U. S. Soldiers Home, Washington: during a century of travel (well 78 years!) both in and out of service I have travelled to over 150 countries (I count both North and South Dakota as countries) and for some reason have jotted signs and happenings that I thought funny at the time (and now wonder why).…

Once again, we were honoured to have Norman Ford, founder of the Globetrotters Club, on hand presenting a slide show of his September 2003 Nordic adventure with us entitled: Around Switzerland By Bike–On Your Own, The Globetrotter Way”. Christina also shared stories and photographs from her Dec 2003 Santa Goodwill Tour to Asia. Dates of…

Derek, a retired UK diplomat, contacted the Beetle to say that all too often the controversy over whether or not to visit Burma tends to overlook the very important issue of whether the people of Burma themselves are happy to see and meet foreign tourists. Derek, who is to visit Burma again next month, has…

‘Mwenge’ is the Kiswahili word for torch but it also represents a major national event in Tanzania, which is also known in English as the National Torch Run. If you can imagine an African version of the carrying of the Olympic Flame, restrict it to one country but take it all over that country, and…

What is it: Lassa fever is an acute viral illness that occurs in West Africa. It is highly contagious and occurs mainly in the dry season in West Africa, particularly Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and the DRC. How do I get it: Rodents shed the virus in urine and droppings which means that the…

Judy from the US write in to tell the Beetle about her recent visit to Siem Reap. This is what she says: My husband and I were in Siem Reap for the full moon 8 Nov 03. Candles were set floating in the Siem Reap River which flows through the village. It was an awesome…

The latter part of the flight over was terrific, with snow on the Gran Sasso first and then, towards the end, there was the fabulous spectacle of the Aeolian Islands with Stromboli puffing away. Etna, on Sicily itself, was puffing a bit but nothing to suggest the major eruption it had the next winter. We…