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The Beetle
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Sentosa Cable Car Competition
A marathon competition to see who could live for a week in a cable car that makes the 1.7-kilometre trip between Singapore and the resort island of Sentosa about 80 metres above sea level was won by a couple who said they used meditation to overcome urges to use the bathroom. Thirty three couples started…
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The Beetle
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Sicily: Caltabellotta and Selinunte by David Cross
Sciacca is not really on the tourist trail although it is extremely pleasant and some of the upper town is really picturesque. There is no really cheap place to stay, though the Paloma Bianca in Via Figuli was not really dear. The main appeal of Sciacca for me is the fact that it is an…
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The Beetle
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Funny Signs by Mac
Mac is not responsible for finding these signs, he saw them on the internet and thought they may be amusing for readers of the Globetrotters e-newsletter. Please, no complaints about being patronising, this is just for fun. Spotted in a toilet of a London office: TOILET OUT OF ORDER. PLEASE USE FLOOR BELOW In a…
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The Beetle
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Possible tax on visits to the Costa Brava
More than a million British holidaymakers heading for the Costa Brava in north eastern Spain face an increase in prices due to a tourist tax. The new tourism director-general of the Catalan region, Isabel Galobardes, said 'some sort of tax' was essential to improve infrastructure in the most popular areas. ABTA, the Association of British…
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The Beetle
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Volunteer Spotlight Youth Services with Iko Poran, Brazil
Iko Poran society is a Brazilian association of private non-profit , non-political, non-denominational organizations guided by the principles of democracy. The mission of our organization is to promote volunteer programs that have a positive impact on their communities and surrounding and promote a beneficial exchange between cultures. Volunteer work varies according to project. For more…
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The Beetle
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There's a Frog in My Salad
An airline passenger discovered the a frog perched on a slice of cucumber while on a Qantas flight from Melbourne to Wellington in February. “Naturally there was a bit of consternation by the passenger who called back the attendant,” Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry quarantine general manager Fergus Small said. The flight attendant removed the…
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The Beetle
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Mac's Travel Tips
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 Malaysia, India, Komodo Dragons and Singapore. Kula Lumpur, Malaysia: Malaysian children are singing in…
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The Beetle
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Singapore Pilot Booted Out
A foreign pilot who infuriated Singapore's Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew by leading a rare union revolt has been told by the government he can no longer live in Singapore as a permanent resident. Captain Ryan Goh Yew Hock, a Malaysian citizen, was singled out by Lee as the main instigator in a November 2003…
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The Beetle
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Our Friends Ryanair
Director of Ryanair.com Conal Henry announced proudly: ‘Ryanair is the ONLY airline that provides access to all European Grand Prix destinations – all other airlines are the pits!!’ According to them, the best access to Hungarian GP near Budapest on August 15th is via… Graz, Austria, the distance to Hungary JUST 364 km. What is…
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The Beetle
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Queen Mary 2 Criticisms
Spotted by Mac who wrote in to say: I read in yesterday’s Travel section of the Washington Post that a couple taking the Queen Mary 2 had picked out cabin but a few days before sailing were notified that they had been upgraded to the Deluxe Deck 8. They found out the upgrade was really…
The Globetrotters Club
The travel club for independent travellers.