Tag: January 2003

Globetrotters meeting on Saturday 4^th January
2003 by Padmassana

For our first meeting of the New Year we were treated to four mini talks
by club members.

First up was Gavin Fernandes who talked to us about Darjeeling,
India. Gavin showed us slides of his journey, which began on a very slow
narrow gauge steam train. The train often runs late anything up to 12
hours. Once he had arrived in Darjeeling, he showed us slides of the area
including tea plantations clinging to the sides of hills and temples on
mountaintops with their colourful prayer flags. We also saw the local
people, including porters who carry impossible loads on their heads including
massive oil drums and furniture.

Our second speaker, Kevin Brackley, gave a well received talk
on South Korea. Kevin showed us the DMZ (Demilitarised Zone, border
with North Korea) and the surrounding area including the world’s
most dangerous golf hole and the world’s tallest flagpole as well
as the hut where superpower meetings take place. We then saw pictures
of Bulguksa temple in the Southeast corner of Korea near the city of Gyeongju
and examples of the fine carpentry and paintwork that adorn the temple.
Kevin’s photos concluded at Haeinsa, another temple in the mountains
near Daegu. Haeinsa is famous for being the repository for 80,000 woodblock
texts dating from the 14^th century.

After the interval our next speaker Sylvia Pullen took over and
took us to Nagaland in India, an area situated near to the Burmese
border. Sylvia explained that to visit this area you have to obtain a
special permit. Whilst Nagaland is 99% Christian, the large amount of
religious buildings are explained by the fact that services in them are
in different languages. Sylvia told us that there is little tourist accommodation
so she stayed at the Circuit House, which is normally used by visiting
judges, engineers and dignitaries. We also saw photos of local life and
even a local King.

Our last speaker was Phil Koniotes who took us to Ecuador
and the Galapagos Islands. He started on the line of the equator with
a foot in each hemisphere before boarding the world’s highest railway
to travel through the Valley of the volcanoes. Phil’s trip then
took him to the Galapagos, where he enjoyed night-time lobster fishing.
Phil showed us the creatures that inhabit the islands including giant
tortoises, Iguana, Frigate birds and Blue Footed Boobies. While diving
Phil showed us smiling fish and a seal that was intent on eating his flipper!
(By the way, congratulations, Phil! Beetle)

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 Globetrotters Info line on +44
(0) 20 8674 6229, or register for email updates at at our website (click here)

Is there something holding you back in your personal life or your career?
Is a lack of knowledge or skill causing you embarrassment at work or at
home? Do you lack the confidence and expertise to pass an important test
or examination? Meridian Television is looking for people who need expert
help to overcome their problems and are willing to do it on television.

If you would like an application form please email emma.thomas@granadamedia.com
or call her on 023 80 712568.

The next meeting will take place on February 1st: Bhutan: The Hidden
Kingdom. Experience the exquisite beauty of Bhutan through images of indigenous
people, Himalayan landscapes, remote monasteries, colourful markets, and
lively festivals. Presented by Kenneth Axen, PhD, research scientist,
graphic artist, and serious amateur photographer. For details of forthcoming
meetings email newyork@globetrotters.co.uk
or register for email updates at at our website. (click here)

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.

The Beetle received an e-mail from a lady in the US who asked about
good spots to learn to dive during a week’s vacation, close to the
US. Below are some suggestions:

The Cayman Islands Cayman has fabulous blue water and
good walls and healthy corals. So you will get excellent visibility, easy
diving, good corals and some good fish life but you won't see anything
“big” here. The diving is mostly walls with the odd wreck thrown
in for diversity. If you learn here, you'll be spoilt for other places
as Cayman really is the No 1 spot to dive in the Caribbean and the water
is warm. The downside is that it is not cheap, and even more expensive
are Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. North American tour operators can usually
get you better deals than trying to book this independently. A good idea
is to buy a copy of Sports Diver or similar magazine to look at ads for
Cayman Island dive operators. Another disadvantage is that the dive boats
tend to be something like cattle trucks, crammed with divers. This is
not a nice way to dive. Small groups of divers are best, as you will find
out!! Other things to do – well, actually, there's not really an awful
lot to do apart from play golf, sit on the magnificent Seven Mile Beach,
snorkel, swim and drink expensive cocktails. But it's all very pretty
and safe for children.

Cozumel – cheaper than Cayman, and the best way to
get to Cozumel is probably by buying a hotel and flight package. Cozumel,
in Mexico, is an island close to Cancun and is primarily known for drift
diving. Don't let this put you off, there are still plenty of good
dives that are not scary. If you go to Cozumel on a package, it is easy
to book diving separately once you have arrived. Here, normally
smaller groups of divers are taken out in dive boats than in the Cayman
Islands, although the majority of divers will be from the US. Other things
to do – well, you can take a day trip across to the mainland to some of
the Mayan ruins such as Chichen Itza, although it is a very long day.
There are also golf courses and I believe you can windsurf. Probably the
second best place to dive in the Caribbean.

The Florida Keys – there are some excellent dives around
the Keys with just as good fish life as in Cayman! Aquanuts and Kelly
on the key in Key Largo both come highly recommended. A downside is that
the dive boats can resemble cattle trucks, so ask about numbers on the
boat. By going to the Keys, you can do some shopping too, in Miami! Surprisingly
decent diving – be careful that you go with a good dive operator; warmish
water but lots of topside attractions with car hire. But be warned, Key
Largo is a good 1 1/2-2 hr slow drive from Miami.

Puerto Rico – the diving here is not that great, but
if you are going to learn, this is still not a bad place to learn as the
other places that you go to will have better diving, so this is not a
bad place to start off. An advantage is that it is relatively cheap. To
get around Puerto Rico you must hire a car (the roads can be pretty bad
in places, be warned.) There are plenty of things of interest to see and
good day trips, including some good night life, good bars and restaurants,
forts, shopping, parks, waterfalls etc.

Bermuda – not cheap, but perfectly manicured, very
green and chocolate box pretty. The diving is probably the easiest of
all of these destinations as you are unlikely to be able to get below
10 metres. As it is easy diving, it is a nice, safe and steady place to
learn to dive. The main attraction here is the wrecks, all in shallow
water and most decomposed and in various stages of almost unrecognisable
to pretty good anchors and cannons etc. Bermuda also scores high on topside
attractions, but you must hire a scooter (tourists are not allowed to
hire cars) and explore the island. The water is not as warm as the Caribbean
and it is expensive, although, if you live on the east coast of the US,
Bermuda is only a short hop away.

Bay Islands Honduras – if you are feeling adventurous,
there is some pretty good diving to be had in the Bay Islands off Honduras.
Any of the dive magazines have ads for the Bay Islands so it is best to
buy a package. There are three main islands: Roatan is a party island
and the most touristy, but not massively so, Utila is the backpacker’s
island and Guanaja is still fairly quiet. I would recommend diving off
Utila or Guanaja. The Posada del Sol has good write ups and usually has
good deals – look them up on the web! Good diving, although not as good
as Cayman, still pretty decent and considerably cheaper. There is not
masses to do topside, but you'll find enough, it's a different
sort of place. English is spoken in the Bay Islands is, and all of the
islands are much less touristy than say Cozumel so you will meet a wider
mix of people in the Bay Islands.

If you live in the UK or Europe and are looking for a cheap dive estimation
to learn to dive in one week, then I recommend the Red Sea. It is cheap
(around £300 or $500 – £450 or $750) for one week's hotel
and flights from London) and has good diving and also extremely good and
safe good dive training. The dive specialists have some extremely good
deals in the Red Sea right now, but obviously this location may not be
the best place to go, depending on the political situation.

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.

Mr Kishore Sinh Parmar of Milestone Holidays kindly wrote this piece
as a general guide to India. It is a huge and diverse country so this
quick guide is helpful to give the uninitiated a taster of where to visit.

Gujarat, situated on the western coast of India, in
between Mumbai (Bombay) and Rajasthan, is a very interesting state. If
you want to go beyond history than the temple of Somnath was there to
witness the creation of the Universe and Lord Krishna too has many events
in his life in the state. Amongst the Fairs and Festivals Gujarat has
many in its Temple towns and small villages. They offer a chance to see
religious festivals and celebrations and also provide an opportunity to
see the finest examples of local handicrafts. For the pilgrims you have
temples such as Somnath and Dwarka, amongst the most sacred for the Hindus,
besides the Girnar and the architectural grandeur of Palitana. The navratri
festival is the most colourful and eagerly awaited and girls & boys
dance all through the night in colourful attires. The Tarnetar fair too
is a very colourful fair usually celebrated in the first week of September.
The Kite Festival on 14th January every year too is usually eagerly looked
forward to. The State has a colourful heritage of Handicrafts. The finest
handicrafts come of course from the Kutch region. The embroidery work
is the most well known. The state is home to a large number of Rajput
Royalties, with some of the most beautiful Palaces at Baroda, Jamnagar,
Bhavnagar, Bhuj, Mandvi, Morvi, Dhangadra, Palitana,Chotta Udepur, Jambughoda,
Bansda, Bala Sinor, Utelia, Poshina etc.

A large number of them have been converted to Heritage Hotels. It is
also the home to India's largest wildlife sanctuary with an area of
over 5,000 square metres of the Indian Wild Ass. The Sasan Gir Lion Sanctuary
is the last habitat of the Asiatic lion-a species that had become almost
extinct at the beginning of the century. The Rabari tribe here still pursue
a pastoral lifestyle-much in the same way as they did eons ago. It is
perhaps the most colourful sate in India

Rajasthan, is India's ambassador of Art, Craft,
Culture and Heritage, Rajasthan sheds its topography of lean and dry sketches
of sand dunes to the golden hues of ancient citadels and a taut landscape
dotted by people dressed in blazing colours. Throughout Rajasthan the
forts, palaces and temples have been abundant. Lacquered brassware holds
pride of place in Rajasthan handicrafts. Rajasthan jewellery is almost
synonymous with precious stones and Jaipur, the capital of the state is
considered the largest lapidary centre in the world. Jaipur the capital
was built in 1727 and popularly known as the Pink City in reference to
the pink coloured walls and roofs on the main streets in the ancient city.
Among its architectural feats are the City Palace and the Palace Museum.
Jodhpur belonged to the largest princely state of Rajasthan and founded
in 1459. It is a sightseer’s paradise with the Mehrangadh Fort.
The Umaid Bhawan is one of the grandest palaces in the country. Udaipur
is better known as the City of Lakes is studded with well preserved palaces,
beautiful gardens and placed blue lakes. The State offers an ” enjoy-our-royal
past” experience unmatched anywhere in the world. The State has amazing
palaces, havelis and forts most of which have been converted into luxury
hotels. The Palace On Wheels takes you on a splendid and enchanting royal
journey through the state to a bygone era of the erstwhile Maharajas.
The Seven Night-Eight Day journey cruises along in a Royal style. Rajasthan
is one of India's prime tourist destination, offering the travellers
a potpourri of visual, culinary, spiritual and cultural experiences

Kerala,the land of green magic, is a narrow fertile
strip on the southwest coast of India, sandwiched between the Lakshadweep
Sea and the Western Ghats. Rice fields, mango and cashew nut trees and
especially coconut palms all dominate landscape. The ” National Geographic
Traveller ” after two years of research chose it as one of the 50
places of a lifetime. Kerala was listed as one of the ten destinations
in the ” Paradise Found ” category. Truly Kerala is the stuff
that dreams are made of. Over 5 million tourists from all over the world
visited the State last year. Thanks to the 600 km long coastline that
extends its entire length, 11 of the 14 districts have a beach to flaunt.
Serene beaches, Emerald backwaters. Lush hill stations and exotic wildlife,
breathtaking waterfalls, Ayurvedic health holidays, enchanting Art Forms,
Magical Festivals, Historical and Cultural monuments, an exotic cuisine
all making Kerala a unique experience. An experience that lasts a lifetime.
So pack your bags and head for “God’s Own Country”.

Goa, has long been renowned for its natural beauty,
palm-fringed beaches, paddy fields and dense coconut groves that form
the basis of a landscape rich in variety and colour. Here you will find
a State unlike any in India, where four centuries of Portuguese rule have
left their mark in the form of imposing coastal forts, grand houses and
whitewashed baroque churches. It is basically divided into North Goa and
South Goa. Goa is a shopper’s paradise. Goa is your gastronomic
oyster: Goa has enjoyed a prominent place in the travellers' lexicon
for many many years

Contact : Mr Kishore Sinh Parmar, Milestone Holidays, 216
Centre Point, 2nd Floor, R C Dutt Road, Alkapuri, Baroda 390005 ( Gujarat-India
) Tel–91–265-2333366-2355383 Fax –91–265–2355383 milestoneholidays@yahoo.co.in
or kishoresinhparmar@yahoo.co.in

The first meeting of 2003 for the Texas branch of the Globetrotters
Club had 8 new people in attendance. What a way to start the new year
off! It was especially exciting as it was a cold and rainy day, not what
Texans are accustomed to.

The scheduled presenter was unable to attend, which meant lots of time
for travel talk and networking. The time was very well spent. The 10 “regulars”
and the 8 “newbies” all had a swell time sharing stories and
getting to know each other.

Saturday February 8th, 2003, 2pm-4pm

PLEASE NOTE DIFFERENT LOCATION

We will meet at the VFW Hall on Peace Street instead of the library
on Common St.

The hall is across from the entrance to Cypress Bend Park where the April
2002 picnic was held.

Peace Street is between the library and the river off Common St. Turn
on Peace Street – the Fairgrounds are across the street so you can only
turn one way. There is a sign for the VFW hall on the corner. Go to the
dead end (cemeteries on both sides) and turn right into the parking lot
for the VFW hall. Any Questions please feel free to call: 830-620-5482

We are excited to welcome this month’s speaker, Norman Ford. The
founder of the Globetrotters Club and an avid cyclist and will present
slides from one of his bike trips. Plans for the Copper Canyon trip will
also be discussed.

Enjoy Handouts, free stuff, informative speakers, useful demonstrations,
travel talk time, slide shows of exotic locales, and door prizes!

As always, the meeting will begin promptly at 2:00 p.m.

Mark your calendars – Dates of future meetings: March 8th,
April 12th,

The VFW folks will open their bar so we will not go to the Hoity Toit
after the meeting. If you like, bring some nibbles to share for conversation
time following the meeting – since we will miss the peanuts from the Toit.

See you Sat. Feb. 8 at 2 p.m.

For more information about the Texas Branch: please Contact texas@globetrotters.co.uk
or register for email updates at our website (click here)
or call Christina at 830-620-5482

PLEASE NOTE DIFFERENT LOCATION

If anybody would like to enquire about meetings or help Christina, please
contact her on: texas@globetrotters.co.uk

UK low-cost airline Ryanair announced recently that it has put in an
offer to buy smaller rival Buzz for £15.6m; $25.7m. Buzz is currently
owned by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, flying to 21 destinations in France,
Germany, Holland and Spain, and, like Ryanair, who currently operate a
network of 100 routes across 15 European countries is based at Stansted
airport, north of London.

It looks like the UK low cost carriers are beginning to consolidate.
Last year, we saw Easyjet buy Go, the British Airways owned low cost airline.
So now it seems that there will only be two main low cost carriers in
the UK, as opposed to the four we had last year.

The deal is expected to be completed by April 1. Details of new timetables,
fares and new routes and frequencies will be announced before the end
of February. If the deal is successful, Ryanair said that it would cut
a number of Buzz's unprofitable routes, while increasing the frequency
on 11 of its existing services from Stansted, including Frankfurt, Milan
and Barcelona and reducing the cost of other routes.

Ryanair is on a bit of a high recently, as it recently announced it
was to open its ninth European base at Stockholm's Skavsta airport.
They also announced five new routes from London, starting at the end of
April that are to include Reims and Pau in France, Maastricht in Holland,
Haugesund in Norway and Dusseldorf in Germany. In addition, Ryanair are
about to buy 22 Boeing 737 planes and had taken out options on a further
78 in order to meet its expansion plans.

The Beetle liked Buzz. They were the last low cost airline that had
not sunk to the usual low cost “standard” of pile ‘em
in, give ‘em no service. Anyone interested in starting a Save Buzz
protest?