Vacation Dreams

Category: archive

  • Not to be Seen Dead In?

    Madagascar travel advice by the FCO: we advise against
    all holiday and other non-essential travel to Madagascar for the time
    being. The demonstrations and strike, which followed the presidential
    elections on 16 December 2001, have stopped.

    However, there are still outbreaks of violence around
    the country. Martial law was declared in Antananarivo on 28 February,
    and a curfew was imposed from 2100-0500.

    Curfews have also been imposed in other cities around
    the country. Barricades are still in place at points around the capital
    and those situated on the main roads linking Antananarivo to the provinces
    have been strengthened. This has made road travel around the country dangerous
    and difficult.

    Air Madagascar is not offering flights to Europe and
    Asia at the moment. Air France is providing one flight per week. Flights
    to and from South Africa are severely disrupted. Flights around the country
    are also subject to disruption. There is no aviation fuel for commercial
    use at Ivato, the main airport in the capital.

    There have been cases of armed robbery in some National
    Parks. All independent travellers intending to visit National Parks should
    seek advice from a tour operator, or from the park administration.

    There has been an increase in the number of travellers
    being pick-pocketed at the airport. Visitors should exercise caution on
    arrival and departure and should not leave bags unattended. Keep money
    and passports separate.

    There is a danger of mugging in urban areas. Do not carry
    excessive money or wear prominent jewellery. Take sensible precautions
    in crowded areas such as markets. It is wise to avoid walking at night
    in city centres. Visitors are advised to carry a copy of their passport
    and to keep the original safe (e.g. a hotel deposit box).

    Avoid travelling outside urban areas at night, if at
    all possible.

    Visitors are advised not to wear military style clothing.
    It is disapproved of locally and could lead to detention.

    Medical supplies are becoming increasingly scarce in
    Antananarivo and around the country. The shortage of medical supplies
    together with lack of fuel is limiting the medical evacuation services
    available.

    www.fco.gov.uk/

  • Tibetan Women's Uprising

    If you were in London on March 12th,
    you may have joined the Tibet Vigil for prayers and speeches from 5pm
    to 7pm opposite the Chinese Embassy in Portland Place.

    This special vigil was in memory of 3,000 women who met
    in Lhasa in 1959 and the many thousands of women including nuns who are
    still suffering or in prison for declaring that Tibet should be free and
    refusing to denounce the Dalai Lama.

    There are regular weekly meetings in London to protest
    on behalf of Tibetans. For details, call +44 (0) 208 771 1822 ore-mail or see the web site:www.tibet-vigil.org.uk

  • Kenyan Proverb

    “The Earth was not give to us by our parents, it
    was lent to us by our children.”

  • MEETING NEWS

    Meeting news from our branches around the world.

  • Five Things You Didn't Know About Tourism

    (From Tourism Concern)

    1. According to the UN, 13-19 million children are working
    in the tourism sector all over the world. More than 1 million are forced
    into tourism’s sex industry.

    2. 5,200 people were given 12 days’ notice and then forcibly
    removed from their homes in Pagan, Burma to make way for a tourism development.
    The military junta said they were an eyesore to tourists.

    3. Spain’s 12 million visitors a year leave behind 100,000
    tonnes of rubbish.

    4. In destinations with beautiful beaches, especially
    the Caribbean, local people are often barred from beaches by hotel security
    and prevented from carrying on their livelihoods, such as fishing.

    5. The UN calculates that a tourist uses as much water
    in 24 hours as a Third World villager would use to produce rice in 100
    days.

    Tourism Concern is a charity that works to ensure that
    local communities get a fair deal. Seetourismconcern.org.uk

  • London: meeting report by Padmassana

    Our first speaker was Phil Koniotes , who showed us some stunning glimpses
    of Antarctica. Phil explained that on his trip he had the great fortune
    to enjoy 4 sunny days, which is extremely rare and meant he was able to
    take some fantastic photographs. His pictures of icebergs, many of which
    come in strange shapes and spectacular proportions were breathtaking,
    particularly those of the aptly named Paradise Bay. His photo’s also covered
    the inquisitive penguins that inhabit this region, which come up to investigate
    their human visitors. Photos of the penguins included their nest building
    antics, which involves the penguins stealing pebbles from each other’s
    nests to build their own. Phil also told us about the Post Office which
    handles 40,000 cards each year, which depart with the prized Antarctic
    postmark. This was a fascinating talk with some superb photographs.

    Our second speaker Mark Elliott came to Globetrotters rescue after our
    original speaker Juliet Coombe was involved in an accident in Australia
    and was unable to return to the United Kingdom. Mark’s talk was about
    the Kilum Forest in what he described as the most corrupt country on the
    planet, Cameroon, in West Africa. Mark’s mission had been to photograph
    the elusive Bannerman’s Turaco bird, which only lives in this part of
    the world. His photos took us via a local tribal war and a photocall with
    a local Chief. He showed us a local festival where the people dress in
    costumes and actually become that person or spirit, Mark discovered how
    literally they take this when one character relieved him of his umbrella,
    his neighbour explaining that this character was called “The thief!”
    Once up into the forest Mark and his guide trekked for a day and for one
    fleeting minute espied the elusive bird. His guide was ecstatic, despite
    living there, it was the first time in seven years even he had seen one.

    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

  • Free London Museums: The Museum of London

    Last year, the British government announced that it would
    drop the entrance fee to many of the larger museums in London.

    The Beetle’s favourite London museum is funnily enough
    called the Museum of London. It is about 15 minutes walk from St Paul’s
    Cathedral and the closest tube is the Barbican.

    You could combine a visit starting at the Barbican, visit
    an art exhibition, grab a bite to eat or a coffee or wander around the
    Barbican complex, which is interesting in itself. Then walk down Aldersgate
    (about 5 minutes) towards St Paul’s to the large roundabout road where
    the Museum of London is situated.

    It’s a great museum which looks at the early Roman remains
    in London, all through the ages to the modern skyline of the City. And
    it’s free!

    Weekends are the busiest time since the admission fee
    has been scrapped, so try and visit during the week, if you can. Take
    a look atMuseum of London
    or tel: 020 7600 3699

  • New York:

    Hello Globies! Our next meeting will be April 6th at The Wings Theater,
    154 Christopher Street. 4:00pm sharp. We have yet, another exciting guest
    speaker. Mary Russell, an import coming over from Dublin to speak to us
    about her travel to the middle east, specificallyBaghdad and Damascus!
    Mary is a travel writer, whose latest book will be published by Simon
    and Schuster on June 1. Mary will be giving a slide talk to the London
    Globetrotters in June, and we get the sneak preview this April! Her books
    are “The Blessings of a Good Thick Skirt”, “Please Don”t
    Call it Soviet Georgia”, “Amazonian” and, in June: “Journeys
    of a Lifetime”. Mary has travelled to the Sahara and the Finnish
    Arctic, the Eastern Caribbean, Southern Africa, Moscow, Tbilisi, Dublin
    and Donegal.

    Last year, she spent three months travelling around Syria on foot, by
    bike and local transport. Last November, Mary returned to Damascus and
    from there travelled overland to Baghdad. These two cities have strong
    historical ties and her slides and talk will be about both places, with
    up-to-day descriptions of what it”s like to travel in an Arab country.
    (She was also in Israel last year, obviously she has a great interest
    in the middle east!) Mary always travels solo and by shoestring. The last
    two chapters of her next book “Journeys of a Lifetime”, are
    about Syria.

    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. As always,
    $8.00 for members, $10.00 for non-members.

  • Globetrotter Travel Award to the under 30s!

    Under 30? Been a member of the Globetrotters Club for
    2 years – or want to take out a 3 year subscription? Interested
    in a £1,000 travel award? Know someone who is? We have £1,000
    to award each year for five years for the best submitted independent travel
    plan. Interested? We have just made the first award to Mike Dodd, a 22
    year old mechanical engineering student at Warwick University, to help
    him with his trip to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

    Seeour legacy page on our Website,
    where you can apply with your plans for a totally independent travel trip
    and we”ll take a look at it. Get those plans in!!

  • 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.