Chester Meetings, Saturday 16th November 2013

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2 responses to “Chester Meetings, Saturday 16th November 2013”

1. 

   November 16, 2013

   Mike Finn

   Excellent meeting thank you

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2. 

   December 10, 2013

   Chester Globetrotters

   Here are the reviews of the two talks that we had in November 2013.

   1. Mongolia, in search of the Tsaatan reindeer people, by Roy Willis

   Roy started with giving us some of the info about Mongolia, which is a country in-between Russia and China and is the size of Western Europe, linked by the Transiberian Railway.
   It has become independent in 1990 and previously was occupied by either China or the Soviets.The main source of income now is Agriculture, Tourism and Mining.
   Roy is an experienced traveller in Mongolia and supports different charities such as a school and hospital in Ulan Bator, the areas where he travelled.
   The journey was planned with the help of UB Panoramic Journeys http://www.panoramicjourneys.com/about-us-mongolia-team.php and duration was planned for about 1 month. Transport was a Furgon minibus type which made the journey possible, because roads can be tough.
   Overnight stops were made usually in Gers, which are very sturdy and warm round tents, in local communities where you get to know some of the locals. Young people like to wrestle as a pastime and you can come across lovely sounds such as throatsinging and music from the zither.
   Most of the religious side of the country (Buddhism) was destroyed in 1937 by the Soviet regime, but some monasteries out in the wild survived and other places are being restored to their former glory, Roy was able to visit such a monastery in Tuvhken and enjoyed the camping by the riverside which put him in touch with the wilderness of the region with its wild horses and forests.
   From the tsenker River he went on horseback (Mongolian saddles are not the most comfortable) to Khovsgol National Park and the Tsaatan Forest, where the Reindeer people invited him and his guide to stay in their Tepee Tents.
   On the way places such as Tseterleg are a real reminder of the Soviet days, concrete sombre buildings which are now falling into disrepair and lots of equipment from the Soviet days around and about.
   Times do move on, the Nomads in the region nowadays move their belongings with a truck to get to the grazing lands whereas before it would all be done on horseback, although the women still milk the yaks by hand early in the morning!
   While they travelled on horseback the guide was armed, since there are still many wolves and brown bears about.
   We saw some lovely photographs and while their is still a lot of traditional custom in use, you can also see that people are embracing new things such as solar power and satellite TV and the European Union has sponsored pumphouses for water supply in different areas, which makes live easier in the regions.
   Roy visited several different projects that he supports and can see progress that has been made there in a immediate way, he has made several journeys to Mongolia so far and I am sure this won’t be the last one.
   The talk was informative and inspirational, you can combine travel and helping other people in a wonderful way!

   We would like to thank Roy for his talk, we all enjoyed it immensely!

   2. JAPAN – BY BULET ON A BUDGET – Andrew Fletcher and Violetta Nowicka

   Japan is a densely populated country with a population of 125.6 million people. The landscape of the country is a result of seismic activity.
   As a result of the country’s immigration policy, there are now fewer children, and in 2010 23 per cent of the population were elderly people, and it is estimatd that by 2050 this will increase to 38per cent.
   25 per cent of the government budget is at present spent on the elderly and the Japanese
   UBASUTE tradition of “caring” for older people.
   As the country opposed worldwide immigration policies, the decrease of younger people in society is leading to the OTAKU CULTURE, whereby people lose themselves in a “preferred virtual reality”. (An imaginery life). Massive games towers are to be seen where Japanese people occupy themselves away from the realities of everyday life. Japanese companies i.e. Toyota are building robots to keep people company and also to “care” for the elderly.
   As the title explains, Andrew and Violetta travelled throughout Japan by train.
   There are four main lines on the high speed train routes, the main line between Tokyo and Hiroshima using the Shinkansen train. A Japanese Rail Pass for 7 days costs £174,- 14 days £277 and 21 days £354, though these Passes only cover State Rail Lines. A Pass has to be booked online, outside of Japan and then redeemed for a voucher once in the country, and then there is no need to book your journeys in advance. – All guides on the trains are English speaking. One fact is that Japanese railways have never had a rail crash which resulted in a fatality, and secondly that two million people use the trains per day.
   Throughout history there have been four capital cities.
   NARA 710-784KYOTO 784-1185 (The cultural capital)
   KAMAKURA 1185 -1333
   KYOTO 1333 – 1869
   TOKYO 1869 to present day.
   Japanese culture is “refreshingly” different as traditions are kept alive. People do tend to wear traditional dress as the norm, and taxi, bus, and train drivers all wear white gloves whilst working. – It is an “ordered” society, as the tradition of bowing still applies, and people to NOT cross a road when a red traffic light is showing.
   Although it is reputed to be an expensive country to visit, on the whole hotels proved otherwise. The total budget for the holiday was J.R. 14 day Pass,£295, Hotels £325,
   Flights £580, totalling £1,100 each.
   In conclusion – TRAVEL TIPS.
   Without speaking English, Japanese, or Chinese you would experience difficulties.
   Businesses only deal in CASH
   And A.T.M. Machines only “converse” in Japanese, so.. No speak Japanese, no YEN!

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