of the country.”

People who have never been to Africa seem to be under the misconception that lions and wild animals roam our streets or that we stay in the bush! This has caused much laughter from Africans and some even thought that this was just the opportunity to fool around with someone. But that is typical African hospitality. People will joke around just to make you feel comfortable and at ease!

And when you finally convince someone to come and stay in “the bush” in Namibia, it's amazing to see their reaction when they arrive, one of disbelief and feeling that a mistake has been made, is written all over their faces! You see, our International airport is situated 40km outside Windhoek and when you arrive there, it truly seems as if there is nothing! And you do not see the city until you are basically in it! The landscape is such that it hides civilisation from a first time visitor!

But once your find yourself in Namibia, you'll be angry at yourself for not coming here sooner! The country is exquisite in beauty, cultures, places to see and things to do! But don't be in a hurry! African time seem to have found its way to Namibia too! At the coastal town of Swakopmund (the most visited town in Namibia and the second largest town) you get a true European feel – people are laid-back and it seems as if they are on a constant vacation. But don't misunderstand: business is good – you do get good service, but this is the place to come and unwind completely! And we do offer the best cuisine! You can even experience a true African dinner in Windhoek in a township restaurant! This is a must do for any traveller! But you must have a strong stomach! This is not for the faint-hearted!

So what is there to see and do in Namibia? There are international events, such as championships in sand boarding and powerboat racing, to mention a few. And don't forget, we do have the oldest desert in the world, the Namib Desert. You can ride the endless waves of dunes on a quad bike or in a 4×4 or hot-air ballooning over the Namib Desert or visit indigenous tribes or go big game fishing or skydiving or going on a seal and dolphin cruise or bird watching or take a safari to see the big 5, or, or, or…(the list is endless!) Travelling in Namibia you will encounter good hospitality and good value for money and unspoilt nature scenes where wild life is abundant.

With is wide variety of inhabitants, habitats and scenery, Namibia has a lot to offer any traveller! It is fast becoming a popular holiday destination and with a well-planned itinerary, you can see an impressive amount of the country that will leave you breathless with awe and amazement! Even the most difficult to please will find something to enjoy.

For more information, visit Renate's website at www.mcleodcontours.com

A message from Laurie, the New York Chair: there will NOT be a Globie meeting in November, but we WILL have our December 7th meeting.

We wish Laurie Bonne Voyage as she prepares for her trip to Asia!

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

Coming up on November 15, 2002, Robin Christmas, Linda Rosenbaum & Family: “The Ve-Ahavta” (“You Shall Love”) a video of a community development project in Bartica, Guyana.

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.

This month we will have two guest speakers. Chris Schorre, our own resident photographer, will present a slide show of Spain. Christina and Susan will recount their recent trip to Madrid.

Future meetings will be held on December 14th and January 11th.

Mark your calendars.

A reminder 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

This street was featured on the cover of Oasis' ‘What's the Story? Morning Glory' LP, and is also home to a tiny market in the heart of Soho.

Soho is that rather strange little area in central London occasionally described as London's infamous sex district. This is where you can find (if you are looking!) small rooms high above the street corners dimly lit by a red light bulb with a cardboard sign in the window saying “model” and there are the last of the seedy sex shops and tourist rip-off peep shows. At night time, you can see couples walking arm in arm, on their way to one of Soho's famous watering holes.

In the day time, the area is fascinating and home to many TV, PR and film production companies and has many extremely good restaurants and Berwick Street Market. Tucked away between Oxford Street and Old Compton Street, Berwick Street Market is renowned for its quality fruit and vegetables. Here you will find from Mon-Sat, 9am-5pm clusters of cheap and colourful fruit and veg stalls, as well as lots of off-beat record shops.

Dotted along the market are some stalls with great specialist foods, such as fish, cheese, sausages of all kinds, herbs and spices as well as a fabulous stall selling all manner of nuts and dried fruits for peckish (hungry) shoppers. There are some semi-interesting interesting shops that line the market where you can buy spangly belts, flared trousers and “recreational” pipes.

Address: Berwick St, Soho, W1

Getting there: exit Piccadilly Circus tube station, walk up Shaftesbury Avenue and then turn left into Rupert Street. At the top of Rupert Street, just past the small market area, cross Brewer Street and walk along Walkers Court, past the Raymond Revue Bar and you'll emerge into Berwick Street.

Bus Routes: 7, 8, 10, 25, 55, 73, 76, 98

Nearest Tube / Rail Station: Piccadilly Circus Open: Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm

One of the best ways to discover some of the many views of and from this well known corner of north London can be located by heading up Highgate Hill, at the Archway junction of the A1. Since living in the area, I've completed this route many times and found whether I travel by foot, bus, car or wearily push my cycle up the steep incline that l always seem to see something different on my journey. A bonus to this journey is if it can be made at the beginning of an August's summer day…

My first thought is that I am crossing a boundary – in that I am leaving behind the modern and the utilitarian accommodation of transient London and heading off into a very slowly changing but more permanently rooted era. An initial signpost of this change may well be the tall gothic spires and high roofs of the now renamed Archway Campus, which still seems rooted in its original purpose of providing medical care. Or take the caged Whittington Stone, complete with perched cat on the pavement just before the modern Whittington Hospital, as a signpost. The statue itself is but a small 1935 tribute to commemorate the mayoral achievements of one Richard Whittington, but it talks of a shared history for London.

At the junction with Dartmouth Road, it could be said that apart from the volume and nature of road traffic nowadays, much of the surroundings are as they were at the turn of the 20th century, when London swallowed up villages like Highgate during its' suburban expansion. St Joseph's Roman Catholic Church and Retreat proudly stands on its 1888 roots and marks a good point to catch your breath and look back across London down towards the Millennium Dome and the southern cityscape. Cathedral in posture, its copper domes tower above the nearby Old Crown and the now defunct Presbyterian Church on Cromwell Avenue. From neighbours who have a longer association with the area I have heard stories of horses, their carriages and their drivers heading down the hill in unconventional styles, as their wheels and legs attempt to work their way across this busy crossing during snow and ice.

Along from St Joseph's is another landmark from that different era, Lauderdale House, which was renovated in 1893 to become a council operated venue. Nowadays it is a popular location for well attended weddings, craft fairs and views out across Waterlow Park – whilst the coffee could be better its' less busy nature is a welcome contrast. Facing Lauderdale is the imposing Northgate House with is walls struggling to support a large number of windows and the Ghana High Commission with its roof top cupola, arching lines and gated entrance.

The Channing Schools and the art deco Cholmeley Lodge welcome visitors into Highgate village proper and the high street. Local shops and businesses seem to stand their own corner against the undeservedly well located chain restaurants and ubiquitous estate agents !

Highgate becomes one of those weekend destinations that creaks at the seams during the Kenwood season or as people enjoy a summer day. One of my favourite aspects is that the 210 allows me to alight from the bus and almost walk directly through the front door of The Prince of Wales and to a very good pint, whatever the choice ! Other local recommendations include the frustratingly organised Highgate Bookshop, the Village Bistro and the precariously perched stall of Village Flowers.

To extend the search for views turn left into Hampstead Lane and proceed past the always green playing field of Highgate School and its' numerous red brick buildings. Once passed the faded blue sign of the mysterious Highgate Golf Club, you find yourself walking along under broad leaf trees to the entrances of The Iveagh Bequest at Kenwood – however rather than enter through the popular stables entrance, head towards the main gate. I found the simple pleasure of walking down the sweeping drive, towards the front of Kenwood House immensely appealing. This neo-classical house, remodelled during the 1760s to include an archetypal, stately frontage, was home to the 1st Earl of Mansfield…however it his heir, the 2nd Earl, that is to be thanked for commissioning Humphrey Repton's widely enjoyed landscaped garden. This pleasant perimeter of Hampstead Heath makes for a perfect spot from which to explore the 37 odd ponds, Parliament Hill and many superb vistas of the cities of London and Westminster. Depending on the day's clarity, attempt to locate Canary Wharf, the ever majestic St Paul's, the London Eye and the Telecomm Tower at the very least ! And remember that in spite of busy periods, the main Kenwood House makes itself available for excellent afternoon teas…

To prolong your pleasure, avoid the exclusive, brash wealth of the gated Compton, Courtenay and Bishops' avenues and follow Hampstead Lane further round the heath towards the still splendid Spaniards Inn and beyond towards Hampstead itself. For those that wish to return down back down the hill, the 210 can be caught from almost outside the main house and a pleasant journey can be drawn to a close in an unhurried manner !

Matthew is happy to be contacted by email chair@globetrotters.co.uk or at the monthly London meetings.