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Father Christmas Returns to Mikindani, Tanzania by Len Coleman

On a particularly warm and humid Christmas Eve Santa Claus came back to Mikindani for the third year running. Returning volunteer to the Trade Aid project Matt Maddocks once again donned the red robe, festive hat and fake beard to bring some excitement to the children of Mikindani. This time around, the Bedford army truck was adapted to become his sleigh by the decorative efforts of Emmanuel at the Boma. As we set off for an afternoon tour of the village, everything seemed quiet… was about to change.

The sleigh ride was accompanied by the sound of cheesy Tanzanian pop music and, having rented the most powerful sound system south of Dar, children all over heard us coming and came running. There were handfuls of sweets for the children, who followed the sleigh as it made its way around Mikindani and then headed on into Mtwara. Many of them broke into spontaneous dance-mode when we approached. As we made our way down to the far end of town I saw a large woman wade through the throng of children like a massive battering ram, take off her headscarf and try to use it as a net to catch all of the sweets. We tried to avoid her reach to get some sweets to the little ones, but she clearly had to satisfy her sugar fix and blighted our generosity for a few minutes. The atmosphere was jubilant and everyone was waving and laughing. Matt was relishing the role and the sight of him dancing on the back of the truck in front of hundreds of people is one I will not soon forget. When he then turned his back and proceeded to shake his derriere in true African style there were screams of delight and laughter from the crowd.

We went up the main road towards the boatyard, before looping round to Jangwani Street by the fish market. In this densely populated area the number of kids swelled and we had more than six hundred people following the sleigh. We then made our way towards the market and veered off to Haikata, where we were briefly attacked by a swarm of bees (not from the Boma hive!) before returning to Bomani Street. We passed the Trade Aid house and made our way in to Mtwara from there. Apart from subsequently breaking down in Mtwara whilst dressed like a bunch of prats, the event was a complete success. It was great PR, although, it being in Mikindani with a majority Muslim population, I did hear people asking each other what the significance of a ‘fat red bloke with a beard’ was. Matt was the star of the show and he pulled off a great performance; one that, dancing in front of so many people, most of us pusillanimous souls could only muster after three triple whiskeys and a jug of Stella. It was a great day for all and no doubt the children of Mikindani will look forward to the event next year…

For more information about Trade Aid, volunteers and their work, please visit their website: www.mikindani.com

2004 Travel Photographer Competition

The 2004 Travel Photographer of the Year competition opens for entries on February 22.

Following a successful first year in 2003, in which photographers from 34 countries submitted just under 10,000 images, this annual competition for amateur and professional photographers now features: four portfolio categories covering every aspect of travel photography; a Single Image category; a special Young Travel Photographer category; Student Awards and a remarkable £60,000 prize package.

Prizes include some travel and the very latest photographic equipment and software.

The photographer who demonstrates the greatest skill, diversity and creativity in two different portfolio categories will follow in the footsteps of 2003 winner Peter Adams, and earn the prestigious title of Travel Photographer of the Year and the satisfaction of being judged the very best travel photographer in 2004.

The winner and a companion will be able to take the photographic trip of a lifetime with their choice of a pair of round the world air tickets or two Business Class tickets to any one destination served by the Star Alliance network, the global network that brings together 14 of the world’s finest airlines. Added to this a £2,000 spending spree in a Calumet photographic store, plus Adobe CS Collection Premium and Video Collection software, to optimise the images they shoot on their travels.

Photographers aged 16 and under can submit four images on the theme ‘My World, My View’ which show what travel means to them. It’s free to enter and the prizes are fantastic. The winner receives a top of the range HP Pavilion Photosmart PC with integrated camera docking station and 6-1 memory card reader, plus a top-spec HP Photosmart digital camera, photo centric scanner and photo printer, a unique photography masterclass with renowned landscape photographer Charlie Waite, courtesy of Light & Land, and Adobe CS Collection Premium software.

The new 2004 competition categories are:

Peoples and Cultures Portfolio

This portfolio celebrates humanity in all its many guises, and the diversity that different cultures bring to the travel experience. Prize: the brand new, state-of-the-art Fujifilm S3 Pro digital camera and lens, a 22-day overland adventure for two through Kenya and Tanzania with Guerba, and Adobe CS Collection Standard software.

Essence of Travel Portfolio

This encompasses places, festivals, leisure, architecture, food, transport, tourism and history. Prize: the highly desirable new Hasselblad XPan II Pro panoramic camera; a 12-day fly/drive adventure for two people to explore Sweden with Discover the World, and Adobe CS Collection Standard software.

Spirit of Adventure Portfolio

This category allows entrants to capture the thrill of adventure – however large or small – that challenges the traveller. Prize: a once in a lifetime expedition for two people with Land Rover’s global conservation partner Biosphere Expeditions to the Tatra mountains in Slovakia; a custom-built website from web wizards Resolutions, and Adobe CS Collection Standard software. To prepare them for their expedition, the winner will also spend a day at one of Land Rover’s off-road driving centres.

Living Planet Portfolio

This encompasses landscape, the environment, and wildlife. Prize: the top-of-the-range Wacom Cintiq 18SX Interactive Pen Display with TFT monitor; a tour for two people around the stunning Galapagos Islands on board a motor yacht with G.A.P Adventures, and Adobe CS Collection Standard software.

‘Celebration’ – The Single Image Category

Entrants can submit one beautiful, uplifting image that captures the theme of ‘Celebration’ within the context of travel. Prize: a 10-day holiday for two to the photogenic Islands of the Bahamas, plus Adobe CS Collection Standard software.

Special Awards

Awards will be presented for the best three portfolio entries by students in full-time education, with the winners receiving leather print books from Plastic Sandwich, made in their choice of size and format and personalised with their names.

In addition, a number of special awards from Avery and Tribes Travel will be given for individual images nominated by the TPOTY panel of expert judges and the general public visiting the 2005 TPOTY exhibitions. Details will be announced later this year.

A chance to give something back

Another new element for TPOTY 2004 is the option to make a £1 charitable donation with the entry fee. The funds raised will be split between Tourism Concern and The Tribes Foundation. Tourism Concern is dedicated to campaigning for change in the world’s biggest industry – working to ensure holidays are as good for the people living in our holiday destinations as they are for us. The Tribes Foundation helps indigenous communities, preserves cultural heritage and ecological biodiversity in areas impacted by tourism outside the UK and encourages education in global cultural diversity within the UK.

Entry fees and closing dates

Photographers can enter as many categories as they like, as many times as they like. To compete for the title of Travel Photographer of the Year 2004 they must enter at least two different portfolio categories. The fee structure has been revised for 2004, making it more cost-effective to enter. Entry costs from just £5 for one portfolio category or up to four entries in the Single Image category, is completely free for under-17s and there is a discounted flat rate fee of £5 for students.

Entries are now open, and close on September 17, 2004. Full information and entry forms are available from www.tpoty.com or by sending a stamped addressed envelope to PO Box 2716, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 7ZN, England.

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea by Iona Hill

The capital Port Moresby has a fairly poor reputation, in part deserved, but then, all large cities have their problems. Having said this, Port Moresby is not a large city, it is hard to really say where the centre is, as it is small-ish but sprawling. There is a down town of a type where there are a few multi storey buildings, including the infamous Deloittes building. Last year when I was there, I read a newspaper account that said that this building had been built three times. The first two times, the construction was awarded to a firm who took the money and went bust. The final time, at hugely escalated costs, it was finally built and houses the few accountancy firms that remain in Port Moresby and other businesses. Shell have offices around the corner.

This starts to highlight the real problem with PNG as a whole: crime, environmental degradation, corruption and cronyism. There is a system called won tok, whereby your won toks do you a favour, such as getting you a job, and this holds you in their debt and you are expected to do favours for them. For example, if someone wrongs you or your family, you can call on your won toks to right the wrong.

And this brings me to discuss law and order. The population of PNG is 4 million, and there are around 400 police officers. The geography of the area is interesting. On the other half of New Guinea that is PNG, as opposed to Indonesian, there is a large mountain range separating the north from the south. There are no roads that connect the two coasts. The interior is very mountainous and remote. There are a collection of outlying islands, including New Britain, New Ireland, Bougainville and many smaller islands. This geographical dispersion and the remote interior has resulted in many different tribes of people and over 700 languages.

Many people from the highlands and islands, unable to make ends meet, or ambitious for a better life migrate to the cities, such as Port Moresby, Lae, Kavieng seeking work. These people are referred to as settlers, and they build their own houses from wood, corrugated iron, palm leaves, plastic bags or sheeting etc and maybe cultivate a little land by growing mangoes or coconuts etc. In Port Moresby, there are many settlements which an outsider cannot and should not go into. The nearest comparison I can think of are the shanty towns in Rio or the townships around Johannesburg. They are self policing or completely lawless, depending on which way you look at it.

Over Christmas 2003, I was in Madang, a very pretty natural harbour town on the “main” land. The government had previously issued several warnings to the settlers there that they should leave and go back to their original home land. Few settlers did leave. Over Christmas it became real, and the police were deployed to forcibly evict the settlers from their homes, by burning down their houses and chopping any cultivated trees down. It was a sad sight. There were reports that the police were stealing possessions from inside people’s homes before they set fire to them. In Madang, many of the settlers had been there for over 20 years, and the mood of the people I spoke to was that the government should have laid on some transport or means of helping people to return to their original homeland. I since read a newspaper report that said that the PNG government had refused to allow the Red Cross to distribute aid to the displaced settlers. It was not a good time and I imagine is still on going. I know this happened in provinces other than Madang.

There is a small ex-pat population in Port Moresby and they live in compounds. I visited the Shell compound, and was quite taken aback by the security: double gates to get into the compound, razor wire all around, watch towers, guards and guard dogs, electric fences and inside each of the 6 homes, huge sturdy rape gates on the top floor to prevent entry into the bedrooms.

The majority of expats are Australian and this is the closest sizeable country. Many companies have pulled out of PNG as they say it is too difficult to do business there – problems with land title, bribery and corruption and high levels of crime.

The Australian High Commission sits on a hill and the houses for their staff are right beside it, and look like Lego buildings. Locals call this compound “Shit Scared Alley”. I spoke to some of the Australian High Commission staff and they said that they barely leave the compound. Car-jacking is common place, rape, sexual abuse and incest are distressingly too common. All men own machetes. There did not seem to be too much of a gun culture, but they certainly exist. AIDS is not a huge problem yet, but it is there. The female expats, mostly wives of ex-pat workers are advised to be extremely careful where they drive and not to fill up at petrol stations alone for fear of being car-jacked. The modus operandi is to rape a woman in front of her husband or son and make them watch. This was every ex-pat woman’s biggest fear and I sensed a huge feeling of vulnerability.

This probably paints a fairly grim picture of Port Moresby, but it is at least realistic. I stayed there a week by myself in Christmas of 2002. I stayed at the Magila Hotel which was cheap, friendly, clean and safe. It was a fairly transient sort of place, and not in a good part of town, being in Six Mile – called Six Mile because it is 6 miles from the centre. The motel is surrounded by razor barbed wire and has a watch tower and 24 hour guards – common for Port Moresby. I did not go outside the motel at night on foot – you really don’t walk anywhere in Port Moresby, but I did go by car with friends I made, into town and had meals there etc.

Everyone I met was friendly, polite, interested in why I was in PNG and I have never encountered any problems myself. The diving in Port Moresby is excellent and there are 2 dive facilities – PNG Dive, where I was, and a resort, the Loloata resort. There are 2 places where ex-pats go: the Yacht Club, with good views, a cheap bar and decent food, but predominantly frequented by ex-pats, and there is another place where ex-pats married to local women tend to go. Rather uncharitably, a friend of mine said you could always tell who would go there because they have a red nose through drinking too much.

There isn’t a huge amount to do in Port Moresby and I would not recommend it to the visitor other than to dive. There is an interesting designed Houses of Parliament, and my favourite place is PNG Arts. It is a large shop that sells handicrafts made by people from all over PNG, from the river Sepik where the work depicts spirits in the form of crocodiles, from the islands and from the highlands. I love it there and have spent many an afternoon browsing around the masks, ceremonial daggers, tables, wooden crocodiles and yes, they do make penis gourd holders – the shop told me that the Japanese are the largest customers of these! The people who work there are great (especially Ken, the Canadian who went to PNG as a bet in the 1960s) and the man who owns it is local. They can tell you who made the artefact you are interested in and can ship direct to your home country. I did this last year and had 2 crates sent back to London – it took 5 months to arrive, but it did arrive!

Infrastructure in Port Moresby is better than it used to be. Many of the roads have been repaired – in December 2002 when I was first there, there were huge craters throughout all of the roads which created small mini roads around them! Taxis are very expensive and you need to make sure that the driver knows exactly where you want to go. Electricity is mostly on although the water is not safe to drink from the tap, bottled water is widely available. If you need to stay over in transit, the Airways hotel is pretty good, and you can get a free transfer from both the domestic and international airport as they meet every flight, even if you don’t stay and just want to have lunch or dinner there or sit by the pool. It has a nice green setting, overlooking the airport, 5 minutes drive away on a hill and they do good food.

Bride price is still paid by many people. One man I met who helped with the dive operation I was at last year told me how much he paid in bride price for his wife. It seemed like an awful lot (won toks are expected to chip in as well as the entire family) and I said jokingly that his wife must be a princess. He solemnly replied that yes, she was a princess.

Once you get outside Port Moresby then you can then appreciate the true beauty of the country and the friendliness of its people.

The Black Sea

Where exactly is the Black Sea? It is formed by three rivers: the Danube, the Dnieper and the River Don and is bordered by six countries: Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia, Russia and Ukraine. The population of the greater Black Sea basin is more than 160 million.

Nobody really knows why the Black Sea is called such. Some say that it gained its name from sailors and pirates who were struck by its dark appearance when the sky turned black with storm clouds. The Ancient Greeks called the Black Sea the Scythian Sea, after the not so friendly tribes who lived on its shores at the time. Shipwrecked sailors could generally expect no a hard time from the Scythians, who raided the wrecks and were said to have made wine goblets out of sailors’ skulls. The Greeks also called it Pontos Axenos – the inhospitable sea – until they settled in Crimea, after which they changed their minds and called it Pontos Euxenos: the hospitable sea.

The Black Sea is very deep (1,271m at the centre) but it’s less salty than most oceans. It began life as a fresh water lake about 22,000 years ago. About 7,000 – 9,000 years ago, global warming melted glaciers and the polar ice-caps, sea levels rose and eventually the Mediterranean overflowed through the Bosporus, turning the lake into the Black Sea. Many archaeologists think that this catastrophic event was in fact the Noah’s Flood of the Bible.

The sea is unique in having two layers, an oxygenated upper layer, about 200m deep, with fish life, and a `dead’ lower layer, where until recently nothing was thought to be able to survive.

A peculiarity of the Black Sea is the bi-directional current where it flows through the Bosporus straits on its way to the Mediterranean. The surface current flows westwards through the straits into the Sea of Marmaris, but there is a deep current which flows simultaneously in the opposite direction, back into the Black Sea.

There are plenty of beaches in The Crimea, of Florence Nightingale fame – some 517 km of beaches – mostly small pebbles and some black volcanic sand. Many beaches are public, and the private ones owned by hotels and sanatoria are usually open to non-patrons at a price of around 3 Hryvnias (£0.40p or $0.56 cents) per day. There are also naturist beaches near Koktebel in the east.

Angkor Artichokes by Dave Fuller

“Artichoke. It’s like a hard, rough, green flower.” The gears in my head whirred away as I searched for a description. All around me, serene faces carved out of stone blocks smiled. “What does it taste like?” asked Kay with pen poised. I looked to the grey sandstone heads for inspiration and replied, “A bit like… Cabbage.”

During the week, the Bayon and nearby stone temples of Angkor resemble anthills crawling with travellers. Two by two the tour groups scurry around the ancient monuments, up the steep sides and in and out of cool corridors, collecting knowledge, photographs and memories. On Sundays, the 200 carved faces of Avalokiteshvara smile smugly at young Khmers carrying notebooks collecting English words.

Kay is 13. He lives in the small village of Kok Tmey just outside Siem Reap. He goes to the temples of Angkor every Sunday to find travellers willing to spend a few minutes teaching him their language. That week his homework was to learn how to spell and pronounce a list of 28 fruit and vegetables.

In return for running through the list, Kay lead me to the bas-reliefs at the bottom of the Bayon where the first level of carving depicts daily life in Cambodia. “My uncle has one of these on his farm,” said Kay pointing to an ox-cart in a picture of Khmer soldiers off to battle. “And this is the village where the boat comes in from Phenom Penh,” he said, pointing to a panel that included a fish market. “Look at the chickens fighting and the old men playing.”

Kay tugged at my shirt sleeve. “Come this way. This is my favourite.” We walked to the western corner where a slightly faded panel showed a Khmer circus complete with tight-rope walkers and a giant lifting three other men.

From that point on ground level, the Bayon was a jumble of sandstone blocks. As we climbed knee high stone steps to the third level, the giant stone faces appeared in front and in profile, smiling above and all around. I said goodbye to Kay and left him and his school friends interrogating a Canadian girl about the taste of a guava.

“Custard Apple. It’s like a small soft coconut with green skin,” I explained as I sat in a deserted courtyard inside the Preah Khan temple. Bun, one of Kay’s schoolmates with the same homework, nodded and pointed to a small white flower growing in the shade of the rock. “Did you see the movie ‘Tomb Raider’?” he asked. “The girl found the entrance to the temple by finding the flowers. Just like this.” I looked closer at the tiny orchid, not much bigger than a thumbnail with five delicate petals in the shape of a star. It was a great reward for sitting still. We ran through the list of fruit and vegetables and then Bun showed me through the ‘Sacred Sword’ temple. We walked down the main corridor towards the central sanctuary. “Look how the doors get lower as we get closer,” said Bun. “This is to make you bow before the statue of Buddha.” Bun had no problems walking through the doorways as they shrank, but I could not pass through them without bowing my head.

The Preah Khan temple covers an area of 700m by 800m. As Bun led me over a pile of collapsed rooftop, I was glad that I had a guide to show me the hidden details, like an intricate carving of Shiva holding up the mountain and a queen statue that I would never have found on my own. We wandered down lost corridors to the southern gate where two headless statues stood guard against the jungle. “They guard against the monkeys,” laughed Bun, as the screeches of gibbons got louder in the treetops.

Bun and I made our way to the South Eastern corner of the temple where the Banyan trees had taken over from the stone. The thick roots of the trees gripped the 12th century sandstone blocks like the talons of a mythological bird of prey, providing a base for the trunk that dwarfed the remaining towers of the temple. “The jungle tree and the temple need each other,” said Bun, “The tree can not be removed. It holds the pieces together.” He walked with me to the north gate where he was delighted to find a French couple to help him with a postcard he had been sent.

“Persimmon. I don’t know. I’ve never eaten one. I think it might be a bit like this one,” I said, pointing to where passion fruit was written on the sheet. I sat with Jac under the cool canopy of trees covering the crumbling ruins of Ta Prohm. Jac pointed to a row of doorways topped by banyan tree roots. “That is where they filmed ‘Tomb Raider,” he said. I could see why. Unlike most of the other temples around Angkor, Ta Prohm has not been restored. Instead it has been left at the mercy of the jungle.

Academics argue about the merits of letting the site decay to satisfy tourists who want to feel like Lara Croft or Indiana Jones. Some say it is selfish to want to discover the overgrown entrances as if for the first time. As we sat in a green shady corner, listening to the birds and lizards rustle in the jungle, it was hard not to marvel at how nature had reclaimed the space.

We clambered over stones that had collapsed under the weight of foliage and in and out of courtyards that had been sealed on all sides. We slipped on moss and lichen still eating away at the carved stones and I tried to imagine what the place would have been like when 80,000 people had lived and worshipped there.

Another word was collected on the trek out the long sandy track to the eastern gate, Jac jumped backwards as a foot long shoelace came out of the grass and started to slowly cross the path. “Is it a snake?” asked Jac as I leaned closer. “No. We call it a worm,” I said as he furiously wrote it down in his notebook.

“Adventure. It’s a long and exciting journey,” I explained to Tola, a monk who lived in a monastery not far from Angkor Wat. Like most monks, he had studied English for a long time, but he still came to find tourists on Sundays on the third level of the main temple. We sat and looked up at the steep steps that led to the top of the central tower. Each step was about a foot high but only just wide enough to fit a foot sideways. “You get used to it,” said Tola, “I don’t even think about the height, I just run down.” He pointed to the summit as three Khmer boys threw their sandals off the top and onto the flat stones in front of where we sat. Then they ran, face first, down the steps without faltering. Tola grinned, “There is a hand rail around the other side.”

Tola met me at the top of the central tower. He climbed in bare feet straight up the side, while I used the thin metal handrail to pull myself 31m to the top. Once there, Tola pointed out the significance of the design of the temple. “This tower is Mount Meru,” he said, referring to the place where Hindu cultures believe the gods reside. “That is the ocean,” he continued, gesturing out over the walls to the moat of still dark water that forms a 1.5km by 1.3km boundary to the complex. We walked around the top level, traditionally reserved for Kings and high priests, until we were facing the paved pathways and main gates in the west.

The sun was setting and the Angkor sky was orange, tangerine, melon, paw-paw and blueberry. There was a colour for almost every fruit on the homework sheet…

This article can be found on Dave’s website:

dave@dmfreedom.com

Gilberto Gil Gives Me A Lift! By Tony Annis

Globetrotters Committee member Tony, a professional photographer and journalist writes:

Going home in a black cab in London, not surprising, but being dropped home by the ‘Minister Of Culture’ certainly was. Gilberto Gil a great Brazilian singer and now a Minister, was in London to give a presentation in the ‘Collyer-Bristow Gallery in Bedford Row.

He was here to launch ‘ondAzul’ founder of the charity that helps bring clean and unpolluted water to many parts of Brazil a country that has the most water in the world but at the same time some of the most polluted.

I was invited by Joao Fortes, a good friend who had helped me arrange permission to go and visit ‘Yawanawa’ tribe in the deep Amazon some years ago, so I have first hand experience of many trips to Brazil.

Gilberto Gill A very Brazilian affair in a very old established English Lawyers Gallery. After a short presentation, a video on flat screens round the Gallery, Gilberto Gil picked up his guitar and this place became the Latin Quarter. He slowly built up this very different audience of Diplomats, M.P.s, Environmentalists and Lawyers into a group with many of them singing along with some of his songs especially the ones he wrote while in exile in London. The pace quickened and joining in was Jim Capaldi the well known drummer, but not with drums but making his mouth a bass and drum rhythm section and he certainly helped drive it along. One of the Partners told me the place had never been so alive and with the wine flowing, the music playing, this did not feel like a winter night in London but a music bar back in the warmth of Rio. Sometimes you can travel without going anywhere.

So this is how after BBC World Service and other interviews, I found myself in a cab with Joao and Gilberto, heading back to town. Very, very early flights for them and a lie in bed for me. If you’d like to find out more about Gil, you can visit his website: www.gilbertogil.com.br

For more information, see; www.ondazul.org.br

March is Brazil month in Selfridges, London. www.selfridges.com

Mission Antarctica – An Environmental Project by Andy Dare

Mission Antarctica set up by Robert Swan after walking to both South & North Pole. Antarctica is a truly unique place, but not as white and pristine as you would first imagine, and Robert was amazed at the rubbish problem.

Antarctica is not owned by anyone, however 44 signatory countries administer the continent. The treaty was set up so that it could be looked after for the future and states that everything brought in to the continent must be taken out, but obviously this was not happening.

In 1992 Robert was the keynote speaker at the first Earth Summit in Rio and spoke about the rubbish problem in Antarctica. With their approval he then set up a project to do something about it, choosing the Russian Base of Bellingshausen, as it was one of the worse areas. Also, it was accessible to visiting ships and had a runway nearby, allowing both easy access for research into the removal and aiding the difficult logistics.

For a number of years a team of Russian volunteers cut, compacted and moved the scrap onto the beach, stockpiling it to ease the removal later.

During December & January 2001/2002 the Ship “Anne Boye” was chartered and sailed to King George island to remove the scrap. A small team of 5 from the UK, together with the Russian volunteers then managed to move 1,000 tons of scrap from the beach onto the ship, all within 3 weeks.

The site was then levelled by JCB and within that week, the penguins and seals were back on the beach, oblivious to its former history. The waste was then taken to Uruguay for recycling, with the Dangerous waste like Asbestos, fuels and oils, taken to the UK for specialist disposal.

The Yacht “2041” (so named as this is the renewal date of the Antarctic Treaty) played an important role in the operation, as the main aim of the project was worldwide education.

For the first time ever, crew would be flown into the Antarctic to join the yacht for 8-10 day voyages, experiencing firsthand the cleanup, together with the awesome beauty in areas, as yet, untouched or visited by man.

Young people and teachers from 19 different countries sailed onboard Voyages 1 and 2. The aim was to get young people interested now, in preserving Antarctica, which would mean that in their later years when they were working and in possible leadership roles, they would remember this and take positive action to look after the Continent.

Voyage 3 allowed Robert, together with the sponsors, to observe firsthand the cleanup in operation. Voyage 4 was especially for young underprivileged South Africans. They had never even seen the sea before, let alone ice, when they visited the Continent. The final voyage sailed much deeper into the southern peninsular regions, observing how other bases are dealing with their waste. New territories were explored, before returning to S. America ahead of the winter, now closing in. The yacht had now sailed over 4,000M during our 3-Month Antarctic Expedition.

After resupplying in Argentina, the yacht sailed 1,400M to South Georgia, for a two week Expedition to see how the wildlife was coping with the waste left in the numerous abandoned Whaling Stations.

From the near extinction of the seals during the whaling era, they have made a spectacular recovery, and now they rule the very stations that nearly pushed them to the brink of extinction on South Georgia. There are now estimated to be over 1.5 million Fur seals resident on the Island, as well as thousands of Elephant Seals.

South Georgia is truly one of the world’s most spectacular wildlife habitats. This is mostly due to its desolation and the fact that man finds it so very hard to reach it – even in this day and age.

King penguins gather to breed in massive numbers, due to its year round access to the sea. On this beach alone there were estimated to be over Half a Million penguins!

On arrival in Cape Town, after a round trip of over 12,000M, the yacht was lifted out the water to be transported overland to Johannesburg, for The World Summit on Sustainable Development, where Robert addressed the United Nations on the success of the project in Antarctica. The yacht become a “floating petition” containing the names of thousands of young people who have pledged their support to the project on preserving & managing Antarctica

During all the Expeditions the crew filmed 25 hours of DV footage, using high quality digital video, together with over 5,000 digital images and 5,000 film images on Transparency. The images were complied, using the onboard video edit suite, onto CD’s for the Participants, to take back to their respective countries to show how the project had succeeded in the waste removal.

Andrew Dare is now conducting multimedia presentations, which explains the whole project from it start in Africa, the cleanup in Antarctica & the return to Africa, via South Georgia.

If you would like further details of this amazing expedition and project or to obtain images, please contact the Yacht Captain, Andrew Dare, e-mail: andydare@bigfoot.com

The World's Newest Countries

The World’s Newest Countries

Country (Independence Date)

  1. East Timor (May 20, 2002)
  2. Palau (October 1, 1994)
  3. Czech (Republic January 1, 1993)
  4. Eritrea (May 24, 1993)
  5. Slovakia (January 1, 1993)
  6. Yugoslavia (April 27, 1992)
  7. Bosnia and Herzegovina (March 1, 1992)
  8. Kazakhstan (December 16, 1991)
  9. Turkmenistan (October 27, 1991)
  10. Armenia (September 21, 1991)
  11. Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of (September 17, 1991)
  12. Tajikistan (September 9,1991)
  13. Lithuania (September 6, 1991)
  14. Uzbekistan (September 1, 1991)
  15. Kyrgyztan (August 31, 1991)
  16. Moldova (August 27, 1991)
  17. Belarus (August 25, 1991)
  18. Russia (August 24, 1991)

Source: www.aneki.com

Reykjavik the northernmost capital in the world by Ása

It’s been called Europe’s hottest capital. Slick advertising campaigns have championed the city’s famed nightlife. But there is more to Reykjavik than pubs and clubs. Reykjavik held the prestigious title European City of Culture in the year 2000, a welcome recognition of the energetic and colourful cultural life of Reykjavik.

Reykjavik has the best of both worlds: the qualities of a modern, forward-looking society are complemented by a close connection to the beautiful and unspoilt nature in the city’s vicinity. The world’s northernmost capital is framed by the majestic Mt. Esja, which keeps a watchful eye on the city, and the blue waters of Faxafloi Bay. On a sunny day, the mystical Snaefellsjokull glacier appears crystal-like and baby blue on the western horizon, as the mountainous moonscapes spread to the southeast.

Reykjavik is a great place to visit, whether for a restful relaxation, a spot of unbridled fun or generally to recharge one’s batteries: energy, safety, health and wellness – Reykjavik is indeed Europe’s hottest capital.

Reykjavik is spread across a peninsula whit a panoramic view of the mountains and the Atlantic Ocean on almost all sides. In the summer, you can sit by the harbour at midnight and watch the sun dip slightly below the horizon before it makes its way up again.

The population of the city is about 170,000 when you include the outlying areas and smaller boroughs surrounding the capital. One gets a general feeling of cosmopolitan sophistication built on rock solid foundations.

Ása Kolka Haraldsdóttir works for the Reykjavik tourist board and can be contacted on: asakolka@visitreykjavik.is

Latin America Bureau: learn more about Latin America!

LAB is running a working and Volunteering in Latin America workshop in London on Saturday 21st February from 10.30am to 5.30pm. From coffee brigades and tree planting to literacy teaching and human rights work, the day will explore the possibilities for being something other than a tourist in Latin America: practical advice and information.

On 13th March 2004, there will be a workshop in London on Tourism in Latin America: what is the social impact of the growth in tourism on Latin America and the Caribbean? A thought provoking day will examine the politics of travel and is aimed at first time travellers to the region as well as veterans.

For more information, see ww.lab.org or contact them on: 020 7430 0542.

MEETING NEWS

Meeting news from our branches around the world.

12 Questions To Ask Inca Trail Operators Before The Big Trek

This is an extract from a great website that gives visitors to Peru lots of invaluable information about Peru, how to get around, visas, museums etc. It is a not for profit organisation that is aimed at encouraging people to visit Peru.

  1. Do you carry a first aid kit?
  1. Are your guides trained in first aid and C.P.R?
  1. Do you feed your porters and what do you give them?
  1. Are your porters given proper tents and equipment?
  1. What is the difficult level of the Inca Trail?
  1. What is the meal plan for each day?
  1. Do you supply us with 3 season tents?
  1. Are your guides specialist in birds, plants, and culture?
  1. What is the maximum weight your porters Carry? ( 20 – 25 Kilos )
  1. How much do you pay your porters?
  1. Do you follow the regulations? Do you have a printed copy?
  1. What do you do with waste from the trip and do you use plastic bottles?

For more information, see:http://www.perutouristinformation.com/

Meeting News from London by Padmassana

Find out what happened at previous meetings in London and about future events

Saturday 6th December 2003 London meeting

Our first speaker was Paul Goldstein whose talk was entitled “Africa: An adventurous wilderness”. Paul has led many tours into sub Saharan Africa for adventure tour operators over the last few years. We started with shots of Victoria Falls and White water rafting, followed by bathing in a Kenyan mud spring! Paul’s passion is for the wildlife of Africa and we saw some wonderful pictures of lion, leopard, cheetahs and jackals. But the stars of the show for the globies audience were the mountain gorillas. Paul finished up in India with a great shot of a lion taking it easy in the middle of the road.

After the break John Pilkington gave an intriguing talk on his journey up the Mekong river to its source in Tibet. We started off in the markets of Saigon, not a place for vegetarians! John followed the river’s course but not always by travelling on it, he also used local trucks that served as busses. As he headed north into these Buddhist lands we saw Buddhist architecture and playful orange clad monks who thought nothing of playing with a mountain gun left over from a previous war. John took an unusual route over the border into China, he hitched a ride on a Chinese cargo boat delivering noodles and Red Bull! When the Mekong was no longer navigable John took to jeeps and finally onto horseback to become the first Britain to reach the source of the Mekong. (Find out more about John at http://www.pilk.net/lecture.mekong.html)

Saturday 3rd January 2004 London meeting

Our first meeting of 2004 was a series of 4 mini talks given by Globetrotters members. Many thanks to all those who took part, some at very short notice who made it a very enjoyable afternoon.

Our first speaker was London organiser Dick Curtis whose talk covered part of his “Gap year” from teaching. Dick slides took us through India, beginning as most Indian journeys do in the capital Delhi from where he took a train to Kashmir, all very exotic, especially to someone who had not ventured beyond Europe before. Dick’s wonderful photos showed us houseboats, temples and the very photogenic people. Dick met up with some other travellers and with them trekked to Ladakh taking in some beautiful mountain scenery and travelling from Hindu India to Buddhist Ladakh.

Our second speaker was club Membership Secretary Kevin Brackley, who took us to a now virtually impossible to reach destination, Saudi Arabia. His journey started in conservative Riyadh, with its fortress and modern Faisal Tower, then north to Sakaka where he showed us the 6000 year old standing stones in the desert. His trip then followed the old Hejaz Railway through the desert to Medina. We saw beautiful red desert colours, including slides of rocks carved by wind and sand and the spectacular Nabatean city of Maidan Saleh. At Al-Ula we saw old locomotives from the railway abandoned in the desert, before arriving via Medina at Globe Square in cosmopolitan Jeddah on the Red sea.

After the break Martin Wright showed us a glimpse of his marathon cycle ride to Australia. Martin illustrated his trip with great photos and narrative, particularly of some of his ailments along the way! He showed us eastern Turkey, before crossing into Iran, the photos of the tiled mosques at Esfahan were superb. Martin couldn’t get a visa for Pakistan so had to back track before ending up in Nepal and then via some hard uphill cycling into Tibet and Lhasa. He continued down through Indochina before crossing to Australia, where the “Pommie on a bike” was made very welcome, especially in places where according to road signs the population was outnumbered by sheep or flies.

Our last speaker was Globetrotters Legacy Coordinator Jeannie Copeland, who showed us a trip she led in Iceland for Ramblers. Starting in Reykjavik with its colourful houses and lake she travelled up the west coast to Akureyri, where some of her group made the boat trip to the Arctic circle island of Grimsey. Husavik on Iceland’s north coast was the chance for the group to try whale watching. Jeannie’s photos showed the group climbing mountains in a tropical for Iceland, twenty degrees, before travelling through rain to Myvatn, with its rock formations such as Dimmuborgir and natural hot spring pools, great after a long days walking.

After the talks, thanks to Nadia and all those who brought food and drink, we enjoyed the annual Globetrotters New Year party.

Future meetings

Saturday 7th February

Chris Bradley — Walking Wadi Hadramaut [Yemen] – a 550 mile solo unsupported trek and first westerner and Rupert Attlee — The Trail to Titicaca – a 7000 mile cycle adventure through S.America

Saturday 6th March

Anthony Lambert — Railways on the Wlldside – travel on a selection of the World’s railways and Jacqui Trotter — Travelling South America – 8 months of overland and independent travel Part II

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

Mac's Travel Tips

Mac’s been reviewing travel websites again and here are some of the better travel tips he’s gleaned and would like to pass on to us:

Water or sports drinks plastic bottles are often better than the traditional water bottles – they don’t leak, are usually lighter and at the end of the trip, you can throw them away (into a recycling bin, if possible) and after this, you have more room for those totally cannot afford to miss souvenirs!

Tights (panty hose) are cheap, warm and disposable and make great layers when travelling in cold places, when layering is essential.

You can keep your hair looking good for longer, ideal if you are travelling in the wilds and don’t have access to a daily shower. All you need is a small bottle of deep cleansing shampoo and a tiny bottle of coconut oil. After washing your hair, rub a tiny drop of oil into your hair. Go easy the first time to know how it looks when dry. Hair stays soft and clean looking and will keep nasty things out of hair such as lice.

Meeting News from New York JANUARY 10th, 2004 Rebuilding the Ruins of Afghanistan — Michael Luongo

From women who work at re-opened museums to hunky gym rats who worship Arnold Schwarzenegger, Afghanistan has changed in the 2 years since the ouster of the Taliban. A lot more work needs to be done, but new buildings rise from the rubble to punctuate the Kabul skyline, archeological initiatives are helping tourism, and wheelchair programs are giving mine victims a new chance in life. See the Afghanistan you never read about in the papers.

We looked at what there is to see as a tourist in Kabul and also touch on travel to other Islamic hotspots like Jordan, Turkey and Morocco.

For details of forthcoming meetings e-mail newyork@globetrotters.co.uk or register for e-mail 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.

Iris's Diary of An Overland Trip Through South America

Iris and her group arrive in Salvador in Brazil.

What can I say about Salvador? I loved the place. It wasn’t so when I first arrived because we got there quite late at night, we were all tired and then found we had a hike across a busy main road to a dirty little side street full of rubbish over spilling on to the street and there was our hotel! I thought “What sort of a dump have we been brought to?” but it turned out to be a charming place, very helpful staff, a beautiful little garden at the rear with a miniature waterfall and a bird in a gilded cage singing its heart out for us, morning and night.

Salvador is a city of great contrasts. We were housed in the old city which is reached by climbing steep hills or by a lift from the lower level to the top. The lower level has nothing much of interest. It is commercial with docks, but there is a very interesting market housed in a round building with a restaurant overlooking the harbour. I did eventually get to it on the last day we were in Salvador and bought myself a hammock for my stay in the jungle when I shall have to sleep in a hammock on board the ferry, for the 9 days we are there. But for the most part we stayed in the old city, as it is far more interesting and has lots of old buildings and narrow streets with fascinating shops and restaurants. One restaurant we went to had the most beautiful garden and the most incredible service all for a few pounds, and it boasted a really good little trio serenading us as we ate.

We also found, courtesy of our Korean friend (who always goes off exploring on his own) the most incredible shopping centre which is about 3 times as big as most types of shopping centre in UK) but this was on our last day, we were pretty tired by then, and we were only able to explore about a quarter of it, before deciding we’d had enough and wanted to go back to the hotel!

The beaches in Salvador were really beautiful and the bus service superb. I’d really love to go back there sometime.

Since Salvador, we have been to several unspoilt places – Lencois, the centre of an area of outstanding beauty with lots of rivers, waterfalls and lakes to see, besides caves and we did go on a full day’s trip to the countryside to see the waterfalls, and caves and rock formations, in the company of a man called Issy (short for Isadoro) who was a very enthusiastic fellow who loved talking about his native Brazil and its fauna and flora.

We are now in a place called Bonito where we are for five days. We have used this time, Judith and I, to rest and take stock, especially as on the way here our truck broke down and we had to be rescued by a fellow Exodus truck which has been shadowing us all the way around South America, normally in second place, and then they came into their own as we needed to be given a lift! We spent some time in a place called Itiquira, but just two nights really and most of that was spent trying to get the truck recovered and once it was recovered, getting lots of our baggage off it, as we were probably not going to see the truck again for a week or two until it is repaired and now in Bonito. We are stuck with no truck, just the extra Exodus truck which rescued us and which can’t take us any further, and it looks as if we are going to be taking public transport to our next destination until the truck is repaired and can catch up with us!

Bonito is the first place where we have actually stayed in a Youth Hostel and it has some surprising facilities, like a swimming pool and a really good laundry, and some excellent staff who cater for our every need. We don’t need money here, we just put it all on tick! (Goodness only knows what the final bill will be, it’s amazing how the pennies mount up when you don’t have to pay as you go!) And of course it has Internet! Only two machines and I have been hogging this machine most of the afternoon, but now I have to come to a close, read it and send it off to all you people out there, wondering why I have been up to since I last wrote.

Just for completeness, we did call in briefly at Brasilia to look at the city. What a non-event. It is a manufactured city with its only claim to fame being its President Kibutschek whom they revere as a god and have produced this awful mausoleum which is pitch dark inside except for illuminated display cabinets of all his clothes and paraphernalia, books and objets d’arte, including all his wife’s clothes etc. and it was the most boring exhibit I had even been in. The only highlight was they had a cadaverous member of the Adams family popping out to give us a fright every now and again, and provided a staircase in midnight blue carpet, lit only by ambient light, to provide a place for people to have fun, falling down it and seeing who can crack their head open in the most spectacular way! One poor lady was carted off to hospital while we were there, having done just that, so I suppose she won first prize!

Take care, I’ll be in touch again soon, and hopefully by then we will be back on our truck. By the way, the diagnosis was a broken crankshaft.

Mac's Jottings: Kenya

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). So here is the perfect opportunity to share some of my anecdotes.

Nairobi, Kenya. Because of the many pick pockets in Nairobi they are thinking of renaming Nairobi, Nairobbery.

Home member Donald French (now dead) in his eighties went with a group of young people from England on a truck trip thorough Africa. Each had an assignment: get wood for fire, cook, be a guard of their possessions at night etc. One night they decided they did not need a guard and all their shoes were stolen that night! As some had big feet it was difficult to get replacements. They became native in a hurry!

The Masai in Kenya have a drink made of cow’s blood and urine. Not available at the bar in our lodge. This cow’s milk urine combination drink is suppose to cure stuttering and athletes feet. One of the Masai wearing a blanket and carrying a spear surprisingly came into the bar of our lodge leaving his spear outside and said something to the bar tender. The Masai undid his handkerchief and took out tip money made from posing for pictures and ordered a Tusker Beer. The bar tender who was in Western Dress talked with him in Masai. After the Warrior left I commented to the bartender: “You speak Masai.” He answered: “I am Masai.”

The Masai warriors put red stuff in their hair. I thought maybe it was to keep flies away. Two were looking in the rear view mirror of our Landrover and I talked with them as best as I could and asked them why they put that stuff in their hair. They relied: “To look beautiful.”

At Salt Lick Lodge in Kenya, we were told to put down at the desk before retiring what animals we wanted to be awaken for if they came to the water hole. I put down: “Everything but mosquitoes.”

In the middle of the night someone was knocking at my door and shouting: “Elephants! Elephants!” I woke up not knowing where I was and wondered why someone was at my door hollering “Elephants! Elephants!” The hotel had an underground tunnel that led to a darkened bunker. No lights allowed. No flashlights. No Flashbulbs etc. Here you could watch the animals drink. At the bar they had a sign: “don’t bother the animals while drinking and vice versa”.

When we returned to the hotel from watching the animals, one of the couples suddenly realised that their small son was missing. Father and Mother had each thought the son was with the other. The hotel staff seemed concerned and said baboons sometimes attack small children. Don’t know if this is true or if we were being told this to make our Safari more exciting. By the way, safari just means trip. They organised us to form a line and to walk out into the bush as a search party. But before we got started someone went back to the dark bunker and found the child asleep in the corner.

Salt Lick Lodge is built up on poles so animals can walk under your lodge. There is a skull of an animal where you deposit your key. Skull of an elephant. The one that had been at my door.

We would leave each morning from some of the lodges to look for animals. The guides would use directions of the clock like “Lion at three O’ clock” to alert us where the animals were, but this one morning, we saw nothing. The terrain was rough and we had been driving and driving and driving. I thought I spotted something and thought I was being real professional when I said: “there is something at five O clock”. Someone dryly replied: “yeah, tea.”.

The Parks in South Africa were better organised than in Kenya, I thought. Kruger Park in South Africa is as large as Connecticut. You could drive anywhere in your Landrover in Kenya but had to stay on the road in Kruger.

In Swahili, a giraffe is called a Twiga, a leopard a Churi, a rhinoceros a Kikaru, an elephant an Oliphant, lion is called a Simba and Jambo means Hello.

Next month, Mac discusses Malaysia.

If you would like to contact Mac, he can be e-mailed on: macsan400@yahoo.com

Meeting News from Texas

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 future meetings: February 14th (Travelocity), March 13th (Southwest Airlines), Mark your calendars

If you like independent, adventuresome, fun, daring, exciting, “off the beaten path” travel, this club is for you. Our meeting begins at 2 P.M. Come early so you won’t be late! Enjoy handouts, travel talk time, and door prizes!

For more information about the Texas Branch: please contact texas@globetrotters.co.uk or register for e-mail updates at our website (click here) or call Christina at 830-620-5482

If anybody would like to enquire about meetings or help Christina, please contact her on: texas@globetrotters.co.uk

Burma Revisited

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 made a study of anecdotal reports of Burmese attitudes over the last five years – alas the sole source of information in the absence of credible opinion polls – and his conclusion is that the Burmese people themselves very much favour visits by tourists and travellers to their country by a margin of at least 10 to 1. We have reproduced a cut down version of his survey.

*****

Some travel correspondents say that on their visits they found it difficult, if not impossible to find any Burmese, even rank and file members of Daw Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, who were against tourism to their country, despite Daw Suu Kyi’s strictures. A “search” on Alta Vista for “Burma Travel Boycott” any evening will produce over 3,000 “hits”. A sample selection of reported Burmese views from these “hits” confirms my conclusion that the Burmese people generally really do want tourists and travellers to visit.

It is for many their main source of income, protection against the excesses of the military and an assurance that their plight may at least be witnessed by those who are sensitive observers. Travel and tourism indeed advance the cause of democracy.

My simple conclusion is that we should primarily be guided by the wishes and advice of the Burmese people , and not that of the UK Government whose policy is to “strongly discourage tourism to Burma” – FCO Minister Bill Rammell, 25 November 2003, speech on “Why Human Rights Matter” to the Institute for Public Policy Research.

Tourism is admittedly a source, but not, as another FCO Minister, Mike O’Brien stated in a letter on 14 July 2003 to the Chief Executive of ABTA, Ian Reynolds, “an important source” of hard currency for the SPDC. Net profits pale into insignificance against the US$ 2-3 billion purchases in recent years, mostly from China, of arms and military equipment. Most hotels are barely covering their operating costs. Remittances by tourist enterprises out of Burma of some US$ 25 million annually [IMF estimates] for essential payments punch quote a hole in US$ 100 million annual revenue. Local costs swallow up much of the balance. It is not credible to argue that tourism is in any serious sense helping to prop up the regime. It would do so if numbers increased tenfold, but this isn’t likely to happen for a very long time.

There is no doubt that Daw Suu Kyi would prefer tourists to delay visiting Burma. Over the years, she has advanced numerous reasons for not visiting Burma, some of which are not all that convincing, notably arguments about giving the regime “legitimacy” (while the UK accepts Burma as Myanmar at the UN and maintains full diplomatic relations, with an Ambassador in post), about “it’s better to stay at home and read some of the many human rights reports there are” (which is not perhaps the best way to experience and witness what is going on in Burma), about “the bulk of the money goes straight into the pockets of the Generals” (when revenue clearly goes to meeting operating expenses, debt, depreciation, transfer to reserves etc.), about “Burma will still be there when the time is ripe” (but not for octogenarian veterans of the Burma Campaign, while for scholars, linguists, ethnologists, Buddhist scholars and many others with specialist interests Burma has been a hermit kingdom ever since the military took over in 1962), about “we haven’t had time to discuss it [tourism policy] properly” at a news conference in May 2002 (which might leave some of us still wondering what NLD policy really is).

The tourist trade has been hard hit by the latest indiscriminate US sanctions which have led to the suspension of all credit card transactions in Burma and restrictions on the utilisation of the US Dollar. Quite soon, thousands of postcard sellers and stall holders, tourist guides, hotel staff and drivers will be joining the 80,000 or so textile workers who have been made unemployed.

No-one in Burma is making any serious money out of tourism at present, and what is the point of allocating beach land to cronies of the regime when there is no investment capital available to develop projects? Occasionally critics point to the Shangri-La Traders Hotel as an example of a Joint Venture which must be making money for the SPDC. They might be surprised to know that Traders Hotel has been in liquidation since 1999.

Tourism is about meeting people, and in the case of Burma letting the Burmese know that the outside world has not forgotten them.

Derek Tonkin

If you would like to contact Derek, he can be reached by e-mail as follows: d.tonkin@btopenworld.com