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The Beetle
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Survey Corner: Conde Nast's Favourite Destination List
Conde Nast Traveler ran its 18th annual Readers’ Choice Awards. Nearly 28,000 travellers voted and many familiar favourites still top the list. Singapore Airlines is again the 2005 #1 International Route Airline, and has led this category for 17 of the past 18 years (in 1994 Swissair took the top spot). San Francisco, the #1…
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The Beetle
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Careful Fun with Foreign Languages by Ron McCluskey
Early on in our Mexico experience, we still had not learned much Spanish. In fact, when we arrived, our huge Spanish vocabulary consisted of about two words: si and no. We were in Villahermosa for about a month before we felt comfortable in most situations and that was only because we were experiencing full immersion…
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The Beetle
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Yoga in Bali by Padmasana
Three years or so ago I tried to visit Bali to do practice, but then the first bombings happened and it became impossible to get travel insurance, putting the kybosh on my trip. This year I was luckier. Despite last years' bombing and some countries still having a travel warning against visiting Indonesia, I was…
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The Beetle
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The World's Ten Most Corrupt Leaders
The World's Ten Most Corrupt Leaders Name Position Funds embezzled 1. Mohamed Suharto President of Indonesia (1967-1998) $15-35 billion 2. Ferdinand Marcos President of the Philippines (1972-1986) 5-10 billion 3. Mobutu Sese Seko President of Zaire (1965-1997) 5 billion 4. Sani Abacha President of Nigeria (1993-1998) 2-5 billion 5. Slobodan Milosevic President of Serbia/Yugoslavia (1989-2000)…
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The Beetle
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How to Find Good, but Inexpensive Lodging by Carmen Alias
If you are going to go on budget holidays, but you’re well past using Greyhound as a single mean of travelling, finding good, but inexpensive lodging on the course of your travels may become a problem. Those who found themselves sleeping in creepy dark closets that were advertised as “sunny inexpensive apartments” know that problem…
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The Beetle
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Mac's Travel Reminiscences: Guam
Mac has not been very well but is still e-mailing strong. Here are some of Mac's post war reminiscences about Guam. But first, here are some pictures paying homage to Mac, recognising all the e-mails he has sent the Beetle and how much he has contributed to the Globetrotter e-newsletter. From top left, going clock…
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The Beetle
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Our Friends Ryanair
You've heard it before, whether on a bus or a train, you'll soon be able to hear “hi, I'm on the plane” as people shout into their mobile phones; our friends Ryanair have announced a deal with communications joint venture OnAir to fit its aircraft with technology to allow passengers to use their mobile phones…
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The Beetle
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Being Careful: The Sudan
Washington, D.C. (AHN) – The U.S. Department of State has updated its travel warning for Sudan, citing a “continued threat of terrorism” as the main reasons Americans should steer clear of the country. According to the warning, Americans should cancel all travel to Sudan “particularly in the Darfur area where there is a continuing buildup…
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The Beetle
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Making the DRC Safer
A scheme under which gunmen in the Democratic Republic of Congo are given bicycles in exchange for their weapons is being extended due to its success. Ngoy Mulunda, a pastor in the south-eastern Katanga region, says he has been given some 6,500 weapons in the past year, which he has destroyed. A BBC correspondent says…
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The Beetle
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Do Not Wear Shorts in Iraq
Recent news comes from Iraqi Olympic officials that the coach of Iraq's tennis team, Ahmed Rashid and two players Ali Hatem and Wissam Adel Auda were shot dead in Baghdad. Witnesses said the three were dressed in shorts and were killed days after militants issued a warning forbidding the wearing of shorts. Other Iraqi athletes…
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