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The Beetle
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Chopsticks Are Extra
The Chinese government is introducing a 5% tax on disposable wooden chopsticks in a bid to preserve its forests. It produces about 45 billion pairs of chopsticks a year, consuming millions of trees and bamboo plants.
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The Beetle
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Bird Flu Update
According to the World Health Organisation, the number of people who have died from bird flu around the globe has reached 103 since late 2003. The latest deaths from the H5N1 strain occurred in Azerbaijan, where five have died since February, the WHO reported. Confirmed human deaths: Vietnam – 42 Indonesia – 22 Thailand –…
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The Beetle
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MEETING NEWS
Meeting news from around the world
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The Beetle
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Meeting News from London by Padmassana
Our first speaker was Gavin Fernandes, who showed us life and death at Varanassi. Daily life including everything from bathing, praying, meditating and funerals taking place on the ghats by the side of the river. We saw ash covered saddhus and Bollywood films being made. Gavin also showed us the Kumb Mela, (a grand Hindu…
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The Beetle
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Meeting News from Ontario
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 and travel presentations are held on the 3rd Friday in January, March, May (4th Friday), September and November at the Old York Tower, 85 The Esplanade (SouthEast corner of The Esplanade & Church) –…
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The Beetle
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Padmassana Visits Lebanon
On Christmas Eve I flew from London to Beirut on BA and landed during a spectacular thunderstorm. I managed to get in for free after buying a visa at the airport bank for $18, the immigration man said it's free today, go, and get your money back, so we did! By total coincidence, the next…
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The Beetle
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Brazil Adventure by Tony Annis and Friendships at our Globetrotter Club
8am and damn hot, 8am and bloody humid, 8am in the Brazilian rainforest. Tramping through the jungle and trying to keep up the fast pace of the Indian guides, the perspiration stung as it ran into my eyes. My camera pack seemed to weigh a ton and was biting into my shoulders. Then we burst…
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The Beetle
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Getting Great Photo Prints From Your Digital Camera by Bob Stephens
The first step to getting great digital photo prints is to make sure you use a good quality digital camera. Digital photos are gaining popularity over traditional film photos because of the features and convenience associated with the newer technology. In some cases it’s even more cost effective to print your own photos at home…
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The Beetle
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The Beetle Goes Diving in the Similan Islands
The Similan Islands can be found about one hundred kilometres northwest of Phuket, Thailand. They comprise nine granite islands covered in tropical jungle. The word Similan is said to be given by Malay fisherman who named it “The Nine Islands” (Sembilan is “nine” in Malay) and now the islands are identified by a Thai name…
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The Beetle
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Survey Corner: Popular Travel Spots for Americans
Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates unveiled the 2006 results of their annual Travel Trends Survey resulting from a poll of 363 of their travel associate owners, managers and front-line agents throughout the United States at the end of 2005. Las Vegas remains top of domestic US destinations and Caribbean cruising continues to be the hottest international…
The Globetrotters Club
The travel club for independent travellers.