Tag: October 2004

Over the last few years it has become increasingly obvious
that travellers (from all backgrounds, ages and levels of
intelligence) come under two main divisions, those who are
organised and those who are not.

The former group are well versed in what they need to take
with them to keep alert, safe and healthy, whilst the latter
group always leave you feeling rather edgy, concerned, and
often uttering those immortal words: 'I don’t believe it
!'

The teenager who is about to depart for several weeks to the
Amazon with her partner and has just run out of her
Contraceptive Pill, the man who is leaving the next day for
Kenya who had no idea he would need antimalarials for that
destination, or even worse the person who 'never'
gets bitten by bugs so wont waste money on pills that will
only put him off his beer!

The list of the great unprepared is too vast to attempt.
UNPREPARED is described in the dictionary as: Having made few
or no preparations; Not equipped to meet a contingency; Not
steeled as to face a shock and there will be plenty of shocks
for those who do not seek out the wealth of advice available.

The Governments FCO site (www.fco.gov.uk)
will give you superb guidance on those who can supply Travel
Insurance, Embassies to contact if in difficulty, doctors
surgeries for those with medical problems, and security
information such as places to avoid and measures to take to
protect your belongings and cash.

There are lists of FCO partners who supply information on
vaccinations and antimalarials if appropriate to your
destination, local disease problems, equipment such as
medical packs, mosquito nets, useful travel medicines, and
very often a voice on the end of the phone should you wish to
discuss anything.

As part of Travelpharm we will offer our help and support
whenever possible as well as a range of the items just
listed.  If we cannot answer your question we will find
a man or woman who can.  Please don’t become one of the
great unprepared, there is simply no excuse ………..!

Paul, a pharmacist can be contacted on: info@travelpharm.com or
alternatively, take a look at their website: http://www.travelpharm.com

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Meeting news from our branches around the world.

Where is it likely to happen:   scorpions can be
found in the wild in South, West and North Africa; North,
Central and South America; India; and the Caribbean. 
Among the scorpions in North America, the 'nasty’ ones
can typically be found in Arizona, New Mexico and on the
Californian side of the Colorado River, whereas the other
North American species are fairly harmless.   In
Mexico each year  between 1000-2000 deaths arise as a
result of scorpion bites.  Because of their size
scorpions can easily travel anywhere in the world as
stowaways with cargo and they have been found in many large
ports. Scorpions sting with a poisoned hook on their tail,
which is typically raised prior to an attack.

What happens if I get bitten: the majority of
scorpions are harmless to humans, although the sting can be
extremely painful and will require painkilling
treatment.  The following symptoms can be observed in
cases of moderate to more serious poisoning:

• Malaise, sweating, heart palpitations, rise in blood
  pressure, salivation, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
  These symptoms should be treated in a similar way to snake
  bites, and a doctor should be consulted as quickly as
  possible.
• Hyperacute (typically allergic) reactions in the form of
  blurring of consciousness, unconsciousness, convulsions,
  fall in blood pressure, shock and consequently the threat
  of death may occur.

What should I do if I get stung: pain at the site of
the sting can sometimes be limited with an ice
cube.   Painkilling injections (morphine-based
painkiller) may be required and a doctor should therefore be
consulted. In the case of more marked symptoms, treatment
must be given as for snake bites, and the patient must
receive medical treatment as quickly as possible.  
There is antiserum for scorpion venom. Treatment must be
overseen by a doctor.

How can I avoid being stung by a scorpion: scorpions
are nocturnal animals and often hide in dark cracks and
vegetation.  Ideally, accommodation should have a ledge
that is at least 20cm high to prevent entry of
scorpions.  Places to look out for scorpions include
cupboards, under the duvet and bed, or in shoes (look under
the duvet/bed and shake your shoes thoroughly before putting
them on). 

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Our first speaker was Simon Casson, who took
us on a journey in the footsteps of his hero Butch Cassidy,
riding the Outlaw Trail. Simon’s pictures portrayed the
barren deserts through which the outlaws managed to stay one
step ahead of the law. It was not an easy journey, made more
challenging when Simon managed to buy a horse that was blind!
Over the course of his trip Simon and his two companions got
through a number of horses and also lost a couple. Simon
finally managed to reach Canada some months later than
planned.

Our second speaker was Calum Macleod, who
took us Uzbekistan. The country only gained its independence
from the USSR in 1991. We saw the beautiful cities of Khiva
and Samarkand with their minarets and spires and wonderful
blue tiles. Simon explained that the country is allegedly
becoming easier to visit, so hopefully more of us will get
the opportunity to visit these cities.

Mark your diary for forthcoming meetings:

Sat. 6th November

• Christian Tyler – Into the TaklamakanDesert – “Wild
  West China”
• Janet Street-Porter – Walking in Australia The
  Larapinta Trail [Alice Springs] and the Bay of Fire Walk
  [Tassie]

Sat. 4 December

• Amar Grover – North Pakistan – Kailash Valleys of
  Chitral to Gilgit via ShandurPass
• Matthew Leeming -Afghanistan OR Iraqi Marsh Arabs

Sat. 8th January 2005 (the second Saturday)

• Four Mini-talks and New Year Party

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 visit the website: www.globetrotters.co.uk
Admission: Members £2.00 Non-members £4.00.

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Interesting country facts.

1. The United States has the most money, power, airports,
   cell phones, radios and ISP's.
2. The United States consumes more energy than India, the
   Middle East, South America, Africa, South East Asia and
   Oceania combined – which means more than 3.1 billion
   people.
3. The top 5 energy consumers are all cold countries. The
   next 6 are mostly oil producers.
4. Guatemalan women work 11.5 hours a day, while South
   African men work only 4.5.
5. Guinea has the wettest capital on Earth with 3.7 metres of
   rain a year. You’re 66 times more likely to be prosecuted
   in the USA as in France.
6. Nearly 1% of Montserrations are police.
7. Most Zambians don't live to see their 40th birthday.
8. Want your kids to stay in school? Send them to Norway.
9. Mexico has the most Jehovah's Witnesses per capita in
   the OECD.
10. Indonesia has the most known mammal species – and the most
    mammal species under threat.

Source:

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There was no New York meeting in October, but we will resume
in November – Subject will be Tibet by Ken Axen!

For details of forthcoming meetings email newyork@globetrotters.co.uk
or register for email updates, click
here at our website.

New York meetings are held at The Wings Theatre,
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.  Admission: $8.00 for members and
$10.00 for non-members.

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We are sorry to say that Mac is not very well,
but he is still e-mailing strong and recently sent the Beetle
a collection of Mac reminiscences about some of his travels
in 1992.  Here we have thoughts and experiences on
India.

I am enjoying reading a book called Eating The Indian
Air by John Morris, published by Atheneun 1969 New
York.  Eating the Indian Air is an Indian expression
meaning to take a walk.  Morris was in British Army in
India and returned around 1969 to see changes.  He had
been on Mt Everest expeditions of 1922 and 1936 so his visit
to see Tensing at the Himalayan Mountaineering School,
Darjeeling, India was interesting.

Quote: “After breakfast I set off to visit the Himalayan
Mountaineering Institute.  The world famous Tensing is
the chief instructor at the Himalayan Institute.  I had
purposely not telephoned to let him know of my visit because
I wished to give him a surprise. In 1936 as a young and
inexperienced Sherpa porter he had been my personal servant
on Everest and although I had seen him in England after the
successful climb in 1953. By local standards he has become a
wealthy man but he is quite unspoilt and still lives in a
simple but comfortable manner.  His appearance reminded
me of the best of the Swiss guides with whom in more affluent
days many of us used to climb.  And he was dressed for
the part, thick woollen knickerbockers, hand knitted
stockings, a peacock blue sweater, Homburg hat (favourite of
all men of Tibetan origin and the heaviest of climbing boots
I have ever seen.  I could not resist pulling his leg
about his appearance but this he said with a laugh was the
outfit in which American tourists expected to find him; they
were disappointed if they found him more soberly dressed”.

Me, Mac speaking now.  I visited this Himalayan School
outside Darjeeling when I was maybe 69.  There was a
slight hill to get to it and I came puffing in the door and
asked if I could enrol in the school.  They laughed and
said they did not take anyone over 18 years of age.  I
was sorry Tensing did not get to meet me but he was either
not in that day or away climbing a mountain. They had a gift
shop and I brought several kinds of key rings with picture of
Mr Everest and I think some saying.  They proved to be
the gift the recipients enjoyed getting the most and they did
not take up much room in my pack.

I stayed in a budget place and I thought they said I could
see Mr Kangchenjunga, the third largest mountain in the world
from my window. They suggested I get up at 5am before the
clouds came in or something. What they said was that I could
see this Mt perhaps at this time from the hotel but from the
other side of hotel. I did later see it.

They brought hot water in something like a milk bucket at the
time I told them I wanted to take a bath. The woodwork in
hotel was beautiful although a budget place. They did not
service meals but they told me how to get to a place friends
owned and it was good. I really enjoyed Darjeeling and the
little toy train to get up there. I also visited a Tibetan
refugee place.

From book The Whole World Stranger by Virginia Moore, The
McMillan Company New York 1957 Page 144: “In the big bazaar
of Calcutta (India) amid merchandise common and exotic we saw
up for sale boxes of food from America marked “Do not sell,
this is a gift” and heard that many recipients mistaking
cheese for soap had washed their clothes with it” (Me. The
night before we were to get on troop ship at Bremerhaven,
Germany  (WWII) to return to the states a German POW
doing kitchen duty mistook a bar of brown GI soap for butter
and put it in the soup, (or so the story goes.)  At
three in the morning troops were wandering around with
dysentery trying to find a dispensary.  What a
mess.  I decided I was going to get on that ship in the
morning even if I had to crawl up the gang plank on my hands
and knees lugging my duffel bag.  I did manage to stand
up but had a movement on the way up the gang plank. 
What an exit from war torn Europe.  (I think it was an
honest mistake on the part of the German POW and don’t think
it was sabotage.  Ha!) When we got to New York there was
a harbour captain that came out to guide our ship on
in.  I was at the side of ship watching this.  He
came on board and shook my hand and said “Welcome home son.”
(I had cleaned my self up by then.)  I get tears in my
eyes just remembering him saying this. 

Back to the book. “At Jjama Masjid (noble Moslem mosque) in
Delhi, the guide showed them three world sights. 
Mohammed’s sandal, his footprint, and from his beard a long
red hair.” The sandals were two inches shorter than his
footprint.  They had one guide that they joked needed a
guide as he didn’t know what some well known sites were.

Me: I found the guides on the government sponsored tours were
very good and tours were reasonable.  I also found the
government sponsored hotels were reasonable, clean and met my
needs.  You find out about them from the National
Tourist offices. While I did not use them all the time it was
nice to know they were there.

I am reading an article about Oil Rich Brunei a feast for
eyes by Sandra Scott in today’s Washington Times Travel
section. She writes: On the Royal Brunei airplane from
Thailand to Bandar the capital of Brunei just before landing
a flight attendant advised “The importation of drugs into
Brunei is illegal and punishable by death.  We are sorry
for any inconvenience this may caused.”.

The sultan’s new 1,800 room palace is the largest in the
world and is managed by Hyatt Corp.  For three days
following Ramadan the palace is open to the public, a buffet
is served and the sultan and his wives- he has two greet the
people.”.

I met in Rio De Janeiro one time the son of one of the
Royalty of Saudi Arabia, or he said he was.  He said his
father had seven wives and he was the son of the youngest
one.  He may have been a fake as he was staying in same
budget pension I was.  I know he did give Varig or
whatever Brazils airline a bribe to get on flight out when it
was difficult to get out and they took it. I was surprised at
this little transaction.

If you would like to contact Mac, he is happy to answer
e-mails: macsan400@yahoo.com

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